how to write books on kindle

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How to Create a Kindle Book

Last Updated: August 19, 2019 References

This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Nicole Levine, MFA . Nicole Levine is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. She has more than 20 years of experience creating technical documentation and leading support teams at major web hosting and software companies. Nicole also holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Portland State University and teaches composition, fiction-writing, and zine-making at various institutions. There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 42,084 times. Learn more...

This wikiHow teaches you how to use Kindle Create to convert your book manuscript to the Kindle format.

Creating a Project

• If you wrote your book in Google Docs, download it as a .docx or .pdf file to your computer.
• If you wrote a text-based book in Pages for macOS, see How to Convert Pages to Word .

• Go to the Kindle Create download page .
• Scroll down and click Download Now next to your operating system (Windows or macOS).
• Save the installer to your computer.
• Double-click the installer and follow the on-screen instructions to install the app.

• If you’re creating a book from a .doc or .docx file, click Get Started to open the Automatic Chapter Titles window. Follow the on-screen instructions to select/deselect suggested chapter names, then click Accept Selected .

• To work on the project later, re-open Kindle Create, and click Resume Existing Project .

• In the ″Contents″ panel, click a page you want to add to the TOC.
• Check the box next to ″Include Page in Table of Contents.″
• Enter a title.
• Repeat these steps for all pages you want to add to the TOC.

• Rearrange: Drag a page’s thumbnail to the desired place in the book.
• Adding pages: Right-click a page’s thumbnail, select Insert Pages , and then follow the on-screen instructions to import the PDF that contains the page(s).
• Deleting pages: Right-click a page’s thumbnail and select Delete Selected Pages .

Saving and Publishing

• If you make any changes to your book later, you’ll need to publish the file to a new .kpf file.

• Click your name at the top-right corner of the screen.
• Select your country.
• Fill out the form completely.
• Complete the tax interview.
• Click Save .

• 16 Click Publish Your eBook . All of the information you entered will now be compiled into a single downloadable book. The process is usually complete in a few hours, but you may have to wait up to a day to find it on Amazon.com.

Expert Q&A

You might also like.

• ↑ https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G7R2L7V5X6SJH948
• ↑ https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/GJMRD9F78MS9F43R
• ↑ https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/GMUKXSTBCN6F2TGM
• ↑ https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G202187760
• ↑ https://www.thebookdesigner.com/2018/06/posting-on-kdp/

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How to Write a Book on Kindle: A Comprehensive Guide for Authors

By: Author Paul Jenkins

Posted on April 25, 2023

Categories Writing , Publishing

Are you a budding writer looking to make a splash in self-publishing? With Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), you can easily create and publish your ebook, reaching millions of readers worldwide. But before you start typing away, it’s essential to understand the platform’s specifics and the necessary steps to create a captivating, well-formatted book. From clarifying your purpose to formatting your manuscript, the journey to becoming a successful Kindle author can be daunting. However, with the right tools and guidance, you can make your writing dreams a reality.

Understanding Kindle Publishing Platforms

When it comes to publishing a book on Kindle, authors have a variety of platforms to choose from, each with its unique features and benefits. This section will explore the primary Kindle publishing platforms: Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), KDP Select, Kindle Unlimited, and Kindle Vella.

Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP)

Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing is a popular platform that allows authors to self-publish their books in both eBook and print-on-demand paperback formats. It is a straightforward process that involves creating an account, uploading the manuscript, and selecting pricing and distribution options. KDP enables authors to reach a wide audience through the Amazon marketplace, retaining control over their work and royalties. The company’s comprehensive formatting and cover design resources help authors ensure their books meet Amazon’s guidelines.

KDP Select is an optional program provided by Amazon KDP that enrolls authors’ eBooks exclusively on Amazon for 90 days. By joining KDP Select, authors can access additional marketing and promotional tools, such as Kindle Countdown Deals or Free Book Promotions. Participation in the program also allows authors to earn higher royalties from Kindle Unlimited and Kindle Owners’ Lending Library. However, KDP Select requires authors to remove their eBooks from other digital distribution platforms.

Kindle Unlimited

Kindle Unlimited is a subscription service that lets readers access a vast selection of eBooks for a fixed monthly fee. Authors enrolled in KDP Select can include their books in this program, providing them with a broader audience and additional earnings. Kindle Unlimited royalties are based on the number of pages read and the total royalties available in the KDP Select Global Fund each month.

Kindle Vella

Kindle Vella is a new platform by Amazon (currently in the US only) that allows authors to publish stories in a serialized format. Authors can release episodes ranging from 600 to 5,000 words each, with the first few episodes available for free to help attract readers. Kindle Vella readers use in-app tokens to unlock subsequent episodes, and the authors earn a share of the revenue generated from the purchase of these tokens.

Preparing Your Manuscript

Writing your book.

Writing a book for Kindle requires focus, dedication, and a clear understanding of your target audience. Start by outlining your ideas and organizing your thoughts. Then, develop a structured plan for your manuscript, which includes chapters or sections.

Formatting Your Text

Formatting your text correctly is essential for a professional-looking Kindle book. First, ensure that your paragraphs are consistently indented and that line spacing is set appropriately. When it comes to fonts, choose a readable option such as Times New Roman or Arial in a suitable size (usually 12 pt).

Microsoft Word and Google Docs

Microsoft Word and Google Docs are popular options for writing and formatting eBooks. They offer a wide range of formatting tools and features that make it easy to create a professional-looking manuscript. To ensure compatibility with Kindle, save your file in a format such as .doc or .docx, which can then be converted to the proper Kindle format.

Kindle Create

Kindle Create is a free software provided by Amazon that simplifies creating a Kindle book. It offers a user-friendly interface for designing both reflowable and interactive eBooks. The software is available for Windows and Mac and will convert your manuscript into the appropriate Kindle-compatible format (.kpf) when you are ready to publish.

Kindle Format and Conversion

The Kindle format is a unique type of eBook file designed to work seamlessly on Amazon’s e-readers and mobile devices. To create a Kindle-compatible book, you must convert your manuscript from its original format (such as .doc, .docx, or .pdf) to the Kindle-supported format (.mobi or .azw3). For this purpose, you can use tools like Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing or third-party software like Calibre or Vellum (for Mac).

Creating an Engaging Book Cover

A captivating book cover is crucial for attracting potential readers and conveying the essence of your book. An engaging cover can significantly impact your book’s visibility and success on Kindle.

Start by brainstorming concepts that embody the core themes of your book. Identify the main elements you want to highlight, such as characters, settings, or symbols. Don’t forget to consider your target audience, as this can influence your design’s style, colors, and visual elements.

Once you have a clear vision, you can create your book cover using various tools and resources:

• Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing’s (KDP) Cover Creator is a free tool that offers various layouts, fonts, and customization options. It also automatically adds your book’s ISBN to the barcode area on the back cover.
• Kindle Create is another Amazon tool that helps you create professional-quality eBooks with ease.
• Freelance platforms like Fiverr can help you find affordable designers to create a custom cover tailored to your book’s needs.

Ensure that your book cover meets the technical requirements for Amazon KDP, such as file format, dimensions, and resolution. Also, remember that your cover should look appealing in print and digital platforms, as Kindle users will often see a thumbnail image of the cover in their libraries.

Publishing Your Book

Kindle ebook.

When self-publishing a Kindle ebook, you’ll need to start by creating a well-formatted manuscript. Your document should be in the widely-supported .doc, .docx, or .html format, easily converted by Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing ( KDP ). KDP’s conversion tools work best for simple formatting, so avoid using complex styles and layouts.

For those wishing to publish a print version of their book alongside the ebook, Amazon’s KDP also supports a paperback option. Authors can submit a PDF file with their book’s content and cover, ensuring it meets Amazon’s guidelines (found here ). In addition, authors should consider the dimensions, formatting, and font sizes to optimize their book for print.

Amazon Kindle Publishing

Once your manuscript is ready, navigate to Amazon KDP and sign in with your Amazon account or create one if you don’t have one. Upload your ebook or, if preparing a print version, a pdf file. You’ll need to provide book details, including title, author name, description, and relevant keywords to help readers discover your book. Additionally, set a price for your book, considering that different royalty rates apply based on the pricing tier.

After finalizing your book’s details and uploading your manuscript, review your submission for errors through KDP’s online previewer. Once satisfied, submit your book for publishing, usually taking around 72 hours for the book to appear on Amazon’s Kindle Store.

Apple Books

If you wish to expand your market by publishing on Apple Books, you’ll need to create an account on Apple’s Books for Authors . After signing in, upload your ebook file in EPUB format, complying with Apple’s requirements detailed in the guide. Next, provide your book details, choose pricing and territories, and submit your book for review. The process usually takes a few days, after which your book will be available in the Apple Books Store.

Optimizing Your Book Listing

Optimizing your book listing on Kindle is essential to attract more readers and increase sales. This section will focus on three essential sub-sections to enhance your book’s discoverability: Book Title and Description, Author Central, and Keywords and Categories.

Book Title and Description

A compelling book title and description can make a significant difference in capturing potential readers’ attention. The title should be unique, concise, and relevant to the book’s content. Consider researching similar titles in the Kindle Store to get an idea of what works well in your genre.

The book description is equally essential in attracting readers. Aim to write a clear, captivating, and informative description. Be sure to mention the main ideas, theme, or plot without giving too much away. Include details about the intended audience and why they should read your book. Proper formatting, such as using bold, italic, and bulleted lists, can help make your description more appealing.

Author Central

Creating an Author Central account on Amazon Author Central helps improve visibility and credibility. An Author Central account allows you to create a detailed author bio, add a professional author photo, and link all your published books. This platform also lets you track your book’s performance, such as sales rank and customer reviews.

It is essential to have a professional and engaging author bio to build trust and showcase your expertise. Mention any relevant experience, qualifications, or awards you may have, and provide a few personal details to make it relatable.

Keywords and Categories

Selecting accurate keywords and categories is essential for making your book discoverable to the target audience. To find the most effective keywords related to your book, search for popular terms in your genre on the Kindle Store and use tools like Google Keyword Planner . Add the chosen keywords to your book’s metadata in the Amazon KDP dashboard.

Similarly, choose appropriate categories for your book by analyzing the best sellers in your genre. By picking the right categories, your book will be more likely to appear in search results for readers interested in similar titles.

Promoting Your Book

Once you have written and published your book on Kindle, it’s time to focus on promoting it. This section will cover essential promotional tactics, such as social media and email marketing, Kindle Countdown Deals, and Free Promotions.

Social Media and Email Marketing

You can easily begin promoting your Kindle book on Amazon using your existing social media and web platforms. Schedule regular posts containing the link to your Amazon book page and tag people or accounts who might be interested in your topic. Furthermore, sharing engaging content related to your book’s subject matter can be a powerful way to spark interest among potential readers.

Email marketing is another essential tool for promoting your book. Develop a list of subscribers interested in your writing and inform them about your book’s launch or updates. By cultivating a relationship with your email list, you increase the likelihood of their support for your book.

Kindle Countdown Deal

The Kindle Countdown Deal is a benefit offered by Amazon KDP that allows authors to conduct time-limited promotional pricing for their books in a specific market. This promotion can generate significant visibility for your book and motivate potential buyers to take advantage of the reduced price while it lasts. To participate in a Kindle Countdown Deal , ensure that your book meets the eligibility requirements outlined by Amazon.

Free Promotions

Another promotional strategy provided by Amazon KDP is the Free Promotions tool. With this feature, you can offer your book for free to readers for a limited time. This can help increase your book’s visibility and garner more reviews from readers who might not have considered your book otherwise. To take advantage of Free Promotions, enroll in the KDP Select program and ensure that your book meets the eligibility requirements outlined by Amazon.

Incorporating these promotional tactics into your overall marketing strategy ensures that your book will reach a wider audience and increase its chances of success on the Kindle platform.

Navigating Different Kindle Devices

As an author, understanding how to navigate various Kindle devices is important for creating a better reading experience for your audience. This section will explore navigation techniques for Kindle Fire, Kindle eReaders, and the Kindle app.

Kindle Fire

The Kindle Fire is a versatile tablet that enables readers to read books and access multimedia content. While reading a book on the Kindle Fire, users can tap on the right or left side of the screen to flip pages forward or backward.

To access the table of contents, readers tap the center of the screen to reveal the navigation panel, then tap the three horizontal lines in the top left corner and select “Go To” from the menu. They can easily navigate to chapters, bookmarks, and notes from here.

