![Books with Mariel](/img/default-banner.jpg)
- Видео 23
- Просмотров 112 057
Books with Mariel
Южная Корея
Добавлен 10 июн 2022
Hi, my name is Mariel. On this channel, I talk about making and selling books.
For business inquiries email me at: bookswithmariel@gmail.com
For business inquiries email me at: bookswithmariel@gmail.com
Amazon AI Update that Changes EVERYTHING You Know About Selfpublishing on Amazon KDP
In this video, we dive deep into Amazon's new AI initiative related to its search algorithm and explore its potential impact on self-publishing on KDP.
What You'll Learn:
-An overview of COSMO and its role in Amazon's AI strategy
-How COSMO could change the way books are discovered on Amazon
-Simple ways for self-publishers on KDP to adapt to any algorithmic changes coming our way
Whether you're a seasoned author or just starting out, this video offers valuable insights to help you navigate selling books on Amazon in the future.
Resources Mentioned (in the order mentioned in the video)
- amazon.science : www.amazon.science/
- aws : aws.amazon.com/
- Amazon Science: COSMO White Paper: - www.amazon...
What You'll Learn:
-An overview of COSMO and its role in Amazon's AI strategy
-How COSMO could change the way books are discovered on Amazon
-Simple ways for self-publishers on KDP to adapt to any algorithmic changes coming our way
Whether you're a seasoned author or just starting out, this video offers valuable insights to help you navigate selling books on Amazon in the future.
Resources Mentioned (in the order mentioned in the video)
- amazon.science : www.amazon.science/
- aws : aws.amazon.com/
- Amazon Science: COSMO White Paper: - www.amazon...
Просмотров: 11 933
Видео
Amazon KDP Niche Videos EXPOSED - Do THIS Instead...
Просмотров 2,1 тыс.2 месяца назад
In this video, I expose the dark truths and inconsistencies behind the hyped-up Amazon KDP niche videos and how they potentially sabotage your self-publishing success. The video includes tips and tricks on avoiding common scam traps and finding reliable actionable advice to help build and improve your publishing business. Goodies (helpful resources) mentioned in this video [Vox Article] www.vox...
How to Make A+ Content for Amazon KDP in 2024
Просмотров 3,6 тыс.7 месяцев назад
If you know the books you publish on Amazon need A content but making it feel like a chore, you have come to the right place. In this video I approach creating A Content differently. So stop making Boring A Content, follow the tips in this video instead! :) *Activity Book Making Course* Sign up for launch updates & to get a special discount code: mailchi.mp/111fc1de66ce/activity-book-making-course
How I Sold 2846 Activity Books on Amazon KDP
Просмотров 2,8 тыс.8 месяцев назад
In today’s video, I'm sharing my experience publishing activity books/puzzle books. I will be covering: 0:43 - Book Sales Stats 1:42 - Why I make "themed" books? 2:20 - 3 Different Activity Books (Failed & Successful) 5:01 - Proof: You Can Get More Organic Sales than Ad Sales 6:49 - More Proof of Organic Sales (New Books) 7:40 - The Secret Behind Organic Sales 8:00 - Some Exciting News 8:23 - S...
How to Publish Plagiarism-Free High Content #selfpublishing #KDP
Просмотров 3439 месяцев назад
There are many videos on self-publishing non-fiction high content books on KDP that talk about the easy way, the guaranteed way to bypass plagiarism checkers and AI detectors. In this video I address one of the most common issues that get self-published non-fiction books in trouble: Publishing Plagiarized Content & give 4 helpful tips on how to avoid this problem. To support this channel please...
Don't Use Stock Images or Outsource for KDP Until You Watch This
Просмотров 57911 месяцев назад
Using stock images and hiring freelancers for the illustrations in your books always comes with a certain level of risk, especially now with the flood of AI-generated images. In this video you will find some easy-to-follow tips on how to find trustworthy stock images and hire honest and talented freelancers for your KDP publishing business.
AI for Publishing on KDP : My Risk-free Logical Approach
Просмотров 583Год назад
Hi Everyone, in this video I share the reasons why I’m hesitating to use AI-generated images in the books I publish on Amazon KDP. I believe my reasons are based on logic and common sense but - nowadays every other self-publisher seems to be using AI-generated images in their books - so maybe I’m just overly cautious. I invite you to watch the video and share your thoughts in the comments secti...
