Fast Self-Publishing Online

The Use of Artificial Intelligence on Amazon

In recent months Amazon has been inundated with books that have been created using AI-generated content. As a result of this Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) announced that all account holders must declare the use of artificial intelligence on Amazon. 

New content guidelines

When listing your book for publication on KDP be aware of the new content guidelines.

This is a MASSIVE change to the publishing process. 

When you list your book on KDP there is a section devoted to artificial intelligence. You must declare if you’ve used artificial intelligence to generate your content.

In Amazon’s KDP Forum, they state:

We are actively monitoring the rapid evolution of generative AI and the impact it is having on reading, writing, and publishing, and we remain committed to providing the best possible shopping, reading, and publishing experience for our authors and customers. To that end, beginning today, when you publish a new title or make edits to and re-publish an existing title through KDP, you will be asked whether your content is AI-generated.

AI-generated content

Amazon says that you need to declare if the text, images, or translations have been generated by artificial intelligence (AI). This applies to new books and to existing books that are being republished.

Amazon says it includes AI-generated images for the cover and interior images and artwork. 

AI-assisted content

But with AI-assisted content the situation is different.

If you created the content yourself and used AI-based tools to edit and refine  your manuscript then it is considered “AI-assisted” and not “AI-generated.”

Similarly, if you used an AI-based tool to brainstorm and generate ideas, but ultimately created the text or images yourself, this is also considered “AI-assisted” and not “AI-generated.” It is not necessary to inform Amazon of the use of such tools or processes.

Amazon states that you are responsible for verifying that all AI-generated and/or AI-assisted content adheres to the content guidelines.

KDP Content Guidelines

As always, whether publishers make use of AI technologies or not, all books in the Amazon store must adhere to their KDP Content Guidelines.This includes the requirement that you accurately inform them when content is AI-generated.

Self-publishing expert, Dale Roberts, believes this new directive is probably a PR move by Amazon since so much AI content has been hitting the market and a lot of it is considered “garbage”.

Full disclosure

So Amazon wants full disclosure. For instance, in the drop-down boxes you have to indicate the degree to which you have used AI.

There is currently a vigorous debate going on as to whether this directive is a positive move or a negative one.

But it is creating transparency between the publisher and the marketplace and is getting the author to be truthful.

The bottom line is that AI can be great for providing assistance to authors. It can help with the self-publishing process such as with editing, grammar, and refining the text.

While AI can be leveraged to assist you, it may be prudent to exercise caution if using it to generate content.

To learn more about self-publishing your book register for my free, online, live class. Get your ticket now by clicking the green button below.

Marji Hill

Author and Coach

Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) Business Model

Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) business model allows authors to reach a global audience. 

Authors can publish their books in digital format (Kindle eBooks) and with the KDP print-on-demand technology they can produce paperback and hardcover books. With Amazon, it is also possible to publish audiobooks through services like Audible. 

The KDP interface is straightforward and user-friendly making it easy for authors to format and upload their books to the publishing platform.

9 Benefits

The digital aspect of Amazon publishing is an appealing business model. Here are nine benefits:

• You can work from anywhere in the world and travel at the same time so long as you have an internet connection

• You can earn a passive income

• There is no need to hold inventory

• There is no need to physically ship books to customers

• You do not have to worry about customer service

• The entire business model is online

• Profit margins are high and you can earn up to 70% in royalties

• There are no start-up costs. You publish your book for free and then you earn royalties based on sales
• You control the pricing of your book.  

Print on demand

In addition to publishing digital products KDP provides a print-on-demand service. Copies of books are printed as they are ordered so you don’t need to invest in large print runs and hold inventory.  

Authors can upload their print book files, set the pricing, and make their books available in all the various Amazon marketplaces around the world.

Reviews

When starting out with Amazon sales may be slow but as you get reviews you are likely to get more sales. And more sales can mean more reviews. 

Positive reviews can significantly enhance your book’s credibility and visibility, potentially leading to more sales. 

There are many benefits to publishing on Amazon but while there are many benefits, competition in such a giant marketplace can be fierce.

Authors must develop an effective marketing strategy in addition to just publishing on the platform. 

The Amazon KDP business model is second to none and will appeal to many who desire a lifestyle of freedom in which you can work from home or travel the world.

To learn more about self-publishing your book register for my free, live class. Get your ticket now by clicking the green button below.

Marji Hill

Author and Coach

How To Write A Book In 30 Days

Writing a book within a month’s timeframe is a challenging but achievable goal. Here are some tips on how to write a book in 30 days but it will take strict time management and a lot of discipline.

Research

Do your research before taking on the 30-day challenge. Have your research information at your finger tips.

As you do your research take note of your source material and document this. You will need to acknowledge the sources and then list them in your Bibliography at the end of your manuscript. 

If your book requires further research, set aside a specific time to do this. Avoid getting caught up in excessive research during your actual writing sessions.

Word count

Decide on the total word count for your book. Then work out how many words you need to write each day.

Make a decision on how long your book is going to be. If crafting a book for the first time consider writing a straightforward, short book. It could be just 10,000 words.

