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Publishing your book on Amazon KDP Series:

#1 What to do before you start

 

Keep reading if your book is just another file on your computer and you’re tired of dreaming about publishing.

 

With Amazon KDP’s print-on-demand services (ie your book is printed each time someone purchases a copy from the Amazon store), you can bring your book to life without the relentless (and often unfruitful) search for a traditional publisher or literary agent.

 

Additionally, your book can look just as good as the others in your genre.

 

Although it can be tricky the first time you prepare for publication (and a time-consuming learning curve), you will be rewarded for your effort, patience and persistence when you see your book on the Amazon shelf. There’s nothing quite like that feeling of seeing KDP’s email:

 

‘Congratulations, your book is now live on the Amazon store!’.

 

 

5 tasks to complete before you start publishing your book on Amazon

 

 

Unquestionably, you want to publish a book to be proud of, so you must set your standards high. Having an ‘it’ll do’ attitude will come back to haunt you, and you’ll need to repeat elements of the publication process. So remember, 100% effort will pay off.

 

 

Publishing your book on Amazon

 

 

Task 1 – Editing and proofreading. These are essential parts of the process, and no matter how ready you think your book is, put it aside for a few days/weeks if time allows and give it another final read-through before doing anything else. Furthermore, if your budget allows, I’d recommend investing in a professional proofreader/editor (just like me): Proofreading Novels

Check out my proofreading article here: Proofreading Tips to Make Your Writing Sparkle

 

 

Task 2 – Do your research. Look at the best-selling books in your genre. Read through the blurbs, absorb the covers, digest the reviews and investigate which categories they’re selling best in. 

Establishing a firm idea of who your book will appeal to, which categories best describe your book, and its overall effect once published will stand you in good stead before the practical elements of publishing begin. Create a new folder and add links to your favourite covers, blurbs and reviews because this will save you so much time when you need inspiration or motivation. 

Here’s where you’ll find out about a book’s categories (see ‘Best Sellers Rank’). This is Julie Evans’ book, A Sisterhood of Silence: Vigilante Justice in a Seaside Town. Julie is one of my current authors who is enjoying incredible success with her Cornish Crime Series.

 

 

Here’s the book blurb so you can understand why the chosen categories are appropriate:

Jem Fielding is a pimp and drug lord who counts blackmail and violence as part of his repertoire. But when he abducts mute teenager Carly Taylor and attempts to bury her alive, he risks the wrath of a small Cornish town.

Carly survives but is damaged by her ordeal. She undergoes a disturbing psychological metamorphosis. As her psychosis grows she turns her back on those she loves, dedicating herself to Fielding’s destruction.

She is not alone.
Other women out there have cause to hate Fielding.
His abused wife, Josie, has found love with another woman but knows he will kill her if he discovers her secret, and Kerenza Martin’s ex-husband, a policeman has been trapped in a cycle of blackmail and corruption, jeopardizing her family’s safety.

If they try to fight Fielding alone, they will lose.
If the women join forces, take a stand and discover the power of Sisterhood, they might win, but at what cost?

 

 

Task 3 – Decide on your ISBN. Firstly, you may be thinking, what’s an ISBN?

“The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is a unique product identifier for books and related material. It is the most important number you will need and aids the listing, discovery and distribution of your books.” (Nielsen)

If you publish on Amazon’s KDP platform, you can use their free ISBN.

Obviously, the biggest benefit here is there is no price tag. I always advise my authors to grab the free ISBN if they’re unsure.

If you’re happy to publish on the Amazon store using their free ISBN option, go for it. It’s the biggest bookstore in the world, after all.

However, if your budget allows and you want to expand beyond Amazon’s reach (and sell your book in physical bookstores), you can purchase ISBNs and create your imprint (publishing company name).

Where to buy ISBNs if you’re in the UK

If you’re a UK author, you can find out more about Nielsen and how to buy ISBNs from their online store here >> www.nielsenisbnstore.com

Likewise, if you’d like to learn more about free versus paid ISBNs, here’s an article from KDP:  Should I use KDP’s free ISBN or my own? (amazon.com)

 

 

Task 4 – Set up your Amazon KDP publishing account. Though it sounds like a good idea to keep your publishing account separate from your personal Amazon account, this is not advisable. And it can get you into trouble. Instead, I’d recommend you stick to KDP’s terms and conditions if you want to avoid the risk of having your account terminated later.

Find out more about how to Create a KDP Account (amazon.com)

 

 

Task 5 – Give yourself a deadline. Basically, without deadlines, nothing gets finished. Well, that’s my experience, at least. So, I’d highly recommend setting a realistic schedule to ensure you publish your book in a timely manner. If you’re unsure what’s involved in the publication process, you can download my free checklist hereSelf-Publishing on Amazon: The FREE Checklist.

 

 

Finally, another significant thing you’ll need to do before publishing your book on Amazon is to embrace a positive, solutions-focused mindset. Find out more here: Self-Publishing Starter Tips Series: #1 A Positive Mindset.  

 

 

Quick recap: 5 tasks to complete before you start the publication process

 

 

Editing and proofreading.

Do your research.

Decide on your ISBN.

Set up your Amazon KDP publishing account.

Give yourself a deadline.

 

 

Evidently, there’s a lot to take in, but anything new always pushes you out of your comfort zone. So don’t give up!

The book publication process is exciting, and the sense of achievement it brings when you hold your book in your hands, well, I promise you, there’s nothing like it.

 

 

 

Keep reading the rest of my publishing your book on Amazon KDP Series if you’re a new author and serious about bringing your book to life.

 

 

And if you’d like some help, get in touch. I provide a wide range of author services to help you publish your book with confidence, including:

 

  1. Editing and proofreading your novel.
  2. Typesetting (ie making it look flawless on the page).
  3. Ebook formatting (making it easy to read on an e-reader).
  4. Cover design.
  5. Setting up your KDP account.
  6. Writing your book blurb.
  7. Researching keywords and categories.
  8. And I can even help with launch marketing, too.

 

 

Check out my author services here: Publish Your Book On Kindle and In Print

 

 

Good luck!

 

Michelle

Helping first-time authors to publish with ease and confidence.

 

If this article has helped you, please share your thoughts in the comments or the link with your writing friends. 


 

Related articles:

 

Serious about publishing your book in 2024? 

What to do When You’ve Finished Writing Your Book 

Self-Publishing: The Benefits of Hiring a Pro to Help

 

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