I Sold 632 Books in 7 Days But... | April & May KDP Income Report #selfpublishing #amazonkdp
Просмотров 28 тыс.Год назад
In this video I share the self-publishing-related things I did in April & May of 2023. It was an interesting time for me - I went from being on cloud 9 with my book sales to making zero sales to picking myself up and taking a slightly different path in my self-publishing journey. Time stamps 1:02 April income 3:41 How to get motivated after getting a bad book review 6:01 The aftermaths of the C...
How a Self-Publisher Brainstorms for Her Books | #amazonkdp #selfpublishing
Просмотров 627Год назад
In this video, I share my brainstorming/ideation process before I get into the actual step of creating the manuscript/interior of a book. Brainstorming is a process that is very personal, there is no one-size-fits-all formula. This is what has worked for a scatter-brained type of mind like mine - I hope that it encourages you to challenge yourself to think outside the box while still being mind...
KDP Income Report March 2023 | How I Sold 513 Books in a Month #amazonkdp
Просмотров 35 тыс.Год назад
In this video I share what I did and how much profit I made from self-publishing on Amazon KDP in March of 2023. If you enjoyed watching this video and would like to support this channel, please consider liking, commenting and subscribing! Thanks! A Channel I watched that helped me boost my book sales :) : youtube.com/@ChrisRaydog Playlist to my Favorite Motivational Self-publishing/Writing Vid...
Creative Book Cover Designing Using Canva
Просмотров 595Год назад
The best way I learned to make my book covers is by having an over-the-shoulder look at someone else doing it, so I thought I’d show you the raw book cover making footage (at 5x speed of course). I wanted to try something that was fun and creatively challenging by making my book cover-interpretations of “Anne of Green Gables”. Hopefully, it’s also enjoyable to watch! For more videos like this p...
Why Write When You Have ChatGPT? | What OpenAI says about AI-generated books
Просмотров 552Год назад
This is a different kind of - 'food for thought'-ish - ChatGPT video where I 0:13 - start with some personal reflections on why I prefer writing over delegating the work to ChatGPT, and 2:30 - look at what OpenAI's Publication Policy says about using AI-generated content in books. Tools I used to make this video: Microphone [Logitech’s Snowball iCE ]: amzn.to/3PmI6Wt Video editing software [Can...
The Importance of a Book Description | Self-publishing on Amazon KDP
Просмотров 414Год назад
Can you name a task more boring than writing a book description? A book description can take as little as 30-mins to write, yet it's the task we tend to leave for last and give little importance to. This video shows the significance of a book description both as part of your book marketing strategy as well as a skill you want to have in your "Self-publishing toolkit". A technical warning 📽 🎞 : ...
KDP Income Report - January and February 2023
Просмотров 3,5 тыс.Год назад
KDP Income Report - January and February 2023
Beware of Youtubers Who Say It's Okay to Publish ChatGPT Generated Books
Просмотров 1,4 тыс.Год назад
Beware of RUclipsrs Who Say It's Okay to Publish ChatGPT Generated Books
How to Use Creative Fabrica for your KDP Books, Safely and Creatively
Просмотров 708Год назад
How to Use Creative Fabrica for your KDP Books, Safely and Creatively
KDP Income Report for Q4 - Part 2 | Self-publishing on KDP With Less Than 20 Books
Просмотров 857Год назад
KDP Income Report for Q4 - Part 2 | Self-publishing on KDP With Less Than 20 Books
My first Q4 Selfpublishing on KDP - A Different Kind of KDP Income Report
Просмотров 1,5 тыс.Год назад
My first Q4 Selfpublishing on KDP - A Different Kind of KDP Income Report
My First Six Months on KDP - June, July August 2022 KDP Income Report
Просмотров 8 тыс.Год назад
My First Six Months on KDP - June, July August 2022 KDP Income Report
Starting KDP in 2022 | First 3-month KDP Income Report - March, April, May 2022
Просмотров 7 тыс.2 года назад
Starting KDP in 2022 | First 3-month KDP Income Report - March, April, May 2022
Hey Mariel, I'm here again with some questions, hope you can answer. I'm a somewhat new publisher now, so it'll help me a ton and I'll really appreciate it if you can answer them. I've published a low content journal book but it got no sales so I'm moving forward with medium content book. Q1: When you first published your book, low or medium content and it got sales, did it come from Amazon ads or you promoted it on social media or it came completely organically, I mean customers searched it and found the book by Seo. Q2: what's your record for the royalties per month, is it 2k of 5k and how many books have you published so far, if you don't mind answering.
