You have just finished writing your first book and you can't wait to make it known to the world: what is the next step to take? The self-publishing services offered by websites such as Amazon have made it easier than ever for aspiring authors to spread their works to the general public. Once you've finished the finishing touches on your manuscript, you can consider Amazon's publishing options to find the best format for you, fill in the most important details, set a price, and do the other things that get your book out there. right away and that will help you get off to a good start in your writing career.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Writing the Book and Editing the Format
Step 1. Finish the book
Before publishing your work with Amazon's instant publishing service, you need to make sure you have finished it to the best of your ability. Check for spelling errors, syntax errors, and unnecessary or difficult to follow steps. Remove as much material as possible, in order to make what remains truly flawless.
- Good editing is essential for publishing a good book. The easier your work is to read, the better it will be received by the public.
- Amazon imposes very strict standards on content quality, so if your book is full of errors, it may be rejected.
- Consider asking another person, such as a trusted friend or professional editor, to review your book before submitting it.
Step 2. Create a Kindle Direct Publishing Account
Visit the Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) website and click on the option to create a new profile. You will be able to enter your personal information, including your name (or the name of your independent publisher), address, postcode, email and telephone number. Amazon will use the contact information you have provided to send you important notifications during the posting process.
- KDP will also ask you for some simple tax information, including social security number and legal status, in order to properly pay your taxes and royalties when you start selling.
- If you already have an Amazon account, you can use your login credentials to create a separate KDP profile.
Step 3. Choose the publication format you prefer
With KDP you have the possibility to choose between the traditional printing on paper of your book and the distribution in digital format for e-readers. Consider what is the best solution for presenting your work. For example, if your book is a thriller for young adults, it might appeal more to traditional volume collectors, while a motivational manuscript is more accessible for people who read on mobile devices.
- The amount of royalties you will receive varies based on the format you choose. Authors receive 70% of the price for each digital copy and up to 80% for physical copies.
- Amazon appropriates a small percentage of each sale to recoup the printing costs of the print editions.
Step 4. Take care of the format of your book
If you have written your work on a standard word processor, such as Microsoft Word, you will need to change the format for it to be displayed correctly on paper or on e-readers. Fortunately, Amazon facilitates this by providing authors with some useful guides that explain how to prepare the text for printing without too much effort. Follow the steps outlined in the tutorial on the KDP website to make your book presentable.
- If you are publishing a print edition, you also have the option of using many preset templates.
- Using a format such as PDF or MOBI allows you to preserve the layout of your original composition at the time of upload, along with any illustrations or other text elements you have included.
Part 2 of 3: Creating a Page for Your Book
Step 1. Go to the Library of your KDP account
From this page you can upload your works, create and edit individual book pages and check your statistics. Once the Library is open, find and select one of the items "+ Kindle eBook" or "+ Paper", depending on the format you have chosen.
Step 2. Enter the book details
At this point you will see a series of forms in which you will have to provide the most important information about yourself and your work. You must enter your name, the title of the book, a short description, the appropriate age range for reading and more.
- In this phase you can choose some keywords and categories that identify your book, in order to better promote it to the audience you intend to reach.
- For example, you could indicate that your book falls specifically into the children's fantasy category, or use keywords like "cooking", "blog" or "travel" to make the book appear in the search results for those words.
- Spend some time on each field; To increase the chances of your book getting noticed, you need to make sure its page is complete.
Step 3. Choose or create the book cover
If you already have an image you want to use as a cover, you can upload it (make sure it's the right size and not protected by copyright). Otherwise, the site's built-in drawing functionality will guide you and help you create your own. The cover should immediately grab the reader's attention and offer a visual summary of the book's content or main theme.
- Amazon recommends that images uploaded as cover art have a height / width ratio of 1 to 6.
- Consider hiring someone to design an original cover for your book. A professional-looking cover makes your book more attractive to potential buyers.
Step 4. Upload your book
Click "Browse" to find the file on your computer, then start the operation. This can take several minutes, especially if your manuscript is quite large. You will still have the option to make changes to the book page after uploading it; it will not be published until you approve.
- KDP accepts most digital formats, including DOC, PDF, HTML and MOBI.
- Don't forget to convert the file to Kindle format before publishing an eBook.
Part 3 of 3: Propose the Book for Publication
Step 1. Preview the cover and page layout
Use the preview function to see what the finished product will look like. Again, pay close attention to obvious spelling or formatting errors. This is one of the last opportunities to make major changes before the book goes to print.
Remember that eBooks are displayed differently based on the reader's screen. It may be worthwhile to preview the book on multiple devices, so you can get an idea of what it will look like on all platforms
Step 2. Set a price for your book
Choose an honest one, considering the format of the book and the market value of the subject matter. For example, a paper textbook on theoretical physics should be priced higher than a short eBook designed for children. You may find it helpful to look for similar books for reference before deciding on a price.
- You have two royalty options: 70% and 35%. In most cases, the higher percentage allows you to earn more per sale. However, if you decide to receive only 35% you do not have to pay anything for the delivery of physical copies and it may be your only option if you live in a smaller market or if you choose a price below 3 € to encourage sales.
- Amazon deducts a small percentage of each sale as a "distribution fee" even for eBooks when it publishes your books online.
Step 3. Publish your book
Once you are satisfied with the information page, click "Publish Your Kindle eBook" or "Publish Your Print Book". Uploaded files will be sent to the KDP or CreateSpace content team, who will prepare them for publication. You will be notified when your book has been received and when it is published on the site.
- It can take up to 72 hours for your book to be available for purchase on Amazon.
- You can continue to update the book page even after it is officially published.
Step 4. Check sales, reviews and other statistics from your KDP account
Log into your user profile regularly to see how your book has been received. Amazon offers daily reports to authors who publish their works through the KDP service. This allows you to observe how often your book is bought and loaned out in real time, making you an active participant in the business side of the publication.
- Create an Amazon author page where readers can find out more about you and the books available.
- Royalty payments are usually sent every 60 days. This means that if your book is successful, you will receive a steady income.
Advice
- Publishing a book has never been easier, but you should still put in the effort and produce quality work that you are proud of. Writing well will help you develop a loyal reader base.
- A catchy and intriguing title strikes the reader's mind, enticing them to discover more.
- Choose the keywords and categories for your book carefully. They are essential tools to make sure that the volume appears in the search results.
- Books on unique and niche topics have a tendency to sell more in the self-publishing market.
- If you want your book to reach more people, you can sign up for KDP Select. In exchange for granting your book exclusive rights to Amazon for 90 days, the platform will use more resources to promote it on and off the site.
Warnings
- Don't be afraid to ask questions or complain if something goes wrong in the course of posting. Amazon will also make money from your book, so they are willing to help you make the process go smoothly.
- When you choose to self-publish your book on the internet, it won't be sold in stores.
