I have seen too many new authors focus on chasing a payout instead of momentum. They push for that first $1,000 month, but then stall because their book is not ranking, not getting recommended, and not being discovered by new readers without constant promotion.
Authors who focus on hitting 100 targeted sales in their launch period see a different story. Those sales feed Amazon’s algorithms, build social proof, and create a steady stream of new readers who find them through organic discovery. The money will follow, but that early momentum is worth more than a quick payday.
I have published over 50 books and studied hundreds of launches. The pattern is clear. Your first 100 sales can open more doors than your first $1,000 in revenue ever will.
Here is why.
100 Sales Kickstart Amazon’s Ranking System
Amazon is not just a store. It is a search and recommendation engine that decides which books get shown to which readers. Every click, sale, and review sends it a signal.
When you sell 100 copies quickly, Amazon sees your book as something buyers want. That is when it starts placing you in more keyword searches, pushing you up category charts, and showing you in “Customers Also Bought” carousels.
Here is what those 100 sales can do:
- Drop your Best Sellers Rank into a range where browsers will find you.
- Build sales velocity that tells Amazon your book is converting well.
- Trigger also-boughts that connect you to similar titles and audiences.
- Give ad campaigns the data they need to target better and waste less.
If you only make $1,000 from a handful of high-priced sales, you miss most of these benefits. You might earn more upfront, but you will not have the visibility to keep earning.
Sales Velocity Beats Early Profit
Sales velocity is the speed at which your book sells. It matters because Amazon rewards products that sell often in a short time. This is why you sometimes see a $0.99 book outrank a $4.99 book in the charts. The cheaper book might earn less per sale, but the sheer number of sales boosts its ranking.
Example:
An author launched a productivity journal at $2.99. They sold 120 copies in the first five days. Their Best Sellers Rank dropped to around 3,000 in the paid Kindle store. That placed them in the top five of their subcategory. When they raised the price to $4.99 the ranking held for weeks because the momentum carried forward.
Reviews Are Your Conversion Engine
Traffic is not enough. People need to trust your book before they buy it. Reviews are the fastest way to build that trust.
Here is what I have seen from my own launches and clients:
- Going from zero to one review can double your conversion rate.
- Hitting 15 or more reviews makes a huge difference in ad performance.
- A 4.0 to 4.25 star rating can sometimes convert better than a perfect 5.0 because readers see it as more realistic.
Ways to get those first reviews without breaking Amazon’s rules:
- Build an ARC team of readers who get early copies in exchange for honest feedback.
- Add a friendly review request at the end of your book.
- Offer a bonus resource on your website for readers who join your email list, then follow up asking for a review once they have read the book.
How Also-Boughts Work In Your Favour
When readers buy your book along with other titles, Amazon links those books together in its recommendation engine. This is why you see “Customers Also Bought” sections on product pages.
If your early buyers are the right audience, your book will start appearing next to proven sellers in your niche. That is free visibility that can keep driving sales long after your launch ads have stopped.
For example, one of my nonfiction books started appearing next to a top-selling title in its category after the first 100 sales. For the next three months, I got a steady trickle of organic sales every single day without spending on ads, purely from being linked in those recommendations.
Categories and Keywords Decide Who Finds You
Choosing the right category is not about ego. It is about visibility. A smaller, more specific category might only require 20 sales a day to reach the Top 100, while a big competitive category might take hundreds.
Keywords matter just as much. Your title, subtitle, and description need to include the phrases readers are actually typing into Amazon’s search bar. If you skip this step, you are making yourself invisible to the exact audience who would buy your book.
Practical step: Before you even write your book, validate that there is demand. Use the free KDP Keyword Research Tool from BookBiz Academy to see what readers are already searching for.
Once you know the demand is there, you can create a book that matches it, hit those 100 sales faster, and start building momentum.
If you plan to publish more than one title, tools like the BookBiz Academy Book Generator can save you time and cost. It lets you create unlimited humanized drafts for $297 per month so you can proof, edit, and release at scale.
Price For Momentum, Not Ego
High prices can slow sales when you need them to move quickly. For launches, think about pricing to encourage clicks and conversions rather than maximise margin.
For example:
- Price at $0.99 to $2.99 during your launch week.
- Combine with a short promo period to stack sales quickly.
- Raise your price to your long-term level once you have momentum.
Lower launch prices help you reach those 100 sales faster, which in turn gives you the visibility to sell at higher prices later.
Make Your Page Retail-Ready
Before you pay for traffic, your product page needs to be able to convert visitors into buyers. Here is your checklist:
- Cover that stands out at thumbnail size.
- Blurb that hooks readers in the first line.
- At least 10 reviews with a good average rating.
- Correct categories and keywords.
- Look Inside preview that makes readers want the rest of the book.
In your KDP dashboard, watch your Unit Session Percentage. This is the percentage of page visitors who buy. If this number is low, fix your page before spending more on ads.
Use Ads To Learn, Then Scale
Start with Amazon’s auto-targeting ads. Let them run for a week or two, then look at which search terms and product targets are converting. Move those into manual campaigns where you control the bids and budget.
Tips for making ads work faster:
- Do not spend heavily before you have reviews in place.
- Watch your click-through rate. Low CTR usually means your cover, title, or price is not pulling readers in.
- Kill any keywords that get clicks but no sales.
Once you have profitable manual campaigns running, you can scale up knowing your spend is going into targets that actually convert.
A 4-Week Sprint To Your First 100 Sales
Download and keep this!
Week 1: Prepare
- Finalise your cover, blurb, and metadata.
- Build your ARC list and review request system.
- Set launch pricing.
Week 2: Launch Push
- Email your list and any author friends for swaps.
- Start a small auto-targeting ad campaign.
- Share in relevant reader groups if appropriate.
Week 3: Data Review
- Move winning targets to manual campaigns.
- Keep encouraging reviews.
- Monitor BSR and conversion rate.
Week 4: Maintain and Adjust
- Raise your price to your regular level.
- Keep ads running on profitable targets.
- Watch for category and keyword movement.
Common Myths To Avoid
- Myth: $1,000 upfront is the goal. Without momentum, your sales will drop as fast as they came.
- Myth: Ads alone will get you there. Ads only amplify what is already on your page.
- Myth: Reviews do not affect rank. They affect conversion, and conversion affects rank.
FAQ
How many sales does it take to start getting also-boughts?
Sometimes as few as 10 to 20 sales can trigger them, but 100 sales from the right audience will give you better quality recommendations.
Should I run ads before I have reviews?
It is better to have at least 10 to 15 reviews first. Your ad spend will work harder when your page has social proof.
What click-through rate should I aim for?
On Amazon, 0.3% to 0.5% is common. Higher is better, but the key is that your CPC and conversion make sense for your price point.
What should I track each week after launch?
Keep an eye on BSR trends, Unit Session Percentage, review count, average rating, ad CTR, and CPC.
The Bottom Line
Your first 100 book sales are more valuable than your first $1,000 because they unlock Amazon’s systems in your favour. They boost your rank, fuel recommendations, and give your ads better data. They set you up for ongoing sales rather than a short-lived spike.
Focus on momentum. Build those early sales with smart pricing, strong keyword targeting, and a page that converts. Use reviews to lift trust, and let Amazon’s algorithms and reader word-of-mouth keep the wheel turning.
If you want a repeatable process, start by validating demand with the right keywords, create a book that meets that demand, and then push for those 100 sales with purpose. Do it right and the money will follow.