Hey Mariel, quick question: How can I tell which of the clicks in my ad campaign has converted into a sale? Most of my sales are not shown in my ad campaign, so they're mostly organic... Monitoring the bsr is not a reliable way to know because sales can be delayed.
I'm trying to create as many books as possible. I've got six published so far since May. Today is August 16. Four of the books are adult coloring books, one is a kid's coloring book, and the last one is a fitness book. I have lots of books in the works. I want to publish how-to, educational, and kid's books, mostly non-fiction, but the kid's books will include fictional story books. I am using AI to help me, but I am writing, rewriting, and editing the books as much as possible. It's taking a lot longer than I expected. The coloring books are very easy, but the the fitness book took forever. I'm re-editing for a 2nd edition already. It seems I'm never really happy. I have a lot of ideas. I just don't know how to market the books. I suppose I'll figure that out sooner or later, but by that time I'll have a lot of books to choose from. With AI, you can write about things you don't know about and learn about those things, but you have to be careful, because AI doesn't know everything. You have to check, double check, and triple check everything. I had a fitness expert check my book. Also, it's good to have personal stories in your non-fiction books. Anecdotes can bring the data to life and make it relatable. I didn't start doing the things in my book until about a month after it was published. I've lost 12 pounds so far. Anyway, I took the advice of the brothers you mentioned, but didn't buy their stuff. I just did it on my own. My plan is to deliver high quality books that make people excited about buying the next one. What we need is more people of integrity making books that are worth reading. Thanks for the video
Thanks for sharing your experience :). You said "It seems I'm never really happy (with your book's manuscript)" -- which I think speaks positively about you as an author. I know this goes without saying but editing your book and going through many drafts is tedious and time-consuming but it's how good books are made, there is no other way whether or not we use AI or not. On a different note -- regarding what you wrote here: "I have a lot of ideas. I just don't know how to market the books. I suppose I'll figure that out sooner or later, but by that time I'll have a lot of books to choose from." just a heads up: Amazon gives newly published books a nice boost which KDP authors call "the honeymoon period" it's the first two weeks or so of your book being published, Amazon will be more likely to expose your book to more eyeballs. It's important that make the most out of this honeymoon period to market your book, get sales and let Amazon know how to position your book. In other words, don't wait until you have a lot of books published to market them. @chrisraydog has several great vidoes on his channel, on using Amazon ads during the launch phase of your book -- in case you're interested ;)
@@bookswithmariel Thank You! I’ll check that out
This is strange to me. How can it be seen as a "threat" when there is more focus on what the book actually delivers than on keywords you can manipulate for your success? How is it revolutionary, when the reader is the center? I don't get it. I plan on publishing myself in a few years and have not yet read / seen much on marketing, but I was prepared for something way worse when I clicked on this video. But there is a possibility that I don't fully get what the consequences are and why this would be much more complex and difficult to handle. I am looking to get deeper into this topic
@@Mimi-xz3vl for people who have already been publishing and selling books on Amazon the shift that's happening is easier to grasp. I understand how strange this may sounds if you haven't yet published or have an understanding of Amazon's algorithm. No one's said this was a "threat" or "much more complex" or "difficult to handle" ;)
Thanks! I like the enjoyable approach you suggest!
@@PuelaLunaris thanks Puela :)
Great video.
Thank you :)
This is great for those of us who are already doing this! I feel like it's going to be so much more intelligent than the current model.
@@everybodylovessnoopy 101% agreed (Snoopy looks cute as ever :) )
With this information in mind, would you consider category advertising a better strategy than keyword or targeting other books similar to your own. Although I am not by any means a best-selling author, in my own experience I've had better results with category advertising than any other type. Would concentrating on that be in line with the direction the algorithm is headed?
Hi Barbara, I think we're all in the same boat here where until we actually live the changes, it's all pure speculation. That being said, I've always thought of running ads as having my books placed at the front shelf of a bookstore... With this in mind, no matter how differently the interior design of the bookstore changes or how the bookstore's computing system changes-- if, say you have a really good gardening book (with useful content, thoughtfully written, effective book cover, etc), the book will stand out and be at the reach of your target book buyers, regardless of any changes that happen to the bookstore's system. In the same way, I personally think it won't matter what type of ads we run, but rather how we set up our ads (e.g. the way we research and decide which keywords, products, categories to target). But at the end of the day, I think ads work differently for different people. I know people who say auto ads are the best, or people who are good at running keyword ads. I'm like you, category ads and product ads are what work best for me :).
I hope no trees will be felled for AI content. Let's save them for the true creatives. Remember to plant a tree every year and buy a real book every month.
