Launched My A5 Notebook – Only 2 Sales in 3 Week – Is This Normal?
Hi everyone,
I launched my A5 notebook on Amazon three weeks ago, but so far I’ve only had 2 sales. I’m trying to figure out if this is normal for a new product in a competitive category or if I might be missing something important.
Here are a few details:
It’s a lined A5 notebook with a unique cover design.
I’m currently using FBA.
ASIN: B0DZXMQLBG
I’ve optimized the title, bullet points, and description with keywords.
I run some Amazon ads.
Is this kind of slow start typical for new stationery products?
Also, what are the best strategies to boost early sales and visibility (e.g., PPC, pricing, promotions)?
Any feedback or suggestions from your experience would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance!
SeaBell AAA
Launched My A5 Notebook – Only 2 Sales in 3 Week – Is This Normal?
Hi everyone,
I launched my A5 notebook on Amazon three weeks ago, but so far I’ve only had 2 sales. I’m trying to figure out if this is normal for a new product in a competitive category or if I might be missing something important.
Here are a few details:
It’s a lined A5 notebook with a unique cover design.
I’m currently using FBA.
ASIN: B0DZXMQLBG
I’ve optimized the title, bullet points, and description with keywords.
I run some Amazon ads.
Is this kind of slow start typical for new stationery products?
Also, what are the best strategies to boost early sales and visibility (e.g., PPC, pricing, promotions)?
Any feedback or suggestions from your experience would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance!
SeaBell AAA
6 replies
Seller_QuM1AZgzfU9x4
You could look at Vine to get some reviews and a bit of early traction. Definitely ensure you are aware of Amazon's policy on getting family to leave reviews.
I did a basic search for "a5 notebook" and you don't appear at all when searching in "all", and only on page 18 searching within stationery.
Seller_i6S8knzW6zU6Z
Hi @Seller_fwn85fQuKEzXn,
When I first saw your notebook, I have to admit I wasn’t familiar with the art of Kintsugi. So I took a little time to read about it - and the philosophy of finding beauty in imperfection by highlighting it (rather than hiding it) really resonated with me on a personal level.
While reading about Kintsugi, I found myself trying to picture the type of person who might reach for your notebook. The more I reflected, the more clearly I saw you’re not just selling a product for planners or perfectionists. You’re offering something for anyone willing to meet themselves on the page - people processing, dreaming, planning carefully, or just wandering their way through life.
That realization shaped how I see your product. I hope you don’t mind if I share what came up for me in words:
There’s a quiet kind of courage in embracing the uneven path. Not trying to erase it. Not hiding it. But seeing it clearly - and finding beauty there.
This journal understands that sentiment - not just as decoration, but as philosophy. Because writing is often where we meet ourselves most honestly. Where we trace the cracks, the questions, the guesses, the plans, the hopes, and the letdowns. Where we make sense (or simply try to) of what doesn’t always make sense.
The cover feels substantial in your hands. The golden imperfections catch the light. The pages hold space for whatever needs to be written - be it a neat plan, a tangled thought, a half-formed idea, or a memory still finding its meaning.
But the real offering isn’t in its materials. It’s in the permission it quietly extends: To start without knowing the end. To plan with purpose, or just wander for a while. To cross out and begin again. To let the messy draft become part of the story. To make both clarity and confusion welcome on the page.
"Imperfection is beautiful" isn’t just a phrase on the cover. It’s an invitation: To write the unpolished truth. To reflect or to move forward. To plan with flexibility. To live with a bit more grace for yourself, and for others.
Like Kintsugi (the Japanese art of repairing what’s broken with gold) this journal honors the places where life hasn’t gone to plan. Not by hiding them, but by illuminating them with the care of your own attention.
Whether it sits on your desk at work, travels in your bag, or rests on your nightstand - whether it holds a wandering mind or a well-focused list - this isn’t just a notebook. It’s a gentle daily reminder: The story worth writing doesn’t have to be perfect. But it will always be real. And always yours.
If that perspective resonates with how you imagine your product, here are some thoughts for bringing that story across even more clearly to Amazon shoppers:
First, a practical tip: a big opportunity is to make your description more inviting and easier to read. Right now, it’s all in one block. Break it into shorter paragraphs. You can highlight individual words or important phrases by making them bold. Just this step will help your story be heard. Feel free to use some of the language above if it feels true, to make clear exactly the experience and philosophy your notebook offers.
While I found your Kintsugi theme powerful, I also appreciated that your message wasn’t just targeted at those who might feel something in them is "broken." I encourage you to keep doing that - write in a way that lets planners and wanderers alike, people with clear goals and those still searching, feel equally welcome.
Regarding product features: Some customers might not realize that "PU leather" is synthetic. I saw the feature list (above the bullet points) and technical details table currently say "Leather" as your cover material. To build trust and avoid misunderstandings or returns, I strongly recommend adding "PU" or "synthetic" clearly alongside "Leather." When you edit your Amazon listing, the platform may require certain predefined values - something to keep an eye on.
With regard to your title: you mentioned doing keyword optimization, which traditionally focuses primarily on search volume. But remember, we’re not just optimizing for an algorithm - we’re writing for real people. While exploring your listing, I noticed your notebook includes an elastic band closure and a ribbon bookmark. Including these highly practical features right in your title could speak directly to your ideal customers. These are small but important features that many notebook-lovers specifically look for. Amazon Brand Experiments now make it easy to run A/B tests to measure exactly how your text affects conversion rate. A higher conversion rate reduces your ACoS, giving you more flexibility to increase bids, traffic, and sales.
Paper color is another significant detail: If your pages are cream or off-white, I strongly suggest mentioning this clearly. It’s not just an incidental detail; many notebook users care deeply about the gentle, warmer feel and reduced glare cream paper offers, especially when writing for extended periods.
And a quick note on "100 GSM paper": Not everyone knows what that feels like just from the number. It’s worth describing the texture and experience more vividly. For example, you might say something like: "Thick, silky-smooth pages that feel substantial and comfortable under your fingertips." This helps people imagine using the notebook even before they buy it.
Finally, I want to reassure you that a slow start is entirely normal for a new Amazon listing - especially in a highly competitive category like notebooks. Success will typically build over time as your notebook finds the exact customers who resonate with its story, honesty, and thoughtful features.
Wishing you every success - and plenty of customers who value your notebook’s meaning as deeply as the product itself.
Best regards,
Michael
Seller_d8YGbIjNqwFxn
Spot on with this, new products can be slow to start with
As you sell more your sales rank increases so you get more visibility. You get reviews which will help to sell your product to customers who maybe unsure.
It can take a matter of a few days, weeks or even months to build up a product. Sometimes offering the product at a lower price can help speed the process up and you can then raise the price to where you want it to be.
Unfortunately sometimes even with the best efforts some products never sell well. Always look at other marketplaces it may sell as one product that flops on Amazon can be an absolute success somewhere else.