Amazon determines a book's bestseller categories using a proprietary algorithm that evaluates multiple pieces of information about your title. While Gatekeeper Press can request up to three categories, Amazon ultimately decides which categories appear based on current placement, relevance, and sales performance. Their system may retain existing categories even when a specific change is requested.
Books often rank in additional categories beyond those selected. Amazon evaluates sales activity across all applicable categories and may assign extra placements where a book is performing well. Rankings are driven primarily by recent sales relative to other books in each category, and placement can fluctuate frequently as sales change.
Rankings are determined entirely by Amazon's algorithm based on real-time sales data, and no publisher — including Gatekeeper Press — can guarantee where a book ranks. Similarly, while GKP can submit category requests on your behalf, Amazon retains full authority over which categories are assigned and maintained. The best way to improve ranking visibility is through sustained sales activity, as Amazon's system responds to market performance rather than publisher requests.