Kindle eReaders

Kindle eReaders focus on providing a comfortable reading experience through their E-Ink display technology. Like the Kindle Fire, readers can turn pages by tapping the left or right side of the screen.

To access the toolbar, users can tap the top edge of the screen. From there, they can access various features such as adjusting font settings, creating bookmarks, or viewing notes by selecting “Go To” and then “Notes” at the top of the screen.

Users can read Kindle books on various devices like smartphones, tablets, and computers through the Kindle app. The navigation process remains similar for flipping pages by tapping on the screen. However, depending on the device, the app may offer additional features or a varied interface.

For instance, some devices may support the continuous scrolling feature, which allows users to scroll vertically to read instead of tapping the screen to turn pages. To access this feature, readers can tap the “Aa” icon on the navigation bar and toggle the continuous scrolling option in the settings menu.

In conclusion, being familiar with navigation techniques across different Kindle devices can help authors create better reading experiences for their audience. By catering to each device’s unique features and requirements, authors can ensure that their readers enjoy a seamless and engaging experience with their books.

How to Write & Self Publish an Amazon Kindle eBook [2024]; The Ultimate Step-by-Step Guide

C. King and Harshit B.

• |   Updated February 21, 2024

• eBook Content

Understand The Kindle Ebook Writing Process And Start Making Serious Money From Self-Publishing

If you want to write (and publish) an Amazon Kindle eBook in 2023, then this is the only guide you’ll need.

We’ll walk you through the different steps involved in Kindle eBook writing, publishing (and promotion).

You no longer need to go through the hassle of finding publishers and spend a fortune on becoming a published author.

Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) platform makes it super easy to self-publish your eBook for free.

And you can actually make money writing eBooks for Amazon’s Kindle devices!

This post may contain affiliate links, which means that we may receive a commission (at no extra cost to you), if you make a purchase using these links. We only recommend products we trust or have personally used.  Learn more .

How do you Write, Self Publish and Promote a Kindle eBook in 2023?

👉 download ebook “how to write, self publish & promote an amazon kindle ebook in 2023” + get 20 minutes of strategic guidance.

This post has three parts; the first part includes steps on how to WRITE your eBook for Amazon Kindle, the second part covers how to SELF-PUBLISH your eBook using Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), and the third part [BONUS] contains tips to PROMOTE your Kindle eBook.

Let’s get into it.

Let’s start with the basic question.

What is Kindle eBook writing? Kindle eBook writing is the process of writing a digital book that can be read on Amazon’s Kindle devices or apps.

When you hear the word “eBook,” it might conjure up images of lengthy technical manuals or academic tomes. But Amazon eBooks come in all shapes and sizes—they can be fiction or nonfiction, long or short.

Now that we’ve answered this question 👇

Here’s what you need to learn so you can master the Amazon Kindle eBook writing process and get recognition for your expertise .

Step 1: get clear on why you’re writing an amazon ebook.

Yes, writing and selling books on Amazon Kindle is profitable.

But before you start with Kindle eBook writing in 2023, it’s essential to get clear on your motives.

Why do you want to write an eBook? What’s the purpose or goal of your book?

Maybe you want to build your personal brand or become a thought leader in your industry.

Or maybe you have specific knowledge in a domain which you want to share with your readers.

Maybe you want to earn money and build an income stream from self-publishing an eBook (or two).

Or maybe you just want to see your name published as the author of a book.

Whatever your reason for writing and publishing your eBook, getting clear on your “why” and having the end in mind will help to keep you focused and motivated throughout the writing process.

It’ll also make it easier to market and sell your Amazon eBook once it’s published.

For example, let’s say you want to write a storybook for children. Your goal might be to sell a million copies and become a best-selling author. Or maybe you just want to write a cookbook and share your favourite recipes with friends and family.

In any case, it’s important to be clear.

Try writing a Kindle eBook that solves a clear, quantifiable problem for the reader, and you’ll do alright!

Step 2: Choose a Topic [aka Brainstorm Ideas For Your eBook]

The second step in writing an eBook for Amazon Kindle is choosing a topic. This can be anything that you’re passionate about or have expertise in.

If you’ve already finalized a topic; good for you 🙂!

The great thing about writing an eBook is that you can write about pretty much any topic you want. There are no set rules or guidelines for choosing a topic.

Just make sure you don’t just choose a topic that is “hot” in 2023 if you’re not actually interested in it.

It’s also essential to choose a topic you care about and one you’ll be able to write about in sufficient detail.

It is not easy, though. In fact, finalizing the topic for your book can be one of the most challenging parts of Kindle eBook writing.

Many aspiring writers get this wrong BUT if you get it right, the returns can be EXPONENTIAL.  

If you’re not sure what to write about, try brainstorming a list of potential topics.

If you’re having trouble coming up with a topic for your eBook, here are a few questions and brainstorming techniques to help you get started:

– What is your area of expertise or experience?

– what problems are you good at solving, – what message can you give in your book that your readers need to hear, – what life experiences or stories can you share with your readers, – look through amazon’s kindle store for ideas. what topics are popular right now, – check out other amazon ebooks in your genre or niche. what topics have been done to death is there something that you could write about that would be unique, – ask your friends, family, and co-workers what they’d like to read about., – talk to experts in your field. what are the burning questions that people have, – do some keyword research. what are people searching for online.

You get the idea, right?

Once you’ve come up with a few ideas, you can shortlist 3-4 of the best ones.

Next, evaluate the shortlisted ideas and narrow them down to 1-2 and then choose one by considering factors like feasibility, marketability and competition, among others.

Expert Tip 💡 – Choose a narrow niche and go deep rather than broad in your chosen niche. Give the readers more detailed and specific information on your topic rather than shallow or superficial ideas on how to do something.

Now it’s time to move on to the next step: researching your topic.

Step 3: Research Your Topic

Once you have finalized your topic, the next step in Amazon Kindle eBook writing is to do your research. This step is vital for two reasons. 

First, you need to make sure that there’s actually a market for your eBook in 2023. Second, you need to gather the information and material you’ll need to write your eBook.

It’ll also help you better understand the subject matter and identify gaps in the existing books available on the topic.

When researching your topic, make sure to use reliable sources like scholarly articles, existing books, and relevant websites. Avoid using sources like Wikipedia, as this is not a reliable source of information.

You can research your topic in two parts. Let’s take a closer look at each of these now.

Part I: Determine the Marketability of Your Topic

The first thing you need to do is determine whether there’s a market for your Amazon eBook. In other words, is there an audience for your book?

Are more than a handful of people searching about your chosen topic? The best way to find out is to do some keyword research.

Keyword research is the process of finding out what people are searching for online. This will give you an idea of the demand for your topic.

There are a few different ways to do keyword research. 

Google Keyword Planner

The first (and easiest) way is to use Google’s Keyword Planner tool.

Google Keyword Planner is a software that was developed to help research keywords for Search campaigns.

BUT it can also be used to research topics for eBooks!

First, go to Google and type in “keyword planner”.

Or you can simply go here .

Sign in with your Google account. If you don’t have one, you can create one for free.

Once you’re signed in, click on “Discover new keywords”

Click on “Get results.”

Google will now show you a list of related keywords.

Take a look at the results and pay attention to the following metrics:

– Average monthly searches:

This is the number of times people have searched for a particular keyword per month. The higher the number, the better.

– Competition:

This is a measure of how many people are bidding on a particular keyword. The lower the number, the better.

Google Trends

Secondly, you can also use Google Trends to get an idea of the popularity of your topic over time.

To do this, go to Google and type in “Google Trends.”

Enter your topic in the search bar.

Google will now show you a line graph depicting the popularity of your topic over time.

Pay attention to the following metrics:

– Interest over time: This shows you how popular your topic is in 2023, relative to other topics. The higher the number, the better.

– Search interest by region: This shows you which parts of the world are searching for your topic. If you’re targeting readers from a specific country or region, make sure that there’s enough interest in the topic in that part of the world.

Keyword Tools

Or you can also use a paid keyword research service like ahrefs which has a dedicated Amazon Keyword Tool to gauge interest in your topic. [This tool lets you generate 100 keywords for free without signing up.]

Amazon Kindle Store Search Results

Another important thing you need to check is how many books come up in the search results on Amazon Kindle Store for your chosen topic.

If the search volume is good and the eBooks in the results are not too many, you may instantly have a winning topic in your hands.

But if the search volume is good and there are lots of published eBooks on the topic, you can still proceed with the topic because that shows interest in the topic is high.

But you’ll need to be more thorough with the next part below, before you proceed.

Here’s the deal. 👇

Go ahead with a topic only if plenty of people are interested in it (we recommend a search volume of more than 1000). Writing and publishing an Amazon Kindle eBook requires an investment of significant time, energy and money; be sure that all that effort doesn’t go to waste.

Part II: Gather the Information and Material You Need

The next step is to gather the information and material you need to write your Amazon eBook. This includes both primary and secondary sources.

Primary sources are first-hand accounts of an event or phenomenon. They can include sources like interviews, surveys, and original research.

You can tap the following sources of information to gather information:

– Your email list/subscribers:

If you have a blog with an email list of subscribers, send out a survey to gather information about their needs and wants. [We highly recommend that published authors have their own blog and be active on social media platforms like Twitter so that you can build a long-term relationship with your readers.]

– Social media:

You can use social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to gauge interest in your topic. You can also use these platforms to gather information from people who are interested in your topic.

– Forums & communities:

There are many forums and communities on the internet (such as on Reddit) where people discuss various topics. Do a quick search on Google, and you’ll likely find a few forums related to your topic. These can be a great source of information.

– Facebook & LinkedIn:

You can use Facebook and LinkedIn to find groups of people who are interested in your topic.

– Google:

You can use Google to find websites, blog posts, and articles related to your topic.

Secondary sources are second-hand accounts of an event or phenomenon. When gathering information for your Kindle eBook, make sure to use reliable sources.

As we mentioned before, avoid using Wikipedia as a source of information.

Secondary sources may include relevant books, articles, and websites.

– Amazon Kindle Store:

You can also use the Amazon Kindle Store to gather information about people’s needs and wants. Search for books in your topic area and take a look at the book descriptions. This will give you an idea of what people are looking for.

One additional source of information we recommend our readers and clients to refer to is the reviews on similar high-ranking books on Amazon for your chosen topic.

Because it is a GOLDMINE of relevant information!

You’ll get to know what REAL people are saying and what they like or don’t like about the existing books on the topic.

You can use this information to plug any gaps in the topic that have not yet been addressed; you can write your book from a different angle; and/or you can adapt your writing style to what the readers want, among other things.

Once you’ve gathered all of the information and material you need, it’s time to move on to the next step: planning.

Step 4: Plan Your Amazon eBook [aka Outline Your eBook]

After you’ve done your research and organized it, it’s time to start planning your eBook. This involves creating an outline of your book.

This is how you can go from not being able to complete a single eBook for months, to finishing and publishing multiple eBooks in a year!

It will help you organize your thoughts and structure your book in a way that makes sense.

Remember, if you’re not a celebrity (which most of us are not) and you’re just starting out with writing your first Amazon Kindle book, you’ll be starting at the lower end of the spectrum.

What this means is two things.

First, we recommend that you price your first book between $2 – $5 (more on this in Part 2 of this post).

And second, you need to decide the length of your eBook.

If you’re wondering how long should your Kindle eBook be, then here’s something to consider. 👇

You need not go overboard by writing a huge tome of say 50000 words, for your first book.

You can get started with a 10000 – 15000 words eBook initially.

Your Amazon eBook outline should include the following:

– Introduction:

The introduction should give an overview of the main topics covered in your book. It should explain what the book is about and why it’s important.

– Table of contents: 

The table of contents should list all the chapters and sections in your book.

– Chapters: 

Each chapter should focus on a specific sub-topic. This is the body of your book, which will cover sub-topics in more detail.

– Conclusion: 

The conclusion should summarize the main points of your book. It should also include any call to action, such as inviting the reader to buy a product or sign up for your email list.

If this seems overwhelming initially, then just start off by writing chapter titles and note down bullet points for what you intend to include in each chapter.

You’ll probably get into the groove soon!

And once you’ve created an outline, it’s time to start writing your Amazon eBook.

Step 5: Write Your Amazon Kindle eBook

Sitting down to actually write your eBook is in fact, one of the most challenging steps of all.

Because it requires you to be disciplined and consistent!

