How to choose KDP categories that give your book a chance

How categories work

• When you publish, KDP lets you choose a small number of categories for each format (the current limit is shown in KDP's setup).
• Each category has its own best seller list, and each book gets a rank inside it.
• Categories must describe your book honestly; Amazon can move a book that is placed in the wrong one.

What to compare

• The BSR of the #1 book: how much it sells to lead the category.
• The BSR of the #10 and #100 books: how much it takes to be visible on the first page of the list.
• How established the top books are: many young books near the top means the category is open to newcomers.
• Whether the category truly fits your book.

A simple way to pick

1. List every category your book honestly belongs in.
2. For each, note the BSR of the #1, #10 and #100 books.
3. Prefer categories where the #10 book's BSR is reachable for a new book, rather than the biggest category.
4. Mix one broader category for reach with more specific ones where you can rank.

Compare categories side by side

BookIntel's Category Explorer shows the rank of the #1, #10 and #100 books and an estimated range of sales needed to reach them, for the categories we have observed, so you can compare them in one table.