How to Self-Publish a Book on Amazon: The Ultimate Guide
My new book is coming out this week (!!!) and in honor of reaching the end of my publishing journey for this project, I thought I’d share a behind-the-scenes glimpse of what it’s like to self-publish a book on Amazon and Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP).
As you probably know by now, I don’t just handle all of the publishing logistics for my own books, but I also handle the process for my memoir and nonfiction book clients. As a memoir ghostwriter, I like to own the whole process for my clients. I’ve been encouraging my clients to go the self-publishing/independent publishing route lately because of how drastic the budget cuts have been over the years in traditional publishing — but that’s for a different post.
In this post, I’ll share with you all of the things I’ve learned when it comes to self-publishing your book on Amazon!
Write a Great Book First
My new book is actually the second book I’ve published on Amazon. The first one sold well, but my biggest mistake was not spending enough time on the writing of it. My first book Freelancing for Creatives, was a fun little booklet, but I spent only a month or so writing it on-and-off at the beginning of my freelancing career.
I spent an entire year working on my new book, Six-Figure Freelance Writer, which I wrote in-between client projects and my travels. When I work with clients, I’m able to condense the timeline to 3-6 months and be more focused, but because I was writing this book on the side of everything else it took much longer — and I was completely okay with that.
Not only did I spend a year writing my new book, but I also hired not one, but two editors and two additional proofreaders to read — and re-read! — dozens of drafts of my book until it was perfect. Getting those outside opinions were invaluable in catching errors, improving the flow of the book, and making sure all my dad jokes and freelancing tips really landed with my ideal readers.
This attention to detail has already paid off: my pre-orders have already outsold my last book, and I’m set up to do an amazing launch.
I’ll be honest: you can’t write a great book alone. You need a team of people who will challenge you, support you, and help you make the best book possible. That’s why I offer writing and editing services to my clients who want to make sure their books meet a high standard and live up to the reputation they want for themself.
How Long Does it Take to Self-Publish a Book on Amazon?
Self-publishing a book on Amazon KDP isn’t just something you do on a whim after a Trader Joe’s run. Self-publishing is a process that can take months — or sometimes a year! — and requires you to track deadlines and publishing dates in order to give your book the best shot at getting on a bestseller list and performing well.
Here are the steps you’ll need to keep in mind when you’re putting together your self-publishing timeline:
Finalize your manuscript draft and have professional editors and proofreaders read and edit to catch mistakes.
Hire a book designer to design your interior spreads, prepare your files for Kindle and ebook formats as well as print, and to design your book cover.
Write your author page and book blurb for Amazon.
Set your pricing, buy your ISBN or get a free one through Amazon KDP for your print books, and make selections on book size and page color. Everyone approaches pricing differently, and the size of your book will also impact the price.
Test your manuscript and cover files by ordering proof copies. Every time you change your files, order new proof copies to make sure there are no mistakes.
Set a pre-order date for your Kindle eBook that gives you at least 3 months for people to order online before your book launch. If you can get to 10,000 pre-orders, you’ll have a great shot at getting on the New York Times Bestseller list. If you’re an indie author, you can only set pre-orders for the eBook — not the print book.
Finalize your book files before the eBook deadline (three days before your book launch date!)
Work with a voiceover actor to record your audiobook.
Launch your Kindle eBook and hardcover book first — save your paperback release date for later to optimize revenue!
Launch your paperback book 1-3 months later to capture a larger market share with a cheaper option.
Launch your audiobook either during the initial launch or the secondary launch of your book.
This whole process can take anywhere from 3-9 months depending on how you’re staggering your launches and how quickly your team can work. For my book Six-Figure Freelance Writer, here’s how long it took for me to move through the writing and publishing process:
Writing the initial draft: 7 months.
Final edits and proofreading: 3 months.
Design process: 4 months, which overlapped with the final edits and proofreading.
Publishing logistics: I did this all throughout the process, but started setting up my files on Amazon KDP as soon as I wrapped up the final edits and started having design files to test.
