When it comes to self-publishing, many turn to Amazon KDP. But why?
Kindles are one of the most popular e-readers available across the world, so it only makes sense that publishing on Amazon KDP would give you a slight advantage over other digital houses.
The following is a step-by-step guide on how to publish on Kindle:
- Creating your book: Prepare your story in Microsoft Word or any word processing software. Organize your book into chapters and get it professionally edited.
- Formatting your text: Formatting on Kindle is a little bit different compared to normal formatting of books. Even though Amazon accepts Word documents, it is best to use a formatter that understands what format will work best for the retailer you choose. For instance, although you can simply upload your e-book to Amazon KDP directly and the system will create an e-book file from that, it doesn’t always look professionally formatted with the margins and breaks at the proper spots. So, make sure you are aware and comfortable of this if you decide to DIY the whole process.
- Publish on Kindle: Create an KDP account and sign in. Register your tax information with Amazon so that tax is automatically deducted from your royalties. Then, click on bookshelf and add the title of your book. Fill out the information, upload the book cover, and your main document (PDF). Set the price of your book and choose your royalty plan (35% or 70% of the list price). Then, click save and publish to see your e-book go live in the Amazon bookstore within 24-48 hours. Note that if something is filled in incorrectly, it can take up to a week for approval.
- Promote your book: Promote your book by requesting people to write reviews or sharing a link to your book via social media. Look into Amazon ads and create promotional material that you can use for advertising.