Self-Publishing On Amazon
Self-Publishing On Amazon
Self-Publish On Amazon
The process of self-publishing your own book can be very simple. Publishing it on the Amazon platform is a breeze and is easier than ever.
It can also be very challenging and complex.
While self-publishing on Amazon is relatively easy it is not all that easy to do it well or to build your customer base.
It requires a lot of work and effort.
My First Self-Publishing Experience
I published my first book both as a Kindle eBook and as a Paperback. The Paperback was published on what was formerly CreateSpace.
Now both Kindle eBook and Paperback versions are published on the Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) platform.
Once I had finalized the manuscript and had it professionally edited, I outsourced the formatting to a professional. I found the outsourcer on Upwork and he was situated in the Czech Republic.
The outsourcer prepared the two files according to the guidelines laid out by KDP and CreateSpace. As I was totally inexperienced at self-publishing online and hopeless at the techie side of things, he helped me by uploading the files to my Amazon account.
I used the KDP Cover Creator to design the book’s cover. Eventually, after the book had been published for some time, I realized this cover was very average and ordinary.
My next step was to outsource the design of another cover. I went to Fiverr and chose an outsourcer from India. He made a new cover for me and he uploaded the cover file to my account and for this, he only charged me a few dollars.
Need for professionalism
While it is relatively easy to list your book both as a Kindle eBook and as a Paperback on Amazon there are certain areas where mistakes can be made and you risk having a badly published book.
This is where professionalism comes into play.
Unless you are expert yourself outsource the services of professionals to help you with
- the cover
- editing
- formatting
It is possible to find professionals to help you with these services and to get the help you need that is affordable.
Do not risk publishing a book that looks amateurish and unprofessional. It can result in bad reviews and little or no sales.
You must produce a professional looking publication.
The process of listing your book for sale on the Amazon platforms is fairly straightforward. You just need to follow the prompts.
The Amazon market place
And it is quick to do. You can have your book published and listed for sale on the Amazon market place within 24 hours.
Just think how you will feel seeing your book published and out there in the market place, listed for sale, and for all the world to see.
It’s certainly exciting! It’s a time for celebration!
And into the bargain when you make that first sale, experience the most incredible feeling of euphoria. It’s sensational! What a high!
No longer do you need to go through painstaking efforts to land a book deal with a mainstream publisher that can lock you into tough deadlines and where you can only generate around 5% or 10% in royalties.
Self-publishing on Amazon means you are in control. You control the content, the interior design, the cover, the price, the marketing, and the distribution. And you can generate up to 70% in royalties.
But it is at this point where the next and challenging part of the self-publishing process starts. To become a successful author and a successful seller you must master the fundamentals of publishing and marketing on Amazon.
Marji Hill
Founder of Fast Self-Publishing Online
Facebook group: Fast Self-Publishing Online