When your marketer builds a campaign, one of the first things they ask for is your buy link, and the link authors send is often the wrong one. The most common mistake is sending your Amazon author page or a search result when what a campaign needs is the book’s own product page. This guide covers how to share your book’s buy links so every post, email, and graphic sends readers to the exact page where they can buy the book you are promoting.
Author page and book page are not the same link
Your author page lists all your books and lets readers follow you. Your book page is the product page for one specific title and edition, and it is where a reader actually buys. For a launch or a promotion of one book, you want the book page. Sending the author page makes a reader hunt for the right title, and every extra click loses buyers. Send the author page only when the goal is genuinely to grow your follower count across your whole catalog.
Get the link that points to the right edition
On the retailer, open the exact product page for the edition you are promoting, then copy the URL from the address bar. Two things to check before you hand it over. First, confirm it is your book and your edition, not a “customers also bought” title that was on screen. Second, confirm the format matches the campaign: an ebook launch should link to the ebook, not the paperback, unless you mean to send both. A pre-order links to the pre-order page, which becomes the live page automatically on release day.
Strip tracking tags you did not add
Retailer URLs often carry a long tail of tracking parameters, and sometimes someone else’s affiliate tag. Trim the link back to the clean product URL. If you use your own affiliate or tracking link on purpose, that is fine, but know which tags are yours. Handing your marketer a link with a stranger’s affiliate tag sends your commission to someone else.
For wide releases, use one universal link
If your book is on more than one store, a single Amazon link serves only Amazon readers. Still deciding whether to go wide? See KU or wide: what the decision actually depends on. A universal book link solves this: it gives readers one URL and lets them choose their own store. Books2Read, from Draft2Digital, is the standard free tool for this, and it routes readers to the right regional store automatically. One universal link in your bio, newsletter, and graphics covers every retailer at once and saves you maintaining a list of separate links.
What to Watch Out For
Regional domains. An amazon.com link works, but a reader in the UK may land on a page that will not let them buy. A universal link handles the geography for you. If you share a direct Amazon link, know that it points to one region.
The link before the book is live. During pre-order, link to the pre-order page. If there is no page yet, tell your marketer the on-sale date rather than sending a placeholder, so nothing goes out pointing at a dead URL.
Giving one link for a series. If a campaign covers a series, each book needs its own product-page link. One link cannot stand in for the set.
What comes next
Clean buy links matter most when a new book is going live, which is also when your KDP metadata is set. See How to Set Up KDP for a New Book for the keywords, categories, and series fields. If your cover has changed, How to Update Your Book Cover on Goodreads covers keeping your catalog current. The Author Onboarding Bootcamp lists everything your marketer needs from you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I send my Amazon author page or my book page?
Your book page, for any campaign promoting a specific title. The author page is for growing followers across your whole catalog, which is a different goal. When in doubt, send the product page for the exact book being promoted.
What is a universal book link?
A single URL that lets a reader choose their own store, rather than sending everyone to one retailer. Books2Read, from Draft2Digital, is the free standard. It also routes readers to their local regional store automatically.
Do I need a universal link if I am only on Amazon?
No. If your book is exclusive to Amazon, a clean Amazon product-page link is all you need. A universal link earns its place once you are selling on more than one store.
How do I share buy links for a pre-order?
Link to the pre-order page. On release day, that same page becomes the live sales page automatically, so the link you shared keeps working without any change.