Keywords are prohibited in the book description - how zero-tolerant is Amazon?

[Tom Wood]

According to this help page:

https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201097560

Description
...

We prohibit including any of the items below in your description:

Pornographic, obscene, or offensive content
Phone numbers, physical mail addresses, email addresses, or website URLs
Availability, price, alternative ordering information (such as links to other websites for placing orders)
Time-sensitive information (e.g., dates of promotional tours, seminars, lectures, etc.)
Any keywords or tags

My emphasis

I want to use 'virtual reality' and 'game' as keywords in my Category keyword entries. They will also show up as a natural part of the text in the description. Is Amazon really that rigorous with prohibiting words that show up in both places?

[Simon Haynes]

If you look at many of the listings on Google Books, you'll see people have a line of keywords/tags after the description. E.g.

keywords: funny scifi, scifi series, etc, etc.

It's blatant there, and allowed by the TOS as long as you don't go overboard.  At KDP, it's forbidden.

I would suggest that's what they're trying to stamp out. Not the natural use of keywords within the description itself.

[AmHere]

I've had no problems using keywords as a natural part of the text in the description on Amazon.

I've also seen descriptions with a line of keywords on Amazon.

[Post-Crisis D]

As others suggested, I think what they're prohibiting is listing keywords in the description.

It would lead to some rather strange descriptions if you couldn't use keywords naturally in the text.  For example, if you have "vampires" as a keyword, how woud you describe your book to people that want to read about vampires without mentioning the keyword in the description?

"When John wakes up to find he's been turned into an undead, bloodsucking creature of the night, he must quickly adapt to his new nocturnal life while avoiding his newfound stalker, a legendary hunter of undead, bloodsucking creatures of the night."

And then readers would be like, ugh, why can't this author just call them vampires?  I bet the writing stinks . . .  Next!

[Tom Wood]

Yeah, the vampire example is a good one. But when they use such an absolute exclusion like any keywords or tags, it makes you think they really mean it!

As a follow on - I've read that Amazon is not too keen on the inclusion of the names of other authors and their book titles in your own books' descriptions. Yet, that isn't mentioned in the rules. Has anyone used the names of other authors and their book titles in your own books' descriptions? Any troubles with that?

[notthatamanda]

As a follow on - I've read that Amazon is not too keen on the inclusion of the names of other authors and their book titles in your own books' descriptions. Yet, that isn't mentioned in the rules. Has anyone used the names of other authors and their book titles in your own books' descriptions? Any troubles with that?

I thought that was against the TOS.  I just tried looking for it, but of course I can't find the exact place it says it now.  If you see books on Amazon, where they are referencing authors and titles, I think that is allowed in the editorial review section, if someone else mentions it.  Also a big no no to use another author's name as a keyword.  Hopefully some other people will chime in, whether I'm right or wrong, but I suggest you proceed with caution.

[JRTomlin]

All of my novels have keywords in the subtitle. "Historical" and "Scotland" are in every single one. They are not in the title itself which may or may not make a difference. However, they are actual subtitles and not just a list of keywords.

[Lysmata Debelius]

 The prohibition against author names etc in keywords is not in the TOS it's in one of the many content guidelines. I think! I'll see if I can find the link.

[Tom Wood]

I know we can't use author names and book titles in the seven Category keyword entries. I was curious about using them in the book blurb, AKA Amazon book Description.

This is a -really- good Facebook Group that is entirely focused on Amazon AA/AMS keywords:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/393917614473395/

(Answer the challenge questions to join with answers that are the best response, explaining your situation and how you and the Group are a good fit.)


Anyway...

I asked this question to that group - about including authors and titles in the book Description and got this as one answer:

You can't use it in your keywords on KDP. I see tons of people doing it in their blurbs (though it's a tactic I personally hate), including traditional publishers, so I'm gonna guess it's not a problem.

[Lysmata Debelius]

The prohibition against author names etc in keywords is not in the TOS it's in one of the many content guidelines. I think! I'll see if I can find the link.

Shouldn't post when I'm half asleep - Tom posted the link to the relevant guideline  in the OP.  There are lots of things that people say are in the TOS that are actually scattered around in the various guidelines. It can be confusing.

[Tom Wood]

...
Shouldn't post when I'm half asleep ...

It's okay!

[notthatamanda]

Tom posted the link to the relevant guideline  in the OP.

Well there it is.  Duh and sorry.

[She-la-te-da]

What they don't want is the listing of keywords under the description. It's how it's done at Google since I believe they don't have a section to upload keywords. People just copy and paste the Google stuff into KDP with the blurb. It's wrong, and I think it looks dumb, but whatever. People used to do this with tags, too. And I still see some with "Scroll up and get your copy today!". I guess buyers need to be told to buy the book, or they might forget to do it. Eh.

About listing author/title in the blurb, I see people do it like "If you're a fan of XXX and YYY, you'll love ZZZ!".