Bahhhhhhh 🐑 So long to my friend (innovation) 😧 no place for you in the AI world.
I can see the point you're making but I do see a world where our pal, Innovation, not only coexists with AI but is strengthened by it - when used wisely. That being said, you've given me an idea for a future YT video, may I feature your comment when it comes to it?
@@bookswithmariel I agree this is a valid topic for video content. Yes you may feature my comment. 😄
Awesome, thanks 😄
It's all nice and good but how is this more fundamental just like on Google's continuous updates along the motto "Write for readers, not search engines."
How is writing for readers not more fundamental than writing for search engines?
I was scammed for over $3000 dollars by Amazon KDP Publications.
Can I add video to A+ content for a book or to a book listing?
Go to your book's product page and right above your author bio there's a link you can use to upload your videos :).
@@bookswithmariel for amazon kdp?
@@DayNuhLee yup
This video explains it's all about being relevant to the target audience. And I agree, that's great. But at the same time I think it's not *all* good, and can create damage on a large scale. Think of this: if you have to *always* align your products with your audience, you are not *truly* authentic. (Example with the dinosaurs: if you have to make a book with the kids' most wanted dinosaurs etc, then you cannot illustrate the "cool but completely unusual" dinosaurs that no-one knows, right? Because it doesn't resonate with the target audience. Even though you think it's great and that some ugly but badass creatures should be known by the public!) So what I see for the near-future, is some kind of "creative" isomorphism, in which it is not easy to get out of the already-established conventions. Another point I want to adress is that Psychology/UX have shown that the so-called "common sense" concept is not good in multiple social contexts, and that sometimes products that were doomed to be useless make a buzz out of nowhere and get famous for no reason. So sometimes being aligned with a target audience is not needed if the product is good! Anyway thanks for your video, it's great to have news of the industry.
Thanks for sharing your views, Mickael. I appreciate that your have a different angle, especially since you've taken the time to explain your reasoning behind your views. I agree with your psychology/user experience-based skepticism regarding the whole “common-sense-knowledge-basedness. There is the danger of something like this tending to over-generalize and/or make erroneous assumptions. And with any change involving AI still being considered as the wild west, it's tricky to find the middle ground between fear/suspicion for AI versus developing a lazy dependency for it. I’ve been giving it a lot of thought and I think the most level-headed approach any business should have to any techy changes coming our way should be one that comes from common sense (not the ‘so-called one’, but the gut feeling we all have), which is why I think you cannot go wrong with having an audience-focused approachAnd...I think here is where our perspectives clash ;) : 1) You said “If you always align your product with your audience you are not truly authentic” emphasizing on “always” and “truly”. And with your dinosaur example you are suggesting that having an audience-focused approach gets in the way with creativity, am I right? I think I can see what you mean but it's a very partícular close-minded type of seller/selfpublisher you're referring to. For instance, the only scenario where I see your reasoning making sense is if a selfpublisher - who walks around eggshells around all the ‘wokeness’ going on - emphasizes the usage of pronouns and includes nonbinary and inclusive conceptive in their books ‘just to please the woke buyers and/or for the fear of censorship', i.e. if you sell books you don't like just to please others - ofc that's inauthentic and lousy and a big no-no. Which is why in the video I mentioned that if after doing research you notice a demand for two types of books, go with the subject matter you both like and know about. 2) Read any literature on audience awareness and you'll see that none of it suggests being ‘’inauthentic’ or ‘giving up creativity'. Think of any decades-old children's book that is still beloved by children today. Take books like “Matilda” or “The Witches” by Roald Dahl for example. They're time-defying stories children love because the author understands children's sense of humor, and what keeps them up at night. He 'gets his audience’. His Illustrator, Quentin Blake, also understands this wicked sense of humor that gets kids cracking up, and delivers simple yet expressive character illustrations thoughtfully created to make a fantastic story even better. THIS is the audience-awareness I'm referring to. And in order to have this thoughtful and effective time-defying audience approach, you SHOULD NOT underestimate your audience's intelligence or imagination. Stop thinking that doing audience research for a dinosaur book for six year olds, limits your creativity. Don't underestimate kids’ ability to appreciate a sick book with “ugly bad-ass creatures”. (What you may learn through your research though is that kids ages 8 and up might appreciate “ugly bad-ass creatures” more and that your target audience is actually a slightly older demographic) 3) Lastly I think that with the current keyword-centric way e-commerce search algorithms are built, “products that were doomed to be useless make a buzz out of nowhere and get famous for no reason” is already happening and it was actually easier to “gamify the system” than before AI came into the mix.
