Choosing Keywords and Categories on KDP
Why It Matters and What I Used
When I was uploading my book to Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), I was ready for the usual—title, blurb, cover, file upload. But then I hit the section that made me slow down, research, and overthink:
“Choose up to 7 keywords and 3 categories.”
I soon discovered that this tiny part of the publishing form plays a huge role in how your book gets discovered. It’s how Amazon decides where to list your book, who to show it to, and which search results you’ll appear in. In other words, it’s a big deal.
I’m not an expert, but after extensive reading, and making a conscious decision not to pay for platforms that specialize in helping authors to pick KDP categories and keywords (I mean, I’m indie and don’t have a huge budget), here’s how I approached my own categories and keywords for my romantic comedy—and what I learned along the way.
The Categories I Chose
KDP currently allows you to select up to three categories when you publish your book.
Amazon book categories work like virtual bookshelves, helping organize titles by genre and theme. Just like browsing the “Romance” or “Science Fiction” section at a bookstore, these categories guide readers toward the kinds of stories they’re looking for—making it easier for them to discover books that match their interests.
In the past, you could request additional categories (up to ten total) by contacting Amazon support—but as of 2024, that option has been removed (boo!). What you select at the time of publishing is what you're working with, so it's more important than ever to choose thoughtfully.
Here are the three I picked for my book:
Kindle Books > Romance > Enemies to Lovers
Kindle Books > Romance > Contemporary
Kindle Books > Romance > Romantic Comedy
These categories felt like the best fit—my book is a fun, modern love story with opposites-attract energy and a fake relationship plotline. It leans romantic, chaotic, and hopeful, with plenty of banter and emotional payoffs.
The more I read about choosing categories and keywords, the more I realized there’s a balance here. If you pick only the most competitive categories—like Contemporary Romance—you might be buried beneath thousands of other titles. Look for smaller, more specific categories that still align with your book’s tone and tropes, giving it a better chance of standing out. But going too niche may also be detrimental if your book shows up in less searches so… it’s a balance.
The Keywords I Used
You get 7 keyword slots, and each one can be a phrase (not just a single word). These help Amazon connect your book to readers actively searching for a particular type of story.
Here are the keywords I used for my book:
Opposites attract romantic comedy
Fake relationship romantic comedy
Light hearted romance novel
Romantic comedy novel
Feel good romantic comedy
Beach reads
Easy reads romance book
These were based on what I imagined my ideal reader might type into the search bar. I leaned into popular romance tropes (opposites attract, fake relationship), tone-driven keywords (feel good, light-hearted), and reader intent phrases like beach reads.
Just like with categories, it’s important to avoid going too broad. A keyword like “romance” alone is too saturated to help your book stand out. Instead, think in terms of combinations: trope + tone + genre.
I’m not sure if I made the right choices (and probably very few authors really know) but let’s see how we go!
How I Picked Them
I used Amazon’s search auto-suggest to find popular reader queries.
I looked at similar books in my genre to reverse-engineer what’s working.
I focused on specific tropes and emotional tone rather than just general genre labels.
I skipped anything redundant (Amazon already knows it’s a book, and it already has the title).
Final Thoughts
Choosing the right categories and keywords isn’t the most glamorous part of publishing—but it’s one of the most powerful. They help your book reach the readers who are already searching for something just like it.
The trick is balance. Go too broad, and you disappear. Go too niche, and you risk not being found at all. But get it right, and suddenly your book is showing up in search results, recommended lists, and “customers also bought” sections.
That’s how readers discover you—sometimes without even realizing they were looking.
So take the time. Do your research. Be specific. And know that these small choices can make a big difference (yup, no pressure).
—Tracy
