The Major Amazon Update You Need To Know About

If you’re planning to publish or promote a book in 2025, there are two important changes at Amazon that you need to know about.

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These updates affect how books are categorised, discovered, and ranked on the platform — and if you don’t have the right publishing and promotion strategy, your book could struggle to find the right readers.

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The good news? These changes also create new opportunities for authors who take a professional, strategic approach to their book launches.

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Let’s break them down.

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Ghost Categories: The Hidden Trap

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Amazon has quietly increased its use of “ghost categories."

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On the surface, ghost categories look just like the normal category options you see when you upload your book. But here’s the catch: they’re invisible to customers. That means if you select one, your book could end up in a dead zone where readers will never find it.

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It’s not entirely clear why Amazon uses these ghost categories — most likely for internal organisation purposes. What matters for you as an author is this: if you don’t know how to identify and avoid them, your book might not reach the audience it deserves.

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At Write Business Results, we use specialist software to detect which categories are viable and which are ghost categories. This ensures that every category your book is listed under is visible, strategic, and designed to help you reach your readers.

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The A10 Algorithm: A New Era for Book Discovery

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Amazon’s ranking system — the algorithm that decides which books to show to customers — has also had its biggest shake-up in years. The update, known as A10, is more than just a tweak. It changes the way Amazon evaluates and recommends books, with significant implications for authors and publishers.

Here’s what’s new:

• Keywords carry more weight. Amazon is placing greater emphasis on how well your chosen keywords align with what readers are searching for.
  
  
• External traffic is critical. Books that attract readers from outside Amazon (social media, podcasts, email newsletters, websites) get a visibility boost, especially in the first 30 days post-launch.
  
  
• #1 Best Seller is harder to achieve. The coveted badge is still possible, but Amazon is making it less about short-term spikes and more about sustained engagement and sales over time.
  
  

What You Can Do: Maximising Your Book’s Success

With the A10 changes, Amazon is making it harder to guarantee Best Seller status, there’s more to consider than ever before when it comes to the publishing and promotion of your book.
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Competitor & Keyword Analysis — The keywords associated with your book now carry more weight than ever. Our proven strategy includes identifying high-performing books in your niche, uncovering their keyword strategies, and applying this to your own launch.
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Optimised Descriptions — Keyword-rich, reader-focused book descriptions not only help Amazon rank your book, but also convert browsers into buyers.
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Pre-Launch “Learning” Strategy — Where possible, uploading your book to Amazon before your official launch gives Amazon time to “learn” about your book and place it in the right rankings ahead of launch day.
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Keep posting — Don’t go quiet after launch! Keep engaging your audience with social posts, short videos and blogs.
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Build a community — Whether it’s on Facebook, WhatsApp, or Discord, create a space where readers can connect and stay engaged with your work.
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Use your email list. Regular updates and knowledge drops, with links to your book, help keep momentum going.
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Leverage partnerships — Share your book with industry contacts and strategic partners (alternate formats such as a hardback edition with an updated cover are a great way to do this).
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Stay visible — Add your book link to your email signature, website, and social channels.
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Encourage meaningful reviews — Fewer but detailed reviews now carry more weight than dozens of one-liners.
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So what’s the bottom line?

Achieving a #1 Best Seller is still possible, but less predictable. It may take longer or require more consistent effort. On the flip-side, however, long-term visibility is better than ever. Amazon is rewarding books that maintain steady sales, attract external traffic, and engage readers.
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That’s why professionalism matters. These changes make it harder to “game” the system, and easier for high-quality, well-marketed books to succeed. For serious authors, this is good news. It means your investment in writing a great book and building a real audience will pay off in a more sustainable way.

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How We’ve Already Adapted

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At Write Business Results, staying on top of Amazon’s changes is part of our job — so you don’t have to worry about it. We’re committed to making sure your book not only launches well but continues to build momentum over time, so we’ve made major updates to our publishing and marketing approaches for self-published books.
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Our new and improved Essential Book Launch Campaign delivers the foundation every book needs for long-term success. It’s designed to maximise your book’s performance under the A10 algorithm and avoid pitfalls like ghost categories.

Here’s how it works behind the scenes:

• We conduct extensive competitor analysis, identifying high-performing titles comparable with your book. We use specialist software to uncover the keywords those books are ranking for and incorporate them into your own keyword strategy.
  
  
• We optimise your book description, ensuring it is rich with keywords, clearly describes the benefits of your book, and speaks to your ideal reader — giving Amazon every reason to confidently recommend your book to the right audience.
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• Where possible, we upload your book to Amazon a little earlier than your official go-live date. This gives Amazon time to “learn” about your book and position it correctly before launch.
  

• We’ve added additional imagery to our new Essential Book Launch Campaign to facilitate more sharing on social media, including a 3D mock-up of your book and a short video.

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If you’re planning to publish soon, let’s talk about how the Essential Book Launch Campaign can give your book the best possible start. Schedule a call now.