A book can be many different things. It can be instructional, inspirational, based on real life or something more fictional. Plenty of people out there have a lot to share. They also have the skills to eloquently get their thoughts across through writing, but not all of them will be granted the chance to publish a book.
With the internet constantly changing the way we receive and disseminate information, it’s not surprising that the publishing of written work has become a lot more accessible for many as well. Just take the Kindle Publishing platform for example. All you need to do is write your masterpiece and publish it through Amazon. It’s that simple!
However, simple doesn’t always mean it’s easy to get started. For that, we’ve prepared a few tips. These are basic guidelines that should be help you with putting down the foundations for your new book.
I. Start Writing
The first step is to write, of course. Give yourself three drafts-just enough to get it right.
· Take a blank page – Now, write down every idea that you have. Just write it down. From the basic outline to your table of contents. Don’t mind that it’s messy and seemingly aimless. You can sort through it later. The important thing is that you get started with it and manage to save every good idea you get in the process. This is your “vomit” draft.
· This next step is where you actually spent some time sorting through the first draft. Take some time to develop what ideas you can use and discard what doesn’t fit (or save them for another book). Think about what you really want to say and write it down-make it more organized this time. This is the “review” draft.
· For the third one, ask a friend or professional to read through your work and provide an opinion. They can see what you might have missed and check if you made any mistakes, not just in grammar but also the structure of your book. This is the “editorial” draft.
II. Design and Format
Now, the fun part. Making your book look visually appealing to match the content.
· Format it for Kindle. There is a program called “Calibre” that you can use for this but it is recommended to get a professional instead. This is especially so if you do not have much experience with the program or if you’re not comfortable with using it.
· Sort out the cover. Treat this as the face of your book so spend some time and a little budget on it. There are plenty of options online for outsourcing the work if you don’t have the skills to do it personally.
III. Publishing
The most important thing. It’s simple enough to do so just follow the guidelines below.
1. Go to kdp.amazon.com and sign in for an account.
2. Input your tax info to receive your royalties.
3. Click on “Bookshelf” and then click on “Add new title.”
4. Fill out the form properly.
5. Upload your book cover.
6. Upload the book itself.
7. Check how your book looks on Amazon’s online viewer.
8. Click “Save and continue” before moving to the “Rights and Pricing” page.
9. Click on “Worldwide Rights.”
10. Now, opt for a 70% royalty rate and then select your price, this allows international prices to adjust based on the US price.
11. Click Save and Publish.
12. Amazon will email you when the book is ready.
Easy, isn’t it? However, here’s a PRO TIP: Don’t rush the creation of your e-book-it does not matter if it’s a work of fiction or something meant to provide information. Quality trumps quantity in this case. You won’t make more money by publishing a lot of books within a short period of time.
What you want is for people to notice your content and keep coming back for more. So focus on writing something really good, the money will follow suit.
Good luck!
