How To: Self Publish a Book on Amazon
There is no shortage of negativity surrounding Amazon. From the drama around Jeff Bezos and his politics, to the rumors of the conditions in their facilities, to the idea that they have contributed to the fall of smaller businesses. I am not here to cheerlead for Amazon, nor am I here to shame anyone on their marketplace choices. All that being said, one major benefit I’ve been able to utilize and have seen others use to their advantage has been self publishing books through Amazon.
Getting published through traditional methods is extremely difficult. Publishers receive thousands of submissions A DAY and nowadays they rarely take a chance on a brand new author if you don’t already have a built in following (ie. social media followers and/or a list of email subscribers). I had a couple “hybrid” publishing offers, which just means the deal is a mix between self-publishing and traditional publishing terms. In those offers part of the contract were things like website, social media, graphic design, etc. These are pieces of the puzzle that I am able to do myself and so I didn’t think the offers I received made sense for me. I chose to self publish through Amazon and I don’t think the general public really appreciates how amazing that option is. Thousands of authors who would otherwise not have their voices heard in the market get a chance to compete. I definitely want you to still frequent your local bookstores, but please don’t go too hard on your writer friends for using Amazon to fit their publishing needs!
Here are my steps to self publishing your book on Amazon:
Write your first draft - the hardest part of writing a book isn’t actually getting published or any of those logistics. It is quite literally putting pen to paper (or fingers to a keyboard in modern terms). I highly suggest that if you have a book idea floating around in your head that you first just focus on writing it out. Maybe do an outline first but then just get to writing! Your manuscript is the most important thing and secondary to all other tasks.
Edit your manuscript - know that whatever you write is likely not going to be perfect. You will need to do your own editing and then enlist the help of an editor. If you have the budget a professional editor can be a great investment, but also if you have a couple friends who are avid readers, they might be able to do just as well of a job as a professional. I had two friends mark up my manuscript in Google Drive and it worked well. I am still very happy with the results we all created together.
Format your manuscript - once you have your manuscript edited the next step is to get it formatted in a way that you can submit to Amazon so they can work their magic and turn your pages into a book! Formatting is very easy. You can simply save your manuscript as a PDF with a few specific size settings and you’re good to go. If you wrote your manuscript in Google Drive simply go to Page Setup, change your paper size to Statement, and make sure your margins are set to 1 inch all around. This will produce a book that is about 6x9 inches, which is a very standard paperback size. Note: you will want to make sure you add pages like title, dedication, table of contents, copyright, acknowledgments, etc. as those do not get created by Amazon. They will literally take your PDF as is and bind it into a book, so adding those pages helps your book look more professional. Also, be sure to have page numbers turned on!
Set up KDP - next you will want to go to kdp.amazon.com and set up an account. This is where you can make an author profile and where you will want to enter a bank account for royalty payments. Also, just a heads up that they will want a tax form from you at this point. This is also where you will decide your book price and royalty structure. Don’t overthink this. I went for the 80% royalty structure and I have my eBook at $3.99 and my paperback at $19.99. I went off what I saw similar books priced at and what I wanted my take home price per book to be.
Design your cover and back - cover design is one of those things that can really vary based on your budget, your skillset, and your vision. I had some ideas for my cover, but I ultimately went with KDP’s cover designer. I was pleasantly surprised at how I could customize it. With the choices available, it’s very unlikely that another author will have the exact same design as you. Don’t be afraid to use this tool for your first book. I know plenty of authors who swap out their cover later on and that is totally fine. You will want to have a nice headshot, bio, and summary of your book ready to go for this step.
Order a proof copy - before you publish your book, take the time to order a proof copy. This will be your chance to look at the formatting and see if there are any changes you want to make. The day I got my first proof in the mail was the first time it all felt real. Hundreds of pages in a Google Drive doc just isn’t the same as holding a physical book with my name on it. It was a very exciting moment and I don’t want you to miss it!
Publish your book - now you are finally ready to publish your book to your KDP bookshelf! You might decide to also publish a Kindle version using your same files, which is quick and easy.
Promote your book - now you are ready to start promoting your book! I highly suggest sharing the link to your book all over your social media, but also look for local author events and/or podcasts that you can participate in.
I wish you all the best with your book. I just know that whatever idea you have needs to be written and will impact someone else in a positive way. You can view my book on Amazon here. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me on social media if you need help or motivation at any point in your author journey!
XO - Olivia