Book marketing: I was teeing up my book about 6 months out, but really started pushing on book marketing about a month out from my publish date. I will write another post on how to market your Amazon book later once I’ve experimented with some different methods!
When you’re getting started with the Amazon self-publishing process, I recommend putting together a calendar of all of your ideal deadlines and release dates so that you can track each deliverable and make sure you’re still on track to hit where you want to go.
I also recommend not setting a release date until you’ve started the final proofread/polish of your manuscript. My book ended up needing more edits than I initially expected, which ended up being a good thing: these edits added crucial chapters that made the book so much better. Don’t rush the writing process if possible: give yourself space to reflect on what you’ve written, and edit over the course of a few months.
What to Think About for the Design Process of Self-Publishing on Amazon
Design is everything. There are so many books out there that readers have no choice but to judge books by their covers — so make sure yours stands out on digital and physical shelves.
When I was working on my design team for my cover and interior spread design, here are some of the things I thought about:
The colors you use should complement your established brand colors if applicable, and the title should be bold and easy to read. I recommend having the spine be a different, bright color to add another color pop on shelves.
You should use two different fonts to introduce visual variety that’s pleasing for the eye.
The interior design should be super simple and readable and include all of the standard interior book matter (copyright page, table of contents, dedication, about the author, acknowledgments, etc.)
Another critical thing to remember when you’re publishing on Amazon KDP is that your book needs to be optimized for the Kindle. There are many new features available for Kindles these days, so you’ll want to hire a book formatting expert who can ensure your book captures all of those bells and whistles — or at the very least, be optimized for text resizing. I’ve returned Kindle books I’ve bought that didn’t have text resizing, so this is key.
You’ll also want your cover designer to create some mockups (like the image at the beginning of this section!) that you can use in your book marketing campaign.
Get My Amazon Self-Publishing Course
I just launched my new course on how to self-publish your book on Amazon KDP! Once you sign-up for the course, you’ll have access to a step-by-step guided instruction on how to launch your book on Amazon — plus a bonus section where I share some of my favorite book marketing tools along with tutorials on how to get the most out of them for promoting your book.
How I Help My Clients Publish Their Books on Amazon
Books are my love language, and there’s nothing that makes me happier than sharing my storytelling skills with others.
Here are some of the things myself and my team can help you with if you’re looking to hire help with publishing your book on Amazon:
Memoir/nonfiction ghostwriting. This is my specialty, and you can learn about my memoir ghostwriting services here. I’ve ghostwritten memoirs and nonfiction books for Silicon Valley CEOs, executive coaches, professional athletes, and other inspiring people. I’ve developed a method that helps me get to the heart of your story and tell it in an expansive way that will engage readers around the world.
Developmental editing. Do you have a draft — or even a partial draft — that needs reshaping? I’ve worked as a developmental editor for a number of different books where the author needed a fresh perspective on their work. I’ve even hired developmental editors for my own work, so I know how critical this role is! As an editor, I focus on augmenting story structure and packing a punch with more effective story bones that are built from your raw material. I consider myself an expert at concision and carving out authentic moments that make your audience feel as if they’re in step with every epiphany you share with them. Bestselling books feel like a perfectly-crafted conversation, and studying the art of communication is my life’s purpose.
Proofreading/interior book formatting. I’ve searched far and wide for grammar nerds of the highest quality to proofread and polish your manuscript. I work with team members who will pore over every word of your book before formatting it to professional literary standards so that your story looks and feels like shelf-worthy material.
Interior design and book cover design. My team of designers will create bespoke designs according to your vision of the book. I’ve prepared for you a short questionnaire to get to the heart of what you see in your head when you imagine your book in bookstores, and I work with my team to bring that vision to life.
Book marketing. I collaborate with a book marketing team to help bring my clients best-in-class book marketing and book funnel services for their self-published book. Whether you’re looking to go on a podcast tour for your book or get help running profitable Amazon ads, we’re here to help!
Want to get started? Tell me about your project below!
I Want Help With Ghostwriting, Book Editing, Book Design, or Book Publishing Services!
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