Amazon Best Sellers Best Kindle Nonfiction Singles
How to Make Your Book an Amazon Kindle Best Seller
Here is how it works:
1. We find the best Categories for Your Amazon Kindle Best Seller Campaign
Amazon Kindle has over a hundred different categories for Amazon Kindle books. Ideally we would like your book to be in the top 20 ‘Bestsellers” in one or more one of these categories.
Amazon allows the publisher to assign your book to two categories (and Amazon may assign it to additional categories). Normally, your book is automatically assigned to the most obvious categories. For example, if you have a Romance Novel about Marie Antoinette during the French Revolution your book would likely be assigned to Fiction/Historical and Fiction/Romance.
Amazon ranks books based on sales relative to other books overall and within categories. They update rankings hourly for most books. If you want to know what the rankings typically mean in terms of sales please you can view these estimates: http://publishingpush. com/blog/amazon-rank-mean/
For example purposes, let’s say you do a big promotion and sell 20 copies of your Kindle Edition in a single day and your Kindle ranking jumps to 7500. Here is how your book would rank in the Fiction/Historical and Fiction/Romance categories:
| Kindle Category | Fiction/Historical* | Fiction/ Romance* |
| #1 in Category is Ranked: | #14 | #7 |
| #20 in Category is Ranked: | #234 | #45 |
| #100 in Category is Ranked: | #1870 | #193 |
| Your Book is Ranked: | #7500 | #7500 |
| Your Book is: | Not even in the top 100 | Not even in the top 100 |
*Based on actual rankings Feb. 25, 2015
However, instead, let’s say we do some research and analysis and assign your Kindle Edition to the Historical French Fiction and Biographical Fiction categories. Now, here is how your book would rank in The Historical French Fiction and Biographical Fiction categories:
| Kindle Category | Historical French Fiction* | Biographical Fiction* |
| #1 in Category is Ranked: | #4808 | #344 |
| #20 in Category is Ranked: | #59932 | #7944 |
| #100 in Category is Ranked: | #264811 | #39594 |
| Your Book is Ranked: | #7500 | #7500 |
| Your Book is: | #4 Amazon Best Seller Under Historical French Fiction | #19 Amazon Best Seller Under Historical Biographical Fiction |
*Based on actual rankings Feb. 25, 2015
As you can see, selecting the right categories makes a big difference in moving your book to Best Seller status.
In doing research to find the best categories we need to find a category that is relevant to the topic of your book, where current book rankings are such that we think we can move your book into the top 20 and the category is still profitable (that is we don’t want a category that is so obscure your book will never be seen).
We have a program that will help us analyze and determine the best category for your book. We will send you two reports for the recommended categories. Once you approve we will assign your book to the new categories and they will take effect within a couple of days.
Below is a sample of what a report for a Recommended Category looks like (click on the image to view a PDF version):
2. We launch an Amazon Kindle Best Seller Campaign to promote your book
Before the campaign:
- We change the price of your Kindle Edition to $.99. This lowers your royalty to 30% on the Kindle ebook (Amazon policy) but it enables us to promote the book as significantly discounted and to sell enough books to bump up your ranking significantly. We confirm you have at least 3 positive reviews on Amazon. We cannot effectively promote your Kindle Edition without at least three reviews. (If you need help getting reviews please consider our Customer Service Review program for $350)
Then we launch a short intense promotion using email blasts, targeted book promotion and distribution to your ideal reader. Your book will receive numerous sales and your paid rank will increase and you will become a best seller. These are all real sales from real readers.
We can guarantee the following ranking for the following prices:
- Essential Amazon Promotion (Guaranteed Paid Ranking of 5,000 to 10,000) – $525 Extreme Amazon Promotion (Guaranteed Paid Ranking of 3,000 to 1,000) – $750
Both of these promotions consist of a Kindle Marketing Consultation, an Amazon Best Seller Promotion Campaign with Guaranteed Ranking, Post-Campaign Recommendations and One-on-One Consultation with a Marketing Expert for one title.
3. We post the results and Blog about your Amazon Kindle Bestseller
Once your book has become an Amazon Best Seller within one or more of the categories we have chosen, we will blog about the success with screen shots showing the overall ranking and best seller status within a category or categories.
You can link to your blog posting in Facebook and other Social Media. You can mention your best seller status in your advertising, press releases and media pitches.
It is especially effective to follow-up your Amazon Kindle Best Seller success with a press release or media pitch.
After the campaign we change the pricing of your Kindle edition to $2.99 (low enough to keep up momentum but high enough so we can later discount the book again and run a new promotion).
If you are interested, please click on the button below to purchase or call Andy at 408-722-8746 to discuss.
Amazon’s best selling print and Kindle books of 2018 so far
There is a newer list: 18 best selling Kindle books of 2019 in fiction and nonfiction
Every June Amazon is announcing a list of the Best Books of the Year So Far. It’s a fantastic way to add new titles to your summer book wishlist.
The list, carefully curated by Amazon editors, includes most interesting and valuable books released between January and June, plus hot new summer releases.
Another way to find new reads for summer 2018 is exploring books that enjoy the biggest sales.
Jump directly to:
Amazon offers a set of Top 100 charts based on cumulative sales since the beginning of the year. Opposite to lists of current best sellers, offered for most major product categories listed in the Amazon store, cumulative sales ranking are available only for five groups: print books, CDs & vinyl, Kindle ebooks, songs, and video games.
What’s the best selling book of 2018 so far?
