Content creators have more avenues to promote their content or publish their books for their followers. Some would use videos to connect with their audience. Some would use webinars to educate their followers or readers. Others would go for ebooks because it provides more substance for their readers.
Some content creators would choose to have their e-books downloaded for free to gain more reach. While others would prefer using Amazon KDP to get more revenue. According to Crazy Egg, Scott Britton earned $36,000 by self-publishing a book on Amazon. Meanwhile, one of the highest conversion rates for publishing an Amazon KDP book they saw was for Sean Ogle which was at 600%.
In this article, we discuss the basics of publishing Amazon books and starter ideas for newbies or for those who want to start writing their books.
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What is KDP?
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KDP is Amazon’s dedicated publishing branch. KDP allows aspiring writers and bloggers like you to publish their original content on a global scale in Amazon’s Kindle store. Amazon launched KDP back in 2007 and based on an Author Earnings’ report, over 20,000 self-published authors sold over 480 million copies. The increase in numbers still brings in more self-publishers to the site due to ease and accessibility in the publishing process.
Amazon trims the sometimes frustrating and complex process of publishing through a book publisher. Instead, the global marketplace enables you to sign up for free. All you need to do is fill out important publishing details and you’re all set to start.
How does it work?
For one, you need to have your own Amazon publishing account. In doing so, you’ll need to provide important details such as:
- Your name
- Contact details and address
- An account number for direct royalty deposits
- Your tax account
Once you have that all set, you’ll see the Amazon KDP dashboard. On the dashboard, you’ll see tools such as Bookshelf, where you can view all your published books and those that are in the works. A reports tab is for all the data and metrics of your book. The reports feature can help you monitor your book’s performance and assess strategies to help you earn more revenue.
With those said, your next step is to upload your book. Before we get to that, why don’t we explore ideas you can consider in the next phase of your writing journey.
Ideas for KDP books
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You can publish anything on the internet. You have a wide range of topics to uncover and discover in your quest to publish a book on Amazon KDP.
You need to remember that there’s a variety of subscribers and readers on Amazon KDP. They’re waiting for the next big thing. They’re looking to read something for their next book club. They’re checking out what’s new for them to read.
Whether you’re a first-time self-publisher or an experienced one, you can find topics to write with just a Google search.
If you get stuck or you’re still figuring out what to write, you can check out these five ideas:
1. Fiction and Non-Fiction Stories
People look for new stories to read, despite having almost the same plots time and time again. For some people, reading is a good way to escape. If you can provide that, your next book might just be the next big hit!
You can publish the novel you’ve been working on for years, you can release the short stories you’ve written. If you’re a fanfiction writer, it’s possible to monetize that as well. If fiction isn’t your thing, non-fiction pieces also perform well on Amazon.
TCK Publishing finds the top-performing categories are Romance, Contemporary, Sci-Fi, Coming of Age, and Mystery. For non-fiction, self-help and biographical books are the top sellers. Books are no longer just fictional or non-fictional stories. There’s more to life than just stories, and people consume other types of content that will give them advice or guidance.
2. Guides
Say you’re making a guide about travel. You can write a series of how-to guides for travel. For example, you can write about how to pack when traveling. What to remember when you’re traveling to a certain country. You can even write about travel tips when visiting different countries.
You ever notice that a lot of content start with “how to?” That’s because people want to get an idea of how things work and apply it. This type of content generates buzz over the internet. How-to posts remain a good source of content not just on the internet, but also as a book. You can write just about anything you do, which can help make people’s lives easier. Oftentimes, experts not only just publish those guidebooks, but they find ways to promote their content through other sources such as videos, blogs, or infographics.
3. Republished content
Content creators and marketers tend to discuss different topics and generate keywords to write about those topics. Sometimes, though, it gets repetitive or irrelevant at some point. To avoid that, one of their strategies is to republish content so that it continues to drive traffic to their website or other channels. You can use one of your videos, webinars, or podcasts and turn them into an ebook. It’s a practice many content creators do, and it’s something you can pursue if you have those or any other type of valuable and informational content.
4. Educational or Academic
It’s no secret that several college students have difficulty finding textbooks due to how expensive they are. Students would face difficulty because of student loans, so one of their options is buying a used textbook if it’s available. People even resort to pirating textbooks to lessen costs. Some websites do offer open-source textbooks, but the titles are limited. If you’re a content creator focused on education, you have a large target market. In the US, over 19 million students will attend school in Fall 2019.
If you create a textbook with credible sources and accurate information, students can consider this as a reference for papers. If you complement it with a workbook for them to practice learning the lesson, it would become a great resource. You can provide your textbooks for free or sell at a low price when you market them either as an ebook or paperback. Amazon has an Extended Publishing feature, wherein Amazon can sell your books to libraries and bookstores.
