Aristotle said, “To write well, express yourself like the common people, but think like a wise man.”

According to Author Earnings, as many as 31% of e-book sales on Amazon's Kindle Store are actually self-published (Hawkins, 2017). If you too feel stifled within boundaries set by traditional publishing houses or wish for more creative control and royalties from your labor, KDP could be the platform that launches your writing career. Self-publishing a book can do many things for you, my creator friend, from boosting your profile to creating another stream of income. Almost every kind of creator can benefit from publishing a book. In a future episode I’m going to outline each of the creator types and how each can use a book to advance their business.

Here’s a really unlikely example: A band. Rock, folk, country, whatever. Why create a book?

1. Bands (and you, the creator) rely on making a connection with your fans. First, idea: a book about the band with history, membership and gigs. Origins.  Hopefully great images of live shows and discography.  Addresses of online presences, how to book the band, other contact information, creative process, gear. Second idea: For a concept album, collab with artists about each song, light storytelling, again contact info. Gives fans something for autographs, can have at the back of the gig for additional sales.

2. Create Your Account: Sign up for free on KDP using either your existing Amazon account or by creating a new one. Be business ready. Check out episode 002: Are you business ready? Very important to get paid.

3. Compile your book: Formatting here is very, very important. Fiction / novels are probably the easiest. Kindle eBook vs. Print vs. Kindle Vella (like podcast), hardcover.  My recommendation: Format for a softcover print book, branch out from there.

4. Design Your Cover: Craft an eye-catching book cover or hire a professional designer. Remember, first impressions count! Recommended for new authors of fiction, you can use the Cover creator right in KDP.

5. Kindle eBook Details & Pricing: Fill out necessary information such as title, author name, keywords etc., then set pricing based on market research and estimations of what customers might be willing to pay.

6. Upload & Publish: Fine-tune formatting errors and upload the eBook/PDF file on KDP dashboard followed by 'publish'. Pro tip: order a proof copy for yourself. This takes time but is worth it.

   Will a self-published book help you go from posts to profits?

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Edited with Resound