Most people are enthusiastic at the beginning but get bogged down over time.

So what can you do?

The Thought Process of Winning eBook Writers Revealed

The writers who succeed are the ones who are consistent with writing every day!

We recommend that you create a schedule for writing at a fixed time every day (or every alternate day if you prefer).

Start off small by devoting 30 minutes to 01 hour every day at the same time and gradually increase the time you write every day.

Here’s a thought. 👇

If you write just 200 words every day for two months, you’ll end up with a 12000-word book!

Next, when writing your book, make sure to keep your audience in mind. Write clearly and concisely, using language that your target audience will be able to understand.

Ask yourself the following questions:

– Who is my audience, OR Who am I writing to?

– what is their major pain point i want to address in the book, – what do they like (and dislike), – how deeply should i cover this topic.

And next, it’s also important to format your Amazon Kindle eBook in a way that makes it easy to read (as you’ll read in the next step). For example, use short paragraphs and include plenty of white space. Breaking your book up into sections can also be helpful.

Here are a few other things to keep in mind when writing your Amazon eBook:

– Keep it simple: 

Remember the audience you’re writing for. Avoid jargon or technical language if you’re writing for a general audience.

– Be concise: 

eBooks are typically shorter than traditional books. Keep your sentences and paragraphs short.

– Use active voice: 

Use active voice when writing your Amazon eBook. Active voice is easier to read and understand than passive voice.

– Use images and illustrations: 

Modern readers have low attention spans. Using relevant images, graphs, and other visuals can help improve readability.

– Keep at it: 

Don’t give in to writer’s block and keep at it every day. Writing something is better than a blank document, isn’t it?

– Don’t edit just yet: 

Also, when you’re writing, just write without trying to edit your work (as you’ll read below).

– Consider an advanced AI writing assistant like Jasper :  

Yes, most people believe AI writers can never replace human writers. And they are right. 

MOST AI writers can’t.

BUT we are still recommending Jasper. 

Because Jasper is an advanced writing machine AND if you get to know how to use it, you’ll be amazed at what it can do.

We have become masters at using it for content creation and you can too. But it takes time and you can’t expect it to do all your writing on its own.

Here’s a bonus to get you started; use this link and get 10,000 words to try out Jasper for free ! 

We, at Content Vista, use the Jasper Boss Mode (unlimited words), which starts from $59/month at 50000 words so if you want that you can go here .

– Consider hiring a ghostwriter: 

If you’re someone who wants to become a published author but don’t know how to actually write a book or don’t have time to write, then you can consider ghostwriting. You can hire a ghost writer who can write the book as per your vision and stay anonymous. Of course, hiring a premium eBook ghostwriting service (or even a good eBook writer on Fiverr) in 2023 might be expensive, but the investment pays you back for years to come, so it’s worth it!

And once you’ve finished writing your Amazon eBook, it’s time to move on to the next step: formatting.

Expert Tip 💡 – Though including a copyright page is optional as per Amazon, we highly recommend that you include a copyright page in your content, at the start of your book.

Step 6: Format Your Kindle eBook

The next step is to format your eBook for Amazon Kindle devices.

You can format it yourself or you can get it done from a professional for a low cost.

Or you can go for a tool like atticus if you wish to do this often enough.

Or there’s an even better option that we use to create our own eBooks; Designerr . 

Designerr can make your job of creating an eBook extremely easy.

It takes your content from your document (MS-Word or Google Doc or Apple Pages) or from a webpage (in case you want to repurpose a blog post into an ebook) and at the click of a button converts the content into a stylish and professional looking eBook.

Which you can then simply publish (as we’ll talk about later in the post).

The basic plan of Designerr is good for most people to start with at a one time payment of $27 (lifetime access).

But you can also go for Designerr Pro which has a free trial for 7 days, and then a recurring payment of $39 per month.

And if you want to learn more about how to use the tool, you can check out step 7 in this resource .

And in 2023, there’s also another option you should consider.

Earlier, anyone writing a Kindle eBook had to do it manually but Amazon now offers Kindle Create which is a free formatting software that you can use to format your eBook for the platform.

It provides prebuilt themes with chapter titles, drop caps and image placement options.

You can also style your chapter titles and simultaneously create your table of contents.

Another useful feature is the built-in Kindle Previewer that helps you see how the book will look to readers on different devices such as phones, tablets and eReaders.

[Here’s a resource if you’re looking to know more about Kindle Create.]

However, here’s a caveat.👇

The tool works really well if you want to sell your eBook on Amazon. But if you want to sell your eBook on another platform except Amazon or you want to sell a printed book, then you may find that formatting another way is better.

In any case, when formatting your eBook, here are a few things that you should keep in mind:

– Use headings and subheadings: 

Headings and subheadings help break up your text and make it easier to read.

– Use bullet points and lists: 

Bullet points and lists help break up your text and make it easier to read.

– Use images: 

Images can help illustrate your points and make your Amazon eBook more visually appealing. Here’s the deal; custom images and graphics are expensive but they can REALLY help improve the reading experience of your eBook.

– Use keywords: 

Keywords help improve your eBook’s search engine optimization (SEO).

Once you’ve finished formatting your eBook, it’s time to move on to the next step.

Step 7: Edit and Proofread Your Amazon eBook

Once you’ve finished writing your eBook, it’s time to edit and proofread it. This is important to ensure that your book is free of errors and is the best it can be.

The #1 Mistake Most Aspiring Kindle eBook Writers Make (No Matter The Domain) 👇

Trying to edit and proofread the Amazon eBook WHILE writing it.

Which is a HUGE mistake because it adversely affects the quality of the content in the eBook.

Here’s the deal.

While writing, just write; put your thoughts out and don’t worry about editing just yet!

And when you do reach the stage of editing your book, consider things like grammar, punctuation, and clarity.

You may also want another pair of eyes to read your book to give you feedback (highly recommended).

This is important because most people are unable to see errors in their own writing and generally need a professional editor to go over their work.

A professional editor can help you:

– cut the fluff out and make your book less wordy

– correct grammatical, punctuation and spelling errors

– improve readability and sentence structure

Make no mistake about it; editing is expensive, but it is worth it because you don’t want your name on a manuscript with a large number of errors.

Of course, if you know how to use a tool like Grammarly, you can save a few dollars. But the role of a professional editor is still important!

Once you’ve edited and proofread your book, it’s time to move on to the next step.

Step 8: Choose a Cover for your Amazon Kindle eBook (or get it designed)

Your Amazon eBook cover is important for two reasons.

First, it’s what potential readers will see when they’re searching for books on Amazon.

Second, it can help your book stand out from the competition.

When choosing a cover for your Amazon eBook, make sure to use high-quality images and avoid using stock photos.

You’ll also want to choose a cover that’s visually appealing and relevant to the content of your book.

You can design a custom cover for yourself using canva pro (recommended if you have a knack for designing and if you’re looking to write multiple eBooks).

And if you don’t wish to design a cover yourself, you can get a professional graphic designer to do it for you at a low cost (try Fiverr or Upwork).

Or ask us for a custom eBook cover , and we’ll be happy to help (we have, after all, designed hundreds of eBook covers till date, like the one in the image above 😎).

You have now completed all the steps on how to write an Amazon Kindle eBook.

So you have written your Amazon eBook; now what?

Is the work done? No. You’re just getting started, because now you need to publish and promote your eBook!

This takes us to the next part; publishing your eBook on the Kindle platform.

PART 2 – How to Publish Your eBook on Amazon Kindle

The next part in becoming a published author is actually publishing the book you’ve just finished writing on the Amazon Kindle platform.

We’ve seen many people dither at this stage because this means putting yourself out there, open to being judged by readers.

But let us tell you that publishing and selling books on Kindle is totally worth it!

Now, eBook publishing on Amazon is a relatively simple process.

And using Amazon KDP, you can publish your eBook on Amazon for free!

All you need to do is follow the steps mentioned below.

Step 1: Convert your eBook file to a Kindle-compatible format

The first thing you need to do is to convert your eBook into a format that can be read on an Amazon Kindle device.

This is a prerequisite before you even log on to Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing.

Amazon supports a number of different file formats, so you’ll need to convert your file into one of these formats.

The two most common formats are .mobi and .epub (.epub is the one we recommend).

There are several ways to convert your file into one of these formats.

If you are using MS Word to write your Amazon eBook, you can also export it as a .mobi or .epub file.

Just go to File > Save As and select the appropriate format.

Or you can use a tool like Calibre , which is a free and open-source tool.

Or, you can even hire a professional to convert it for you at a low cost.

Step 2: Create an Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) account

The second thing you need to do is create an account on Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). This is the platform that allows you to upload your eBook and make it available for sale on Amazon.

Creating an account is simple and only takes a few minutes. Just go to kdp.amazon.com and click on the “Create your KDP account” button.

Once you have created your account, you’ll be taken to the KDP dashboard. This is where you will upload your eBook and manage your book’s settings.

Step 3: Upload your eBook to Amazon KDP

Now that you have a Kindle-compatible file (mentioned in step 1 above), you can upload it to Amazon KDP. To do this, go to the “Books” tab on the KDP dashboard and click on the “Add new title” button.

On the next page, you’ll be asked to enter some information about your book.

This includes the title, author name, description, and keywords.

– Choose a title: 

The title of your Amazon eBook should be catchy and descriptive.

– Write a description: 

The description of your eBook should be clear and concise. It should explain what the eBook is about and why it’s essential.

– Choose a price: 

The price of your eBook on the Amazon Kindle store should be competitive (more on this in the next step).

– Choose a category: 

The category of your eBook should be relevant to the content.

You will also need to upload your eBook file and cover image.

Once you have done this, click on the “Save and Continue” button.

Step 4: Set up your pricing and royalties

An important part of the KDP publishing process is to set up your pricing and royalties. For pricing, you can choose to list your eBook for free OR at a price of your choosing.

If you choose to list it for a price, you will need to set a royalty percentage. This is the percentage of the sale price that you will receive as royalties.

So how much do authors get paid for their first book?

Well, Kindle Direct Publishing offers two royalty options: 35% and 70%.

[Here is a resource page from Amazon KDP if you want to read more about how Amazon calculates eBook royalties.]

The 35% option is only available if you list your Amazon eBook for sale in certain countries.

If you choose the 70% option, you will only be able to list your eBook for sale in specific territories.

To set up your pricing and royalties, go to the “Pricing” tab on the KDP dashboard and select the appropriate options.

Step 5: Consider whether you want your book to be included in Kindle Unlimited

You have probably come across Kindle Unlimited if you’ve ever visited the Amazon Kindle Store.

For customers, Kindle Unlimited is Amazon’s subscription program where they can read multiple eBooks for a subscription fee. 

Now this is also relevant to you as a wannabe author on Amazon.

Well, as per Amazon itself, it provides writers an opportunity to reach more readers and get paid from the KDP Select Global Fund on the basis of per page read (in addition to royalties from regular sales).

If you wish your book to be included in Kindle Unlimited, then you have to enroll for KDP Select.

Of course, there are certain KDP Select requirements that you need to meet but the program itself is open to all authors and publishers.

For more details about Kindle Unlimited, you can check out this resource .

Step 6: Publish your Amazon Kindle eBook

The final step is to publish your eBook on Amazon KDP platform. To do this, go to the “Books” tab on the KDP dashboard and click on the “Publish” button.

On the next page, you’ll be asked to review your book’s information and pricing.

Once you are happy with everything, click on the “Publish Your Kindle eBook” button.

Congratulations, you have just published your Kindle eBook.

It will now be live on Amazon and available for sale.

People all over the world will now be able to buy and read it.

So now are we done? Not just yet.

This takes us to the third part of this post.

PART 3 [BONUS] – Tips to Promote Your Amazon Kindle eBook

The final part of the work after Kindle eBook writing and publishing is to promote your book.

So you may ask, “Why do I need to promote my Amazon eBook? It’s live on the Kindle store, so people will find the book themselves, right?”

Well, not quite!

Your book won’t sell itself (at least not initially, anyway).

You don’t want to be someone who follows the “publish and pray” strategy, do you?

That’s a recipe for failure (LOW SALES😕).

Without promoting your book and putting it in front of the right audience, it won’t sell! 👇

Around 2 million ebooks are self-published every year. How do you stand out? THIS👇 can help you 10X your eBook sales!

