BardMetrics Amazon sales rank: Difference between revisions

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''Note: This article is attached to the BardMetrics project and was crafted as a wiki proof-of-concept, but also as a source of information pertinent to that initiative.''
''Note: This article is attached to the BardMetrics project and was crafted as a wiki proof-of-concept, but also as a source of information pertinent to that initiative.''
== Amazon Sales Rankings ==
== Amazon sales rankings ==


Amazon provides data about book sales via their interface (available in the "book facts" section of a book's amazon page).  This data can be a bit difficult to understand since Amazon purposefully guards the algorithm utilized to generate it.  The proprietary formula used to compile the Amazon Sales Ranking of a given book is a large secret of the Amazon company but bloggers, authors, and general internet denizens have spent some time analyzing what the numbers actually mean.
Amazon provides data about book sales via their interface (available in the "book facts" section of a book's amazon page).  This data can be a bit difficult to understand since Amazon purposefully guards the algorithm utilized to generate it.  The proprietary formula used to compile the Amazon Sales Ranking of a given book is a large secret of the Amazon company but bloggers, authors, and general internet denizens have spent some time analyzing what the numbers actually mean.


===The Amazon Algorithm===
===The Amazon algorithm===


The Amazon Sales Ranking of a given book is calculated the moment a book is sold.  If you happen upon a book without an Amazon Sales Ranking, that means the book has not yet sold a single copy.  As of 2004, the Amazon Sales Ranking Data does include sales made both on the Amazon Marketplace and in e-book editions.
The Amazon sales ranking of a given book is calculated the moment a book is sold.  If you happen upon a book without an Amazon sales ranking, that means the book has not yet sold a single copy.  As of 2004, the Amazon Sales Ranking Data does include sales made both on the Amazon Marketplace and in e-book editions.


The Sales Ranking of a book is (purportedly) recalculated every time that book makes a sale.  The lower the number of a book's sales ranking, the higher number of books actually sold (so a #1 book has sold the most copies out of all books available on Amazon during a given time period).  At the moment of a sale, a book's ranking will drop.  The longer a book goes without a sale, the more likely it is that another book has sold thus bumping book A from its higher ranking spot.  This results in peaks and valleys in book-tracking over the course of a given time.  If the book in question sells a great many copies, these peaks and valleys will be closer together in a real-time analysis, thus allowing you to take a better average in a shorter period of time.  If the book is a slow-seller, it will take longer to obtain a true average since the peaks and valleys are further spaced out.
The Sales Ranking of a book is (purportedly) recalculated every time that book makes a sale.  The lower the number of a book's sales ranking, the higher number of books actually sold (so a #1 book has sold the most copies out of all books available on Amazon during a given time period).  At the moment of a sale, a book's ranking will drop.  The longer a book goes without a sale, the more likely it is that another book has sold thus bumping book A from its higher ranking spot.  This results in peaks and valleys in book-tracking over the course of a given time.  If the book in question sells a great many copies, these peaks and valleys will be closer together in a real-time analysis, thus allowing you to take a better average in a shorter period of time.  If the book is a slow-seller, it will take longer to obtain a true average since the peaks and valleys are further spaced out.


===What Does a Rank Mean?===
===What does a Rank mean?===


According to author Theresa Regan's 2013 survey of the Amazon Ranking System, you can make a rough estimate of the number of books sold on a per-day basis via that book's Amazon rank in accordance with the following chart:  
According to author Theresa Regan's 2013 survey of the Amazon Ranking System, you can make a rough estimate of the number of books sold on a per-day basis via that book's Amazon rank in accordance with the following list:  


:::Amazon Best Seller Rank 50,000 to 100,000 - selling close to 1 book a day.
:::Amazon Best Seller Rank 50,000 to 100,000 - selling close to 1 book a day.
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One rule of thumb which has been proposed by Morris Leventhal of FonerBooks is to check back on a book's rank twice a week over a period of four weeks.  Add the ranking numbers you compile then divide by eight to find an average Amazon Sales Rank for that period.   
One rule of thumb which has been proposed by Morris Leventhal of FonerBooks is to check back on a book's rank twice a week over a period of four weeks.  Add the ranking numbers you compile then divide by eight to find an average Amazon Sales Rank for that period.   


