#kindle direct publishing

[strawberryloveyyy]

Hello!! For the past few months I've been writing an anthology. it's just a collection of prose and poems about my struggles as a teenage girl.

It drabbles on the rocky relationships one can have with their parents, how they see or perceive themselves, body image, insecurity, that strange feeling when you like someone for the first time, childhood, and ..trauma.

And I'm glad to say that it'll be hopefully scheduled to be published via Amazon by Monday!! If delays don't occur.. the cover isn't decided yet, I'm still choosing between some options.

Here's a small but from it :3

hands 

I have to put you down. You cannot stay in my reach any longer. Everything in my hands falls through every time, slipping through the cracks between my fingers. All the things I have ever held ends up shattered on the ground, or in my hands. 

Afraid of being alone I close my fists around the delicate porcelain, shattering it into shards that pierces through my palms. I don’t want to hurt you more than I already have. My heart aches as I can feel the cracks whenever my stained hand is on your cheek, smearing blood. It serves as a reminder of every mistake I made to get here.

Your warmth draped over me like a blanket, covering my eyes from the trail I left. But you are nobody without your past.

No force in this world can remove the scars in my hands.

No force in this world can undo what I’ve done.

I know that better than anyone. And I’ve told myself over and over that it will be better this time and that I won’t do it again. But it sounded much more like I wish than a promise.

So before I do, I ask you to go. Before the memory of you becomes another scar on my hand.

[nanowrimo]

5 Steps to Get Your Novel Ready to Self-Publish

Every year, we’re lucky to have great sponsors for our nonprofit events. Kindle Direct Publishing, a 2022 NaNo sponsor, helps you self-publish eBooks and paperbacks for free. Today, author Denise Grover Swank shares some tips to help you get your novel ready to publish:

Congrats on completing NaNoWriMo! I completed my first book with NaNoWriMo in 2009, and was thrilled when I’d finished, but I wasn’t ready to hit publish just yet!

1. Have someone else read your novel.

Every book needs revising and editing. Trust me, I’ve written over seventy books at this point and still need to revise books. 

You’ll either need to find a developmental editor or alpha readers. Alpha readers—well-read readers and/or other authors—are great for writers on a budget and are usually free. You can find them in writers’ groups or your friends who are readers. Just be careful if you’re using friends and family: they’re going to be biased. (Unless they’re my aunt who read my paranormal thriller and told me I should write children’s books.) 

2. Invest in copy editing.

You’ve revised and edited your book, now what? Copy editing is where you may want to invest if you can. Copy editors look at your book line by line and correct grammatical mistakes. Please, please, please don’t try to do this yourself. You’ve read you book countless times and will miss things. Trust me. I know. (If you need a proofreader, here’s where your friends who can spot a typo a mile away come in handy.)

3. Get a good cover.

Let’s talk covers! Study the market and find out what’s selling in your genre, then find a cover designer who fits the trends. You can spend anywhere from $100 to $1000 or more, but you can get by on the lower end. Just don’t try to make one yourself unless you’re really good at graphic design. 

4. Get the formatting right.

You’re almost ready to publish, but first you need to format your eBook and print book—You can do this by using the free templates available on Kindle Direct Publishing, you can pay someone to do it, or there are several programs less than $200 that will do this for you. 

5. Now you’re ready! 

There are multiple places to publish, but KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) is super easy to use! Be sure to claim your books on Amazon Author Central, create an author page, then ask readers to follow you. Amazon will let your readers know about preorders and releases. Kindle Unlimited is great for newer authors who are still finding an audience, and readers in KU are more willing to take a chance on new-to-them authors. And finally, use the gifting option on your product page for giveaways on social media. Readers who love your book will tell their friends—never underestimate word of mouth marketing!

New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author Denise Grover Swank lives in Kansas City, Missouri. You can find out more about Denise at www.denisegroverswank.com.

Top photo by Nong V on Unsplash. 