If typically a non-fiction book is 60,000 to 80,000 words and you want to write a book in 30 days then make it a short book.

An A4 page can easily fit 200 words so a 10,000-word book is 50 pages.

But if you factor in the size of the font, the physical size of the book – the trim size – adding illustrative matter, and the book’s layout it is possible that a 10,000-word book can be as long as 100 pages.

Set milestones

Decide when you plan to complete your manuscript and make a commitment to have it finished within a 30-day timeframe.

To help you reach that deadline decide the length of your book and then a daily word count. It could be 500 or 1000 words a day.

For a 10,000 word manuscript if you produced 500 words a day your first draft could be completed in 20 days. By increasing your daily word count to 1000 words your first draft would be done in much less time.

Outline

A non-fiction book consists of an introduction, a number of chapters and a conclusion, so create an outline for your book. 

Create chapter headings. Think in terms of 10 chapter headings and allow 1000 words for each chapter. Break the manuscript down into even smaller units with sub-headings under each chapter heading.

Once you have a rough outline, set out the book’s content in the form of bullet points. Estimate the number of words you will need for each bullet point. 

So if you have 5 sub-headings in the form of bullet points each sub-heading could be 200 words. That will give you a 1000-word chapter.

Spend time outlining the content of your book. This will give you a clear structure and a direction to follow during the writing process. 

Writing Schedule 

Establish a daily writing schedule.  Decide the best time of day for you to write and stick to that time.

Consistency is key to completing your book on time so aim to write your quota of words each day. If you write approximately 1000 to 1500 words a day you should complete a first draft within a couple of weeks.

When I’m writing a book I write every morning seven days a week. Each writing session is about 3 hours and I do this each day before breakfast.

It is simply amazing how if you consistently do a quota of writing each day, how you can move forward exponentially. My daily word count goal was approximately 1500 words.

Writing

Once the planning has been done start writing the first draft. This first draft can be very rough.  

Embrace imperfection. Give yourself permission to write badly and trust that you can refine your work later. Refrain from editing your writing; that comes later.

Consider doing timed writing sprints. Set up a timer for a specific amount of time. This could be  25 minutes. Write as much as you can during that time and take short breaks between each sprint to recharge.

Minimise distractions. Put your phone away, and focus solely on your writing during your scheduled writing times. 

Next draft

Once you’ve created that first very rough draft plan some time for editing, revising, and refining your manuscript. You have a couple of weeks to do this.

Writing a book in 30 days is an ambitious endeavour, so be kind to yourself and celebrate your progress along the way. 

The key is to stay focused, motivated and committed to the process.  

By maintaining a strict schedule there is then time each month for the rewriting and reworking of the manuscript.

These steps may seem very mechanical, even mathematical, but as an author who has produced many non-fiction books I find it an excellent method to achieve productivity. It is far less overwhelming to do your planning and then chunk the contents of your manuscript down into small bits.

Will this method work perfectly for you? Maybe, maybe not? 

The important take on this is to have a plan of action that will help you focus and provide you with direction. 

Sure, you may not be perfect and you may deviate at times from the plan. But this gives you a course to follow, and like a sailing boat, the sails can always be adjusted.

To learn more about writing and publishing your book access my free, live class. Get your free ticket by clicking the green button below.

Marji Hill

Author and Coach

Make Money Self-Publishing  

A common question from aspiring authors is how to make money self-publishing.

“Yes” –  you can make money self-publishing. Many authors have found success and have generated income from self-publishing their books.

Self-publishing has several advantages. Authors control the publishing process; royalties are high; and, there is the opportunity to reach a global audience.

Here are 10 ways to make money self-publishing your books:

1. Royalties

When you self-publish a book, you earn royalties from the sale of each book. Platforms like Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) and IngramSpark allow you to set the price of your book and earn a royalty percentage.

2. Multiple formats & different platforms

Publishing your book in multiple formats and on different platforms widens your reach. This gives you the potential to make more sales and more revenue.  Not only are you appealing to different markets you are accessing markets throughout the world. 

3. eBooks

eBooks are a popular because they are easy to distribute, and readers can purchase and download them instantly. Authors can generate income from eBook sales by pricing them competitively and marketing them effectively.

4. Print-on-demand

Self-publishing platforms offer options to create print-on-demand (POD) versions of your book in both paperback and hardback formats. This means that when a reader orders a printed copy, it is printed and shipped on demand. You earn royalties from the sale of each printed book.

5. Audiobooks

Audiobooks have gained popularity in recent years. This is another market authors can tap into.

Platforms like Audiobook Creation Exchange (ACX) and Findaway Voices allow authors to produce and sell audiobooks, earning more royalties based on sales.

Publishing an audiobook gives you an additional income stream. They help you build authority in your space, and they create an entirely new experience around the content you’re sharing with the world.

6. Expanded distribution

In addition to online platforms, there are expanded distribution options. Think about making your book available in bookstores, schools, libraries, and other retail channels.