===How Much Does a Rank Change?===
===How much does a rank change?===


Again, this will depend upon the frequency of a sale.  A top 5,000 book will generally only fluctuate by no more than 20%.  Titles between 10,000 and 20,000 can change as much as 60%, and titles ranked under 50,000 will make wild swings.
Again, this will depend upon the frequency of a sale.  A top 5,000 book will generally only fluctuate by no more than 20%.  Titles between 10,000 and 20,000 can change as much as 60%, and titles ranked under 50,000 will make wild swings.


===Further Reading and Sources===
===Further reading and sources===


Dog Ear Publishing [http://dogearpublishing.net/wordpress/index.php/2010/12/post-about-publishing/ "What's Your Rank... on Amazon?"]
Dog Ear Publishing [http://dogearpublishing.net/wordpress/index.php/2010/12/post-about-publishing/ "What's Your Rank... on Amazon?"]

Revision as of 13:23, 10 April 2014

Note: This article is attached to the BardMetrics project and was crafted as a wiki proof-of-concept, but also as a source of information pertinent to that initiative.

Amazon sales rankings

Amazon provides data about book sales via their interface (available in the "book facts" section of a book's amazon page). This data can be a bit difficult to understand since Amazon purposefully guards the algorithm utilized to generate it. The proprietary formula used to compile the Amazon Sales Ranking of a given book is a large secret of the Amazon company but bloggers, authors, and general internet denizens have spent some time analyzing what the numbers actually mean.

The Amazon algorithm

The Amazon sales ranking of a given book is calculated the moment a book is sold. If you happen upon a book without an Amazon sales ranking, that means the book has not yet sold a single copy. As of 2004, the Amazon Sales Ranking Data does include sales made both on the Amazon Marketplace and in e-book editions.

The Sales Ranking of a book is (purportedly) recalculated every time that book makes a sale. The lower the number of a book's sales ranking, the higher number of books actually sold (so a #1 book has sold the most copies out of all books available on Amazon during a given time period). At the moment of a sale, a book's ranking will drop. The longer a book goes without a sale, the more likely it is that another book has sold thus bumping book A from its higher ranking spot. This results in peaks and valleys in book-tracking over the course of a given time. If the book in question sells a great many copies, these peaks and valleys will be closer together in a real-time analysis, thus allowing you to take a better average in a shorter period of time. If the book is a slow-seller, it will take longer to obtain a true average since the peaks and valleys are further spaced out.

What does a Rank mean?

According to author Theresa Regan's 2013 survey of the Amazon Ranking System, you can make a rough estimate of the number of books sold on a per-day basis via that book's Amazon rank in accordance with the following list:

Amazon Best Seller Rank 50,000 to 100,000 - selling close to 1 book a day.
Amazon Best Seller Rank 10,000 to 50,000 - selling 5 to 15 books a day.
Amazon Best Seller Rank 5,500 to 10,000 - selling 15 to 25 books a day.
Amazon Best Seller Rank 3,000 to 5,500 - selling 25 to 70 books a day.
Amazon Best Seller Rank 1,500 to 3,000 - selling 70 to 100 books a day.
Amazon Best Seller Rank 750 to 1,500 - selling 100 to 120 books a day.
Amazon Best Seller Rank 500 to 750 - selling 120 to 175 books a day.
Amazon Best Seller Rank 350 to 500 - selling 175 to 250 books a day.
Amazon Best Seller Rank 200 to 350 - selling 250 to 500 books a day.
Amazon Best Seller Rank 35 to 200 - selling 500 to 2,000 books a day.
Amazon Best Seller Rank 20 to 35 - selling 2,000 to 3,000 books a day.
Amazon Best Seller Rank of 5 to 20 - selling 3,000 to 4,000 books a day.
Amazon Best Seller Rank of 1 to 5 - selling 4,000+ books a day.

One rule of thumb which has been proposed by Morris Leventhal of FonerBooks is to check back on a book's rank twice a week over a period of four weeks. Add the ranking numbers you compile then divide by eight to find an average Amazon Sales Rank for that period.

How much does a rank change?

Again, this will depend upon the frequency of a sale. A top 5,000 book will generally only fluctuate by no more than 20%. Titles between 10,000 and 20,000 can change as much as 60%, and titles ranked under 50,000 will make wild swings.

Further reading and sources

Dog Ear Publishing "What's Your Rank... on Amazon?"

Leventhal, Morris. "Amazon Sales Ranking and Author Rank"

Regan, Theresa "Sales Ranking Chart"

Sullivan, Robin. "Demystifying the Amazon Sales Rank."