[adastra-sf]

As generative AI spreads throughout publishing like a virus, Amazon is modifying how authors and other creators can use its Kindle self-publishing platform.

Amazon announced that it is "lowering the volume limits we have in place on new title creations" that users can add to the Kindle Direct Publishing platform daily to three, "in order to help protect against abuse," and it's possible that the number might be lowered again.

So now you can only write and publish three (3) Kindle books per day, folks.

When mega-corporations that otherwise exhibit no ethics begin to act against AI-generated content, you know things are getting bad.

Publisher's Weekly story: X

[amandaroos]

My coloring book proof came today!

[lovewash3d-doll]

📖Self-Publishing Guide for Teens!📖

(As a teen in the process!)

……………………………………………………………………………………………

Why should you self publish? Self-publishing is an accessible, faster, and easier way to publish, that allows you to have higher royalties and more control over content. However, there are some downsides: indie book are sometimes perceived as questionable quality, as they are not stamped as adequate by a publishing firm, and advertising can be more of an endeavor. But these are not tall mountains to cross! Here are some tips to maximize your success and a simplified timeline of self-publishing!

1. Writing

The first step is obviously to write! Choose a genre, age group, and target audience you think your book will appeal to (this will play a role in marketing). Remember, the reading age group of your book depends on both content and reading level. If you are targeting juvenile category, keep in mind that younger children may have difficulty understanding more complex words and plots, but that young adults or adults may not be as interested in certain story concepts and topics. To be successful, your book does have to fit within the realm of the book industry. My tip is trying to organize it in a section following a library shelving system.

To avoid the quality crisis of indie books, it’s also so important to ensure your novel is the best quality possible. Several qualities that stir me away from some indie novels are ‘green’ undeveloped writing styles, a lack of flow, inconsistant or poorly-written plots, and trope-y charcters without much depth. It’s so incredibly important to properly plot your novel, create distinguishable, well-rounded characters, a strong voice, and use sentence variability. You might not be ready yet and that’s okay!—there is always room for improvement even in the best writers and you just may need more time to develop your own voice and style. Additionally, please don’t revolve your stories around tropes or fall into the modern pet-peeve of ‘all smut and no plot’ books. A story should have something significant to tell and a theme to show its reader!!! To ensure the best quality, your story should be getting peer reviewed or receiving feedback from others in between drafts. This way, others can point out plot deficiencies and comment on word choice or other structures improvements. When you intend to publish a book, it is not just for you! Your story must fit the standards of others too. Take as much as time as you need but try to set a timeline! This is the most important part of the entire process!

While writing, you also want to keep in mind how long your future book will actually be. Depending on the intended physical size of your book and font size, there are many online resources that can estimate your page count using your word count. Luckily, as indie authors, no one can limit your word count. Normally, debuting* traditionally published authors have a capped word count, equating to a maximum of 300 pages or so (this depends on genre) because publishers want to save money if a book isn’t successful. Even with this self-publishing freedom, your book should ideally be around or over 50k words (200 pages) and mindful with its length. A debuting novel with 500-1,000 pages may be unreasonably long and you should consider if that many words are really necessary— sometimes we tend to use too many words than we really need. Is a plot dragged on for too long? Is there a subplot that doesn’t contribute? Is a sequel a better option? If your book is a bit on the shorter side, a slightly-sly tip is to increase the font size and lower the book dimensions (shhhh). There are plenty of famous books on the shorter side but a book may look more aesthetically pleasing or comparable to others if it has an adequate thickness.

The excitement of publishing your normal may encourage you to speed up and diminish the quality of your writing. Try to motivate yourself to have the best quality possible!