Fire and Fury, a controversial Donald Trump biography by Michael Wolff is Amazon’s best selling book of 2018, based on sales from January – June.
It was obvious that Fire and Fury by Michael Wolff would be among most sold books of 2018. So far, it’s #1 both in print and Kindle rankings. Released on January 5, 2018, the book documents in detail first nine months of Donald Trump’s hectic presidency, and shows how and why the 45th President of the United States has become “the king of discord and disunion.”
Would Michael Wolff’s behind-the-scenes look at Trump White House become the best selling book of 2018? When we observe how two other books that involve politics are doing on the charts, we seriously doubt it.
A Higher Loyalty by James Comey, released in mid-April, is climbing up the sales rankings rapidly. After two months, the biography is already #3 title on the list of print best sellers of 2018, and in the Top 50 for Kindle.
In the book, former FBI director shares his “never-before-told experiences from some of the highest-stakes situations of his career in the past two decades of American government.”
The next book to watch is the hottest title of summer 2018, The President Is Missing. Co-written by James Patterson and President Bill Clinton, this suspense novel combines a thrilling, fast-paced plot with an authentic look at the inner happenings in the White House.
The Patterson-Clinton thriller sold over 250,000 copies in the first week. After just eleven days since the release, the novel is already in both Top 100 lists of 2018 best sellers for print and Kindle.
If you are not interested in politics, calm down. There are a lot of exciting titles to pick up, naming only Stephen King’s The Outsider or 12 Rules for Life by Jordan B. Peterson.
Read also The top 100 Kindle books of all time, based on annual bestseller lists
Amazon print book best sellers of 2018 so far
The list of Top 100 print best sellers of 2018 from Amazon includes books with the biggest number of sold print copies (paperback and hardcover) since January 1, 2018.
Year by year, the list of print best sellers is more and more populated by children’s literature, biographies, and self-help books, while novels dominate the Kindle list.
So far, Fire and Fury by Michael Wolff is the #1 best seller of 2018. Another book on politics is James Comey’s autobiography A Higher Loyalty where the former FBI director reveals facts from his 20-year career in the American government. The book is currently on the 3rd position.
#2 best seller of 2018 so far – a charming, beautifully illustrated A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo.
The second most sold print book of 2018 so far is A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo. This charming book, written by Jill Twiss, is addressed to kids aged 5-8 and features a bunny who lives with his Grampa, Mike Pence – the Vice President of the United States. Cute, beautifully illustrated, the book explores issues of democracy and same-sex marriage.
Other titles we recommend adding to your list of summer reads are Magnolia Table by Joanna Gaines, with a collection of 125 classic recipes for gathering (#5 on the list), and Jen Sincero’s You Are a Badass, a self-help best seller that will guide you how to stop doubting your greatness and start living an awesome life.
Below, we present Top 20 print best sellers on Amazon. Next to each title, you will find information about Prime eligibility. If the book is Prime-eligible and you are a Prime member, you will get it delivered for free in two days.
Under the table, you’ll see the Top 5 books, together with shortened blurbs.
Top 20 print book best sellers: January – June 2018
| 1 | Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House | Michael Wolff | Yes |
| 2 | Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Presents a Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo | Jill Twiss, Marlon Bundo | Yes |
| 3 | A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership | James Comey | Yes |
| 4 | 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos | Jordan B. Peterson | Yes |
| 5 | Magnolia Table: A Collection of Recipes for Gathering | Joanna Gaines, Marah Stets | Yes |
| 6 | The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life | Mark Manson | Yes |
| 7 | A Wrinkle in Time (Time Quintet) | Madeleine L’Engle | Yes |
| 8 | The Complete Ketogenic Diet for Beginners: Your Essential Guide to Living the Keto Lifestyle | Amy Ramos | Yes |
| 9 | Oh, the Places You’ll Go! | Dr. Seuss | Yes |
| 10 | The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts | Gary Chapman | Yes |
| 11 | You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life | Jen Sincero | Yes |
| 12 | Dog Man and Cat Kid: From the Creator of Captain Underpants (Dog Man #4) | Dav Pilkey | Yes |
| 13 | Little Fires Everywhere | Celeste Ng | Yes |
| 14 | Ready Player One: A Novel | Ernest Cline | Yes |
| 15 | Girl, Wash Your Face: Stop Believing the Lies About Who You Are so You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be | Rachel Hollis | Yes |
| 16 | First 100 Words | Roger Priddy | Yes |
| 17 | Player’s Handbook (Dungeons & Dragons) | Wizards RPG Team | Yes |
| 18 | The Plant Paradox: The Hidden Dangers in Healthy Foods That Cause Disease and Weight Gain | Dr. Steven R Gundry M. D. | Yes |
| 19 | The Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook: Easy Recipes for Fast & Healthy Meals | Laurel Randolph | Yes |
| 20 | The Whole30: The 30-Day Guide to Total Health and Food Freedom | Melissa Hartwig | Yes |
Top 5 print bestsellers of 2018 so far
1. Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House
With extraordinary access to the West Wing, Michael Wolff reveals what happened behind-the-scenes in the first nine months of the most controversial presidency of our time.
Since Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th President of the United States, the country – and the world – has witnessed a stormy, outrageous, and absolutely mesmerizing presidential term that reflects the volatility and fierceness of the man elected Commander-in-Chief.
Brilliantly reported and astoundingly fresh, Fire and Fury shows us how and why Donald Trump has become the king of discord and disunion.
2. Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Presents a Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo
Jill Twiss, Marlon Bundo
HBO’s Emmy-winning Last Week Tonight with John Oliver presents a children’s picture book about a Very Special boy bunny who falls in love with another boy bunny.
Meet Marlon Bundo, a lonely bunny who lives with his Grampa, Mike Pence – the Vice President of the United States. But on this Very Special Day, Marlon’s life is about to change forever…
With its message of tolerance and advocacy, this charming children’s book explores issues of same-sex marriage and democracy. Sweet, funny, and beautifully illustrated, this book is dedicated to every bunny who has ever felt different.
3. A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership
James Comey served as director of the FBI from 2013 to 2017, appointed to the post by President Barack Obama.
In his forthcoming book, the former FBI director shares his never-before-told experiences from some of the highest-stakes situations of his career in the past two decades of American government.
From prosecuting the Mafia and Martha Stewart to overseeing the Hillary Clinton e-mail investigation as well as ties between the Trump campaign and Russia, Comey has been involved in some of the most consequential policies of recent history.
4. 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos
Jordan B. Peterson
What does everyone in the modern world need to know?
Renowned psychologist Jordan B. Peterson’s answer to this most difficult of questions uniquely combines the hard-won truths of ancient tradition with the stunning revelations of cutting-edge scientific research.
Humorous, surprising and informative, Dr. Peterson tells us why skateboarding boys and girls must be left alone, what terrible fate awaits those who criticize too easily, and why you should always pet a cat when you meet one on the street.
5. Magnolia Table: A Collection of Recipes for Gathering
Joanna Gaines, Marah Stets
Magnolia Table is infused with Joanna Gaines’ warmth and passion for all things family, prepared and served straight from the heart of her home, with recipes inspired by dozens of Gaines family favorites.
The book includes 125 classic recipes – from breakfast, lunch, and dinner to small plates, snacks, and desserts – presenting a modern selection of American classics and personal family favorites.
Full of personal stories and beautiful photos, Magnolia Table is an invitation to share a seat at the table with Joanna Gaines and her family.
Amazon Kindle book best sellers of 2018 so far
Take a look at the list of Top 100 Kindle best sellers of 2018 so far. It includes Kindle ebooks that were either bought or read using Kindle Unlimited and Amazon Prime Reading subscriptions.
The clear winner after six months of 2018 is Michael Wolff’s Fire and Fury.
Say You’re Sorry by Melinda Leigh (Montlake Romance) is the second most sold Kindle book of 2018 so far.
One of the most controversial biographies of recent years is followed by a thriller written by Melinda Leigh and released in May by Amazon’s romance imprint Montlake. Say You’re Sorry is the first book in a new series featuring former prosecutor Morgan Dane. After return to her hometown, she faces the most personal – and deadly – case of her lifetime.
Eoin Dempsey’s White Rose, Black Forest takes position #3. Set in Europe during World War 2, the book follows German dissenter Franka Gerber, who finds near her family’s isolated cabin an unconscious Luftwaffe airman. It soon turns out that he is not who he seems.
It’s worth pointing out that best selling titles for Kindle stay longer on the Top 100 list than print books. Last year’s #1 Kindle best seller, The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood is ranked #4 after six months of 2018. The 5th place is taken by the 2017 second-best book, Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan.
If you want to find other Kindle books that are worth reading, make sure to check out best Kindle books of all time.
Just like for print books, we present in a table below Top 20 Kindle best sellers. Next to each title, you can find information about Kindle Unlimited eligibility.
As you will see, only two books (Fire and Fury by Michael Wolff, and Minka Kent’s The Thinnest Air) can’t be accessed via Amazon’s popular digital subscription. In total, some 90% of Kindle best sellers are available for Kindle Unlimited members.
Top 20 Kindle book best sellers: January – June 2018
| 1 | Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House | Michael Wolff | |
| 2 | Say You’re Sorry (Morgan Dane Book 1) | Melinda Leigh | Yes |
| 3 | White Rose, Black Forest | Eoin Dempsey | Yes |
| 4 | The Handmaid’s Tale | Margaret Atwood | Yes |
| 5 | Beneath a Scarlet Sky: A Novel | Mark Sullivan | Yes |
| 6 | Lies That Bind Us | Andrew Hart | Yes |
| 7 | Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone | J. K. Rowling | Yes |
| 8 | When Never Comes | Barbara Davis | Yes |
| 9 | True Fiction (Ian Ludlow Thrillers Book 1) | Lee Goldberg | Yes |
| 10 | The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change | Stephen R. Covey | Yes |
| 11 | Tips for Living | Renée Shafransky | Yes |
| 12 | Twist of Faith | Ellen J. Green | Yes |
| 13 | It Ends With Her | Brianna Labuskes | Yes |
| 14 | Silent Victim | Caroline Mitchell | Yes |
| 15 | Matchmaking for Beginners: A Novel | Maddie Dawson | Yes |
| 16 | Not Perfect: A Novel | Elizabeth LaBan | Yes |
| 17 | Digging In: A Novel | Loretta Nyhan | Yes |
| 18 | An American Princess: The Many Lives of Allene Tew | Annejet van der Zijl | Yes |
| 19 | The Thinnest Air | Minka Kent | |
| 20 | Hell’s Princess: The Mystery of Belle Gunness, Butcher of Men [Kindle in Motion] | Harold Schechter | Yes |
Top 5 Kindle bestsellers of 2018 so far
1. Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House
With extraordinary access to the West Wing, Michael Wolff reveals what happened behind-the-scenes in the first nine months of the most controversial presidency of our time.
