How to Sell Your Board Game on Amazon

Here is how to sell games on Amazon, step by step. Amazon is the largest marketplace in the world for board games and card games, so most self-publishers sell there alongside their own website and shops. To succeed you need to know its fees, get your games into its warehouses correctly, and make your listing rank in Amazon's search.

We all like buying games at our local game shop, but Amazon's place in board game retail is undeniable. Its size makes it the biggest single market for games. Amazon is built to make selling easy, but it is a big platform that can feel intimidating at first. Below we cover the basics of selling board games on Amazon, from fees to search. Selling games on Amazon is very different from selling them at a convention, so it pays to learn the platform first.

Reasons to Sell Your Game on Amazon

• Large audience. Millions of potential buyers worldwide, which increases your reach and sales.
• Consumer trust. Amazon's reputation for reliable delivery and service makes buyers more likely to buy from you there than on your own website.
• Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA). Amazon stores, packs and ships your game and handles customer service, so you can focus on the rest of your business.
• Marketing tools. Ads such as Sponsored Products and Amazon Stores increase your visibility.
• Analytics. Detailed sales data helps you improve your listing and marketing.
• Global reach. Amazon runs in many countries, so a successful listing can be copied to other markets.
• Reviews. Its review system helps you rank higher and builds your game's reputation.

Amazon Fees for Selling Games

Here are the main fees when you sell games on Amazon:

Amazon ads are expensive, and it is often cheaper to drive buyers from social media to your listing. Amazon's Seller Central has a fee calculator, and its Seller University teaches how the platform works. You register for a seller account in Seller Central.

Getting Your Games into Amazon's Warehouses

With FBA, your games go from the factory into Amazon's warehouses, and Amazon ships each order. Getting this right saves fees and delays:

1. Label every game. Create the FBA product labels in your Amazon account and send them to your manufacturer, who puts them on each game before it ships.
2. Label every carton. When you create a shipment in Amazon, it gives you a PDF of carton labels. We print them and stick them on the cartons in our factory; they replace the usual barcodes for Amazon's warehouses.
3. Ship with duty paid. We ship DDP (delivered duty paid) into the US, the UK, the EU, Canada and Australia, so customs, duty and VAT are handled before the games reach Amazon.

Our guide on how to ship board games from China explains the journey, and toy warning labels covers what must be printed on the box.

Selling in Amazon's Toys & Games Category

Board games are listed under Toys & Games. Getting access is usually simple, but Amazon restricts the category during the holiday season (roughly October to January) to sellers who meet its performance and sales-history requirements. Check the current rules in Seller Central well before Q4. Jungle Scout has a guide to selling toys on Amazon.

Amazon SEO Tips for Board Game Creators

Most Amazon sales come through its search engine, one of the largest in the world. Unlike Google, every search on Amazon is commercial: people are ready to buy. So making your listing show up for the right game keywords is very valuable.

Amazon's search algorithm (A9) uses more than the words on your page. It looks at:

• Your product title, description and backend search terms (explained below)
• Your product's sales history, conversion rate and review ratings
• Your stock level compared with your sales

Scoring well on each of these makes your game more visible, which brings more sales and strengthens its reputation. Here is how to climb the rankings:

Include Primary Keywords in Your Title

Don't just use your game's name. Add a few words that describe it, such as "area control game" or "social deduction game". Many people search for a type of game, such as "worker placement game", and appearing in the top 10 to 20 results for it works wonders. A free Amazon keyword tool from SellerApp shows what people search for. Then use the rest of the title for the game's name and what makes it fun.

Tell a Story with Your Description

Write a description that tells the story of your game: the gameplay, the goal and what makes it unique. Think like your target audience and use the words they use. Is it perfect for parties? Say so. Great for a flight or a dorm room? Tell them.

Use Your Backend Search Terms

Amazon lets you add hidden keywords in the backend search terms. Use this space for synonyms, related terms and longer phrases that did not fit in your title or description.

Choose High-Quality Images

Clear, high-resolution images of the box, the components and people playing make a big difference to whether shoppers buy.

Prioritise Reviews and Feedback

Positive reviews raise your visibility and credibility, because Amazon's algorithm treats them as a sign of happy customers and a good product. Follow up after purchases to ask for honest reviews, answer feedback quickly and thank customers for positive comments.

Encourage Reviews Within Amazon's Rules

Amazon has strict rules on asking for reviews:

• Do not offer incentives. No compensation, discounts or free products in exchange for reviews.
• Do not manipulate reviews. You cannot ask only for positive reviews or discourage negative ones.
• Use approved tools. Use the "Request a Review" button in Seller Central, or follow-up emails that meet Amazon's communication guidelines.
• Stay neutral. Simply ask for honest feedback, without pressure.

Safety Certificates for Selling on Amazon

Amazon asks for safety certificates for games, especially those for children. In the US that means testing to ASTM F963 and a Children's Product Certificate (CPC); in Europe, EN71 and the CE mark. Games with markers, powders or other items that may be hazardous in transport can also need a safety data sheet (MSDS). Our guides explain each one:

• Amazon toy safety and Direct Validation
• The CPSC certificate (CPC) for the US
• The CE mark for Europe

Protecting Your Brand on Amazon

Popular games are often copied, and counterfeits are usually sold online at a fraction of the price, especially on marketplaces outside the United States. Once your game sells well, protect it:

1. Register your trademarks: your game's name, logo and any unique branding. This gives you the legal right to act against copies.
2. Join Amazon Brand Registry. Amazon's brand protection program gives you tools to report copies, A+ Content for your listing and proactive protection.
3. Use Amazon's own IP lawyers. Amazon's IP Accelerator connects you with trusted intellectual property law firms at set rates. We recommend this route for protecting your game on Amazon.
4. Protect the design at the source. We can also file a Chinese design patent for your game, which helps stop copies being made in China. See our guide to design patents.

Next Step

Amazon is one channel of several. Read how to publish a board game to see how it fits with crowdfunding, your own website and distributors.