2. Editing & Getting an Editor

Once you have a final draft, it’s time for final editing. I’ve noticed that many indie authors, especially younger ones, tend to skip out getting a professional editor, because it is so incredibly costly (some of the best services cost at least $1,000 for 50k words!!). But no matter how confident you are in the quality of your writing, you aren’t above getting an editor and it’s really a game changer for your novel. Editing polishes your work and saves you the embarrassment of having misspelled words and incorrect grammar in your first edition. It builds your credibility as an author! Obviously paying out-of-pocket $1k is a bit ridiculous, and there are cheaper alternatives. Newer editors will charge much cheaper, such as $100 to edit 50k, which in my opinion, is a much more reasonable option. Some advice is searching up writing groups on social media or scouting out editor websites across the internet. It’s important to make sure you don’t get scammed and that you are satisfied with the quality of the editing you receive! Make sure whoever you select as your editor has the proper qualifications and a website with a portfolio. Before committing, you should ask them to do a sample edit of a small section of your writing. Good luck! If you don’t want to spend any money at all, at least ask someone with an English degree or somewhat qualified to look over your writing, such as a teacher, grammar-savvy parent, or school writing lab helper. I personally advise against using Grammarly, Spell Check, AI, or other online programs as your sole editor. While these tools are valuable, they are not always accurate, don’t always understand the context of your writing, and cannot provide you with a full-depth, comprehensive editing service such as a human could. My Grammarly always suggests removing purposeful repetition and doesn’t understand the flow of my writing at all!

Before you dive isn’t the realm of finding editing services, it’s also important you know the different kinds! Developmental editing focuses on the big picture of the story and plot; Line editing focuses on word choice, pacing, and flow; Copy editing focuses on grammar. Here is a more comprehensive summary of all the services available by an editor: link. The type of editing you should seek depends on the needs of your story. If you have received useful, constructive feedback in between drafts from other friendly writers and feel confident in your final draft, you may not need any or much developmental or line editing. You may be better off simply asking for more feedback rather than spending money on an editor. I am personally going to pursue a professional editor for copy editing or at least seek out someone with the qualifications because perfect grammar is essential for the quality of your book. Lastly, invest in a few beta reader, such as friends and family, to read your entire book before it’s publishing-ready.

3. Book Covers

People do judge books by their covers (I’m guilty) so it’s important to have approachable, well-designed cover art. I personally find covers that use pictures of actual people, plain designs, and a lack of balance a bit of distasteful and tend to skip over them when I’m looking at a bookshelf— I dont even read the synopses. Rather, more artistic, beautiful, and colorful books catch my eye. On that topic, I don’t think I’ve ever bought an ugly-looking book. Obviously, many readers are less picky but, nevertheless, it is still important to have a good cover as it can make your book stand out and increase sales. Firstly, a cover should reflect the atmosphere of your story and its elements. It should represent in it in its best glory! What do you want to be physically highlighted? A darker-themed book should be a darker color and have a frigid, sharp design; while, a more light-hearted book should have a casual, maybe cartoony, colorful design. Nothing angers me more than being deceived by a book cover!! A good rule of thumb is looking at book covers in your genre and searching for inspiration. I personally made a mood board for my book cover and pulled different elements from different books until I found a style and certain elements I wanted to retain. The next step, of course, is making or finding someone else to make your cover art. I am more leaning towards commissioning a book cover but I am not opposed to drawing my own. Drawing your own cover is a fantastic way to save money as long as you are skilled enough to design it just in the way you imagined. As an artist, I’m prone to thinking I made my best drawing yet and then, looking at it months later and realizing it’s unproportional or has some fatal flaw. I’m a little too cautious to allow that to happen with my own book. Instead of drawing, you can also use online editing tools to merge images and make digital designs. However, be wary of copyright on programs like Canva and any stock photos you may use. If you are seeking to commission a cover, my favorite way is to scout artists on social media, especially Instagram and Twitter. I’ve found many beautiful artists that offer commissions in styles I like! Like the situation with professional editors, the price you’ll pay for a commissioned book cover depends on the level of the artist, the size of your book, and the complexity of your envisioned design. Newer artists will charge lower, while professional artists may be pricer. Typically, a lower end book cover may cost $50, while the a high end one may cost up to $800. Make sure to check full commission policies and the appropriate steps to not get scammed! Additionally, make sure to double check the file type of the cover and which size you may need!!