Thanks very much for reading @@bookswithmariel Mariel, I really appreciate the time you've taken to reply. 1) About the summary: yes, you understood the message perfectly. About your reply: you have nailed exactly my thoughts on the near-future market (and the current one as well). With many people going for "get-rich-quick schemes" for their own reasons, I'm concerned that some will take literally the fact they have to align with target audiences, no matter what. Meaning: I can see people including stuff in their books just to please the market, as you well illustrated. Thus flooding the market with "checklist" books, like a robot would do, filling out a checklist of technical points to adress, pack it up, and put it on the platform simply for technical sells, claiming it's for the audience. That's the authenticity problem I was referring to. 2) About your reply: I completely agree with everything you pointed out. Well-researched audience enhances any product people can make, it will be relevant to the readers while being produced with passion and authenticity. It's especially true when people take a conventional genre and change small portions of it, to reinvent the genre creatively: readers already know and love the theme/races/magical system/etc., but suddenly it becomes a new genre! i.e, a race cannot do a certain thing anymore or can do something they couldn't before (e.g, immortals having to confront mortality for the first time, or reversed). It feels amazing and engaging for readers! Though, as I have pointed out in the n° 1), I am concerned that some will not acknowledge that, and still simply take conventional stuff and re-do them without inventing anything (especially with "lazy AI dependency", as you mentioned), just because it worked before and *might* work again for their benefit. All in the name of audience, it's unethical - In the meantime it's really unfortunate if people do this in good-faith because they only know one genre and have not researched outside of it. So, indeed, audience research is key! 3) Yes I'm sure it has always existed, some authors need to publish a lot for a product to be recognized, meanwhile others simply tweak here and there the SEO, and boom, they make a buzz with only one product in store! Eventually the outcome is from technical adjustments to link the target audience to the product, it doesn't really have to do much with the quality of the content itself. Note: I know this is quite a theorical point of view, looking from afar and focused on possible negative outcomes rather than positive ones, but that's because I try to understand and anticipate where any of these news will lead the whole system to, and what mistakes to expect and avoid doing. It's not meant to be grim about the present/future, sorry if it sounded like that! Again, thanks for taking the time to read! :)
Thank you for sharing some food for thought, Mickael :). I agree with your concerns and perhaps adding to the grimness I think that inevitably there will always be a certain percentage of people with a lazy/robotic mentality producing - what you well described as - 'checklist' books. It is why so many people watch RUclips videos on how to get away with publishing AI-written books using plagiarism checkers. As Elon Musk once said, (paraphrasing here) humanity as it is now isn't prepared for AI, we should have been exposed to AI more gradually with enough buffering to prepare, not as suddenly as it's happened. But here we are.
This sounds terrible, especially for producers like authors. If the AI tries to predict what people will buy, when it comes to books, they are going to heavily punish new authors that are trying to build a fan base. In the early days, authors don't sell much if any books. It takes years to build up an audience. With this change, it sounds like AI is going to punish you and prevent you from ever rising out of obscurity.
Wow, Batman. Calm down. watch the whole video and you'll realize this IS NOT bad news. The AI system mentioned in this video is not a predictor- it's not a robot that randomly suggests books to customers on a whim. Basically, the message is this - regardless of any AI/algorithmic changes that are bound to happen in the future, these are geared towards using common-sense knowledge-based systems. Consequently, if you want to build your self-publishing business on solid grounds -focus on creating authentic, good quality books and you'll be fine. Use your God-given common sense, make books that are relevant to your target audience, and you are good.
@@bookswithmariel Great response Mariel [I just found your channel, and plan to self-publish] - Thank you for producing such a clear video, with valuable and engaging content for “Self-Publishing” entrepreneurs. 🪭 ~~ 🙋🏼♂️🙇🏼♂️
Thanks Alexander :) and good luck on your selfpublishing journey!
Excellent explanation! Thank you! 🙏
You're welcome :). In case there's something I missed, here's the complete licence www.creativefabrica.com/subscription-license/
Love your channel. So unique and helpful.
@@momtomaryjean Thanks Shelley! :)
The impact a book has on readers is experiential! Readers make a book a bestseller! When someone else determines, by their own criteria, which books are recommended for readers, it's called censorship! Of course, this is not necessarily bad, as long as readers can buy the books they like from other publishers! Thanks for the update!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts :). 💯 Agreed -- "The impact a book has on readers is experiential!"
