Create An Amazon Connect Account

Amazon.com has a program called Amazon Connect that allows authors to connect to their readers who are on Amazon.com. It's a very cool idea and one I strongly encourage authors to participate in. The program is free, but you must have a book available for sell on Amazon.com to participate.

Here are the ins and outs of this program.

1. First of all, you will need to open an account with Amazon.com to sign up for the Amazon Connect program. One you do that, just visit the following link:

Amazon Connect

2. Signing up will take you to a page where you will have to verify your e-mail address and then give your profile name (the name readers know you by). Just a note here-- this is not the same profile you may have that you write reviews with. This is a profile especially for the Amazon Connect program.

3. Amazon.com will take the name you listed and search for your book. When it returns a list, you will need to mark which books are yours.

4. Once you have your books claimed, you will then need to list a third party professional who can verify you are the author. Amazon.com will contact that person to verify you are indeed the author. The process can take a week or so to complete. A professional can be an agent, publisher, editor or publicist. Be prepared with contact info so you will be ready when you get to this point.

5. Create your profile. Even though your authorship may not be verified at this point, you can still build your profile. You can upload a photo, write a bio, list your interests, post your website link and create your blog. You can even import your external blogs into your Amazon Connect profile, though Amazon.com warns you sternly about making sure you are the creator of the blog before you import it.

OK, great. Now what? I'm glad you asked.

Now you keep in touch with your readers. Anytime you post a message to your readers, it not only shows up on your profile page, but Amazon.com will put it on your product page. That means you have an opportunity to touch base with anyone who is browsing and comes across your book.

The messages are the only things from your profile that will show on the product page, but the visitor can click on your name and go to your profile page if they are interested. Your messages will also show on the profile page of readers who have purchased your book through Amazon.com. Talk about a great way to stay in touch with readers.

If you chose to import an external blog, then that content will be posted on your profile page, your book's products page, and the profile pages of people who have bought your book through Amazon.com. I mention this because it's a quick and easy way to keep your name in front of your fan's eyes. Amazon Connect also has the ability for you to schedule events and set reminder notices. You can add lists of your favorite items and control your friends list.

Now, the downside. The interface and navigation is awful. No, let me rephrase this. The interface and navigation is AWFUL!!!!! I really expected much more from a company like Amazon.com, but technically, this is still a new, developing service. So, what do I mean about awful? There is no easy link to your profile page and navigating to the Amazon Connect program is often like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

Also, there is no pretty URL to your profile page like most social sites give you. Here, take a look at what I mean. This is my profile link on Amazon Connect:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/A32BFD0KWT6WHC/ref=cm_blog_pdp

Yuck!

***TIP*** Bookmark the Amazon Connect link for easy access later. I promise, you will be so glad you did. Better yet, bookmark this blog page for easy access (make sure you click on the title of this article to take you to its specific page--otherwise you are bookmarking the blog's homepage and you will have to hunt for this article later). And while you are at it, go ahead and click on the link to the right to follow this blog :)

You know, that's really all the bad I have to say about this program. The good overwhelmingly outweighs the bad. There is no reason, in my opinion, why an author with a book on Amazon.com would not want to participate in this free program. And as an added benefit, I have noticed that the search engines love the content you post to your Amazon Connect profile. Again, this just helps more people find you and your book.

There is one bright cloud in the midst of the awful interface. I read this on the Amazon Connect site tonight while researching for this post: "In 2009, many exciting changes are coming to Connect so now is a great time to sign up and start a dialogue with your readers and fans." Let's only hope that they fix the navigation and interface.

Here are a couple of links I want to leave you with. The first is Dave Taylor's step-by-step instructions on signing up for Amazon Connect, complete with pics of each step along the way:

How do I join Amazon Connect?

Tony Eldridge's Amazon Connect Profile Page

Amazon Connect's FAQs on RSS Feeds

I hope this helps you see the great opportunity for free marketing help with your book via Amazon Connect as well as gives you the motivation and tools to get your profile up today.

Tony Eldridge