Since Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th President of the United States, the country – and the world – has witnessed a stormy, outrageous, and absolutely mesmerizing presidential term that reflects the volatility and fierceness of the man elected Commander-in-Chief.
Brilliantly reported and astoundingly fresh, Fire and Fury shows us how and why Donald Trump has become the king of discord and disunion.
2. Say You’re Sorry (Morgan Dane Book 1)
In this thrilling series from Wall Street Journal bestselling author Melinda Leigh, former prosecutor Morgan Dane faces the most personal—and deadly—case of her lifetime.
After the devastating loss of her husband in Iraq, Morgan Dane returns to Scarlet Falls, seeking the comfort of her hometown.
Now, surrounded by family, she’s finally found peace and a promising career opportunity – until her babysitter is killed and her neighbor asks her to defend his son, Nick, who stands accused of the murder.
3. White Rose, Black Forest
In the years before the rise of Hitler, the Gerber family’s summer cottage was filled with laughter. Now, in December 1943, German dissenter Franka Gerber is alone and hopeless.
One day she discovers an unconscious airman wearing a Luftwaffe uniform. Unwilling to let him die, Franka takes him to her family’s isolated cabin. But when it turns out that he is not who he seems, Franka begins a race against time to unravel the mystery of the airman’s true identity.
Hunted by the Gestapo, can they trust each other enough to join forces on a mission that could change the face of the war and their own lives forever?
4. The Handmaid’s Tale
The Handmaid’s Tale is a novel of such power that the reader will be unable to forget its images and its forecast.
Set in the near future, the novel describes life in what was once the United States and is now called the Republic of Gilead.
The story is told through the eyes of Offred, one of the unfortunate Handmaids under the new social order. In condensed but eloquent prose, by turns cool-eyed, tender, despairing, passionate, and wry, she reveals to us the dark corners behind the establishment’s calm facade, as certain tendencies now in existence are carried to their logical conclusions.
5. Beneath a Scarlet Sky
Based on the true story of a forgotten hero, USA Today bestseller Beneath a Scarlet Sky is an epic tale of one young man’s incredible resilience during one of the history’s darkest hours.
Pino Lella wants nothing to do with the war or the Nazis. He’s a normal Italian teenager – obsessed with music, food, and girls – but his days of innocence are numbered.
When his family home in Milan is destroyed by Allied bombs, Pino joins an underground railroad helping Jews escape over the Alps, and falls for Anna, a beautiful widow six years his senior.
How to find book best sellers on Amazon
Besides Amazon’s list of best selling books of the year so far, there are also other ways to spot most popular books:
Amazon Charts – innovative Top 20 lists that are updated weekly and include latest trending books across all reading formats: print, Kindle, audiobooks, and digital subscriptions. The charts will let you quickly spot most popular titles, based not only on sales but also user statistics, such as the speed of reading or number of pre-orders.
Today’s Top 100 Book Best Sellers – every major category in the Amazon store has its own list of best-selling items. Top 100 lists get updated a few times a day, so they are a great tool to find the hottest titles. The lists, both for print and Kindle books, are split into genres and subgenres, making it easy to find most popular titles in your favorite category.
New York Times Best Sellers – Amazon runs special sections featuring books that made it to weekly best sellers lists by The New York Times. The NYT lists can be found in both print and Kindle sections. We link to the second directory. It features books from the combined charts (print and ebook editions) for fiction and nonfiction.
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About Piotr Kowalczyk
Founder of Ebook Friendly. Ebook enthusiast, technology geek, and self-published short story author.
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Join the thousands of non-fiction book authors on KDP. Here are some of their stories:
"I took a chance on staying independent because my story is so near and dear to my heart. Selling all of the rights to it would be like selling my own child and I could never do that to my child."
Sarah Burleton, author of Why Me?
It seems like it took my entire life to write the recounting of my abusive childhood in "Why Me?" Every time I tried to write it down I didn't know how to start, and more importantly, I didn't know how the world would react. Would they mock me and say that I got what I deserved? Or would I be criticized for putting my "dirty laundry" out for the world to see? But, at the urging of my husband, who believed that getting my story out onto paper could help me heal, I decided to write it without even thinking about publishing it. So I finally wrote my story. I wrote it all.
I wrote about how when I shut my eyes I could still see Mom's eyes, how I could still smell her breath in my face, how much time I spent in our barn and how Mom made me brush my teeth with Comet. I wrote about what I still felt, what still gave me nightmares and what was still making me sad in my adult life.
The writing process was extremely therapeutic. I realized that I had been feeling guilty my entire adult life for nothing. I had done nothing wrong to deserve what I got from Mom. It made me wonder how many children and adults were also suffering or walking around with the same guilt I had harbored for years. I decided that I wanted to try to get my book published to help other abuse victims.
However, I was discouraged when I started looking for traditional publishers to see the hoops you had to jump through just to get someone to look at your manuscript. Most of the publishers I found wouldn't even read a manuscript without agent representation, so I began to give up on the idea of ever publishing my book. Then one day through a random online search, I stumbled upon Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing program and found the world of self-publishing. I uploaded my book in September 2010 and was approached by a major publisher on December 1st of 2011 for potential print distribution. I was shocked and honored to be contacted by one of the "giants" in the publishing industry, however I turned them down! I wasn't looking for mass-market appeal; I was looking for a way to get my book into the hands of people who NEEDED my story.