Thanks for this information. Shouldn't content creators always keep their target audience close in mind?
Well, this video refers to selfpublishers who publish and sell books on Amazon specifically - I guess you could make the argument that they are content creators of a sort - and I agree with you, in the ideal publishing world authors/selfpublishers prioritize their target audience. I think a lot of selfpublishers do publish their books with this perhaps very obviously thoughtful approach. But believe it or not, there are also a lot of publishers prioritizing other factors (for instance, gaming the system with savvy keyword tactics) over having an audience-focused approach.
Good Information, thank you for sharing
@@mehaboobbasha7231 Thanks for watching!
Coming from an advertising background I've always approach creating books in this manner described in the video along with my marketing content. My questions are... Will KEYWORDS be no longer used? If not, how will we know if we have positioned our products correctly? Do we have to wait for the decline or increase in our sales? As they say, we are selling keywords. It was ALL based around keyword research (what competition is using for their keywords, what people are searching for with keywords, and the popularity of those keyword searches). I see how the AI will improve the search, but can it clearly eliminate the need for KEYWORDS?
Smart questions, Jon :). From the context of the white paper, and all the sources mentioned in the video-- I think the overall change is not there won't be a need for keywords but rather a shift from our current, high prioritization of keywords, to a higher prioritization of audience over keywords; i.e., making sure all the elements that make up our books and their listings (book cover, manuscript, title, subtitle, backend keywords, book description, A+ content) align to what our target book buyers want. Which, IMO, isn't at all a bad approach to have when you're selling books on Amazon. If - as you well mentioned in your first paragraph - you have an audience-focused approach when creating your books, I would assume you have a similar thoughtful approach when deciding which keywords to use. In which case, I personally wouldn't worry too much or make any drastic changes but rather just do more audience research and create and publish books accordingly. On the other hand, I think it'll be a difficult change for selfpublishers who rely heavily on practices such as: keyword stuffing, buying keyword lists, rely on getting fake reviews, or have become heavily dependent on keyword tools. As for how or when this change will happen that's something we should all keep an eye on. On this note, something interesting I've noticed is Publisher Rocket's new update where it's focusing on suggesting "relevant" keywords. I think tiny changes and updates like these are quite telling of the big picture - where Amazon is heading. And also the fact that keyword tools are adapting/updating in alignment to having a more audience-focused approach is also a good determining factor of the reliability of a tool/ software.
Why is this video so accurate? Hahaha
Lol. Thanks? 😊
yeah, and now that things like Luma and Kling, people will be able to make their own animated stories quite easily. And, kling will let you do five or six five second generations for free, per day, at least for the time being. and thats both text to video or image to video.
Oh are you referring to my thumbnail and some of the AI-generated images I included in my video? I am not familiar with Luma or Kling but aside from the the 5-10 AI images I prompted and generated through Ideogram, my whole video was human made - from script to voiceover to hours put into editing each slide of the video. Just to be clear :)
Great to see you back! And with such a cool breaking video too :)
Thanks for the warm welcome back, Craig! :)
Great video...Good to see some tips for authors who want to make evergreen books.
Thanks John 😊
Lots to think about in here. I think I already implement an audience-focused strategy (easier to do when you write fiction), but it’ll be a huge pivot for some content creators. Thanks for sharing
@@plumstone4982 Great observations! I think having a timely heads-up about this shift is actually good news for serious self-publishers, whether they are keyword-savvy or more audience-focused, and especially for self-publishers like you who already practice audience-focused strategies. Unfortunately, it'll probably be challenging for those who rely on 'how-to-get-away-with-publishing-shadily' strategies from RUclips. As for content creators, I think it's a golden opportunity to make all sorts of fresh new content. I always appreciate your thoughtful comments :)
I was scammed for over $3000 by amazon KDP Publications.
Great info.
Thanks 👍!
Great video! I love your style. The simple and visual focused style in you content is very effective from my point of view. I am a number of months into my KDP journey, have produces a number of different types of activity and coloring books which I think look pretty good, have started to get the hang of the importance of keywords but have still to make any sales. A+ content is what I am exploring now before I start advertising. I really like your suggestions but need some more detailed instruction on how to use this advice from a beginner's point of view. Hopefully this is something you will consider. Thanks
Hi. Thanks for watching and commenting! Are there any aspects of making a+ content in particular that you're struggling with/ would like advice on?
I'm new to this, but I have been making my own brand since day one, and started selling on Amazon. I'm not sure you are accurate.