*IMPORTANT: for hardcover books, the synopsis is found on the inside of the jacket; for paperback books, the synopsis is found on the back & should be incorporated in the book cover design.

4. Publishing

Now for the exciting part! There are many self-publishing programs and platforms on the Internet, and has their own guidelines and benefits. The one I’m planning to use and the one regarded as the best platform is Kindle Direct Publishing. KDP is completely free, grants you 60-70% of royalties, and immediately launches your book on Amazon. *If you are under 18, you will need an adult to create you account for you because it requires tax information to publish. You will be able to fill out a product detail page and have the liberty of selecting an age group, genre, key search words, etc. It’s important to note that when publishing an authentic book, authors do purchase or receive ISBN and Library of Congress numbers to allow their books to be categorized into library systems and be formally identified as a commercially-sold book. Kindle does provide you with a free ISBN code but with some strings attached, such as only being able to use it commercially on their platform so, you can’t legally sell you book anywhere else if you use their provided ISBN. Make sure to be wary and fully understand terms & conditions! On the next following steps of self-publishing, KPD will allow you to upload your cover and begin the formatting process. There are many tutorial videos and instructions to properly format your book within the program, and you can even find outside professionals , that are familiar with KPD, to format your book for you for around $150. To make your book as professional-looking as possible, analyze the format of other published books and pay attention to what’s at the beginning and the end, such as a copyright page, dedication, author’s note or acknowledgment, and an author bio. Finally, publishing is simple with just a button! But before that, you should order a book proof (pre-published verison of your book) to ensure everything is just as it should be!

5. Marketing

The most difficult part for self-published authors is marketing, compared to traditional authors whose publishing companies advertise it themselves. Some ideas for marketing, that I’ve seen indie authors do are:

Create author social media accounts & advertise their book through posts & videos

Donate your book to local libraries (To do this, fill out a form & it will be accessible and at the disposal of library go-ers. Someone might check it out and appreciate it!)

Attend local author events & get involved with other indie authors (Libraries tend to host events that promote local authors, displaying their books & allowing them to give speeches. Joining indie author groups can also give you access to more event opportunities!)

Promote your book in your local newspaper (A peer of mine who self-published a book pitched the publication to a newspaper and was interviewed for a front-page article!)

Add your book to Goodreads & other book platforms (With the Goodreads Author Program, you can add your book to the collection of titles on the database & open it to readers who may be interested!)

Remember that no author got famous overnight and that advertising is a process! Whether or not you become as successful as Dr.Suess or Oscar Wilde, you are still a worthy author and your book is as wonderful as any other!

I hope this helps! As my progress continues, I will provide more tips!

XOXO,

lovewashed doll🩷📖

[wynharper]

So... after weeks of the most frustrating experience with Kindle Direct Publishing's customer service, the one person there that was actually listening to me and helping me was removed from my case and the final communication I received was, "We've changed the status of all your content to blocked. Hope that helps!"

I have requested that it be unpublished as soon as possible from their platform as I no longer wish to do business with them. The quality of their printing alone leaves so much to be desired, the quality of their customer service leaves even more and the fact that authors cannot have full control over their content is the icing on the cake.

So, I guess, from here on out, Flash in the Pan will be available on Ko-Fi and Patreon exclusively. There is no timeline or dates that you have to sign up for either, you can sign up at any time and gain access to the whole story as it stands and as it updates.

[radicalrocko234]

My book is out now on Amazon! Thanks to everyone who supported me!

This is a series of short stories detailing the daily adventures of a little girl who lives in a world where anything can happen. Check it out if/when you have the time and/or money, and let me know what you think!

