When authors prepare to launch a new book, they often focus on the elements they can directly control: the writing, the editing, the cover, the subtitle, the blurb, the keywords. These are important, of course — foundational, even. But there is one factor that determines the fate of a book on Amazon long before the first sale comes in:

social proof.

Social proof is more than reviews.
It is the collective signal that tells strangers, “Others have already walked this path. You’re safe to follow.”