amazon-category-researchResearch profitable Amazon KDP categories for book publishing. This skill should be used when planning a book launch, analyzing competition, or optimizing category selection for discoverability. Guides the 3-category decision with BSR analysis and ghost category avoidance.
Independent GitHub snapshot · Automated classification · Original documentation governs
Select the right 3 Amazon categories for your book. This is a one-time, high-stakes decision—categories can't easily be changed after publishing, and 27% of KDP categories are "ghost categories" that don't actually work.
Answer one question: Which 3 categories should this book be in?
This skill does NOT cover keywords (separate skill) or book descriptions (separate skill). Just categories.
Not for: Keyword research, book description writing, cover design, or pricing strategy.
Identify 5-10 books similar to yours that are selling well.
How to find them:
What makes a good comp:
Use BKLNK (free tool) to see all categories for each comp title.
Process:
What you're looking for:
For each candidate category, check the competition level.
How to check:
scripts/bsr_to_sales.pyCompetition levels:
| #1 Book BSR | Level | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| < 500 | Very High | Hard to crack |
| 500-5,000 | High | Needs strong launch |
| 5,000-10,000 | Medium | Achievable |
| 10,000-50,000 | Low | Good opportunity |
| > 50,000 | Very Low | Easy, but low traffic |
Select 3 categories with different competition levels:
| Slot | Target | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Niche | BSR #1 > 10,000 | Easy bestseller badge at launch |
| 2. Mid-range | BSR #1 = 5,000-10,000 | Steady visibility |
| 3. Growth | BSR #1 < 5,000 | Upside if book takes off |
Why this works:
27% of KDP categories are "ghost categories" that:
Before selecting ANY category:
If you can't find a real category page: DO NOT SELECT IT.
See references/ghost-categories.md for details on identification.
| Tool | Cost | Use |
|---|---|---|
| BKLNK | Free | See any book's categories by ASIN |
| Kindlepreneur BSR Calculator | Free | Convert BSR to daily sales |
scripts/bsr_to_sales.py | Free | Local BSR calculator |
| Publisher Rocket | $199-299 | Automated category research + ghost detection |
| KDSPY | $79 | Browser extension for BSR data |
BSR data is not easily scraped. Amazon pages are JavaScript-rendered and don't yield BSR numbers to automated tools.
The free workflow:
The paid workflow:
Recommendation: For a single book, the free path is fine (budget 1-2 hours). For multiple books or ongoing publishing, Publisher Rocket pays for itself in time saved.
Copy assets/research-spreadsheet.csv and fill in for your book:
| Category Path | BSR #1 | BSR #20 | Ghost? | Competition | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Fill in] |
Book: A guide to Christian fasting practices
Step 1 - Comp titles:
Step 2 - Categories extracted via BKLNK:
Step 3 - BSR analysis:
Step 4 - Selection:
references/bsr-thresholds.md - What BSR numbers mean for salesreferences/ghost-categories.md - How to identify and avoid ghost categoriesreferences/category-examples.md - 8+ real case studies with resultsscripts/bsr_to_sales.py - Convert BSR to daily sales estimatesassets/research-spreadsheet.csv - Template for tracking researchCategory selection is a strategic decision. 3 slots, 27% ghosts, permanent choice. Research before you publish.