Amazon books sales rankings

Jay Mandal

Jay Mandal

http://www.salesrankexpress.com/

See your book's rankings by using the above Internet address (you might need to choose UK - go down the screen). You can also see what book yours is paired with.

sal

Hi Jay
Are these rankings the actual number of book sales, or what?

Jay Mandal

Sales rankings are a nightmare. Your book will go up if someone's just bought a copy. It's a bit like the pop charts - you'd expect JK Rowling to be at the top. Let me just see if I can find the site with details ... Found it. Try

http://www.fonerbooks.com/surfing.htm

There should also be more stuff on Talkback. Try search on rank/rankings/Rank/Rankings .

sal

Thanks Jay, I'll try and make sense of it.  Its a crazy idea, hey?

Nefertari

Are all books listed or just top selling ones only I can't see mine?

Jay Mandal

I think it's most books. There might be a minimum sales, or possibly a delay if your book's just come out.

Nefertari

Well mine has been out a year and I can't see it. Perhaps it's down at the bottom then!

M. Welshman

Most books go on the list.  The longer you are on it the more sales you are likely to have made and so potentially your listing can be that much higher.  But this is offset by more books coming onto the list in that time and their sales will push yours back down.  The best sales listing for my book, Pets in Prospect, was in Jan when it got to 1700 or so just for a day on the back of 17 books being sold during that month.  As Jay says, the sale of just one or two copies can make the listing shoot up out of all proportion to the number sold.  But that listing will quickly go down again.

Jay Mandal

http://xml-uk.amznxslt.com/onca/xml

Is this you, Kateyanne? Or have I got people's names muddled up?

Nefertari

Jay, when I type that in it comes up error.

Jay Mandal

Sorry! Are you Scarab Eyes? Once you've got the address mentioned above, click on UK, then put your book title in. Does it work?

Nefertari

Oh yes I just did it and it says not ranked. I have a ranking in the UK web site though but the book is not with Amazon.com is that why?

Jay Mandal

Bit confused here. If it's not quoted on Amazon.com, there won't be a ranking.

But you've got a ranking if you click on UK.

Go to the salesrankexpress address (see above)
click on UK
click on GET RANKS

and it should appear on the top left-hand side.

Nefertari

Oh yes, I found it, thanks!

mrsherlockholmes

We all owe thanks to Jay for calling our attention to this site.  It is certainly easier than going to one's book page on the various amazons.  Nobody seems to know just how these ratings work but I have read that they can be manipulated by getting a lot of people to buy the same book at the same time.  Some authors (especially those who give talks) try to persuade their fans all to order the book during a specific limited period and give a discount during that time to encourage it.  I have no idea if this is true or just an ugly rumour! 

If your book comes under a specific category you may gain a better idea of its progress by searching under that category.  Some time ago Jay kindly explained to me how to do it and now I take more notice of how my book is doing against all the other Sherlock Holmes books listed.  As I write it is 4/730 on amazon.co.uk and 18/1448 on amazon.com.  Of course your sales position is still affected by the sales of all the other SH books but it is gives a better idea than the overall rankings. 

Jay Mandal

Thanks, Mr SH, although I have to admit it was Cait who told me about the site.

Great news about your books.