#Tips for self-publishing authors on Amazon

[scottrandygerber]

THE KDP EFFECT, Your Blueprint to Self-Publishing Success book is currently available on Amazon by Author Scott Randy Gerber.

It has been a busy year with all the projects and completing the two books. The latest book is all about self-publishing and is called THE KDP EFFECT and is available on Amazon as of a few days ago. The book covers everything you need to know to be successful using KDP for self publishing.

Are you ready to take your writing career into your own hands and unlock the full potential of Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP)? Whether you're a first-time author or a seasoned writer, this step-by-step guide will teach you how to self-publish like a pro and turn your book into a global bestseller. Inside The KDP Effect, you’ll learn:

How to effortlessly navigate the Amazon KDP platform.Discover the Secrets to Self-Publishing Success with The KDP Effect!

Proven strategies for writing, formatting, and publishing a professional-quality book.

Expert tips on creating a stunning book cover that grabs readers’ attention.

Advanced marketing techniques to boost your book’s visibility and sales.

How to establish your author brand and build a loyal reader base.

Strategies for earning passive income through your books.

From crafting your manuscript to seeing your book rank in Amazon’s bestseller lists, this guide is your blueprint to self-publishing success. With real-world examples, actionable insights, and tools tailored for today’s digital author, The KDP Effect will empower you to bring your story to life. Take the first step toward becoming a self-published author today. Your audience is waiting!

[oikasugayama]

hi guys hi hi hi, i love what i do here and i just wanted to come on and say So quickly that it is super illegal to sell fanfic!! bc it's content you don't own, ok!!?? characters, worlds, even contextual lingo, it's copyrightable tehee <3 so glad none of us are at risk of being sued hehe that would be so silly!!!

[iancumminsauthor]

Even though you have to pay for them when you self-publish, it's still amazing to receive your author copies! The new murder-mystery crime thriller whodunnit is available now from amazon/kindle bookstore

[filmcourage]

How I Self-Published My First Book On Amazon KDP - Adam Davis

Watch the video interview on YouTube here.

[mehmetyildizmelbourne-blog]

How I Will Help Freelance Writers Save $600 by Condensing My Bestseller 5 Times for Them

Just like some prefer fatty cuts while others opt for lean, my goal is to cater to the unique needs of every reader. Reader Feedback is everything for book authors! As a busy content creator myself, I know the demands of trying to keep up with reading, writing, and staying ahead in the game. That’s why I wanted to share a real-life solution I developed to help writers save time — and…

[maximumpoppy]

Inside look on how I create a kids book - Save as PDF, upload to KDP and...

[motivatingcreativity-blog]

How Do I Get Started With Writing My First Book?

Starting to write a book can feel like standing at the edge of a vast, unexplored landscape. As an author who has navigated this terrain and successfully published on Amazon KDP, I understand the excitement and trepidation that comes with embarking on this journey. Today, I want to share the steps I took to get started with my first book and offer practical advice that can help you accomplish…

[iwillreadyourbook]

YES, I WILL ACTUALLY READ YOUR BOOK.

I’m a self-published author who loves beta reading! And I’ve always loved giving feedback to my fellow authors.

For any up-and-coming authors looking for feedback, my DM’s are open!

SOME NOTES:

1. I work full time and write my own work under a pen name. So if you aren’t paying me, don’t expect any sort of concrete timeline.

2. You do get expedited service if you pay for it. You’ll have to ask me for my pricing.

3. No personal queries/DMs. I’m taken and I just like beta reading. Let’s keep it to that.

[theversevoyager]

In the realm of shadows where time has no reign, A long-lost family member reappears, changing the dynamics of our story. Through alternate histories and parallel universes, their presence unleashes an ancient curse. As whispers echo in the halls of our past, we're bound by the chains of fate, forever entwined within the darkness.

[prosegalaxy]

Upon the eve of battle, when shadows loomed o'er, A twist revealed, shifting all that we'd seen before. The forces clashed, a dance of light and dark, In epic struggle, destiny's course they'd mark.

[renthony]

Intro & Pinned Post

Hi, I'm Ren Basel! My pronouns are they/them. I'm an independent media researcher, freelance writer, self-published author, and member of the Industrial Workers of the World's Freelance Journalists Union. I also cosplay and make various forms of art.

I love all things speculative fiction, animation, media studies, fandom, queer history, and labor organizing. I post a lot about those topics, and I love discussing them, so feel free to drop a message in my ask box!

If you use other social media and would like to follow me there, I'm on Bluesky and Instagram. I also run a Discord server for artists, creators, and the people who want to support us.

I wrote a queer fantasy story called The Queen of Cups, which is available as both a digital and paperback book. I also write essays about media and pop culture. If you like my work, you can commission me to write about a topic of your choice!

I have a Patreon page, which is the best way to support my work long-term, though I also have a page on my website with tip jar links and my family's Amazon wishlists. My husband and I also run an Etsy shop that sells beeswax candles.

