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How to Choose the Right Categories to Become an Amazon Bestselling Author

You! A bestselling author. Yes, it can happen … if you know the right strategy to make it happen.

When it comes to becoming an Amazon bestselling author, the categories you choose for your book is more than just a detail—it can be the difference between your book being buried or celebrated as a bestseller. 

Amazon’s category system allows authors to niche down and position their books in the right spaces for better visibility, and if done strategically, this can significantly increase your chances of becoming a bestseller.

In this blog, we’ll explore how to choose the right categories for your book to reach Amazon bestseller status, along with 5 key tips to guide you through the process.

Take out a notepad and pen and let’s get started. NOTE: All of the books we’ve published at Action Takers Publishing are #1 International Bestselling books. This means they all hit #1 ranking in two or more countries. Choosing the right categories is one of the essential keys to ranking so high.

1. Niche Down Your Genre

It can be scary to niche down. Some people believe that niching down makes them lose out on potential readers/clients. The truth is, the more niched down you are, the better chances you have to attract your “right” audience. Niche away.

One of the biggest mistakes authors make is choosing broad, highly competitive categories. While it might be tempting to list your romance novel in "Romance" (which is the hardest category to rank as #1) or your business book in "Personal Development," these categories are often saturated with thousands of books. Instead, look for subcategories that better represent the specific theme or style of your book.

With over 11,000 categories to choose from, there’s plenty of room for you to find categories that fit your genre AND help you hit that coveted bestseller ranking.

For example, if your book is a personal development book that talks about Christian military families, consider categories like "Military Families" or "Marriage & Long-Term Relationships." These subcategories allow you to target a more specific audience, giving your book a better chance of standing out and achieving bestseller status within that niche.

Tips for niching down:
  • Research subcategories within your genre.

  • Think about your book's unique themes or angles.

  • Check the number of books in each subcategory for competition levels.

  • Use tools like Publisher Rocket to identify niche subcategories.

  • Keep in mind that a smaller category means a higher chance of ranking.

2. Analyze the Competition

Before finalizing your category selection, take a good look at your competition. Go to the categories you're considering and browse the top-ranking books. Typically, if a book is ranked #1 in a category and its overall bestseller ranking is 5,000 or higher, you’re much more likely to pass them up in that category.

Are these books similar to yours in genre, tone, and style? How well are they performing? Understanding what other books are dominating the category can help you gauge whether it's a good fit for your book or not.

If the top books in your category have hundreds of reviews and high sales rankings, it may be harder to break through. On the other hand, a category with books that have fewer reviews and lower sales could present an opportunity for you to climb the ranks more easily.

Tips for analyzing your competition:
  • Search for categories with fewer highly ranked books.

  • Look for categories where top-ranking books have fewer than 50 reviews.

  • Check if your book's cover and description align with the top books.

  • Avoid categories with bestsellers that have been entrenched for years.

  • Use Amazon's bestseller list to monitor trends in specific categories.

3. Use Amazon's Category Tree to Your Advantage

Amazon has a vast, multi-layered category system, often referred to as the category tree. When setting up your book listing, you're allowed to select up to three categories. However, Amazon actually lets you list your book in up to 10 categories—you just need to ask!

Sometimes, though, stuff happens. For example, there have been a few times when I’ve published a client’s book and selected three categories when uploading the book. Buttttt, when the books were showing up on Amazon, they were listed in only one category. It’s okay, though. I just needed to reach out to Amazon Author Central to ask them to fix it.

After you’ve published your book and you see it showing up on Amazon, that means it’s live. Yayyyy!! But what’s next? Now you can reach out to Amazon Author Central and ask them to add more categories to your book. This expands your visibility and improves your chances of ranking in one or more of the 10 categories you’ve selected. To do this, you need to research the exact category path within Amazon’s category tree.


Tips for using Amazon’s category tree:

  • Start with two strong, relevant categories at launch.

  • Use Publisher Rocket to identify additional categories.

  • Contact Amazon Author Central to request additional categories.

  • Choose categories with a balance of traffic and competition.

  • Monitor your performance and adjust categories as needed.

4. Understand Subcategories and Subgenres

Subcategories and subgenres are Amazon’s best-kept secret when it comes to category selection. These are niche-specific and often less competitive, giving you a better chance of landing that bestseller title.

For example, instead of listing a self-help book in "Self-Help," consider listing it under a subcategory like "Self-Help for Women Entrepreneurs" or "Self-Help for Personal Development." While these categories may have a lot of books in them, not everyone knows how important it is to niche down to attain bestseller status. It takes a little more time to do this, but it’s worth it in the end.

By niching down, it allows you to target your core audience more effectively and increase your chances of dominating the ranks in a smaller group of books. You can also explore subcategories that align with special occasions or interests (e.g., "Holiday Fiction" or "Gift Books") if your book fits those niches.

I can’t stress enough how important it is to select categories and subcategories that fit your niche. Cheating the system is simply “cheating.” They say, “How you do one thing in how you do everything.” It’s your integrity that’s on the line. I’ll just leave it at that.

Tips for understanding subcategories:
  • Explore niche subcategories that match your book’s themes.

  • Use seasonal subcategories to target specific events or holidays (if it fits the theme of your book).

  • Aim for subgenres that narrow down your audience but have active readers.

  • Research under-the-radar subcategories for less competition.

  • Continually test new subcategories after launch.

5. Test and Adjust Over Time

Choosing the right category for your book isn’t a one-time decision. In fact, it’s a process that requires testing and adjusting based on performance. Monitor your book’s ranking in the categories you’ve chosen, and if you’re not seeing the results you hoped for, don’t hesitate to switch things up.

Heck, I have changed categories three or four times in a day. It takes a couple of hours (sometimes a day) for the rankings to adjust after you make a change, but it’ll be worth it.

After a few weeks, you may notice that a certain category is driving more sales or getting better reviews. Use that data to fine-tune your strategy and optimize your categories for long-term success. This is a long game, not a fly-by-night game. So take your time to get the result you want.

Tips for testing and adjusting categories:
  • Track your sales and ranking in each category over time.

  • Experiment with new categories if you’re not ranking well.

  • Adjust categories seasonally to capitalize on trends.

  • Look for underperforming categories and swap them out.

  • Use customer feedback to guide category changes.

Closing the Book On This Topic

Choosing the right categories is crucial in your journey to becoming an Amazon bestselling author. By niching down, analyzing the competition, and strategically selecting subcategories, you can increase your chances of achieving the visibility and recognition your book deserves. Remember, stay flexible, monitor your progress, and adjust as needed to keep climbing those bestseller ranks.  And, most importantly, have fun with it. Don’t let it stress you out. That’s not good.

With the right approach, your book could be the next one to land on Amazon’s coveted bestseller list! For more tips on becoming an Amazon Bestselling Author, download a copy of our full guide “How to Become an Amazon Bestseller – Top Strategies Revealed” here.

This blog was written by Lynda Sunshine West, Founder & CEO of Action Takers Publishing. Our mission is to empower 5 million women and men to share their stories with the world to make a greater impact on the planet.

Are you ready to share your story? Now is the time. 

After all, Nothing Happens Without Action.




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