How to Use ChatGPT to Sell on Amazon KDP

Last Updated on February 23, 2024 by Zeljko Drazovic

There has recently been an influx of books on Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) platform that are written with the help of OpenAI ChatGPT. And the use of AI tools in creative writing is a hotly debated topic in 2023. But is it really worth using them?

In a previous article, we discussed the benefits of using Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) and explained how to start using it.

Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KPD) is a self-publishing platform where you can publish ebooks, paperbacks, and hardcover books for free.

Publishing with Amazon KDP gives you full rights to your book and you can expand its availability on a global scale. It also allows you to effectively grow your ecommerce sales without worrying about your stock or delivering physical goods.

You have the option to sell both ebooks and printed books. KDP Print allows for on-demand printing, meaning books are printed only when they are ordered.

In this article, we’ll dive deeper into the latest trend: how to use ChatGPT to maximize Amazon KDP sales.

OpenAI ChatGPT: the tool behind the influx of AI-written books on Amazon

As reported by Reuters, there were over 200 ebooks in Amazon’s Kindle store listing ChatGPT as an author or co-author in February of 2023.

This screenshot, taken just a few months later – in May 2023 – shows already over 1000 records for the same search:

But what exactly is ChatGPT?

ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, designed to generate human-like responses based on the input it receives.

It was developed by OpenAI and released in November 2022, after being trained using vast text data from various sources to acquire knowledge and language understanding.

It’s fast, free, and accessible.

When you instruct ChatGPT what you need, the text command – otherwise known as a “prompt” – tells AI what to do exactly. Then the model tries to accomplish the task by giving you a response.

How are ChatGPT and AI utilized on marketplaces?

So is AI a challenge or an opportunity for selling on marketplaces in 2023?

Watch a video from Adrien Salvat, ecommerce expert and Webinterpret CEO, sharing his insights about how the AI revolution is impacting the marketplace shopping experience and online sellers’ reality:

Amazon KPD: becoming an author

Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing is a great source of passive income.

Amazon KDP provides selling opportunities for both authors as well as online sellers who already sell physical products on the Amazon platform. Diversifying product portfolio in such a way mitigates risk and provides options in the case of unexpected events. Especially those affecting global supply chains.

The only problem is that… not everyone knows how to write.

Before the rise of free AI language models such as ChatGPT, Amazon KDP would sell original pieces of writing. Sellers who didn’t have the time to create content on their own, or didn’t know how to do it, would hire freelancers to do it for them.

What has changed?

Currently, we are observing more and more books available in Amazon’s Kindle store being attributed to OpenAI ChatGPT. Moreover, not all sellers disclose it, making it virtually impossible to assess how many AI-generated books are available on the platform.

But if it’s already become so popular, and quite successful for some – why not utilize it to maximize your own Amazon KDP sales?

Let’s explore how to write a book on Amazon with some help from ChatGPT.

What can ChatGPT do for Amazon KDP sellers?

As an advanced language model, OpenAI ChatGPT can:

• Generate original content on a requested topic, in response to natural language prompt input.
• Format and structure text according to specific requirements.

It has its limitations too:

• It might not always be factually correct and accurate, as its responses are based on patterns, not facts and data, like in an encyclopedia.
• In order to write a good prompt you need to be quite specific about the data you insert into it. This can be quite a complicated task for an inexperienced AI user.

It can however help with the writing process at every stage. From ideation and formatting, to editing and proofreading – before uploading it to the Amazon KDP platform.

ChatGPT-friendly Amazon KDP content

What kind of content would be easy to develop and improve using ChatGPT? There are quite a few content types that Amazon KDP supports that you could explore.

Types of content on Amazon KDP

• Novels for adults
• Children’s books
• Comics
• Poetry
• Textbooks

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Best practices for using ChatGPT for Amazon KDP

Does it make sense to open the ChatGPT chatbox, ask it to write a novel, and publish it on Amazon KDP? Absolutely not.

Then what are some best practices for using AI when writing a book?

Treat AI as your assistant, not as the writer

You need to be aware of the role that OpenAI ChatGPT has in your writing process. This will help you leverage AI effectively and avoid over-reliance or misuse.

The best tactic is to treat AI as your private (and free!) assistant. It can help you with:

Conducting research

ChatGPT has an amazing ability to summarize and synthesize information and concepts. When using it to research facts, be mindful that it needs to be double-checked with a reliable source later.

Brainstorming ideas

AI can generate a variety of suggestions to spark your imagination and help you overcome writer’s block. If you’re writing a fiction piece – based on your initial idea, it could generate character descriptions, plot twists, or even dialogues.

For non-fictional pieces, AI can help with structuring text, converting into e.g. checklists or bullet points, making sure it’s easily readable and scannable, generating pro/cons comparisons, and many more.

Fine-tuning your writing

Use ChatGPT as a tool to enhance your writing skills. Utilize AI-generated suggestions to adjust the tone of voice or add some stylistic improvements. They can help maintain the consistency of your style throughout the whole text.

