#20 in Biographies of the Cold War

During the week of April 13, Operation Crossroads, Lest We Forget! was #20 on the Bestseller List for Biographies of the Cold War. Of course, I had to take a screenshot.
Acting on a tip from Thad McIlroy in his workshop, “AI for Book Marketing: A Practical, Hands-On Deep Dive”, (February 21, 2026), I spent some time working on the Amazon categories for Operation Crossroads, Lest We Forget! An Eyewitness Account. The memoir-mixed-with-history is set in 1946 at the first postwar tests of the atomic bomb at Bikini.
My goal was to find an Amazon category where the book would stand out, rather than getting lost in the broad categories, such as Naval History.
In the book’s front matter, there’s a “1946 At-a-Glance”. In March, Winston Churchill delivered his “Iron Curtain” speech at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, declaring that an iron curtain had descended across Europe. The speech was seen as the formal beginning of the Cold War.
I looked for Amazon categories, such as “Iron Curtain” and “Cold War” and found Biographies of the Cold War. I deleted a broad category and added the Cold War category.
During the week of April 12, Operation Crossroads, Lest We Forget! hit #20 on Amazon’s Bestseller List for Biographies of the Cold War! Of course, I had to take a screenshot.
Take a look at Steve Rustad’s dramatic book trailer…

One of my favorite things about BAIPA is its culture of generosity, the willingness — even eagerness — to share what we have each learned in the process of bringing stories to life. We provide educational programs, networking, marketing opportunities, encouragement, and information on industry vendors and services. And lots of one-on-one advice and mentoring.
We welcome all who have an interest in making connections within the world of independent publishing and learning more about how to publish and sell their work successfully. Together we are raising the standard of independent publishing and helping our members thrive.
Do join us!
—Becky Parker Geist, BAIPA Board of Directors, President
Quick Resources
Current BAIPA members do not need to register for our monthly meetings. The night before the meetings, they will receive the Zoom info. For workshop registration, currently, members get in free for all workshops and will receive the Zoom info the night before the meetings, as well as in the confirmation email.