Since then "Why Me" reached #8 on the New York Times best seller list in January of 2012. I'll never forget pulling up that webpage and seeing my little book, "Why Me?", listed among the giants in the publishing industry.
I took a chance on staying independent because my story is so near and dear to my heart. Selling all of the rights to it would be like selling my own child and I could never do that to my child.
"In my opinion, an author can't go wrong publishing through Amazon KDP."
Dreama Denver, author of Gilligan's Dreams: The Other Side of the Island
Though I always loved writing and believed there was a book inside me just waiting to be written, that book didn't become a reality until I was well into adulthood. "Gilligan's Dreams", the story of my 30 year marriage to "Gilligan's Island" star Bob Denver, was a result of living through the highs and lows of life; it was the result of meeting life's challenges head on and surviving; but more than anything, my book was the result of losing the love of my life after 30 years of marriage, believing in every part of me that there was no way I could possibly go on without him, only to find I was made of much stronger stuff than I realized. Not only could I survive my loss, but I could honor my husband's memory by living my life to the fullest, by using our experiences to inspire others and by doing everything within my power to make this world a better place; at least my little part of it. So, I was in my fifties before I felt I had something vital to say and a voice with which to say it.
On the surface, becoming a writer sounds like a fairly easy thing to do, doesn't it? First, have a story to tell, whether fictional or autobiographical, put pen to paper, or in this electronic age, fingers to keyboard, and go for it. I mean, seriously, how hard could it be to tell my story? After all, it was MY story, a story no one else was privy to, a story no one else could tell. Those were my thoughts, but the reality was very different. I had always heard that, in the case of memoirs, the author had to relive his/her experiences, so I was well aware, or so I thought, that I would have to go back to places that would fill me with joy as well as places that would fill me with despair. What I didn't truly understand was the extent to which I'd have to relive the good and not-so-good times in my life. Getting really quiet with yourself in order to go back to a specific time in your life is one thing, but to delve deep enough to taste it, smell it, hear it and feel it was a struggle that sent me to my knees, literally, on more than one occasion.
The key word here is INDEPENDENT. With a very personal story to tell, I wanted to be in charge of how it was presented to the public. Laying your soul bare for public consumption is daunting, scary, overwhelming. The thought of a publisher editing my words or deciding which parts of my story were relevant or irrelevant didn’t appeal to me on any level, so I sought the guidance of one of my dearest friends, a man I consider a mentor and whose advice I trust, New York Times bestselling author Homer Hickam. His recommendation was Amazon KDP. I ran with it and have never looked back. My book is mine, exactly the way I wrote it, exactly the way I wanted Bob's fans to read it. In my opinion, independent publishing is the only way to go!
I love everything about Amazon KDP. I've never asked a question that wasn't answered promptly and cheerfully. Emails are returned in a timely manner. Editing, publishing, updating and adding photos are all accomplished at my convenience with the click of a mouse. Being able to check on the number of books sold, royalties, readers' reviews anytime, day or night, again, with the click of a mouse is such a convenience. Publishing on demand is another wonderful feature of Amazon. Whether you order one book or a thousand books, your order arrives on the specified date, if not sooner. In my opinion, an author can't go wrong publishing through Amazon KDP.
"Self-publishing, for me, is freedom and discovery."
Stephan Talty, author of Operation Cowboy: The Secret American Mission to Save the World's Most Beautiful Horses in the Last Days of World War II
I'd wanted to be a writer since I was in fourth grade at St. John the Evangelist School in Buffalo. It was another fifteen years before I published my first piece - in a small magazine - while working at Doubleday Books, my first job out of college. (Jackie O worked down the hall, which impressed my parents to no end.) But what I wanted to do was write what I loved most: narrative nonfiction books.
I did a lot of things before I had that chance: I worked in a fish and chips shop. I was a proofreader at a large and wealthy New York law firm, scrutinizing the last wishes of Park Avenue socialites. I was a fast and largely dependable bike messenger, a horrible waiter and a few other things.
Eventually, I did start writing nonfiction books, but I found there were ideas I discovered that wouldn't fit into a traditional format: moments or characters or incidents from history that were fascinating and important in themselves but couldn't sustain a 300-page hardcover. There was simply nowhere for these ideas to land.
What Kindle did for me was to enable me to write these stories. It allowed me to find readers for them, readers who loved and responded to strangely illuminating events from our collective past that might have gone undiscovered otherwise. And, most importantly, I could choose the narratives I wanted, the ones I thought were waiting to be told.
Self-publishing, for me, is freedom and discovery.
List of the Top 100 Least Competitive Amazon Kindle Bestseller Lists and Categories
If you’re a new author or don’t have a huge platform or fan base yet, it’s going to be pretty hard to get your book to rank in one of the top 100 most competitive Kindle categories.
So today, we’re going to share our list of the top 100 least competitive Kindle Bestseller categories.
Remember that only the Top 100 books in each category get featured in that category. That means if your book is ranked #101, you get absolutely no exposure from being in that category. So you need to pick categories that you can actually rank your book on. These least competitive categories are so uncompetitive that you could literally sell one or two books and get ranked as one of the top #100 books in any of these categories.
The less you’re currently selling, the lower your sales rank will be on Amazon and the less competitive categories you should choose. As you gain more sales momentum and better sales ranking, you can switch your categories to more competitive ones which will send you more traffic and sales.
