Self-Publishing Made Simple

Self-publishing has been made much more accessible because of Amazon. I mean a lot of things are more accessible because of Amazon, right? This blog discusses the ins and outs of publishing a print-on-demand book without consideration of any other elements related to traditional book publishing.

To be transparent, I do not have experience with traditional book publishing and I don't want to give that impression. Self-publishing is a rather inexpensive option for book publishing as it is offered by Amazon through a step-by-step process on their website (kdp.amazon.com). There are pros and cons to self-publishing and you can find those by doing some online research. I am not here to regurgitate information that can be found with a simple search on your browser.

While I won’t go into the actual steps to publishing a book on Amazon's Kindle Direct Print (KDP) website, they have all of that available for you already and it is pretty clear cut. I will, however, summarize the pieces that go into it and what it’s really like to make it to the finished product. Amazon does a thorough job of offering a DIY solution to book publishing but it’s not for everyone. It takes patiences and focused concentration to get through the process successfully. .

As simple as I can state this, self-publishing through Amazon KDP can become complicated and overwhelming if you let it. When I self-published my own creation, a personal journal with coloring pages included, I have to admit it wasn’t my first go at the whole progress. I was grateful to have had some experience with the website because the second time around it was much easier.

Previously, I was a contributor on a book about the history of Thirty-One, a company I proudly co-founded and dedicated 20 years of my life to. But beyond being included as a storyteller, I played a role behind the scenes in getting the transcript into its final published format. I

While this was a very interesting process, it was also a bittersweet experience since it was one of the final things I was involved with before departing the company soon after the book release. But that’s a story for another blog (or 20 - you can find my year-by-year accounting of my Thirty-One journey on my blog)..

Making something of my own creation was a very different experience than being a collaborator alongside a team of people who shared a common end goal and were financially compensated. My original intention was to prove to myself that I could create a printed piece from nothing, but I ended up realizing when I was holding the finished product that it gave me a sense of pride in myself that I made it happen.

I had taken an idea and turned it into reality. I had started with a few words typed on my screen and the end result was a piece I called “Authentic Reflections: A Creative Faith Journal”. For reference, here’s a glance at what is inside:

While my journal is one of many on the market, I am proud of how I brought together journaling, page coloring and some of my favorite bible verses into a piece that once completed can be treasured for a long time. I’ve chosen to make use my personal journal as a mother & daughter activity with my 11-year-old. Helping to guide her into a journaling habit is very important to me. I’ve personally been journaling for well over 20 years and will do it for the rest of my life. That’s how strongly I feel about the benefits of writing in a journal.

I’m listing here the big tasks that I feel are the most important when going through the process of self-publishing.

Step 1: The idea. You obviously need a book concept at the beginning of this process. This can be as simplistic or as detailed as necessary for you to feel like you’ve got a worthwhile concept ready to bring to life.

Step 2: The outline: You need to create the high level components that will go into your book. I suggest typing your ideas in an outline format into a document that is backed up to the cloud.

Step 3: The content: You may feel like the content for your book flows out of every part of you. Or you may struggle with putting the content together by section or chapter. Whatever your process; have it all typed into a document that is backed up to the cloud so you don’t lose it along the way.

Step 4: The layout: You will want to determine your preferred book size by referencing the KDP website and grab the template they offer, then start laying out your pages. I used Canva as it was an easy to use tool I could access from both my phone and laptop.

Step 5: The creativity: You may want to outsource this part, but at a minimum you will need an eye catching front cover for your book. I created my cover in Canva. You will also want to grab the cover template that is on the KDP site to ensure you have your front and back cover as well as the spine laid out correctly.

Step 6: The price: You should do your homework on this one and determine what other books in your niche sell for. The site will show you your profit margin based on your page count, paper quality selected and things like that. It's a very informative process and you can also select from paperback and hardback options.

Step 7: The audience: This one is a must. You will need a marketing message that drives your audience to jump at the offer of your new publication. The larger the audience, the better. Creating a launch plan in partnership with a few advocates that will promote the book for you can help. A social media strategy that begins prior to your launch and long after your launch is a necessity.

If you are still reading, then you're interest in this process may a sign you have something to share. From here you’ll get on the Amazon KDP site and follow the steps all the way through to create your very first physical book sample. White the site requires you to review a PDF proof, it will cost just a few dollars to get the book proof sent to you but it’s a necessary step in my opinion. Holding the printed book will help you determine how you feel about it going out into the world. You still have the chance to modify the contents or design at this point as long as the book is not yet published.

As a process note, the book sample you receive will come with a color band printed across the front with a message stating that it is not a final publication. Kind of like the school or sports photos with the photographers name digitally overlaid on the picture. It’s not final until they say it’s final. Your book isn’t final until you click on the ‘publish’ button. Prior to publishing, you'll also want to decide if you prefer a matte or glossy paperback cover.

The ‘publish’ button sets things into motion but it can take several days for the page on Amazon to become live. You’ll have the opportunity to add content to your sellers page about yourself and the book. After a while they will include the option for viewers to “peek inside” with their preview tool.

If this option is up your alley then I wish you the best and hope to see you on Amazon!