So, you’re ready to publish your first book?

First of all, congratulations! Writing a book is the hardest part. In fact, the percentage of authors who actually complete their first manuscript is estimated to be as low as 3%.

But books are made to be read, so if you’re ready to publish your manuscript, keep on reading. Below is a step-by-step guide to publishing your book TODAY!

What is Amazon KDP?

KDP stands for Kindle Direct Publishing. It is a self-publishing platform that is owned by Amazon, which helps your book to reach the audiences that order books and ebooks through Amazon and Kindle.

There is no need for paying for printing because KDP is print-on-demand, so the cost is immediately covered by their share, and you receive the money left over after production.

The percentage of royalties made by the author (you) depends on the format your book is in:

If you publish a paperback, you will receive 60% of the list price leftover after printing cost. That is WAY more than the average royalty for traditionally published paperbacks which usually hovers around 10-15%.

If you publish an ebook, KDP gives you two different distribution options which come with different royalty percentages. The first one is called KDP Select, and it comes with a whopping 70% author royalty. For a book to qualify for Kindle Unlimited it needs to be sold exclusively on Amazon and needs to be prices between $2.99 and $9.99. KDP Select also comes with perks like enrolling your book into Kindle Unlimited and having access to different types of book promotions. All other ebooks will receive a 35% author royalty, which is still considered a great cut for authors.

How to Publish Your Book on KDP

Before you start publishing, make sure you format your book. This should include mirrored margins with a .5 on three sides and a .75 on the internal side. Choose the right font and type size for your book to be easy to read and make sure you have any copyright pages, a table of contents, and any other book format requirements your book needs to be complete.

Once you are ready to publish go to KDP and create an account. When you get to your dashboard you will see options to create your book in either paperback, ebook, or audiobook. (This is a new feature they are still perfecting, and it can only be done with current ebooks for now.)

Here is a list of all of the things you need have ready to input when you publish your book:

• Title and subtitle or series name
• Names of authors, illustrators, editors, or others that worked on the book
• Description of your book (this should be at least 1-2 paragraphs)
• ISBN (This is basically the product number. You can buy your own at Bowker or you can let Amazon assign one to you. Note: If you use Amazon, this will automatically identify your book as being self-published to sellers.)
• Book cover. I recommend Self Pub Book Covers if you don’t want to make your own. If you are creative, Canva has great options for designing book covers.
• Book genre and key words
• Book blurb for the back of the book
• Price you want your book to be listed for
• Manuscript of you book (you should have both a Word document or Google doc and a PDF)

Hopefully, this guide can help you get started publishing today.

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