Thanks for checking out my blog, and have a great day! <3

[oliviamaitlandauthor]

Comprehensive List of Tips for Self-Publishing Authors

Cover Design

"Never judge a book by its cover" is a philosophy very rarely followed by most readers, so it's important to make sure your cover is as eye-catching, aesthetically pleasing, and true to your story as possible. The cover should encompass what your story is about and it should give the reader a glimpse into the world you've spent years creating.

For most of us who are not artistically inclined, trying to create a cover design on our own is incredibly challenging. When you find yourself unable to generate an exemplary product, you may need to turn to a freelance designer or a company that specializes in poster/book cover graphics. Here are some options for you to explore:

Fiverr - budget-friendly, ample reviews from previous customers, and examples of work are provided by the designer, but make sure to be aware of AI use so your product is made authentically.

BespokeBookCovers - this company asks that you give a short synopsis of your book, along with some basic details, then you will be contacted to discuss more about what you are looking for. They do require a 50% deposit prior to beginning the design, but you do receive the product within 12 business days. They also ensure you are completely satisfied with the product before the transaction is complete. This company may not be the best for fantasy authors as most of their covers have more of a Colleen Hoover-esque aesthetic.

Miblart - This is a wonderful cover design company for fantasy writers, as evident in the examples provided on their website's home page. They do not require prepayment and offer payment installations in case the total cost at once puts a financial strain on you.

Editing and Formatting

Similarly to traditional publishing, you need to thoroughly self-edit your work before submitting it for professional editing. Suppose you feel as though you are proficient enough in editing that you do not require professional services or you cannot accommodate the cost. In that case, I suggest using workbooks or software to make sure your grammar and syntax are as high quality as possible. Here is a list of editing tools that can help you review your work:

Grammarly - a good resource for spelling, but it often flags intentional word-choice and sentence structure to make it more simple, which may be incompatible with your writing style. Also be aware of incorrect suggestions.

The Copyeditors Handbook - offers a guide to book publishing and addresses common writing errors. Does come with a workbook to help you exercise your skills.

It's also important that you understand the risks of self-editing. Sometimes it's hard to see flaws in your own story/writing because you already know all of the details. The reader does not have this knowledge, so certain plot points, wording, or details may be lost on them. Having a second set of eyes is incredibly beneficial to help you solve this problem. Here are some outside editing tools:

UpWork - allows you to list a job and review applicants. Each applicant is verified to be real, and you can sample some of their work and their credentials by viewing their profile.

Reedsy - employs Big Five editors to find a proper match for your writing

Raab & Co. - a self-publishing company that helps match you to a professional editor

ISBN

An ISBN number can help readers identify and find your book across multiple platforms, given that an ISBN is a unique number. You can buy an ISBN through Bowker or ISBN.org. An ISBN number on this website costs about $150 USD. This is not a necessary step, so no worries if you don't get one. It simply helps your book be more recognizable and appear more professional.

Pricing

The best way to figure out how to price your book is to look at similar publications on the platform you intend to publish on. Amazon is the most common, so look at your options. Generally, you can publish the book for a fixed price, or you can use Kindle Unlimited. Here's a list of pros and cons for Kindle Unlimited:

Pros:

Paid per page read, which is amazing for longer works or series

Saves a lot of time and effort as most of the work is done by Amazon, and it can generate more income than other platforms

Gain popularity because each time someone checks out your book or adds it to their library, it counts as a sale in your sales rank, which can boost your profile

Cons:

Unable to publish more than 10% of your book on any other platform while it is available on Kindle Unlimited, which limits your ability to reach a greater audience

Sometimes the length of the book affects income more so than the quality of the writing itself, so your book may be incredible well-written but have a lower sales rank.

[iancumminsauthor]

Invisible Authors

I wish I was as successful as Richard Castle. He has a fabulous NYC apartment, another home on the coast and he spends money without having to think about the cost or value.

There are a few authors whose books have made them rich (over $20m in 2018 alone), such as JK Rowling, Stephen King and John Grisham but, in reality, the top 10% of writers account for 70% of all income from books and less than 14% of authors can rely on writing as a sole source of their income.

A survey was carried out by the University of Glasgow of 50,000 authors' earnings this century. From an average author income of £18,013 in 2006, it fell by 52.65% to £10,497 in 2018. I began writing in 2019 - great timing, eh?

But I'm not doing this to make millions, although covering costs is good. When one plans retirement, they often take up painting or, in my case, writing. Any profit I receive from selling my books is carefully calculated each year (income declared, of course) and 50% of those profits are donated to a charity for the homeless.

If you are considering self-publishing, here is an article you might find interesting. I wish you the very best of luck with your writing and publishing.

[ladzwriting]

Welcome!

My name is Jo, publishing as Ladz, and my pronouns are they/them. I write genre fiction, whether it's dark fantasy, horror, fantasy, or some mélange of all three. They're all intended for adult audiences, and I recommend checking out the content warnings for each before diving in.

While I do try to share updates on my writing, this tumblr is mostly a space for me to find inspiration and quotes I relate to, get excited about the media I love, and boost work from my friends. itch | goodreads | amazon

Learn more about my work below!