We recommend these tips and strategies after you’ve published your eBook on Amazon:

– Try Amazon’s tools to promote your book

In 2023, Amazon offers a number of tools to help you promote your Kindle book. You can use their Author Central tool to create an author profile, which will make it easier for readers to find your other books. You can also use Amazon’s Marketing Services to pay to have your book advertised on their site.

– Try to get a few (initial) reviews for your book

Let’s face it. Most buyers do give importance to reviews before buying.

So one of the best ways to promote your Kindle eBook is to get positive reviews from readers.

You can reach out to bloggers and reviewers who cover books in your genre and offer them a free copy of your book in exchange for an honest review.

You can also offer discounts or freebies to readers who leave reviews on Amazon.

– Create a landing page

A landing page is a web page that promotes your Amazon eBook. It should include a headline, description, images, and a call to action (to buy your book, of course).

– Get active on social media

Social media is a great way to promote your eBook. You can use platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to share your Amazon Kindle eBook with a wider audience.

– Join relevant communities

Another tip is to join online communities (such as on Reddit) related to your book’s genre and participate in discussions with community members.

– Use email marketing

Email marketing is a great way to promote your eBook. If you already have email subscribers, you can use a service like MailerLite or ConvertKit to announce and promote your eBook.

Here’s where to go if you want to start off with ConvertKit’s free plan.

[Both of these rank at the top of email deliverability rankings and we recommend you can go for any of these as we have used both of them.]

– Consider paid ads

Paid advertising is a great way to promote your Amazon eBook. You can use platforms like Google AdWords or Facebook Ads to create and run ads that lead to your landing page.

Ultimately, the problem for most wannabe writers looking to write Amazon eBooks comes down to this. 👇

Writing, publishing and selling winning eBooks takes lots of time, money and energy. Plus there are MANY moving parts in the whole process.

Most writers find the process overwhelming. And few actually make it to the end.

So what can you do to improve your odds of success in an overcrowded space?

We recommend identifying your core strengths and sticking to them. And outsource the rest to domain experts.

In our experience dealing with clients, we’ve seen that a typical aspiring writer finalizes the topic himself, outsources the research part in some cases, plans out the outline by himself (or outsources it), outsources the writing to a ghostwriter, outsources the graphics part to a professional designer AND outsources the promotion to a digital marketer. Of course, it depends on your niche, your expertise, your budget and your vision!

But you get the idea, right?

Now, if you understand the power of putting in place a SOLID Kindle eBook Writing Process…

And if you want to efficiently manage the many moving parts of the eBook writing process where you may have multiple people working on different aspects of your eBook, we recommend using a task management tool such as monday.com .

It’ll help you get organized with your process, track progress and do more in less time.

Final Words

And we are finally done. 🙂

Now you know how to write, publish and promote an Amazon Kindle eBook in 2023 🤩 !

Kindle eBook Writing is a great way to build your brand and reach a wider audience.

And also to share your unique knowledge and expertise with the world.

With Kindle Direct Publishing, there’s never been a better time to become a published author and reach a broad audience.

You can reach millions of readers worldwide for free!

So what are you waiting for? Get started!

Do share your thoughts in the comments below.

And if you need help with any of the steps, just reach out, and we’ll be happy to help.

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• Originally Published August 5, 2022
• Last Modified February 21, 2024

2 thoughts on “How to Write & Self Publish an Amazon Kindle eBook [2024]; The Ultimate Step-by-Step Guide”

I am glad to find this info. This year I am going to write an e-book.

Glad we could help, Tony. All the best for your upcoming eBook.

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Last updated on Jun 14, 2023

How to Publish a Book on Amazon in 6 Simple Steps

After much time and effort, you’re finally done writing your book 一 congratulations! Now it’s time to make it available for your audience to buy, starting with publishing it on Amazon. While the process is relatively simple, it can still be stressful to go through it alone. But don't worry: we're here to help!

How to publish a book on Amazon:

1. Start an account on Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP)

2. create a new title and enter your book description, 3. select your keywords and amazon categories, 4. upload your epub and book cover files, 5. set a price between $2.99 and $9.99, 6. publish your book.

The first step is to set up a KDP account, which is quick, free, and easy. Hop over to Kindle Direct Publishing and either sign in with your existing Amazon account or sign up for one. 

Once you’re logged in, you will notice a message at the top saying that your account is incomplete — before you can upload your book, you’ll need to tell Amazon how to fulfill your payments.

Click on Update now and fill in the following information: 

• Business Type, Date of Birth, and Country : tick off ‘Individual’ or ‘Corporation’ depending on whether you’re publishing as an author or a company, then select your birth date and country of residence. 
• Payment information: insert your bank account details for receiving your sweet, sweet royalties from sales across all Amazon marketplaces. For American accounts, you’ll need to provide the account holder's name, number, and routing number 一 the first nine digits on the bottom of your checks. 
• Tax information : complete the quick tax interview to establish your tax identity. 

Once you’ve provided all the information, click “Save” and “Bookshelf” from the top menu to start publishing your book. 

You’ll be asked whether you want to publish a Kindle ebook , paperback , hardcover , or a Series page . This guide will focus on the ebook format, though the process including Print-on-Demand services is pretty similar. 

💡Believe it or not, hardcover printing was introduced to KDP as late as 2021. Find out all about it in our step-by-step guide .

Next, it’s time to customize your book page to make sure Amazon customers will be persuaded to hit “Buy now” when they land on it.  

The KDP dashboard is divided into three sections: Details, Content, and Pricing, which we’ll cover one by one. 

As a first step, you’ll be asked to provide the following information: 

• The language of your book;
• Your book title and/or subtitle;
• Whether it’s part of a series;
• Whether it’s a new edition of an existing book;
• Your author name ( pen names allowed);
• The names of other contributors (e.g. a book illustrator , or the editor if it’s an anthology)

Right after, you’ll need to provide a product description 一 a blurb similar to those on the back of a book . There’s an art to writing a compelling book description , so take your time with it and refine it to the last detail. 

Pro-tip: Want to write a book description that sells? Download this free book description template to get a headstart. 

FREE RESOURCE

Book Description Template

Learn to write a book description that will make readers click “buy.”

Most importantly, make sure your first line is intriguing, since Amazon only shows an abbreviated preview of your blurb, relying on readers to click “Read more” to expand it. Take advantage of Amazon's bold, italic, and bullet list options to make your description is visually appealing — but don't go overboard, of course.

Now that your book is ready to stand out, it’s time to position it on the right shelfs of Amazon’s bookshop. 

Keywords and categories are crucial for boosting your book's chances of success, since they help you ensure that your book is found by the right readers, depending on what they search for. KDP lets you select two categories and up to seven keywords for your book. Select the ones that best describe your book — and remember, you can make changes later, so don’t be afraid to experiment. 

If you want to better understand this topic, read our follow-up guides on Amazon keywords and categories , or enroll in our free course on Amazon algorithms by author and Reedsy co-founder Ricardo Fayet. 

FREE COURSE

Amazon Algorithms for Authors

Learn to optimize your book description, pick categories, and sell more books.

Before moving on to the next section, you’ll be asked if your book is ready for sale or if you wish to make it available for pre-order at a particular date. Once that’s cleared out, it’s time to upload the actual book files. 

In the next tab, you’ll need to upload your book file onto your KDP account. Simply click the friendly yellow “Upload eBook manuscript” button, select the final copy of your EPUB file, and click “OK.”

Amazon will accept a range of file formats, but they strongly recommend having your file formatted as an EPUB , which will also give you better control over what it looks like on Kindle. Slapping a Word document in and trusting Amazon to do the rest never works out well. 

Make sure your formatting is up to standard

Readers can tell who’s professionally formatted their book, and who hasn’t — and cutting corners will come back to bite you. Hiring a typesetter will definitely pay for itself over time, but if you’re on a tight budget, you can use the Reedsy Book Editor to format and export a beautiful ebook for free.

Once you’ve selected your manuscript, you’ll see a message saying it’s processing your book. Do not refresh or click off of this page! Amazon can take a few minutes to upload your book and verify it.

After formatting your book to Amazon’s satisfaction, you’ll see a little green message saying that your manuscript has been uploaded successfully. Take a moment to celebrate, but don’t get too distracted — there are still a few very important steps to go.

Upload an enticing book cover

A book won’t sell without an attractive cover. Your cover designer should have provided you with a JPG or TIFF version of your front cover, sized to Kindle’s suggested resolution of 2,560 x 1,600px. To add it, simply select the option to use a pre-existing cover, and click “Upload your cover file”. 

Like when you upload the book, this process can take a minute. When it’s done, you’ll get another green notification.

After you’ve uploaded the content and cover, you can use the “Ebook Preview” tool to see how it will look page by page. Take a minute to ensure that everything is correct: that the whole cover shows up, that the interior looks the way it does on your computer, etc. 一 if anything is wrong, double-check your files, then upload again.

At the end of this section, you’ll be asked if you have an ISBN number , and who you want to list as “Publisher.” Both pieces of information are optional but worth paying attention to. To upload your ebook, you don’t need an ISBN barcode, Amazon will assign one to your book for free. Nevertheless, we recommend you always buy your own ISBN if you can afford it since you can register your name as the publisher and retain ownership in case you want to “ go wide ” and publish on other retailers in the future.

Do you need an ISBN number?

It'll only take a minute!

Now that you’ve created a strong book page, it's time to price your work correctly to reap the most royalties.

The first thing to know about pricing your book is that Amazon offers a 70% royalty rate on ebooks priced between $2.99 and $9.99, and 35% on anything outside that range.

There will be times when you want to sell a book outside this price range. Perhaps you will sell the first in a series at a lower price to drive sales for the rest of the books. But as a general rule, it’s best to stick to something that will get you that sweet 70%.

As you set your price, Amazon calculates your estimated royalties . It deducts a small “delivery rate” based on the file size of your book and then shows you how much money you’ll make per sale.

You can also expand the pricing section to set different prices for each country you want to sell in. If you genuinely don't care about international sales, you can just set it to auto, but you'll get much better results if you do it manually. Selling internationally can really help boost your sales, so we recommend keeping an eye on your international sales trends and nurturing those that develop. 

Our free course can tell you all you need to know about international pricing. Just sign up here!  

You'll be asked a few other important questions in this section, starting with whether you want to enroll in KDP Select, a program that may help your book reach a wider audience on Amazon.

Decide whether you’ll enroll in KDP Select

To decide, assess the pros and cons of KDP Select : on one hand, it will help you market your ebook through special promotions, on the other hand you’ll renounce exposure to a significant share of the international ebook market. 

For example, is selling box sets through Apple Books or Google Play a big part of your marketing strategy? Or do you want to take advantage of regular price promotions on the platform (and even the occasional “free” weekend for your book)? Whether you choose to enroll will depend on your goals as an author and what kind of business plan you have for your work.

Wondering whether you should give all your ebook distribution rights to Amazon?

Answer these 5 questions to find out!

You’ll also be asked to select the territories for which you hold distribution rights (e.g. worldwide) and your primary market, the country where you expect to sell most of your books (just go with Amazon.com if you’re unsure).

Once you’ve given your answers, get your champagne ready: the time to hit “Publish” has come. 

This is the moment you’ve been waiting for! Before rushing in, take a moment to click back through the previous tabs and ensure everything is set up exactly the way you want it 一 you can do that by clicking “Back to Content” on the left. 

Although you can correct a mistake after you’ve published, it’s better to ensure the information is right before you hit that button. If you’re not quite ready, a “Save as Draft” button will allow you to come back and finish later. If everything looks good, there’s nothing left to do but hit “Publish your Kindle ebook”.

Congratulations, you did it! As you see, publishing a book on Amazon isn’t nearly as scary as it seems. Your book will appear on Amazon bookshelves soon 一 it may take up to 72 hours for Amazon.com, and up to five days for country-specific Amazon sites. Now you can focus all your energy on publicity and marketing.

If you want to go deeper into KDP best practices and Amazon algorithms, check out the rest of this guide — next up, we’ll be looking at Amazon’s Algorithms .

10 responses

19/10/2019 – 01:52

Do I need to get a ISBN number if I choose to e-publish?

↪️ Martin Cavannagh replied:

23/10/2019 – 09:46

Most times, the distributor (Amazon, et al) will assign you with their own unique codes. So in short, not really.

12/04/2020 – 23:44

This is helpful, Thank you for this resource.