@@MarlenaBooks you are not sure I'm accurate about what? I'd love to clarify :)
Great video! I highly recommend Procreate as an awesome drawing app if you have an iPad. I’ve been using it everyday for years now, and although I test out other apps, I always come back to procreate. It’s a one off payment upfront, and is really inexpensive compared to other subscription models. (Not affiliated, just love it!) 🇦🇺❤️
Thanks for the recommendation! Tbh I've been drooling over procreate for years... Unfortunately I don't own any apple device :P. I work on a Lenovo Thinkpad and I've found Clip Studio Paint to be the easiest to use. But still drooling over procreate! 💜
YOUR MINDSET SUCKS! THERE IS SUPPLY AND DEMAND! YOU AR EMISSING OUT ON A GOLDRUSH! DONT BE AN OLDTIMER!
A gold rush for who? Please enlighten this old-timer.
Well said! I’m a freelance graphic designer and these types of videos annoy the hell out of me! Somehow they seem to find a way to pop into my feed, even tho I’ve told RUclips not to recommend them to me! Thanks for speaking up ❤️🇦🇺
Thank you so much 🌻! I get what you mean, it makes me cringe when I see the hyped up thumbnails, I try to avoid watching them as much as possible too (but I watched and rewatched more than a dozen to make the parody depicted in this video).
Aren't you doing a similar injustice here...
What do you mean?
Back again 7 months later I use another platform along side of KDP and had a book banned for 'plagiarism' It was a book about self help and mindfulness. I ask the platform in this market how can one not plagiarize? All the content of the subject had been covered repeatedly by many authors and that there was not one instance in my book where you could point to a specific line, paragraph or chapter that was verbatim from any other author. Their reply email was that the book was banned for being born in a sea of similar books and they refused to publish it. So there is a rough sea and no following winds sometimes... again I am glad to see your success, may peace and prosperity follow you where ever you walk Mariel ..
This rejection to publish this sea of similar books perhaps has a lot to do with this "going after hot/trendy niche" mindset that's being promoted online. And if potentially half of these selfpublishers are hiring the same ghostwriters, inevitably the ghostwriters will recycle the content they wrote to meet the requests of all these selfpublishers. For your next book, I'd probably first look through the "look inside" pages of different selfpublished books on the topic, compare their table of contents and for your own book take a completely different angle. Build a table of contents that is unquestionably different, and move onwards whether you write the book yourself or hire a ghostwriter. Good luck!
I agree "There's a sucker born every minute" PT Barnum for the most part I report them as a scam and move on. Yours is one of the few channels I regularly visit (in reality it is to creep on your KDP sales ranks and be jealous of your success :) ) The information here is not self serving but rather directed at doing the greater good for the KDP community. I applaud you for that!
Thanks for the supportive comment Jim! Glad to see you're publishing again :)
⏱️Time Stamps 0:29 The dark scammy side of high content books/audiobooks selling biz model 1:20 Hot niche videos: scam traps for low & medium content book publishers? 1:35 Parody of hot niche videos 3:05 Secondguessing how much money other people's books are making 3:36 Three ways to make book content (according to niche videos) 5:12 What is wrong with niche videos 5:25 Problem #1 5:52 Problem #2 6:44 What Chatgpt calls them... 8:20 Problem #3 9:29 Are all KDP RUclipsrs scammers? (Tips) 11:30 Red flags
Thanks for the great video Mariel
Thank you for watching 😊
Great video, thanks. I will check the podcast you recommended 😊
Oh please do! I hope you enjoy it. I really like the mission behind your website and YT channel btw!
Thanks for the shoutout Mariel, glad to see you back posting again.
My pleasure! Keep up the great content Danny :)
I’m very picky about whose advice I follow on RUclips. You always produce well-thought out videos, Mariel.
Hello 🌞! I'm glad you enjoyed it. I always appreciate your kind and supportive comments, thank you!
Wait, I'm only make 2 video about niche. should I make more or stop and I share real results in my channel
You're doomed. Just kidding. It's up to you and your goals as a content creator, go with your gut!
Thank you! I also listen to the 1st 3 RUclipsr's you mentioned, so I guess I am on the right track, lol. 👏I agree with you 100%. You definitely need to pay attention to who you are listening to.
Thanks Angie :) I highly recommend you check out the podcast I mention too, I promise you'll find it helpful!
Very realistic video - thanks for sharing this Mariel!