Work Available Now

Ice Upon a Pier (April 11, 2023) A novella that's a retelling of the life and crimes of Richard Kuklinski. A lesbian contract killer indulges in an interview about the ways she's used ice magic to freeze time and get away with literal murder.

The Fealty of Monsters Volume 1 (March 12, 2024) Art by @t-hornapple. A gothic horror political fantasy retelling of the Russian Revolution with queers and vampires. Sasza Czarnolaski serves a human court, but no one knows he's a vampire. Sasza quickly learns that he will do anything to preserve peace in the Empire–including giving in to the monstrosity he spent so many years concealing from even himself.

Upcoming

The Cradle of Eternal Night (October 2024) Art by @pompoison. A standalone sapphic horror romantasy in which a bard and a witch fall in love on a quest to bring the light back to their dark world. Sapphic, magical, and tense, perfect for fans of Dark Souls and grumpy x sunshine romance.

The Institute of Manners (The Fealty of Monsters Volume 2 (2025) Art by @t-hornapple. The revolution is paused for now as our main cast goes to graduate school. Lessons include avoiding assassination attempts, uncovering the secrets of a despot, and staying on top of the rumors of a horror-worshipping cult and anti-imperial activities alike.

Writing is Hard (202?) A nonfiction craft book about things I learned about writing and publishing in the last decade between failing to get into traditional publishing and finding personal and creative satisfaction in self and indie publishing. Collected blog posts expanded with new wisdom.

I also have a whole bevy of short stories on my itch account, which is the best place to get my work if you want to leave a tip.

My author newsletter updates once a month on the 11th, usually talking about insight from writing, sales, new work, and includes a picture of my cat.

Feel free to ask me anything regarding my books, my short fiction, my self-publishing journey and anything else you'd care to know about!

[elizabethraywrites]

Hello there!

I have been following your fan fiction for a while now and I’m in love with your writing. So, I’m so ecstatic that you’re continuing to write and publish your own book! I will definitely read it when it comes out. I’m more than certain it will be wonderful.

You can answer this privately or anonymously, and it’s 100% okay if you don’t want to answer, because it’s a bit of a personal question.

I want to publish my own book as well, but there’s so many steps I don’t know of. If you don’t mind me asking, is it difficult to publish a book? How do you do it?

I’m so sorry if this is personal, and by all means, you don’t have to answer. It’s just been my dream to publish a book for so long, and I wanted to gather information so I know what comes ahead as a writer.

Thank you! <3

Hi!

Thank you so much for bringing your love for my fanfiction over here to my own original work. Your support truly fuels me on the daily. I can't wait to share my original work one day.

I've been holding off on answering this Ask because I wasn't sure if I was qualified enough to answer it, but I've been motivated recently by the empowering thought of, "fuck it..." so here we go. 🙂

First of all, I'm so happy you wish to publish your own book as well!! The amount of people attempting to publish a book, self or traditional, admittedly feels alarmingly saturated at times, but I always have to remind myself that my story matters and it is unique. Yours is too, whatever it may be! There's an endless amount of stories to be told and that is a beautiful thing; it is not something that should deter us from doing what we love.

To be honest, I still don't know everything that needs to be done in order for me to self-publish a book. Or maybe I do and I've just been overwhelmed by the amount of information that is out there.

This checklist is something that has been extremely helpful to me. There are so many things I hadn't thought about such as taxes and ISBNs and everything it takes to design a cover. There are a lot of things that Amazon helps you do if you choose to go through them, such as a cover template and automatically giving you an ISBN.

I would say, overall, it is difficult. But this is coming from me as a writer that has yet to become an author. I'm sure once I do self-publish something for the first time, it'll come easier to me. Obviously lol. But I am absolutely still in the researching and learning phase of it all.

Other random tips you didn't ask for, but ones that came to mind while answering this:

I would have a large chunk of your writing done before you go to make an socials or following, as much as possible before you decide that it's impossible to contain your excitement any longer

On the topic of social media...do not try to take on all platforms. Find one or two that you truly enjoy creating content for and focus on those. Trying to do it all is encouraged yet unrealistic

Reach out to people that are on this journey or have already published something. It's always nice to talk to people who have already done what you're striving to do

Most importantly, try your very hardest to not be discouraged by the success of others, whether it be what they've published, the attention they're getting compared to you, etc. Comparison is inevitable and the resulting imposter syndrome can be crippling at times. But you are important, your story is important, and your success will come to you.

I wish you nothing but the best of luck in pursuing your dreams! What a magical time for you. ❤️

[mehmetyildizmelbourne-blog]

How Substack Writers Can Leverage Reedsy to Become Published Authors

And How They Scale Their Publishing Business with Global Collaboration Dear Subscribers, Earlier today, our chief editor Dr Mehmet Yildiz published Chapter 18 of his best-selling book Substack Mastery for free for our community. His goal is, while educating our community, to obtain feedback from beta readers to improve the quality of this exceptional book for next versions and make it a…