Stephen James says:

27/05/2020 – 11:22

Is it still possible, likely, or practical to sign with a traditional publisher, through pursuing agents with query letters, after self-publishing with Kindle on Amazon?

03/06/2020 – 10:20

For future books, very practical. For the book you've already self-published: incredibly difficult unless it's been a MASSIVE hit already.

27/05/2020 – 11:24

Assuming I would buy my own ISBN from Bowker, at what point would I insert it into the copyright page?

Bert de Korte says:

30/06/2020 – 14:09

Hi I already self published 2 books in holland trough Bruna. I want to publish them in ebook format at amazon. Is that possible? Already have isbn numbers.thx Albert

Sandra Bailey says:

14/07/2020 – 13:13

If my book is already published and is a Kindle book, how can I update the book with a new section directly through Amazon and republish the book?

28/07/2020 – 10:43

You can do! Here's the relevant help page from KDP: https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G202176900

Lorie Eubank says:

18/08/2020 – 23:47

If I self published a book several years ago primarily for print purposes for personal use and distribution, can I republish using the KDP format? I have all rights to the book. And I know from the publisher that I would just need to get a new ISBN number

Comments are currently closed.

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Home / Guides / Book Writing / How to Write a Book in 2024: The Ultimate Guide for Authors

How to Write a Book in 2024: The Ultimate Guide for Authors

• Should you write a book?
• Outline the Book
• Write the Book
• Edit the Book
• Get Feedback
• Publish & Market Your Book!

Writing a book is a long process, but it doesn’t have to be scary. Many writers benefit from having a checklist of things they need to do. Enter: This comprehensive guide. I will guide you through the planning stages, the writing process, the editing phase, and the marketing phase (though you should start marketing your book long before it’s finished). And before we get there, I’ll help you determine if you should even write a book in the first place. Considering you’re here, the answer is most likely “ yes! ” Can anyone write a book? Yes, anyone can write a book. All you need is determination, a willingness to learn, and a story you want to tell. Bookmark this page or copy and paste it into a text document so you can check off each step as you make progress along your book writing journey .

• How to write a book
• Best ways to plan ahead
• A lot of writing tips
• Industry standards and expectations
• Software recommendations
• Outlining tips
• Editing and proofreading tips
• How to market your book

Links in this article may give me a small commission if you use them to purchase products. There’s NO extra cost to you, and it helps me continue to write handy articles like this one.

It’s common to hear between friends, “I’m going to write a book one day.”

But there are several steps in between that statement and the actual process of writing books.

I want to get this idea out of the way: you can and should write a book!

Most people want to write a book but never get around to it. Well, you can do it.

If you don't think you can, or you think you're not talented enough, remember that even the Stephen Kings and Neil Gaimans of the word started out with a skill level of zero, and you're probably more skilled than that!

Don't get me wrong, writing can be hard. But it's learning to deal with those hard things that make you a better writer. So let's discuss how you can make it happen.

Before you set deadlines or create your writing space, there are a few things you should do:

• Figure out why you’re writing
• Don’t give yourself excuses to not write
• Determine your big ideaw
• Create a budget for your book writing
• Establish accountability
• Announce that you’re writing a book!

Nail Down Your “Why”

Why are you writing this book? Answer this question, and your writing process will have a sense of direction. Many authors have a story they need to tell. It’s in their heads. They can’t stop thinking about it. Whether it’s because of the compelling characters, the fantastical new worlds, or the powerful central theme, a good book writer must tell the story in their head. If you’re in it for fame and fortune, you won’t find it here. Only the top New York Times bestselling authors gain fame or fortune. Most authors make between $40,000 and $80,000 per year — though it’s worth noting that earning an author’s salary can take years of establishing yourself within the industry. You should also determine what you want this book to become. Questions you can ask yourself:

• Do you want this book to appear in brick-and-mortar stores across the country?
• Are you happy to display in local bookstores and libraries?
• Is this an online-only book?
• Do you want to turn writing into a career or a one-time affair?
• Is this the beginning of a series or a one-off story?
• Do you want to write a book that’s great for people in a social media group you’re a part of and their friends?

Overcome Common Barriers to Writing Your First Book

Before they become a problem, you need to overcome common barriers to writing a book. You can toss a rock and probably find a “writer” who started a book or, more often, has an excellent idea for a book they’re never going to write. But you’re different. You need to tell this story, and you’re looking up resources to help you get started. These are some of the most common excuses for not writing a book and how to overcome them:

• I don’t have the talent. No one knows how to write a book before they learn, practice, and experiment. Until you try, you’ll never know if you genuinely have the stuff it takes to be a successful author.
• I can’t concentrate. Yes, distractions abound: kids, work, Facebook, hunger, messy desk, neighbors, the dog. Find a way to overcome the distractions and just concentrate if you really want to tell this story.
• No one will want to publish my book. Though traditional publishing is difficult to achieve, independent publishers and self-publishing offer additional venues for success.
• I can’t write without a deadline. Then give yourself a deadline! Tell your spouse or a friend that you intend to finish your manuscript within 6 months. Or announce it on Facebook, Twitter, Reddit — wherever peers can keep you accountable.
• Taking time to write makes me feel guilty. You shouldn’t feel guilty doing what you love, what you feel you need to do, or what could earn you a salary in the future.
• Writing is too hard. Writing may prove a harrowing task. It can take a long time (though there are ways to write faster ). But there is nothing quite like the rewarding feeling of having written a book.
• My grammar is terrible. Use proofreading software like Grammarly or ProWritingAid . Also, the more you write, the better you get at grammar — and quickly.
• My life is too dull to write anything interesting. They say, “Write what you know.” But honestly, that’s what research is for. Write what interests you. It doesn’t have to be about your life. Write to escape your (supposedly boring) life.
• People won’t like what I write. Thick skin is required for writing. Unfortunately, some ignorant or insecure people may put you down — whether for your book or for the simple fact you’re a writer. But let the ridicule roll off you like water off a duck’s back.
• My back hurts. Sitting in a chair for long hours to write can make your back hurt. Come up with a system where you can lie down to rest or walk around to mobilize your back every hour.
• Fiction offers nothing of value to society. This is just flat-out untrue. Art is society’s record of history. Fiction evokes emotion that causes a reader to feel something. A book’s central theme is powerful for its intended audience — and for some, life-changing.

Determine Your Topic

To determine your topic, answer these questions:

• What do I want to write about?
• What is important for someone (like me) to write about?
• Can I effectively tell this story?
• Who would want to read about my story?

For nonfiction, it’s customary to choose a topic about which you have particular expertise. For readers who buy your book, determine what information to include that will best benefit these readers. For fiction, you can determine your genre(s), then your subgenre(s), then what would make your story unique. Each genre comes with its own tropes that readers expect you to deliver. Is your book idea good? Does it serve anyone? Does it add value, whether by entertaining, informing, or teaching the prospective reader? If you’re having trouble determining your topic, check out these resources:

• Plot Generator
• Writing Prompts
• Best Book Title Generators
• Short Story Prompts by Squibler

Validate Your Book Idea

Before you completely narrow down your story or topic, you need to know if it's a good idea or not. To do this, you need to run through four steps:

• Step 1: Learn if and how many people search for your book idea
• Step 2: Learn if the idea is profitable during the book topic validation process
• Step 3: Discover how hard the competition is for your book
• Step 4: Rinse and repeat

If you find your book topic is not profitable, you can still write it. But if that's the case, you will have to resort to different marketing tactics. You will need to focus on finding the right market somewhere other than Amazon, and getting them interested in reading your book.

Read more about validating your book idea here.

Create a Budget

Don’t let this step scare you. If your budget is $0, that’s okay. But you need to create a budget, so you know what you’re willing to spend down the road. What might you spend money on as an author?

• Research software for authors, like Publisher Rocket
• Book writing software, like Atticus
• Proofreading software, like ProWritingAid
• Book formatting services, like Ebook Launch
• Email service, like GetResponse
• Cover design services, like Damonza (if you’re self-publishing)
• A human editor (if you’re self-publishing)
• Book reviews from paid influencers
• Various marketing efforts
• Promotional giveaways
• A professional looking website

What should an author not spend money on?

• Literary agents — An agent should only make money when you make money. Beware agents who charge upfront fees. They are preying off of authors who desperately want to publish their book .
• Vanity publishers — If an indie publisher asks for an upfront charge, they are probably a vanity press, and you do not want to use their services. These seldom result in a profit.
• Beta readers — Although it’s nice to buy them lunch to talk about the book, when you find people to beta read your book, they are reading for enjoyment. They’re getting a free book out of this. If you pay them, that’s getting into professional editor territory, and most beta readers probably aren’t qualified for that.
• A human editor and proofreader — If you’re traditionally publishing, the publishing house will most likely pay for the editor.
• Cover design — If you’re traditionally publishing, the publisher will most likely pay for the cover design. This item may end up in your final budget if you’re self-publishing.

How much money does an author make per book? A first-time, self-published author might make between $5,000 and $20,000 on their first book, not including expenses. A traditionally published first-time author can expect up to $5,000 without a massive existing audience.

Establish Accountability for When Things Get Hard

It’s important to establish accountability for when the going gets tough. Who will support you through your writing process? Find a reliable person in your life that's experienced in book writing or can help encourage you along the journey. Ask them to ask you about how your writing’s coming along. Some days, you will hate them. Other days, you will thank them. Also, plan for how you’ll handle writer's block , discouragement, falling behind, etc. For example, if you didn’t reach your daily word count goal, plan on going over your goal next weekend. Or, if you get writer’s block, work more detail into your outline or take a walk to clear your head.

Publicly Announce What You’re Doing

You need to publicly announce that you’re writing a book. Not only is this a marketing must that gets your friends and family buzzing about your book, but it also creates public accountability for you. Sound terrifying? Remember, if you’re going to be an author, this is the first of many marketing steps you’ll need to take. It’s also one of the easiest (and least expensive). If you need a community of like-minded authors, I'd recommend fully investing in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) as a great way to push yourself and gain accountability. Don’t get scared by this step. You may worry about what people have to say about you writing a book. Writers need thick skin, and this is an excellent exercise in accepting congratulations and ignoring naysayers. For instance, I recall a fellow author’s grandfather commenting on a Facebook post: “Hope it works out for you. But if it doesn’t, I can always get you a job down at Duke Energy.”

My friend didn’t let the comment bother him, instead accepting that his grandfather didn’t understand that writing and even self-publishing is an entirely legitimate career path nowadays. Is it worth only selling your book on Amazon? Yes! As a self-made author who primarily markets on Amazon, I cannot recommend this route highly enough.

Make a Plan

Before writing your book’s outline, here are 8 crucial steps all great writers should use to plan ahead:

• Create a writing space
• Set a schedule
• Determine word count goals
• Set deadlines
• Do your research (market, genre, topical)
• Discover your voice & tone
• Choose the best book writing software for your project
• Get in the author mindset

Create a Writing Space

When you create a space for writing, it will mentally help you to set aside that space for only writing. Your writing space should not be the same as your home office or your relaxation space. If you write your book in the same place as you watch TV, the temptation of TV easily overpowers your will to write. If you work in the same area as you write, it’s difficult to distinguish the two in your subconscious. Of course, you don’t always have to write in the same place. Although some writers need to be in one place at a single desk to get in the headspace, many authors can write from multiple locations with no problem. A good space for writing might be:

• A dining room your family doesn’t use
• A home office no one is using
• A desk in your bedroom (facing away from the bed)
• A coffee shop
• On the porch
• At the park

Set a Schedule

Every author can benefit from setting a designated writing time. Determine when you can work on your book and set a schedule. Some authors love sticking to a strict schedule. For others, a schedule is just a helpful guideline. At first, you may want to experiment with various lengths of time and days of the week. Figure out how long it takes you specifically to write what you want to write in a given day. Some writers may need to relegate their writing to 8 hours on Saturday. Others may have the luxury of spending 2 hours writing, 5 days a week. For inspiration from successful authors, check out Medium’s article: The Daily Routine of 20 Famous Writers (and How You Can Use Them to Succeed) .

Determine Word Count Goals

You should determine your word count goal for each writing session. Average word count goals for bestselling book authors range between 500 and 2,000 words a day. Again, for some authors, this strict word count goal is helpful. For others, it is nice to have a general goal to target — there’s no need to stress out if you don’t reach it. Of course, your word count goal is flexible. It depends on your writing schedule, your genre, your experience, your discipline, how far you are in your book, and your own personal writing habits. Many book writing tools, such as Atticus allow you to set daily word count goals and keep track for you.