Thanks Chris! :)
You look like Yuna from K-pop girl group ITZY. At least seeing your pfp and the video thumbnails you look like her. And loved the vid also, simple but useful❤
Hi Computer Loverz, thanks so much for the mega compliment 😊 and I'm glad you found the video helpful!
@@bookswithmariel Most welcome and I have a question, hope you can answer. Yesterday I was checking the "A+ Content Guidelines" and I noticed it says, Resolution should be at least 72 dpi (Dots per inch). So, is there gonna be any trouble if it's more than that, like 300 dpi or so, also the resolutions, can I upload more resolution images than it asked there, have any idea?
@@bookswithmariel I'm a beginner KDP publisher. So, I just wanted to make sure that I'm doing everything right. Hope you can answer the question I am confused about.
Since they say you need "at least 72 dpi", you are fine using a higher resolution image. Be prepared to be patient and be prepared to be okay if in your first attempts uploading the a+ content images are cut off or blurry. Keep tweaking/modifying until it looks good. Depending on the a+ content module you decide to use, size/resolution will vary, see examples here: kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/GCKLH8V7ULLD5EXY
No problem:)
Hi Mariel, thanks for this video. I would love to create this visually appealing content but I'm struggling to figure out specifically how users are doing it within the kdp website. I only have one image-only module available to me, the 600 x 180px standard logo module. I see someone mentioned below the 900 x 600px module and I don't see where this is available. Any help?
Hi Shauna! I'm going to try my best to walk you through it: 1. So your KDP main page where the main menu includes: bookshelf- reports- marketing, click on "Marketing". 2. then on the Marketing page select the marketplace you want to make your A+ content for and click on the 'Manage A+ content' option. 3. now once on the A+ content Manager, select the option thay something along the lines of "get started with A+ Content". 4. click on "select module" and you'll be shown an array of different A+ content module options --- choose the one you like, whether its a banner, a carrousel, etc. 5. And once you click on the image icon (through which you upload your A+ Content png file) KDP will tell you the recommended dimensions/size required for your file --- this is how you know the px requirement for each A+ Content module. I hope this helps! And also check the A+ Content section in KDP's guidelines' page for tips and 'do's and 'don't's.
Thank you for making this short, concise video. The last thing I want to do is watch a 15 to 20 min video on A+ content, but that's what people seem to make. I don't watch those. Would definitely watch a video on more design tips, specifically to make my A+ content look more professional. I do want to do it myself if possible rather than outsource. Maybe some more specific tips. Anyways, thankyou!
Thanks so much, Natalie! I agree with you, although there are many videos out there on a+ content, few delve into actual design talk. That being said, I also think A+ content does not need outsourcing, I think that if you have the skills to make the layout of your own book/book cover - making A+ content yourself is more than doable. *I use Canva to make all my A+ content and I get my book mockup templates on either Creative Fabrica or Creative Market (search for book/magazine mockups)
I completely agree with your comment. I've watched many videos from many different content creators and Maplus contriel's stand out to me for their simplicity and clarity. really refreshing. I am just gathering steam on my KDP journey and after making several books with no sales I am looking at A + content as my next step in self-promotion. I too, would like to see some more detailed information on the subject.
Thanks
You're welcome :)
Hey Mariel... Thanks for the info. Newbie here... When you stated that your title keywords were not Amazon-optimized, what exactly did you mean?
Hey thanks for the great question :). So what I meant by having a book title with keywords that weren't Amazon-optimized was to simple coming up with a book title (example: rad unicorn colorists book for children) without researching on Amazon if such keywords were actually being search by customers who visit the Amazon website/researching if there is a demand for such a book on Amazon (you can find this out by: let's say you type in "unicorn coloring book for kids" in the search bar and the search bar automatically gives you suggestions to this exact or similar keywords customers search for
Excellent tips to make great A+ content. Many thanks. Libby
Thank you very much Libby! :)
Awesome video Mariel! Would you mind sharing what export settings you use for your A+ content modules? For example a 900px X 600px module, do you deisgn it in those dimentions, or bigger? Mine always ends up looking blurry when I upload it to KDP and I've heard this happen to other people too. Would love any tips, thank you :)
Thanks Anthony! And sure -- so for the size of the A+ content module I use the exact size that Amazon provides (e.g. 970x600px), but I try to make sure that the mockups I display on the module (e.g. book mockups, pages from inside the book) are the best quality possible (meaning if the book mockup is a file I have on Canva, I'll resize it 2x its size before downloading it as a png file, and pasting it onto the A+ content module). Hope that helps!
@@bookswithmariel ok, this makes sense. Thank you!