Here’s a list of the Top #100 least competitive categories on Amazon Kindle.
But first, a little breakdown of how the table works.
Kindle Store Category (Bestseller List)
The #1 least competitive category on Amazon Nonfiction -> Science -> Experiments, Instruments & Measurement -> Microscopes & Microsocopy. On the Kindle store, this list actually displays like this:
To make the list easier for you to read and understand, we removed the “Kindle eBooks -> ” text string from the data in the table.
Just know that all these bestseller lists are for the Kindle store, NOT the “Books” category on Amazon (which includes paperbacks, hardcovers, ebooks and audiobook sales). This list here is purely for Kindle ebooks and Kindle sales.
Kindle Category Rankings
We tracked rankings for 3 different books in each category: The #1 book which is selling the most, the #50 book in the middle, and the #100 book which just barely made the list. We ranked the lists based on 1) how hard they are to rank for and 2) on how well the average book is selling on the list.
For example, at the time we collected this data, the #100 book in Microscopes & Microsocopy list was ranked at #2,322,889 in the Kindle store. That means that if you wanted your ebook to appear on that list, you had to have a rank of #2,322,889 or better to make the #100 spot. Just one ebook sale in the last 30 days would do it!
| Nonfiction -> Science -> Experiments, Instruments & Measurement -> Microscopes & Microsocopy | 160524 | 1618374 | 2322889 |
| Nonfiction -> Business & Money -> Taxation -> Corporate | 26794 | 980278 | 2322457 |
| Business & Money -> Taxation -> Corporate | 32653 | 975116 | 2321638 |
| Science -> Experiments, Instruments & Measurement -> Microscopes & Microsocopy | 160622 | 1601171 | 2319765 |
| Professional & Technical -> Engineering -> Civil -> Hydrology | 46633 | 1822143 | 2319646 |
| Nonfiction -> Professional & Technical -> Engineering -> Civil -> Hydrology | 41422 | 1821872 | 2319314 |
| Nonfiction -> Science -> Experiments, Instruments & Measurement -> Weights & Measures | 209605 | 1861545 | 2318910 |
| Science -> Experiments, Instruments & Measurement -> Weights & Measures | 294952 | 1858413 | 2315784 |
| Nonfiction -> Crafts, Hobbies & Home -> How-to & Home Improvements -> Masonry | 84651 | 1157906 | 2315432 |
| Crafts, Hobbies & Home -> How-to & Home Improvements -> Masonry | 93239 | 1157660 | 2315165 |
| Nonfiction -> Science -> Medical eBooks -> Specialties -> Surgery -> Colon & Rectal | 157532 | 1544529 | 2303959 |
| Science -> Medical eBooks -> Specialties -> Surgery -> Colon & Rectal | 66218 | 1523485 | 2300820 |
| Professional & Technical -> Medical eBooks -> Specialties -> Surgery -> Colon & Rectal | 60013 | 1522548 | 2300648 |
| Nonfiction -> Professional & Technical -> Medical eBooks -> Specialties -> Surgery -> Colon & Rectal | 52132 | 1522198 | 2300400 |
| Nonfiction -> Children's Nonfiction -> People & Places -> Biographies -> Religious | 51524 | 800876 | 2296009 |
| Children's eBooks -> Biographies -> Religious | 41303 | 797142 | 2295183 |
| Foreign Languages -> Spanish -> GuÌ_as de Estudio y RevisiÌ_n | 66576 | 1158883 | 2290251 |
| Literature & Fiction -> Poetry -> American -> Native American | 106234 | 1621156 | 2267832 |
| Literature & Fiction -> United States -> American -> Native American | 106234 | 1621156 | 2267832 |
| Nonfiction -> Science -> Medical eBooks -> Specialties -> Surgery -> Oral & Maxillofacial | 219714 | 1494904 | 2263095 |
| Professional & Technical -> Transportation -> Ships -> Pictorial | 52929 | 1716968 | 2260197 |
| Science -> Medical eBooks -> Specialties -> Surgery -> Oral & Maxillofacial | 92623 | 1491303 | 2259898 |
| Nonfiction -> Professional & Technical -> Transportation -> Ships -> Pictorial | 56249 | 1716280 | 2259763 |
| Professional & Technical -> Medical eBooks -> Specialties -> Surgery -> Oral & Maxillofacial | 81573 | 1490346 | 2259721 |
| Nonfiction -> Professional & Technical -> Medical eBooks -> Specialties -> Surgery -> Oral & Maxillofacial | 176530 | 1489990 | 2259467 |
| Teen & Young Adult -> Education & Reference -> Language Arts | 88258 | 1214343 | 2240335 |
| Foreign Languages -> Japanese -> Fantasy, Horror & Science Fiction | 446462 | 1948651 | 2221268 |
| Children's eBooks -> Literature & Fiction -> Historical Fiction -> Canada | 41401 | 1480126 | 2215234 |
| Nonfiction -> Crafts, Hobbies & Home -> Antiques & Collectibles -> Popular Culture | 103477 | 946371 | 2213015 |
| Nonfiction -> Crafts, Hobbies & Home -> Crafts & Hobbies -> Glass & Glassware | 118874 | 855675 | 2211390 |
| Crafts, Hobbies & Home -> Crafts & Hobbies -> Glass & Glassware | 91944 | 850128 | 2210835 |
| Nonfiction -> Arts & Photography -> Art -> Art History -> Regional -> African | 49008 | 1642348 | 2207107 |
| Arts & Photography -> Art -> Art History -> Regional -> African | 66972 | 1641266 | 2206131 |