Side note: Check out this fascinating article for more info: The Daily Word Counts of 19 Famous Writers .

Set Deadlines

A deadline for your writing makes you accountable. It gives you a tangible target. It drives you. How many of us didn’t do the college paper until the night before it was due? Well, you can’t write a book in one night, but the sentiment still applies. Setting a due date — even if it’s arbitrary — motivates you to keep writing, keep writing, every day on your schedule, and continue to reach your daily word count goal. Set up a way to track your time and word count progress. Atticus allows you to set an overall word count goal and a deadline to reach that overall word count. (I know I keep gushing about Atticus, but it just has so many amazing features .) Here’s a great article on How Long It Takes to Write a Book & Do it Well .

Do Your Research

Do not skip this step. This is not boring. It is necessary. You need to do your research on the market, your genre, and the specific topic you’ve chosen to write about. If you don’t, sales numbers and the quality of your book will suffer. Depending on your genre, whether you write fiction or nonfiction, and your familiarity with your future readers, you will probably need to conduct:

Market Research

Genre research, topical research.

Get to know your audience. Market research tells you what readers want. It may also predict the sort of sales you can expect. Market research might tell you that few people are interested in stories about a sentient clump of dirt. How would you market and sell that book ? Consider catering your story to the market research you discover. This isn’t selling out. This is catering to a particular audience. Figure out what your readers are looking for. Often, readers will respond to an audience avatar, which is a character the reader can really relate to. If you’re writing a fantasy book, I strongly recommend working dragons into your story. Dragons sell. The word “dragon” sells. A picture of a dragon on the cover sells.

If you’re writing a children’s book , don’t be afraid to bank on traditions: Boys love superheroes, and girls love princesses. If you’re writing a nonfiction book , try to reach an untapped market. A friend of mine is writing a book on a specific category of mobile software development that he couldn’t find any books on. He taught himself and now wants to teach others what he learned.

Genre research is critical. You need to deliver certain unspoken promises to your audience. Each genre has its own expected tropes and unspoken promises that you need to know to satisfy your reader. Find out what is typical for your genre:

• Character archetypes
• Word count/chapter length
• Story structure
• Common themes

Pro tip: Check the Amazon bestsellers list in your genre for hugely helpful research. If you write a romance book, for instance, and you don’t deliver on the expected tropes of romance, you’re going to get negative reviews and fewer sales. There is a fine line between unique and unsatisfying. Check out these great articles on genre research:

• Tropes Readers Adore Across 15 Fiction Genres
• 101 Horror Tropes
• 7 Thriller Tropes That Have Stood the Test of Time
• 101 Romance Tropes For Writers
• Kid Novel Tropes
• 101 Fantasy Tropes

Fiction or nonfiction, most books require some foothold in reality. Topical research entails the research you must do to fully understand what you’re writing. Readers can tell if you don’t know what you’re talking about. Even if a reader isn’t an expert, lack/misuse of jargon, an illogical timeline, or not following your own rules will key the reader in that you didn’t do your topical research. Then, you will lose credibility with the reader.

You don’t need to be a degreed expert on police procedures to write a police drama. You don’t need to scientifically study a unique type of plant to write about a forest. You don’t have to learn every detail of the War of 1812 to write a historical drama around that time. But it needs to be evident in your writing that you have taken the time to research important aspects of your book’s topic. If you can interview an expert, that’s an added bonus. You could even put that on the back cover or the foreword bragging that you did the in-person research. You need to get readers to trust you as a writer as early in your tale as possible.

Discover Your Voice & Tone

Discover your unique voice and the tone you’re most comfortable writing in. This may change between books, particularly if you swap genres or if you’re a nonfiction writer who now writes fiction. Find your unique words. Determine if humor has a place. How literary will your prose be? Read other books in your genre for inspiration. For example, one of my author friends decided to use “is/are/am/be” as little as possible in his prose, then go crazy with it in his dialogue — giving the dialogue a distinctly relaxed feeling separate from the prose. Another example is Jane Austen’s unique voice. I think of Elinor in Sense & Sensibility. Her intellectual, judicious voice was one of the first examples in the literature of the character speaking for themselves instead of an author avatar. If you benefit from writing prompts to discover your voice, try out Daily Prompt on iOS. Word to the wise: Deciding to employ unique grammar techniques is risky. Some readers are sticklers for grammar and may put down your book if it contains what they perceive as grammatical “errors.” For some readers, these choices are a distraction. For some authors, though, these changes are necessary or more aesthetically pleasing.

Choose the Best Book Writing Software for Your Project

You may already have Microsoft Word downloaded to your computer or be comfortable with Google Docs because you use it for work. But I implore you to choose the best book writing software for writing your individual project.

I use Atticus for all my fiction novel writing. MS Word may suffice, but it is definitely inferior to Atticus’s robust features emphasizing organization and customization.

Several book writing tools are available to try. Some cost a one-time fee, while others cost a monthly subscription fee. (I suggest the one-time price tag.) Be careful using Google Docs to write a novel. Once you get above 15,000 words or so, Google Docs slows down. It is designed for short-form, collaborative documents — not lengthy books, though their technology is improving. Below are 4 pieces of software for writing your book:

Microsoft Word

Read my more in-depth article on the Best Book Writing Software .

Use Atticus. It is unmatched in overall capability. Not only does it allow you to write great books, but it comes with tracking software to help you form effective writing habits, and it's a robust formatting software , which means you'll never need to use more than one program to handle the entire novel production process from start to finish.

Read my full review of Atticus .

How much does Atticus cost?

• Atticus costs $147 as a one-time fee. This includes all current and upcoming features, including all writing, formatting, and collaboration features.
• It works on virtually all platforms, including Mac, Windows, Linux, and Chromebook.

Scrivener is the next best thing. It has great organization and customization, but it has a steep learning curve, but only because it is such an amazing piece of software. You can upload all your research files (including images and audio) into the Binder sidebar, so everything shows up in one window. You can split-screen within Scrivener, bookmark files, or simply write with its distraction-free Composition Mode. Read my full review of Scrivener . How much does Scrivener cost?

• Scrivener costs $49 (one-time) for Mac or Windows.
• It’s $19.99 for iOS devices (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch).
• Reduced pricing of $41.65 is available for “students & academics.”

There is a full 30-working-day free trial that only counts the days you use the app. Use Kindlepreneur’s unique discount code (KINDLEPRENEUR) to get 20% OFF your purchase.

• Download Scrivener 3 for Mac
• Download Scrivener 1 for Windows , which is on par with Scrivener 2 for Mac (update coming in 2021)
• Download Scrivener 1 for iOS , which is also on par with Scrivener 2 on Mac (a handy tool for on-the-go writing with an iPad or iPhone)

Ulysses is a sleek, easy-to-use, yet customizable book writing tool. Your project syncs automatically between devices, or you can store projects locally. Not only does it look great, but it also utilizes a drag and drop functionality with its Library feature. Unfortunately for Windows users, Ulysses works only on Apple products. The price has gone up in recent years. Ulysses now costs $5.99/month or $49.99/year. However, they do offer a free 2-week trial.

Microsoft Word is the industry standard for word processing. Most people think of MS Word when you say “word processor.” However, it’s meant for memos and business letters — not novel writing. Most writers probably use MS Word because it is so ubiquitous. Heck, the famous DOC/DOCX file format originated from Microsoft Word. Stephen King uses MS Word to write his book manuscripts, as do other authors. But there are many helpful word processors out there that boast more robust features ideal for writing a book. Word is cumbersome and only suitable for writing in a linear fashion. For many writers, it is helpful to write out of order or switch around the order of scenes and chapters. In MS Word, this is very inconvenient. How much does Microsoft Word cost? Microsoft Word costs $139.99 as a one-time purchase. Alternatively, you could spend $6.99/month (or more) for a subscription to Microsoft 365, including Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook, and 1 TB of cloud storage on OneDrive.

Get in the Author Mindset

To get in the author mindset, a million authors will do a million different things. Figure out what you specifically need to do to get into the writing mindset, and do that every time you get ready to write. What might help you get into that author mindset:

• Walk around outside (my favorite brainstorming method)
• Turn on relaxing or mood-setting music ( YouTube has every playlist imaginable, including ambiance scenes to transport you anywhere you wish you were writing)
• Read a book
• Listen to an audiobook
• Read your outline where you’re about to start writing
• Sit outside and breathe in the fresh air
• Write in a journal
• Doodle in a notebook
• Close everything else on your computer
• Clear your desk

Now that you’ve done the hard work of preparation, it’s time to outline your book! This is where we diverge from planning that applies to fiction and nonfiction and focus more on an outline for a fiction novel. (If you’re writing a nonfiction book, skip to section 3 for helpful writing tips.)

Yes, you need to outline your book — whether it’s vague or very detailed. For some authors, a very general outline can give your story direction and focus, like a roadmap. For others, a highly detailed outline prevents writer’s block, improves pacing, avoids plot holes, and saves time editing after the fact. How do you begin to write a book? You begin to write a book by writing the book’s outline. Writing an outline ahead of time can preemptively prevent writer’s block, plot holes, and pacing problems. And you can always edit your outline later; it’s a living document.

• Choose an outline type
• Pick an outlining software
• Actually write the outline

Check out my in-depth guide: How To Outline A Novel .

Choose an Outline Type

There are many types of novel outlines. Some are more detailed than others, so pick the outline type that best fits your individual needs:

• A synopsis outline looks the most like an essay. When you write a synopsis , you need to summarize everything that matters to the story in 2-3 pages.
• A beat sheet outline lists the “beats” of the story into individual paragraphs or bullet points. A beat is a change in tone, motivation, character development , etc.
• A mind map shows the spatial relationship between characters, story beats, timelines, and chapters. You can map out any number of story elements on your mind map.
• A scenes and sequences outline lists out all the scenes and sequences in your story, in whatever order you want. Switch the order and experiment with scene progression. This outline can be detailed or vague.
• A character outline puts character development first. List out the critical moments in your character arcs. Check out How to Create a Character Profile .
• A skeleton outline lists out the key plot points in your story. It is the most sparse approach to outlining.

Pick an Outlining Software

Whatever outlining software you pick, it should help you. That’s the only requirement. The best outlining software can be the same as your novel writing software. But some authors find it useful to utilize software explicitly designed for novel outlining.

• Scrivener offers ready-made, built-in templates for plotting out all sorts of books and genres. Using these templates, you can organize your thoughts into an effective novel outline.
• The Novel Factory is a structure-heavy novel outlining software. Easy to use, genre-specific templates, robust export capabilities — the main downside is that it isn’t available on Mac. Read my full review of The Novel Factory or download The Novel Factory today . Use my coupon code KINDLEPRENEUR to get 20% off your subscription.
• Plot Factory is useful outlining software that offers straightforward templates, character creation features, world-building capabilities, and many more. Read my full review of Plot Factory or download Plot Factory today . Use my coupon code KINDLEPRENEUR for 35% for the first 12 months!
• Plottr is a handy outlining tool that offers templates such as the 8 Sequences Method, Hero’s Journey , 12 Chapter Mystery Formula, and so much more. Read my full review of Plottr .
• Microsoft Word offers a bunch of book outline templates that make creative writing easier. Plus, if you download any outline template from the web, you can likely open it with Word.
• Google Docs is fantastic for collaboration . If you work with another person on your book outline, Google Docs autosaves to the cloud every few seconds across multiple devices at once.
• Evernote helps you take notes in a modern, sophisticated way. Write down your notes however you want, share notes with others, and access Evernote across unlimited devices.
• Ulysses creates projects out of fragments, such as chapters or scenes — a structure that lends itself to outlining in segments.
• bibisco is a word processor that emphasizes character. Before you start writing, bibisco encourages you to fully map out your character beats and character arcs — great for character-led outlining.

Create the Premise

You need to create a premise for your novel. This gives your writing direction, helps with marketing, and provides you with an elevator pitch. An elevator pitch is a 30-second pitch about what makes your story interesting, unique, and worthy of attention. To create the premise of your novel, write down the following:

• Main protagonist
• Main antagonist
• Secondary characters
• Character motivations
• Central theme
• Inciting incident
• The book description (seriously, you want this written before you write the book)

Now brainstorm. Write down all your thoughts, even the bad ones. Don’t censor your ideas. There are no bad ideas when you’re brainstorming. Break up your book into smaller pieces. Determine the natural progression of your main idea and central theme. Finally, consider your reader’s perspective. Is this book’s central idea what your readers want? Figure out the intersection between what you find most interesting and what audiences find most interesting. Now you have created a premise that will give your writing focus and direction. You can use this premise to entice potential readers, editors, agents, or publishers.