[harmonyhealinghub]

Self-Publishing on Amazon KDP: A Comprehensive Guide for Aspiring Authors

Shaina Tranquilino

November 13, 2023

The advent of self-publishing has revolutionized the world of literature, providing aspiring authors with an incredible opportunity to publish their work independently. Among the numerous platforms available, Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) stands out as a popular choice due to its extensive reach and user-friendly interface. In this blog post, I will guide you through the step-by-step process of self-publishing your book on Amazon KDP.

Step 1: Prepare Your Manuscript Before diving into the publishing process, it is crucial to ensure that your manuscript is polished and ready for publication. Take time to proofread, edit, and format your book meticulously. You can seek professional editing services or enlist beta readers to provide valuable feedback.

Step 2: Create an Amazon KDP Account To begin the process, visit kdp.amazon.com and sign in using your existing Amazon account or create a new one specifically for KDP. This account will serve as the central hub for managing all aspects of your self-published books.

Step 3: Add a New Title Once logged in, navigate to your Bookshelf page and click on "Create a new Kindle eBook/Paperback/Hard Cover." Here, you will be prompted to fill in essential details such as title, subtitle (if applicable), series information, author name(s), description, keywords/tags, and language.

Step 4: Upload Your Manuscript Amazon accepts manuscripts in various formats like MOBI (.mobi), EPUB (.epub), HTML (.html), DOC/DOCX (.doc/.docx), RTF (.rtf), and others. Ensure that your manuscript adheres to their guidelines regarding font size, formatting, margins, etc., to guarantee optimal reading experience across different devices.

Step 5: Design Your Cover An eye-catching cover plays a vital role in attracting potential readers. Amazon KDP allows you to either design your own cover using their Cover Creator tool or upload a professionally designed cover. Make sure to follow their guidelines for dimensions, resolution, and file type.

Step 6: Set Pricing and Royalties Decide on the pricing strategy for your book based on factors like genre, length, market demand, and competition. Amazon provides two royalty options: 35% or 70%. The latter is available if you meet specific criteria (e.g., setting the minimum list price). Consider these options carefully while determining your preferred royalty rate.

Step 7: Choose Targeted Territories & Enroll in Programs Select the territories where you want to make your book available. Amazon KDP offers expanded distribution channels as well as Kindle Unlimited (KU) and Kindle Owners' Lending Library (KOLL) programs that can boost visibility and reach.

Step 8: Preview Your Book Before hitting the publish button, use Amazon's online previewer tool to ensure that your eBook appears as intended across different devices. This step allows you to spot any formatting issues or errors that may have been missed during manuscript preparation.

Step 9: Publish Your Book Once satisfied with the final preview, click on "Publish Your Kindle eBook/Paperback/Hard Cover" Within a few hours, your book will be available for purchase on Amazon's website worldwide.

Self-publishing on Amazon KDP empowers authors by removing many traditional barriers to entry. By following this step-by-step guide, you can successfully navigate the self-publishing process and unleash your creativity onto the world stage. Remember to invest time in creating a high-quality manuscript and captivating cover design while adhering to Amazon's guidelines. With persistence and dedication, self-publishing can open doors to new opportunities for aspiring authors everywhere.

[axlthepterodaxl]

GIVEAWAY TIME

In celebration of my first little journal I'm doing a giveaway where one person has a chance to win 2 books!

Rules:

Like, share and follow + tag a friend

Ends at the end of October when I'lI pick a raffle winner

Good luck! 🥚 ❤️

[authorashraven]

2022 Author Report!

Aka let's have some transparency about what my first year of being an author and publishing my first book was like! Check out the details below 👀

1. I published a whole damn book, which seems crazy! There was definitely a huge learning curve that I am still trying to wrap my head around, but I feel confident going into 2023.

2. I wrote just under 90k words of original fiction, and that also meant my fanfic writing numbers took a big dip. I also had several months of no writing 💀. One of my big goals for 2023 is to write every month!