| Crafts, Hobbies & Home -> Antiques & Collectibles -> Popular Culture | 64235 | 920012 | 2202178 |
| Professional & Technical -> Law -> Procedures & Litigation -> Alternative Dispute Resolution | 183918 | 1198251 | 2193504 |
| Nonfiction -> Professional & Technical -> Law -> Procedures & Litigation -> Alternative Dispute Resolution | 162166 | 1197831 | 2193229 |
| Science -> Medical eBooks -> Internal Medicine -> Infectious Disease -> Parasitology | 150242 | 1626294 | 2193215 |
| Professional & Technical -> Medical eBooks -> Internal Medicine -> Infectious Disease -> Parasitology | 130839 | 1626029 | 2193027 |
| Foreign Languages -> Japanese -> Crime, Thriller & Mystery | 223331 | 1764123 | 2191503 |
| Professional & Technical -> Engineering -> Electrical & Electronics -> Optics -> Optoelectronics | 39938 | 1506233 | 2188133 |
| Nonfiction -> Professional & Technical -> Engineering -> Electrical & Electronics -> Optics -> Optoelectronics | 33242 | 1505828 | 2187745 |
| Children's eBooks -> Growing Up & Facts of Life -> Difficult Discussions -> Abuse | 42271 | 881508 | 2185850 |
| Nonfiction -> Professional & Technical -> Medical eBooks -> Internal Medicine -> Infectious Disease -> Parasitology | 109248 | 1601142 | 2183970 |
| Nonfiction -> Science -> Medical eBooks -> Internal Medicine -> Infectious Disease -> Parasitology | 79425 | 1602271 | 2183842 |
| Professional & Technical -> Law -> Specialties -> Maritime | 0 | 1594905 | 2175678 |
| Nonfiction -> Professional & Technical -> Law -> Specialties -> Maritime | 0 | 1594622 | 2175400 |
| Crafts, Hobbies & Home -> Antiques & Collectibles -> Precious Metals | 75462 | 1097459 | 2174164 |
| Nonfiction -> Science -> Chemistry -> Crystallography | 238239 | 1696212 | 2173451 |
| Science -> Chemistry -> Crystallography | 175363 | 1690130 | 2169964 |
| Foreign Languages -> Portuguese -> Comics & Manga | 403892 | 1791965 | 2167657 |
| Children's eBooks -> Literature & Fiction -> Historical Fiction -> Exploration & Discoveries | 34420 | 861937 | 2165947 |
| Nonfiction -> Crafts, Hobbies & Home -> Antiques & Collectibles -> Precious Metals | 62920 | 1038202 | 2160597 |
| Nonfiction -> Crafts, Hobbies & Home -> How-to & Home Improvements -> Power Tools | 62930 | 1428309 | 2159446 |
| Crafts, Hobbies & Home -> How-to & Home Improvements -> Power Tools | 50635 | 1426015 | 2159061 |
| Children's eBooks -> Animals -> Alligators & Crocodiles | 105339 | 1322907 | 2154332 |
| Religion & Spirituality -> Christian Books & Bibles -> Bibles -> International Children's | 52136 | 1240856 | 2144148 |
| Religion & Spirituality -> Bible & Other Sacred Texts -> Bible -> Christian -> Translations -> International Children's | 33581 | 1237584 | 2140656 |
| Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Christian -> Translations -> International Children's | 33581 | 1237584 | 2140656 |
| Nonfiction -> Religion & Spirituality -> Bible & Other Sacred Texts -> Bible -> Christian -> Translations -> International Children's | 25701 | 1236855 | 2140161 |
| Nonfiction -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Christian -> Translations -> International Children's | 25701 | 1236855 | 2140161 |
| Nonfiction -> Arts & Photography -> Art -> Art History -> Regional -> Native American | 205605 | 1176420 | 2139584 |
| Foreign Languages -> Portuguese -> Teen & Young Adult | 270030 | 1738365 | 2134667 |
| Arts & Photography -> Art -> Art History -> Regional -> Native American | 144163 | 1175156 | 2128614 |
| Children's eBooks -> Growing Up & Facts of Life -> Difficult Discussions -> Violence | 1680 | 890574 | 2126904 |
| Foreign Languages -> Japanese -> History | 324871 | 1815251 | 2112532 |
| Nonfiction -> Arts & Photography -> Art -> Art History -> Regional -> Caribbean & Latin American | 134961 | 1469220 | 2111582 |
| Nonfiction -> Arts & Photography -> Theater -> Circus | 17559 | 997247 | 2111112 |
| Arts & Photography -> Art -> Art History -> Regional -> Caribbean & Latin American | 107823 | 1468019 | 2110409 |
| Arts & Photography -> Theater -> Circus | 21474 | 992011 | 2110184 |
| Travel -> Food & Lodging -> Bed & Breakfast | 22806 | 806044 | 2107118 |
| Nonfiction -> Travel -> Food & Lodging -> Bed & Breakfast | 22221 | 802317 | 2106343 |
| Science -> Medical eBooks -> Dentistry -> Dental Hygiene | 97559 | 1306237 | 2103525 |
| Professional & Technical -> Medical eBooks -> Dentistry -> Dental Hygiene | 176825 | 1307987 | 2103315 |
| Nonfiction -> Crafts, Hobbies & Home -> Antiques & Collectibles -> Pottery & Ceramics | 177723 | 1384786 | 2102892 |
| Crafts, Hobbies & Home -> Antiques & Collectibles -> Pottery & Ceramics | 171131 | 1394903 | 2102281 |
| Nonfiction -> Arts & Photography -> Graphic Design -> Printmaking | 62487 | 1281647 | 2099698 |
| Arts & Photography -> Graphic Design -> Printmaking | 53784 | 1280314 | 2098462 |
| Foreign Languages -> German -> Study Aids & Revision Guides | 161205 | 1999985 | 2076116 |
| Foreign Languages -> Japanese -> Travel | 193864 | 1767891 | 2072749 |