Craft the Setting

The setting is where the story takes place. The setting should enhance character development, plot points, mood/tone, atmosphere, suspense, the passage of time, etc. You must craft a setting that is:

• Interesting
• Evocative of some emotion
• Vital to the central theme
• Important to your character(s)
• Well-fleshed out
• Well-researched

Even if you don’t write down everything about your setting in the actual book, you need to understand everything about your setting. Readers can tell if you’re making the setting up as you go or if you know more than they do about where the story takes place.

Construct the Characters

Next, construct your characters , the story element with which most readers connect the most.

You must give each significant character (at least the protagonist and antagonist) a satisfying character arc. Many readers will care more about the character development than the plot development! The plot should serve characters as much as characters contribute to the plot. Give each major character:

• Motivations
• External conflict(s)
• Internal conflict(s)
• Complex relationships with other characters
• Backstory (avoid cliches, which are very easy to include in backstories)
• Distinct traits , including physical and personality attributes
• Strengths and weaknesses (character flaws are essential!)

You can base characters on real-life people, but I recommend not basing your character entirely on an individual person that you know. Instead, take inspiration for one character from multiple real-life people.

When you put your character through challenging situations, remember that you should construct characters that make bold choices that move the plot forward. Your main character should be more than just an observer.

Develop the Plot

Now that you have your outline type, outlining software, premise, setting, and characters, it’s time to develop your plot.

A plot is what happens in a story.

• In the beginning, decide what exposition you need to occur in the plot before the inciting incident. How will you introduce your main character(s)? How will you get readers to care about the main character(s)?
• After the inciting incident that starts the central conflict of the book, what rising actions occur? There should be twists and turns, surprising character development, and satisfying payoffs to promises made by the genre choice or premise.
• To avoid the mid-novel slump, continue to put your character through hardships and mini-conflicts that engage the reader and keep up your story’s pace.
• Usually, before the climax, the main character faces their lowest point. This is where he or she hits rock bottom.
• The climax should solve the main conflict of the novel. It should be the most intense, satisfying section of your book.
• The resolution is usually pretty short. What character arcs and side plots need to be resolved? Are there any unanswered questions?
• Finally, a denouement is the very ending. What is the last thing that happens in your book?

Some authors may benefit from writing their plot on a physical piece of paper or index cards to start with. It may help to use a plot structure, especially if this is your first time writing a novel. You can use any of these templates (or none of them — it’s your book!):

• Three-Act Story Structure
• Hero’s Journey Template (by Joseph Campbell)
• The Snowflake Method (by Randy Ingermanson)
• Save the Cat Beat Worksheet (by Blake Snyder)
• The One-Page Outline

It may sound simple, but writing a book takes hard work and determination. You have your goals, your space, your topic, and your research. Now you need to write that book!

Read my article on How to Start a Story that Hooks Readers Right Away . As long as you have an outline, writer’s block and procrastination shouldn’t be significant problems. Whenever you sit down to write, go to whatever scene in your outline speaks to you most. Yes, you can write a book out of order — and it’s easy to do with a detailed outline. Some authors may write in a very linear fashion. Depending on the narrative, it may be necessary to write every chapter and scene in order. There are many rules of writing a book, including industry standards for formatting, grammar, and avoiding cliches. I cover 20 major writing rules below, but there are also many “rules” of writing a book that you can choose not to obey, as long as you have a good reason. How many pages should a book be? A book can be any number of pages, depending on audience and genre. A novel is defined as at least 40,000 words (or about 150 novel pages), though most authors aim to double that word count. Fantasy and science fiction tend to be longer. Nonfiction books vary wildly, depending on how long it takes to thoroughly discuss the topic. Because you have the outline from the previous section, I’m not going to take you through how to write a beginning, middle, and end to your story. I’ve already covered how to outline those. However, I think this is the place for handy tips and tricks that every author should know.

Follow These Writing Principles

Although most of these are strong suggestions, not necessarily must-dos, these writing principles can guide you through your writing process and result in a higher quality book. 20 writing tips, tricks, industry standards, and guiding principles for authors:

• Come up with a book title before you write. A title can give you direction, guidance, and focus. However, change it if need be. In the middle of writing, or after you’re finished, experiment with various title options. Check out this Book Title Generator .
• Pick a subtitle for marketing purposes. A subtitle can increase your novel’s visibility by including valuable keywords that are great for searchability and marketing purposes.
• Choose a basic typeface. When you’re writing a manuscript, stick with Times New Roman. When you’re submitting your manuscript to a publisher or a literary agent, they don’t want to see fancy fonts or weird formatting.
• Don’t start with a cliché. Beginning clichés include waking up, looking in a mirror, lots of dialogue, a dream sequence, a weather description, backstory, and similar book beginnings you’ve heard many times. Some experts even argue against starting with an action scene or prologue, but I would disagree. Those last two can be done well.
• Don’t start with an info dump. This is a common mistake for new book writers. They want to orient readers into their story’s world and setting. They want to immediately describe everything about their characters that they worked so hard to develop. But you need to start your novel with a hook, a little mystery, and an action (not an action scene, to be precise). An info dump on the first page will scare off readers, editors, agents, etc.
• Stick to one perspective. If you want to write in a first-person perspective, stick to it. Same for third-person — but with the added caveat of omniscient vs. limited. Beginner’s tip: Don’t use the first person for a first novel; it can easily come off as amateurish and overly introspective. Also, most writers should never use more than 1-3 POV characters. George R.R. Martin is the rare exception.
• Stick to one tense. Your book should probably be in the past tense. Present tense books from first-time authors tend to read as amateurish. However, young adult books may work in the present tense. Whatever you choose, stick to it. Do not go in and out of present tense. Read this article on when to use “had/have/has” in past tense flashbacks.
• Use adverbs sparingly. Adverbs may be a crutch for many inexperienced authors. Instead of an adverb, you should use a powerful verb that expresses gripping action without needing an adverb. For example, instead of your main character “loudly saying” an important line of dialogue, perhaps she should “exclaim” it.
• Avoid “to be. ” Like avoiding adverbs, avoid “to be,” and its conjugates is/am/are/was/were. Use them whenever necessary, of course. But “to be” may signal passive voice and can often be replaced with a more powerful verb.
• Be careful with pronouns. Pronouns are great tools for avoiding repetition. However, you don’t want to confuse the reader with multiple he’s and she’s and they’s. When you finish a chapter, read it aloud and see if you confuse yourself with any pronoun usage.
• Ensure every chapter has conflict. Without conflict, your reader feels no stakes or urgency. Every single page should feature conflict and the progression towards its resolution. When you’re about to write a chapter — or finish one — ask yourself if that chapter has/had conflict. No? Then cut it. (Or rework it.)
• Make every sentence reveal character or advance the action. This is Kurt Vonnegut’s incredible advice that still holds true today. If a sentence doesn't accomplish one or both of these things, remove it. If the paragraph still makes sense, leave that sentence out.
• Never answer every question. From the first page, your readers need a question that demands an answer. You can introduce any number of questions, but never leave all the questions answered. An unanswered question is what makes readers want to keep reading. Answer a question here and there to satisfy readers with a sense of progression, but never answer every question.
• Avoid lengthy sentences. Sometimes, a long sentence is needed. More often than not, however, readers digest shorter sentences better. Especially in action scenes, suspenseful sequences, or heated arguments, lengthy sentences disrupt the momentum.
• Format your dialogue correctly. Commas and periods almost always go inside quotation marks. Check out my article on formatting dialogue for more in-depth info.
• Use dialogue tags sparingly. Dialogue tags, like “they said” or “she answered” or “Taylor sang” can be useful. However, replace dialogue tags with action tags from the speaker for more spice and less repetition. For instance, don’t write [Greg said, “Where are you?”]. Write [Greg cupped his hands around his mouth. “Where are you?”] instead.
• Don’t use flowery dialogue tags. “Said” is basically an invisible word. You can use it over and over without the reader noticing. Don’t replace it with more exciting words: elucidated, informed, filibustered, clarified, etc. These can easily distract the reader and ruin the flow of the conversation.
• Give your characters bold choices. Make sure your characters are making bold choices that progress the plot. No one wants to read about a casual observer in an otherwise fascinating narrative. The main character should directly affect the story.
• Create likable characters. You readers will root for your characters if the characters do likable things. Have your character show kindness to someone who is bullied. Have your character tell the truth in the face of a lie. Have your character save a cat from a tree (any Blake Snyder fans?).
• Create unlikable characters. Inversely, you probably want readers to hate certain characters in your book. Have your antagonist bully someone smaller or weaker than him/her. Have your antagonist lie, even if it’s petty and seems insignificant. Give your antagonist snarky comebacks to everything people say. But be careful — you don’t want too many unlikable characters. The most fun part of these characters is working in their comeuppance into the ending of your novel.

Take a Break Before Editing

Once you’ve finished your first draft, take a break. You deserve it! You’ll likely go through a second draft, third draft, beta reader draft, professional edit draft, and another professionally edited draft before you get to your final draft. But those will all be easier than writing the darn thing. You’ve conquered the behemoth. You’ve finished a book. No one can take that away from you. Now sleep in for a few days.

Editing your book may take a lot of time, but it doesn’t have to be difficult or stressful.

You must edit your own book; then , you must hire a human editor. There’s no getting around it. No professional author publishes his/her first draft: not James Patterson, J.K. Rowling, or Joyce Carol Oates. You need to edit your own book to be the best it can be before an editor makes it even better. You need to hire a human editor to go over your book, or readers will be distracted by every little mistake you missed: grammar, spelling, word choice, amateurish writing style, all sorts of errors. Now here’s where the article diverges into 2 paths:

• If you’re traditionally publishing, the publishing house will pay for a human editor.
• If you’re self-publishing, you will need to pay for a human editor.

When editing, it’s almost always better to cut than to add. Although it can feel like you’re cutting off parts of your baby, some subplots, useless characters, lengthy descriptions, and directionless twists hurt your story more than they help it. Let’s break up the editing process into 3 steps:

• Developmental edits
• Scene edits

Developmental Edits

When editing, you should deal with developmental edits first. These are big picture edits that become clearer after the entire narrative has been created. For a nonfiction book, these edits frequently involve the clarity, focus, and consistency of your primary theme. Ask yourself questions such as:

• Are there places the information or storytelling bogs down the pace?
• Is my voice consistent throughout the book?
• Are there any gaps in my content or places where the flow feels disorganized?
• Does my book meet the need of my audience or just my own vision?

Read Cascadia’s breakdown of developmental editing for nonfiction books . For a fiction book, developmental edits include making changes to your:

Your characters should have clear motivation , distinct characteristics, believable choices, and satisfying character arcs. Readers experience your book through the characters’ eyes, so characters are usually your most important story element. Changing characters may mean changing many scenes or even adding scenes to elucidate their traits and motivations. Your plot should be engaging, believable, satisfying, and free of plot holes. Your plot should follow a plot structure and genre expectations. If your plot doesn’t check any of these boxes, consider editing your story’s overall plot. This might mean cutting out or adding entire chapters. Make sure there are no loose ends or plot points that go nowhere. Your ending should be preceded by a build-up, foreshadowing, set-ups, and a clear central theme summed up by said ending. Your conflict should engage the reader, further the character development, and make them want to keep turning pages. Consider editing your central conflict if you see ways to strengthen your conflict. Every chapter needs to have a conflict, as well as advancing the overall conflict. Look through your table of contents , and ask of each chapter, “What is the conflict happening in this chapter?” Your theme needs to be clearly conveyed, usually via your plot, characters’ motivations, and conflict/resolution. If you think your themes don’t come across clearly enough, you may need to adjust certain scenes to clarify your central theme. Beta readers are really helpful in determining whether your themes come across.