With IngramSpark and its distribution base of over 40,000 outlets, you can get your books into bookstores, schools and libraries. This broadens your reach and increases your earning potential.

7. PLR and ELR

Once you get your books into schools and libraries you can be eligible to receive income from the government’s Public Lending Right (PLR) and Education Lending Right(ELR).

In addition, for registered users, the Copyright Agency collects and distributes copyright fees for the copying and sharing of text and images.

8. Build a list of raving fans

Self-publishing provides an opportunity to connect directly with your readers. Build a loyal fan base.

By engaging with your audience through social media, email newsletters, email broadcasts, and author blogs, you can cultivate a following that supports your work and leads to increased book sales.

9. Market research

The self-publishing adventure really starts when you first decide to write a book. Before you even put pen to paper an author needs to do their market research. You need to discover whether or not you are writing in a profitable niche.

If you write a book and it has no market this could result in zero sales. You don’t want to become a very disappointed author, do you?

If you want to earn an income do your market research and write in a profitable niche.

10. Become an Author Entrepreneur

Once you have published your book and become an authority or established your author platform there are more ways then for growing your income.

The backend of self-publishing is to leverage multiple sources of income by scaling up your book business. Become an Author Entrepreneur.

There are multiple ways for growing your income:

• affiliate sales,
• eCommerce
• freelance writing,
• speaking engagements,
• creating and selling online courses,
• content writing for businesses,
• organising writing retreats,
• editing,
• having your book adapted into a film or TV show,
• merchandising, and
• much more.

It’s important to note that while self-publishing offers great potential for income, success is not guaranteed.

Building an audience, marketing your book effectively, and producing high-quality content are crucial factors for achieving financial success as a self-published author.

The Self-Publishing Genius

Have you thought about becoming a self-published author?

The Self-Publishing Genius, my online program of 8 modules containing more than 70 video lessons is for aspiring authors who want to manage the entire publishing process themselves, who want to dive deep into self-publishing, and who want to generate multiple streams of income.

The program is designed for those who want their hand held with personal step-by-step guidance to help them navigate their way through the cyberspace maze of book publishing.

Find out more by getting your FREE ticket to my live masterclass.  Press the green button below.

Marji Hill

Author and Coach

Join Facebook Group: Fast Self-Publishing Online

No More Book Set Up Fees

IngramSpark recently made a major announcement – No more book set-up fees.

As of 1 May 2023, IngramSpark offers its customers free title setup. In addition, there are free revisions of your book for up to 60 days. This is very exciting news!

Given that IngramSpark no longer charges book set-up fees you, the author, can upload and self-publish your book for FREE.

The past

Up until May this year, IngramSpark charged a $49 fee. This was always a barrier at its point of entry.

Sometimes a self-publisher could get a promo code that waived the fee. Still, to get this you needed to be a member of the Australian Society of Authors (ASA) or a member of the Alliance of Independent Authors or else you could access the promo code in some other way.

Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) on the other hand never charged a fee so KDP was a more attractive option for self-publishing.

Game changer 

The IngramSpark announcement is a game-changer and is exciting news for self-publishers!

In addition to removing the upload fee Ingram has also removed the $25 fee to revise your book. If you’ve made a mistake – No problem. You can revise your book for free so long as you do this within 60 days of the book’s first production date.

Backend fee

However, there will be a fee at the backend. While most authors will enable their books for distribution to the 40,000 outlets – bookstores, retailers, libraries, and schools that Ingram Content Group supply there will now be charged a global distribution market access fee equivalent to 1% of the local list price when sold.  This will take effect from July 1, 2023.

At the same time, IngramSpark will also introduce the Ultra-premium colour option, which will help those publishing coffee table books get awesome vibrancy.

These new developments with IngramSpark are game changers and will certainly challenge the ever-popular Amazon platform.

What is IngramSpark? 

IngramSpark is a self-publishing platform that allows authors and independent publishers to create and distribute print-on-demand (POD) books and ebooks to bookstores, libraries, and online retailers worldwide. It is a subsidiary of the Ingram Content Group, a leading book distributor and printing company.

With IngramSpark, authors can upload their book manuscript and cover design, set the pricing, and enable distribution throughout the world.

IngramSpark offers a variety of book formats, including hardcover, paperback, and ebook, and supports a wide range of trim sizes, paper types, and binding options. Authors can also order print copies of their books at a discounted rate.

Distribution

IngramSpark distributes books to a network of over 40,000 bookstores, libraries, and online retailers, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and independent bookstores. It also offers global distribution to over 200 countries and territories.

IngramSpark provides authors with tools to manage their book sales and distribution, including sales reporting and marketing resources. It also offers editorial, design, and formatting services for an additional fee.

Overall, IngramSpark is a popular self-publishing platform that offers authors an easy and affordable way to publish and distribute their books globally.

How to use IngramSpark

How to publish your book with IngramSpark is the topic of one of the modules in The Self-Publishing Genius. Find out more by registering for this FREE online, live masterclass by hitting the green button below.

Marji Hill

Author and Coach

Join Facebook Group: Fast Self-Publishing Online