| Professional & Technical -> Law -> Procedures & Litigation -> Court Rules | 74707 | 1395409 | 2072075 |
| Nonfiction -> Professional & Technical -> Law -> Procedures & Litigation -> Court Rules | 59690 | 1395161 | 2071776 |
| Nonfiction -> Professional & Technical -> Medical eBooks -> Dentistry -> Dental Hygiene | 115846 | 1312303 | 2071052 |
| Nonfiction -> Science -> Medical eBooks -> Dentistry -> Dental Hygiene | 100478 | 1312114 | 2070938 |
| Reference -> Foreign Language Study & Reference -> Language Instruction -> Serbo-Croatian | 123476 | 1298725 | 2069726 |
| Nonfiction -> Education & Reference -> Foreign Language Study & Reference -> Language Instruction -> Serbo-Croatian | 213408 | 1311512 | 2069310 |
| Education & Reference -> Foreign Language Study & Reference -> Language Instruction -> Serbo-Croatian | 194009 | 1310479 | 2069146 |
| Foreign Languages -> Japanese -> Religion | 163351 | 1661434 | 2067115 |
| Professional & Technical -> Law -> Administrative Law -> Urban, State & Local Government | 8989 | 1236409 | 2065763 |
| Nonfiction -> Professional & Technical -> Law -> Administrative Law -> Urban, State & Local Government | 8036 | 1235868 | 2065335 |
| Professional & Technical -> Law -> Business -> Construction | 160245 | 1423414 | 2063923 |
| Nonfiction -> Professional & Technical -> Law -> Business -> Construction | 124052 | 1423005 | 2063494 |
| Foreign Languages -> Japanese -> Computing, Internet & Digital Media | 0 | 1821899 | 2059052 |
| Nonfiction -> Arts & Photography -> Art -> Art History -> Schools, Periods & Styles -> Medieval | 203076 | 1038553 | 2058238 |
| Arts & Photography -> Art -> Art History -> Schools, Periods & Styles -> Medieval | 144800 | 1036157 | 2057165 |
| Children's eBooks -> Literature & Fiction -> Historical Fiction -> Holocaust | 1126 | 738550 | 2054244 |
| Nonfiction -> Professional & Technical -> Medical eBooks -> Dentistry -> Dental Assisting | 142087 | 1271817 | 2050736 |
| Nonfiction -> Science -> Medical eBooks -> Dentistry -> Dental Assisting | 148854 | 1272158 | 2050624 |
| Science -> Medical eBooks -> Dentistry -> Dental Assisting | 119996 | 1267226 | 2046961 |
| Professional & Technical -> Medical eBooks -> Dentistry -> Dental Assisting | 108713 | 1266868 | 2046743 |
| Nonfiction -> Science -> Medical eBooks -> Allied Health Professions -> Respiratory Therapy | 42170 | 819112 | 2045623 |
What You Can Learn from Amazon’s Bestseller Lists
One big thing you can learn from this list is that 97 out of 100 of the least competitive bestseller lists on Amazon are for nonfiction. The only fiction categories on this list are children’s ebooks. Children’s ebooks are a very tiny market compared to major fiction genres like romance, science fiction, fantasy, thriller, suspense, mystery, etc.
There are a few reasons why almost all of the least competitive bestseller lists on Kindle are predominantly nonfiction.
First, nonfiction is a much smaller market than fiction. That’s why most of the Top 100 most competitive categories on Amazon are fiction. AuthorEarnings. com has a great article with charts and data on the major fiction categories and relative market sizes for Kindle bestsellers.
Second, there are very few fiction bestseller lists compared to nonfiction. When you publish your ebook on Kindle using KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing), you’ll notice that when you select a category, you can choose fiction or nonfiction as a filter. The fiction filter provides a very small list of bestseller lists whereas the nonfiction filter provides thousands of options which can be overwhelming.
At Bestseller Ranking Pro, we keep an up-to-date list of every single bestseller list for Amazon Kindle ebooks and physical books. What we’ve found is that only 9.7% of the bestseller lists on Kindle are for fiction – the other 90.3% are nonfiction bestseller lists (categories). That’s a huge difference, and that’s why the most competitive categories on Kindle are almost always for fiction.
Because fiction is a bigger market (meaning more sales), and because there are fewer bestseller lists for fiction titles on Amazon Kindle, there are many nonfiction categories with almost no competition and very few fiction bestseller lists with low competition.
*In this list, we left out all Kindle categories where there were less than 100 books in the category. Technically, there are some even less competitive Kindle bestseller lists that have less than 100 books in them. That would mean that simply selling one book in that category would rank you on those lists since there’s not enough competition to fill the list completely yet. We’ll share a list of those non-competitive bestseller lists in a future post.
Want more Amazon category lists? Check out our list of the Top 100 Most Competitive Amazon Kindle Bestseller Categories.
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