10 Reasons Your Christian Book ???? Isn’t Getting Traction on Amazon ??

There are 10 Main Reasons Why Your Christian Book May Not Be Getting Traction on Amazon.

Countless Christian authors out there think all they have to do is write the book God put on their heart, hit "publish" on the Amazon KDP platform; and then... BOOM! GOD!

Well, these Christian authors soon realize how wrong they were. The reality of the market makes sure of that. I know what I'm talking about because I'm one of those authors who had to figure it out.

So, maybe you've published your book. Maybe it's successful, or maybe not. May you're just in the process of writing your book, or maybe you,re just thinking about writing that first book. Well, Regradless of where you're at, I'm sure you'll find value in these 10 Reasons Your Christian Book ???? Isn’t Getting Traction on Amazon ??.

Here we go...

1.The Subject of your Book

Whether we like to admit it or not, some Christian book subjects are more researched than others.?

For example, if you write about the End-Times these days, or Bible prophecy, you’ll get more attention than if you write about, say, the mindset of nuns in the 17th century.

So, it’s clear there are trends in the Christian book market like everywhere else. I’m not saying you need to necessarily cater to those trends, but you do need to be aware of them if you will have realistic expectations for your book.

2. Your Title & Subtitle

It’s proven that in the marketplace clarity attracts, and confusion repels. Your book’s title is one its main attributes… or one of its main liabilities.?

It’s good to have a clever title, but you do not want to be so clever that nobody understands what your title means but you. So…

A GREAT Title…

• Is concise
• Is clear and expresses your BIG idea
• Is original
• Cleverly engages the reader’s curiosity
• Advertises the book’s content clearly
• Makes your book stand out in a BIG way
• Engages your audience with the right tone
• Is memorable

A Great Subtitle:

• Defines further what your book is about (expands on the title)
• Is like an elevator pitch for your book
• Can make your book stand out
• Narrows down the tone of your book (funny, serious, spiritual, authoritative)
• Is searchable (has good SEO)
• Shows a clear benefit to the reader
• Is useful… but optional

3. Your Cover

You've probably heard that we should never judge a book by its cover, right? But everybody does.

“Good cover design is not only about beauty... it’s a visual sales pitch. It’s your first contact with a potential reader. Your cover only has around 3 seconds to catch a browsing reader’s attention. You want to stand out and make them pause and consider, and read the synopsis.” ― Eeva Lancaster, author & publishing expert

So, you do want to make sure your cover offers good visual stimulation… Remember, you have three seconds to stand out. Potential readers are very fast at sorting out the good from the bad. For this reason, you do not want something that looks amateurish or homemade.

You can find great and affordable cover designers on Fiverr.com or Upwork.

4. Your Book Description

The description of your book on Amazon is extremely important to incite readers to purchase it.?

Whether we like it or not, basically, a good Amazon book description usually reads like a sales pitch.?

• Written in the 3rd person. Third-person point of view relates events using third-person pronouns such as "he," "she," and "they."?
• Tagline / Question: “Have you ever felt like…?” or “Are you stuck in…?” or “Have you ever thought…?”?
• Present the pain point / challenge / problem
• Promise answers
• Tell reader in plain words what they’ll take away from the book (use 3 or 5 bullets – odd numbers)
• Conclude with the biggest takeaway they’ll get from the book

5. Your Categories and Tags

If you decide to self-publish with Amazon, you will be required to pick two main book categories, and seven tags for your book. This is your basic SEO (Search Engine Optimization) for the book. Remember, Amazon is the 3rd largest search engine in the world – so it does matter.

Categories and tags cannot be rushed through because they are sooo important in getting your book seen by the right people on Amazon.

Also, you can later add your book to more categories (10 total) by simply emailing Amazon KDP support with the list of categories you wish to add your book to clearly written down.

6. The Size of Your Platform?

The more people who know, like, and trust you, the more books sales this will generate.

In turn, the more reviews this will give you…

In turn, this will help your book rank higher in the Amazon algorithm.

So, all this to say: platforms matter when you want to get your book seen, considered, and sold.