Proofread texts

OpenAI ChatGPT algorithms are perfect for identifying grammar errors or unnecessary repetitions, highlighting passages that are too wordy and thus hard to read, suggesting improvements in sentence structure, and offering alternative vocabulary choices.

Traps to avoid when using ChatGPT for writing

When using ChatGPT or any other AI for writing, it’s important to be aware of potential challenges. Here are some common ones to watch out for:

• Risk of error
  Do not over-rely on ChatGPT as your source of factual information. Its responses might not be factually correct, so always make sure to double-check all data with relevant and reliable sources.
• Limited originality
  OpenAI ChatGPT is trained on existing data and may produce content that resembles or replicates existing works. When creating fictional writing, relying too heavily on AI-generated content can hinder your creative process and make your writing lose its unique voice.
• Low quality
  The quality of AI-generated content does not always have to be top-notch. Apart from making factual errors, ChatGPT might also struggle to convey deep emotions, and create impactful and coherent storytelling centered on authentic experiences and emotions.

Prompt is key

If you decide to use ChatGPT to help you with your writing process, make sure you pay attention to the prompts.

The whole point of using AI in this process is to truly optimize the work you would put into creating a piece of text. And the secret to attaining that is knowing how to create precise prompts to generate the exact output you’re looking for.

But how to write a precise prompt?

You need to be quite specific about the data you insert into it. And this can be a complicated task for an inexperienced AI user.

To give you an example, we prepared a few hypothetical brainstorming prompt suggestions. We chose to ask ChatGPT about different ideas for a children’s book. This is the first prompt:

The beauty of OpenAI ChatGPT is that the language model can learn.

This means the chatbot will remember the information we are feeding it within a conversation. To continue with this particular example – once we establish we are writing a children’s book about a little fish in the ocean, we don’t need to remind it every time for ChatGPT to take it into consideration.

Look at this follow-up ChatGPT conversation below, where the chatbot already knows the setting of the book and so it suggests protagonist names related to the ocean environment:

Here are a few more examples of what you could also ask ChatGPT within the same brainstorming session:

• Help me brainstorm title ideas for my book. Include word puns about water, fish, ocean, or swimming if possible.
• What age-appropriate topics could I explore in the book to stimulate children’s curiosity and imagination?
• Give me a few plot twist ideas where the main protagonist has to overcome a series of obstacles to achieve a goal.
• Describe my main protagonist’s surroundings to reveal their mood without telling the reader what they feel.
• Develop a few dialog suggestions where one character is giving advice to the main protagonist.
• Suggest some interactive activities or games to include in the book to enhance the reading experience for children.
• What strategies can I use to ensure that the pace and structure of the book are suitable for the 6 to 12 age group, keeping their attention without overwhelming them? 

Before you start writing: Amazon KDP research

First things first. Before you start writing, your main task is identifying what will sell.

But how to find a profitable niche? There’s no shortcut to do this. If you want to really start generating sales on Amazon KDP, first conduct proper niche and keyword research.

Once you identify possible topic niches that sound appealing to you, develop your idea accordingly.

You should also keep your keyword research in mind when writing the book description and creating the listing. Pay extra attention to two things:

1. Title
   It should be unique and catchy to lure in the potential reader. If possible, make sure to contain the most relevant keywords in it as well.
2. Description
   It should highlight what your potential readers can expect from your book. On Amazon KDP you can write a description of up to 4000 characters, which gives you plenty of opportunities to saturate it with relevant keywords. Remember to also include a call-to-action at the end to increase conversions.

If your test piece proves to be successful, you can later build up your library and create new titles in the same niche.

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Final thoughts: is there a place for ChatGPT content on Amazon KDP?

Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing offers numerous opportunities to generate online sales. Harnessing the power of OpenAI ChatGPT can greatly enhance your Amazon KDP sales and maximize your book’s potential.

A lot of writers are raising concerns about the potential of flooding Amazon KDP with low-quality AI-written books. But is this really the case?

You can unlock a world of creative possibilities by utilizing ChatGPT for character development, plot ideas, reader engagement, and more. And ultimately: sell more books on Amazon.

ChatGPT’s assistance in generating unique and captivating content tailored to your target audience, combined with your own writing skills, can help you craft compelling books that resonate with readers.

We recommend diving into the realm of ChatGPT with some common sense and caution. It won’t replace standard research, industry expertise, and experience. But it’s worth embracing this innovative tool before your competitors do.

And it might just make your sales soar to new heights, bringing your stories to the hands and hearts of readers worldwide.

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Webinterpret’s AI-based solution enables selling more effectively in international marketplaces with automated listing localization, advertising, and logistics (shipping and returns). Our solution is perfectly integrated with marketplace platforms, such as eBay or Amazon. By giving your international customers a full end-to-end local shopping experience, Webinterpret improves your conversion and helps establish your business on a global scale.

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