3. Probably one of the reasons I didn't write every month was because I read 142 books in 2022. 😂 And I read so many amazing ones, the ones pictured here barely scratch the surface pals.

[artbyganga]

3 Tips for Self-Publishing Low-Content Books on Amazon with Kindle Direct Publishing

Self-publishing low-content books on Amazon has become popular. You can create activities like coloring or journaling and use Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) to reach a global audience. I have been thinking to get into this for years and finally, I have shown the courage to do it. I have successfully published low-content books on Amazon, and it’s a dream come true for me. Now, I am a proud owner…

[amythystraine]

Best Order Now!

Heads up!! I received an email from the Amazon KDP program (Kindle Direct Publishing) that coming June 20th the cost of printing is going to go up and authors are advised to adjust the prices on their paperback books to insure that they receive a royalty. If there's any of my books that you were planning on ordering, now's the time to do it. June 1st I'll be going into the Amazon program to adjust book prices accordingly.

My books at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B004NMWMX4

[slothspaghettiwrites]

Hello, wonderful human being! <3

I recently found your book (well, like a few seconds ago because of the last ask you answered), and I wanted to ask if you get a good share when buying your paperback edition on Amazon? And if not, is there another website where I can buy it? Just wanted to ask first before getting it because I want to support you as best as possible with it! <3

All the love to you <3 and btw, the summary had me hooked within a second 👀

Oh hello! I am so happy liked that summary and are interested in reading my book.

An interesting question! I always push the fact you can read my book on Kindle Unlimited (which is always running a sign up deal if you aren't already signed up) and then ya know if you really like me/my book, you can buy the paperback as a trophy (this is what I do lol).

But some transparency! I'll but this below the cut, but you can see what rates I get from Amazon on each format, and what I made in October as a new author who only promotes their book through crazy tiktoks.

I actually had to look this up because I couldn't remember (and I should probably make a note of this), but let's not focus on my disorganization today.

When you buy my book as an eBook for your kindle, I make £1.58/$1.90 (ignore the 70% I am not enrolled in that option).

When you buy my book as a paperback, I get £2.52/$3.07 (wide just means you can find me on like the B&N website I actually don't know who much or little or whether I get sales from those wide/expanded outlets). But the big thing to point out here is that Amazon has a minimum I must set my books to so the pricing here is less my choice.

If you are like me, you only read on your phone and really only read Kindle Unlimited books because you are cheap trying to support indie/new authors more, but are be sensible with your budget before you buy a paperback for you trophy shelf.

When you read my book on KU cover to cover (400 pages) I make about £1.50. This number a bit of an estimation because I won't really know until the months end what I will make on KU because it is based on page reads.

So I guess what I am trying to say is that if you are on KU, read my book there. Because if you don't like it, you can return in and I still get paid for the pages you do read. Where as, if you buy the eBook or Paperback, decide you don't like it and return it, I get the full retail price taken from my royalties that month, which could mean I have to pay Amazon money.

This is my October Royalties breakdown. You can see I made .99 from print sales (which means I got some wide sales!), and the rest from KU page reads.

[alethianightsong]

I’m inactive a lot cuz I’ve been writing and finally got myself published on Kindle. This is the cover art I got commissioned for it by tatan_grinding on Fiverr. The book is called “Deviants of Fate” and you can buy it for $7.

[chelseysizemore12]

"Succulent Notebook"

Published a cute journal on Amazon today! This super cute 8.5″ x 11″ notebook is great for all of your journaling needs! Colorful, lined and dated pages for easy note taking. Pretty blue and green watercolor pattern with cacti on the front. Click the link below image to view & purchase https://amzn.to/3YemIGv As an Amazon Associate I may earn from qualifying purchases

[cloverdragons]

I started writing for funsies but now I'm starting to think that i might actually have an alright novel I'm writing? I'm thinking about publishing on kpd, a few more drafts down the road.