Kindle Direct for Dummies
Nothing is better than having a step by step guide when you're first experiencing a new challenge. I know when I first was working on Princess Gabriella and the Never-Ending Kiss I would've really appreciated this guide.
Even though Kindle Direct Publishing is a step by step process some of the details of those steps can be confusing; especially when you don't know what you are doing.
Lucky for you, I've been through the process and want to make it easy for you to experience!
It may seem daunting but I promise once you do it the following times will be a breeze.
Follow These Simple Steps to Publish Your eBook to Amazon
1. Sign up for Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing
Before loading your book straight to Amazon you first have to sign up for Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing. This is super easy. All you have to do is go to www.kdp.com.
If you already have an Amazon account, all you have to do is sign in with your pre-existing password and username. Fill out the form and you're ready to start uploading your book!
There is even an adorable animated video encouraging you to sign up. Just for the cuteness alone I suggest watching it.
2. Uploading Your Kindle eBook
Once on the main page, click the Kindle eBook button located on the top left of the page. This will bring you right into the details of your story.
3. Fill Out the 'Edit eBook Details' Page
On the Edit eBook Details page there are 12 sections you will have to fill out. These sections require basic information about your book which you should already know by now. It should only take a few minutes to fill out this page.
The first two sections include the language your story is written in. There is a long list to choose from, but English will be automatically filled in for you. The next section is the title of your story. Just remember to spell check everything as you fill this form out! You don't want to be spelling anything wrong, especially your title.
The next three sections are easy to fill out with 2 of them being optional.
If your novel is a stand alone book don't worry about creating a series in section 3. If it's the first in a series go ahead and create a series name, and the type of series your book will be. There is an info button to help you decide (I suggest skipping this until you have your second book ready to publish so readers aren't confused and searching for the second book).
No need to fill out section 4 since this is the first time uploading your story. You can always go back and change it later if need be.
Section 5 is the easiest of them all! The author's name... oh wait that's you! All you have to do is type your first and last name, or penname if you so choose.
Sections 6 and 7 are also a breeze. Do you have anyone else who contributed to your book like a fellow author or illustrator? Add their name and title to give them credit. If you went solo on your story then skip to the next section!
Section 7 will be extremely easy if you have your blurb/description from the back of your book already written. Just copy and paste! Remember if you want your description to look a certain way on Amazon you need to have the blurb in http format.
For the copyrights section, click the button 'public domain' unless you have verified paperwork stating you have copy rights to your story. Copyrights aren't necessary, but they are nice to have in case anyone tries to steal your story.
The hardest part of uploading your eBook to Amazon is choosing the correct key words. I suggest doing a few hours of research beforehand so you know which keywords will bring you the best results. A good reminder... don't use words from your title or book description as Amazon is already using those in the search engine.
The categories section is less daunting than the keywords section, but choosing an appropriate category for your novel to be featured in is another topic you will want to research heavily. Choose topics which are related to your story or else readers won't be able to find your book.
Phew! We are on to our final two sections on the 'Edit eBook Details' page. Honestly, these two sections should take only a few seconds. If you are writing a children's book I highly suggest filling out the Age and Grade group section. Otherwise, if you're writing for adults, skip this section.
Lastly, can you pre-order your book? Owning copyrights does allow you to have a preorder but, in this case, if you are going with the public domain for copyrights this option is not available for you.
4. Kindle eBook Content Upload
After hitting the save and continue button you will be brought to the Kindle eBook Content page. This only has a few sections to fill out but they are crucial as it's the main content of your novel.
The first section contains digital rights management. Click 'yes' if you would like people to be able to share your book, or click 'no' so people can only lend or purchase as gifts. For my story, I clicked 'no' since I wanted people to purchase my book as it was on sale at the time of release. Think hard about this decision because once you publish your book you can't change options.
Then, in the same section, upload your interior content using appropriate files listed in the description. It will take a minute or so to load.
Make sure your interior pages have loaded fully before continuing to the Kindle eBook cover section.
You should have your own cover, created by a professional, ready to upload by simply clicking on 'upload your cover file'. This should only take a few seconds to load.
Go to the Kindle Preview section to see if everything has loaded correctly before moving onto the next section. Grab a cup of coffee and a book while this loads on your computer... it could be while. You might have to download the Kindle Preview Finder for this to work.
Yay! Your book is now uploaded and looking ready to publish! But wait, there are just a few more steps.
5. Kindle eBook Pricing
We are on to the final steps before you get to hit the publish button. These final steps can be confusing depending on how you wish to sell your book.
The first section brings you to Kindle Select, a program Amazon has set up for more readers to see your book. Only problem with Select is your book will be free and only available for Kindle. I opted out of this section as I did not want my book exclusive to Amazon.
If you would like your book to be on Kindle Select then you need to make sure you have the copywrites to your story.
The territories section is easy. Click all territories so your novel can be accessed worldwide. See I told you it was easy!
When it comes to pricing out your book it is really up to you to figure out your story's worth. Research similar books in your genre for a better idea.
Amazon will take a percentage of your sales. If you own your copyrights click 70% of royalties. This means for every dollar you will get 70 cents. If you are going with a public domain you get no choice but to get 35%.
The book lending section is optional. If you want people to be able to lend your book out then click the check box. Otherwise leave it as is.
And finally we are on the easiest step of them all! Clicking the publish button! There is a box for terms and conditions letting you know it could take up to 72 hours for your book to be reviewed and live on Amazon. For me, the longest the review process lasted was a few hours. It is a good reminder though if you are wanting to launch on a certain date to be prepared before hand.
Before clicking 'Publish Your Kindle eBook' save everything you just filled in for your story. Go back to the Kindle eBook Details and reread/review all your information. Check for misspellings or errors.
Once you have done the review you are now ready to hit the yellow publish button. Take a video or photo while you do so you can remember the moment. I promise it's a fun experience to be apart of.
Final Thoughts
You did it! You finally published your novel for the world to see. I hoped this step by step guide helped relieve some of the confusion when it comes to Kindle Direct Publishing.
If you are interested in other tips and tricks when it comes to writing and publishing check out these posts.
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