The person who already has 10,000 subscribers on YouTube will inevitably sell more books than someone who doesn’t have any influence of any kind on Social Media.?

So, a sizable platform and a loyal base of followers will surely contribute to the success of your book. That’s just reality… for secular and for Christian authors.

7. Your Reviews (or lack thereof)

Never underestimate the power of Amazon reviews!

There is a consensus in the self-publishing industry that if you can get 25 positive reviews (4+ stars) on your book in its first two weeks on Amazon, it will help improve its ranking on Amazon.

If you have a large platform or already are in ministry, you’re pretty much guaranteed some early positive reviews from your church or online ministry. In that case, getting 25 reviews might get done fairly quickly.

Now, what they don’t tell you is the amount of work you will need to put in to get those reviews if you do not have a big platform. Although they are well meaning, friends and family usually are slow to deliver on reviews. So, you will definitely need to be persistent and resilient in your requests.

You may also want to consider book promos on Amazon or giveaways on Goodreads or other platforms to generate more reviews–although these are not guaranteed either.?

As a rule of thumb, it’s usually between 5 and 10 percent of buyers who leave a review. And this also includes the negative ones. So, gird your loins and get to work!

8. Your (lack of) Advertizing

The harsh reality is that no matter how good your book is, if nobody knows it exists or where to find it… it will not be a success.

Can God favor your book supernaturally? Of course He can… but this is dependent on some unique factors that I will not go into now.

So, whether you rack your head and put in the work to find frugal or free ways to advertise, or set aside an advertising budget; it is an extremely valid way of getting your book known and loved in the marketplace.?

Often, Christians make the mistake of thinking they are above the need to advertise because… “God”. Trust me… despite His unfailing love for you, you’re not above the need to advertise.?

Don’t be hyper-spiritual. While God may show up and miraculously get your book to sell,? your book will most likely need some advertising to give it that miraculous kickstart.

Here are a few quotes on the importance of advertising:

“Stopping advertising to save money is like stopping your watch to save time.” --Henry Ford

“Doing business without advertising is like winking at a girl in the dark. You know what you are doing, but nobody else does” – Steuart Henderson Britt

“Advertising may be described as the science of arresting the human intelligence long enough to get money from it.” – S Leacoc

9. Your Author blurb?

Something many new authors take for granted is the power of their author bio, also known as your author blurb.

A well-written and professional sounding author blurb can be the difference-maker in your book getting sold or passed-by.

A good author blurb offers just the right balance between achievements and relatability.

Talk too much about your achievements, you’ll lose the customer.

Talk too little about your achievements, you’ll lose the customer.

The potential buyer needs to be reassured they’re buying from someone who has… authority. Always remember, the word author is from the word authority. In other words, someone who knows what they’re talking about. But, they also like to know that the author isn’t too stuffy, either. So, it helps to sprinkle in your hobbies, family life, and lifestyle, too.

One of the best ways you can craft a solid author bio is to model the ones that resonate with you the most. Look at some of your books at home, and gather three that you really like and do that.

There are also professional copywriters who specialize in author bios on fiverr or upwork. You might want to consider them.

10. Your Attitude

Oftentimes, you need to look no further than the mirror to find out what stands in the way of your book's success.

A can-do attitude. A never-say-die attitude. A confidence in what God can do… but also in what you can do. Developing your leadership. Being willing to learn the ropes of book self-publishing and advertising. All of these things are the fuel behind getting your Christian book seen and sold on Amazon.

Be teachable. Be hungry. Be diligent. Be prayerful. Expect miracles in the process. In other words, believe as it depends only on God, and work as if it only depends on you. Do this, and you’ll get your book known and appreciated in the vast world of Christian books.

If you’d like to know more about the process of How to Write a Nonfiction Christian Book, check out my 18-hour Masterclass where I help Christian leaders and ministers write the book God put on their heart:?

https://thriving-on-purpose-academy.teachable.com/p/how-to-write-a-nonfiction-christian-book ?

May God bless you, your writing, and your book!

Sincerely,

Sebastien Richard, Bible teacher, author, and writing coach.