To self-publish your own book is a big dream for a lot of writers and it is easier than you might think. We took a look at how you can do it.
So many people dream of publishing a book. However, writing the book isn’t even the most challenging part.
Getting your book to a publisher is so tricky that even J. K. Rowling, Stephen King, and Dr. Seuss faced dozens of rejections.
This proves that even great books by fantastic authors can get overlooked by literary agents and publishers alike.
Today it is possible to take things into your own hands. Self-publishing is an affordable way to get your book out there.
Despite popular belief, a self-published book can become a bestseller. The Martian by Andy Weir and Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James are just two examples.
How to Self-Publish a Book on Amazon
Many platforms help you self-publish books. However, Amazon is one of the more popular ones because of its history as a bookstore and its popular e-reader, the Kindle.
But even if you are self-publishing on Amazon, you have a few options.
Kindle Direct Publishing
Known as KDP, Kindle Direct Publishing lets authors sell digital versions of their books on Amazon.
It is free to upload your book file, and the author will receive between 35% and 70% of the sale price depending on the KDP service.
Since Kindle formats its books as mobi files, you will need to convert your text. You can do this using free services such as eBook Online Convert.
To make sure the formatting is perfect, consider paying for a conversion. The cost can vary greatly, however for a cheaper conversion, consider finding someone on Fiverr.
It is an excellent resource if you need help illustrating a book cover or even getting your work edited.
The great thing about KDP is that digital exclusivity isn’t required. Non-exclusivity means that you can sell the same book on other platforms such as iTunes or The Nook Book Store.
KDP Select
Another option for publishing on Amazon is by using KDP Select. Select is different from regular KDP because it lets you tap into Amazon’s marketing.
However, you do need to give them exclusive rights to your digital book for 90 days.
KDP Select gets you higher royalties, up to 70%, and the book becomes part of the lending library for Prime Members.
It also lets you offer a special promotion or free giveaway of your book for up to five days as part of your campaign.
Giveaways can help get people interested in your book and get you some much-needed reviews.
Many people believe that giving your book away for free can help in the long run, even if you only do it briefly.
CreateSpace
Self-published books don’t have to be exclusively digital. Although people are reading digitally more than ever before, nothing beats a physical book’s feeling or smell.
CreateSpace is Amazon’s print-on-demand service that lets you sell a paperback copy of your book.
The best thing about it is that you don’t have to pay anything in advance. A 150-page book will cost about $2.50 to print, so you need to keep this in mind when pricing. After the cost of the printing, you will get to keep the rest.
You can design your cover or have CreateSpace create one for an extra fee.
Once you have everything set up, you can download or order a proof copy to see how it looks and if any changes are necessary.
It is possible to link your Kindle version so that buyers can pick the format they prefer.
The benefits of print on demand is that it is a risk-free way to offer a printed version of your book without losing any money.
Amazon Author Central
No matter how you chose to publish your book, you can still have an author page, even if it’s not via Amazon’s services.
Add your biography, a photo, editorial reviews and even your blog’s RSS feed.
An author page can be a great place to share speaking and book-signing events and even show your latest tweets on Amazon Author Central.
Amazon Associates
A popular way to make some extra money as a content creator is by using Amazon Associates. This affiliate service gives you a personalised code that you can use to promote products for sale on Amazon.
It is perfectly legal to send out affiliate links to your books to make some extra cash.
Self-publishing a book can be great if you want to be entirely in charge of the entire process. It can also help save you a long wait and stress of seeing if publishers or agents are interested.
So many great books are overlooked in the book publishing process; just ask J.K. Rowling.
Publishing your book is simple, but it takes a lot of work and promotion to get it to succeed. However, a self-published book can be equally as successful as if it was formally published.
Normal People was another bestseller that graced our bookshelves lately. We took a look at Sally Rooney’s masterpiece here.
Depression and Trauma Manifested on a Relationship in Normal People
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