5. Collection or Compilation
Content curation is a common practice by bloggers and writers on the internet. The idea of content curation is to establish authority and add value to the writer or the blog. Sometimes blogs aren’t enough. If you collect recipes, poems, photos, and quotes, those are things you can share with different audiences. Over 100 ideas are available at your disposal. In the end, it’s up to you on what type of content you’ll publish on Amazon’s KDP.
The idea of having a collection or compilation is to show your interests and establish a connection with like-minded people. Remember to keep your collection or compilation relevant, meaning it shouldn’t be a compilation just for the sake of it. You can set a theme that would make your compilation worth reading.
6. Comic Book or Graphic Novel
While comic books or graphic novels fall under fiction, comic books or graphic novels are a specific genre. Since they use drawings or designs to tell a story or illustrate a dialogue. Comic books are a hit because many like hero genres or mangas (Japanese graphic novels). Many people look for fresh comic book ideas, and if you have one, don’t hesitate in creating one.
However, this works best if you’re a content creator with writing and drawing skills. This way, you’re able to use your talents and get more income while doing what you love. But if you’re not that’s fine. You can ask for a collaborator or you might need an illustrator or a graphic designer if you’re better off with words and vice versa.
Comic books are always trendy, especially for those who want a quick read and see beautiful illustrations at the same time.
How To Upload
Once you’ve finally decided on a topic, you’ll need to write it and prepare a draft. However, if you do have a final draft ready to publish, you’re ready to upload through Amazon KDP. Of course, before publishing your book, you’ll need to have an editor look over it thoroughly. Amazon outlines six steps on how you can upload your ebook.
- Click on the Bookshelf
- Press on the “…” button, below the KINDLE EBOOK ACTIONS text
- Click on the Edit eBook Content button
- Then, select Manuscript and upload eBook manuscript
- Click Open so you can search for your manuscript
- Wait for five to seven minutes for Amazon to confirm your upload
Before you unveil your book to the world, your book needs a cover. Amazon does provide self-publishers an option to design their book covers through the Cover Creator. The Cover Creator tool directs you to the editor. From there, you can choose a layout and a photo. Then you can customize your own cover through text and colors.
If you’re not as creative in designing, don’t fret. You can hire a freelance designer or subscribe through a service that can help you get better designs for your cover. They can assist you and ensure that the book cover is of high standards. Sometimes, a well-designed book cover can help bring in sales. Not only would they provide graphics for your book, but they can also make promotional materials for your Amazon KDP book.
Designing Your KDP Book
You might miss this important part of writing your Amazon Kindle books: design. Design is integral in making the book stand out from competitors. Through design, you’re able to express yourself. Text isn’t the only thing you should prioritize in your Amazon KDP book.
There are some elements of your Amazon KDP book and you can add some graphics into your book cover and the pages of your book. As previously mentioned, you can hire a graphic design service or a freelance designer to help you out with making your book visually appealing.
When you ask for another person to create your book cover, make sure that you have a specific vision in mind. At the same time, you need to set realistic expectations in terms of their deadline and drafts they create. Communication is key in design.
Another thing you can have designed are the pages of your book. You can see that some books have illustrations or borders. It can enhance the look of your book. For example, with Guides, you can create graphs or statistics to illustrate trends or data.
However, if you’re also a creative looking to publish your book, you have design tools at your disposal. That way, your book is not only filled with text or pictures, but you’re enhancing it by adding some embellishments to make your book stand out from the rest.
Making Money
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Content creators use Amazon KDP as a revenue stream. Bloggers and marketers can earn more profit by publishing more ebooks. In doing so, they’re not only widening their reach but gaining revenue through two different methods.
According to author Ayodeji Awosika, you can set up an ad campaign for your KDP ebook. Based on Awosika’s experience, he chose Sponsored Products, which he selected the book he wanted to advertise, inputted his budget for the ad, used keywords, and the Cost-Per-Click (CPC) bid, which refers to the amount you can spend for every click on your ad.
Another option to earn more revenue from publishing your ebook or paperback is through KDP Select. KDP Select is a way for you to get more recognition and receive 70% more royalties from select territories. Once you’re part of KDP Select, you’re entitled to get a share of the KDP Global Fund when audiences read your book/s. According to Monica Dube, you get around $.004 to $.005 per page from KDP Global Fund.
Why self-publish on Amazon KDP?
Amazon KDP provides authors and content creators a platform to publish their writing without going through a grueling process. Amazon streamlined the publishing process to cater to self-publishers and help them reach audiences. When you’re ready, all you need to do is go to the Amazon KDP website and start the publishing process. Have a manuscript ready? All you need to do is sign up, fill in some forms, and get your audience reading to earn some money.