Scene Edits

We’ve got our big picture developmental edits out of the way. Now let’s dive into scene-by-scene edits, a critical step for editing fiction. Here’s a checklist for when you do your scene edits:

• Each scene and sequence should contribute to character development or the central conflict. Scenes can contribute to worldbuilding, backstory, and atmosphere, but no scene should go by without character development or conflict development.
• Always start a scene in media res (in the middle of the action). It helps with pacing, keeps readers engaged, and offers up a mini-question for you to answer right away.
• Always end a scene with a cliffhanger, however small. Keep your readers asking questions and turning those pages.
• Make sure every scene is correctly oriented in time and location. Readers need to know where and when everything is happening. Near the beginning of each scene, insert a brief physical description of the unique qualities of where the scene takes place.
• If one scene is a lot longer than other scenes, ensure that your physical descriptions aren’t overly long, or that your dialogue doesn’t go on and on, or that your action scenes aren’t slow-paced.
• If one scene is shorter than other scenes, determine whether the pacing is too rushed, whether you skipped establishing time and location, or whether that scene could be combined with another.
• Every scene needs a consistent voice, a consistent POV, and a consistent tone.
• Of course, show, don’t tell in every scene.

Now you can proofread and edit your book, line by line. If you don’t have the dexterity to pour over every sentence for grammar, spelling, word choice, and more, then you can use proofreading software like ProWritingAid or Grammarly . Hemingway is another valid option, but it’s my third choice compared to the other two. List of common errors you should fix in copy edits:

• Passive voice
• Too many commas
• Filter words (which are most common when writing in the first person)
• Too many adverbs
• Inconsistent voice or POV
• Too many pronouns, especially the nonspecific “it”
• Sentences that go on, and on, and on
• Improper subject-verb agreement
• Misused words
• Repeated words
• Overused jargon

Stop Editing Your Own Book

Once you’ve edited and edited and edited, know when it’s time to stop. You’ve done well. You’ve spent the time necessary to improve your manuscript. Now reward yourself with a week’s rest.

Authors may have big egos.

Not you, of course — other authors…

But it is essential to separate yourself from your work and get feedback from beta readers, professional proofreaders, and editors. You can get feedback from anyone, but I recommend you seek feedback mainly from folks who know something about writing, publishing, or book marketing. Librarians, avid readers, English majors — these people may give you the most constructive feedback.

Enlist Beta Readers

Enlist beta readers to give you feedback. Find willing beta readers on social media , friend groups, and anywhere else you can imagine. Alternatively, you can find a critique partner. This is basically a beta reader for whom you also beta read. Usually, critique partners have some experience in the field, so they can prove very helpful. Plus, most are free. How many beta readers should you have? You should have at least 3-5 beta readers, but some new writers cast a wider net for more feedback opportunities. Unfortunately, some beta readers may never get around to reading your work. They are doing this for free, so don’t harbor too many grievances. I do recommend creating some kind of guide, like a few questions to ask themselves as they're reading. A deadline can also help. Although you want feedback, don’t necessarily make any changes until 2 or 3 beta readers give you the same feedback. Some authors enlist beta readers after they’ve hired a professional proofreader. But I say that’s not necessary.

Hire Editor(s)

You need at least one professional human editor to look over your work. And yes, this is after you’ve edited it yourself. You need to present your best work to a human editor and let him or her make it even better. If you’re publishing through a traditional publisher, they will hire editors in return for a share of your royalties. If you’re self-publishing, this is a necessary (and tax-deductible) expense. And I won’t lie to you: Full-time editors cost money. A copy editor or line editor is different from a proofreader. Here are the 4 types of editors , in chronological order of when they should be hired in your editing process:

• Developmental editors are the first editor you should hire. They can be the most expensive, but they look at your whole book and help you know what big picture changes you should make to improve your overall story.
• Line editors focus on the flow of ideas, transitional elements, mood, tone, voice, and style throughout your entire book. They make sentences crisper and tighter by fixing redundancy and verbosity issues and improve awkward sentence and paragraph construction without a full rewrite.
• Copy editors make changes to the text, including spelling, grammar, word choice, syntax errors, and punctuation use. (“Copy editing” means something different in the UK; there, it’s akin to proofreading.)
• Proofreaders search for last-minute spelling, grammar, and minor formatting mistakes. A professional proofreader looking over your formatted book should be the final step before publishing.

Of course, you don’t need to hire all four editors. I recommend hiring a developmental editor early in the editing process, a line editor near the end of the editing process, and a proofreader with formatting experience right before publishing. How do you find a great book editor? The best way to find a book editor you can trust is often a word-of-mouth referral from an accomplished author. You may also try book editing services that connect you with fantastic editors for your book. How much does an editor cost?

• Developmental editors may cost $1,000 and $8,000, depending on your manuscript length and the individual proofreading professional.
• Line editors charge between $600 and $2,000.
• Copy editors run between $300 and $1,200.
• Proofreaders will set you back between $200 and $1,000.

Check out these helpful articles:

• Book Editing 101
• Book Editing Blueprint (a fantastic class I’d recommend!)
• List of the Best Book Editors and How to Select Them
• Best Proofreading Software
• Best Proofreading Services You'll Ever Find

Build Your Launch Team

Your launch team ( ARC team ) is a group of people who help your book launch prove as successful as possible. Members of your launch team leave (glowing but honest) reviews on Amazon and share the book’s launch with their circle of influence. The more book reviews you have, the more Amazon suggests your book to other readers. Also, good reviews of your book mean more people are likely to buy your book. A launch team could include:

• Beta readers
• Friends/family who want to support you
• Fans of your previous work
• Readers of your blog
• Followers on your social media
• Critique partners
• Business contacts
• Fellow authors

When you recruit launch team members, make sure they know what to do on launch day/week and kindly hold them accountable for following through. Offer freebies to encourage follow-through.

Publish & Market Your Book!

Finally, it’s time to publish your book. And don’t forget you have to market your own book, too — whether you’re going through the self-publishing or traditional publishing process.

When you publish your book, make sure you format your book correctly , nail your back cover blurb , have a stellar book cover (traditional publishers will usually pay for this), and properly organize the front matter and back matter . Hopefully, you know that you have to start marketing your book long before it hits shelves and the online marketplace. Be sure to check out my podcast about book marketing . Here are some articles you can read to learn more about book marketing:

• Book Marketing 101
• Kindle Keywords for Self-Publishers
• Ultimate List of the Best Book Review Blogs
• How to Use Surveys to Sell More Books
• Best Email Services for Authors
• How to Sell Your Books in an Indie Bookstore

Dave Chesson

Related posts, writing a book for the first time a breakdown of the complete process, how to write the best novel outline of 2024: 6 easy steps, sell more books on amazon, amazon kindle rankings e-book.

Learn how to rank your Kindle book #1 on Amazon with our collection of time-tested tips and tricks.

3 thoughts on “ How to Write a Book in 2024: The Ultimate Guide for Authors ”

Loved this format, Dave – am currently editing my next book, so could skip right to that section for tips. The bloggers list will also come in handy for me very soon, so that’s much appreciated too!

I really enjoyed this article. There were many good points I never considered. I am a new writer. I self-published my first book in 2008, it is on Amazon. I am working on a second novel and it is in the revising stage. I cannot afford an editor, so I hope my editing will be enough. I plan to submit to Amazon.

Thank you so much for the hard work you put into making this information available for authors or soon to be authors, it was much needed.

I laughed over the idea of outlining software. Really? I do my initial outline in longhand in my plots notebook, where I also describe the characters. I wouldn’t feel connected to them if I did them onscreen. Then I outline 6 chapters ahead, on the end of my document, erasing or moving events around as I go with the chapters written. It sounds like someone has come up with a way to make authors spend more. If I want to write out of order, I add a scene or convo to the plot outline to slot in. Word is quite flexible enough! You don’t need any fancy software. Indeed, you can do it longhand with a separate notebook for outlines. And then edit the first time on transcription, which is more efficient than writing to screen. Only arthritis makes me abandon the habit.

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Copyblogger

The Ultimate Guide to Publishing Your eBook on Amazon’s Kindle Platform

I have returned from the fiery abyss of writing my first eBook and uploading it on Kindle, and I bring you this message:

It’s not that bad .

But why write and publish an eBook? If you’re an online marketer , entrepreneur, writer, blogger, or maybe a chef, what’s the point? Here’s what I’ve found:

• It’s time to prove your authority. You have an incredible, life-changing idea? You won’t find a better time for your words to spread like wildfire to inspire and empower, if executed correctly.
• eReaders nearly doubled from December 2011 to January 2012. 1 in 4 Americans are now using some kind of tablet (iPad, Nook, Kindle) that is capable of reading eBooks (The Kindle reading app is also available on nearly every smartphone, more on this below).
• If you already have an established platform — or want to build one — this eBook will fortify all your other online marketing efforts.

The opportunities to grow and expand your business or ideas through publishing an eBook are limitless. With a insightful, compelling eBook, your words can instill valuable wisdom, actions, stories and ideas that can build trust and relationships with your audience.

If you follow the seven steps below, you’ll never have to read another article on publishing to Amazon’s Kindle platform ever again.

Let’s get started …

Step 1: Define your target audience

This is business and marketing 101 , baby.

Without a target audience, an eBook is useless.

Without a target audience, you will not see an increase in subscribers, traffic, or any building of trust whatsoever.

Ask yourself:

• Who is my target audience?
• What do they like? Feel?
• What will they learn?
• What am I offering them for their time?
• How can I make this eBook build a relationship with my readers? Is it a character they fall in love with? A story? Are you motivating or inspiring them with ideas and examples? What is the main purpose?

When Stephen King wrote, he wrote to his wife.

When Steven Pressfield wrote  The War of Art , he wrote to writers and creatives alike.

When John Locke wrote  How I Sold 1 Million eBooks in 5 Months , he wrote to most of the people reading this article right now.

Before you even think about putting a letter on that blank page, stop and ask yourself:  Who am I writing to ?

Step 2: Do you have a platform?

Writers have an obligation to their audience — to respond and listen to their feedback, to build a relationship, to keep them as readers forever. Why would anyone want to miss that opportunity?

That’s why we have blogs and Twitter.

Let me fix that: That’s why  you should  be publishing to your own blog and using Twitter.

Your blog can benefit you and your eBook in many ways:

• Your readers can find you, support you, and give feedback.
• You can build … and build … and build, to the point where you have thousands of subscribers waiting to read your next eBook.
• You can continue the conversation. Say your eBook was motivational and inspiring; you could provide blog posts on that topic and have your readers coming back for more. This can get big … it might even get fun.
• A blog is your portfolio: it has your work, your info, credibility — almost all of you. Coming from someone who used to be on the other side of the fence, it’s really wonderful how reader can now connect with author; it makes the entire experience feel … special.
• Now that your blog has a face and examples of your work, you can meet like-minded individuals; networking is fruitful and the lifeblood of growth.
• Guest posting for other blogs allows more visibility to your eBook, or at least, your blog. From there, your newfound readers may be interested in your writing.

Twitter is a great platform for your eBook and yourself:

• Your readers can follow you; and you can respond to them.
• Find people with similar passions and interests.
• Hashtags help brand your eBooks; then, when fans click on the hashtag, they will see other people giving feedback about your eBook and that may spark interest.
• Promote your eBook amidst sending relevant, valuable tweets.

You’re ultimately shorting yourself by not having either platform. It doesn’t matter what genre you write for, your audience needs a place to find you, get to know you, and stay updated.

Just remember … don’t be a digital sharecropper .

Step 3: Write your eBook

You have your target audience in mind, and you have a blog and/or social media platform of some kind. Good.

Do you want to know how I started my eBook after I delayed it for a few months? I woke up one morning, opened Pages for Mac, typed the title that I had in mind, and wrote.

That’s what you need to do. Just start.

Whatever time you read this, just know that if you don’t start tomorrow morning (or whenever you are comfortable writing), then you will never write an eBook.

The easiest way to do this is either use Microsoft Word or Pages for Mac. (Kindle suggests you write it in Word because if you decide to format this yourself, you must save your file to a filtered .html or .htm format, which translates on the Kindle very well.)

A few things you will have to keep in mind when writing:

• Create a Table of Contents (TOC) .
• Insert a page break when you’re finished with your chapter to eliminate unnecessary white space so your reader can immediately scroll to the next page. Finished with your TOC? Page break. Finished with your copyright page? Page break. (To insert a page break go to “Insert” at the top menu bar, then find “Page Break”).
• Do not use headers, footers, or any sexy font because it will not translate on the Kindle; they have standard fonts.
• Bold, italicize, and headings translate well.
• Images are allowed and should be inserted as .JPGs (more on formatting your eBook below).

Once you have finished writing the eBook, start the formatting process.

Step 4: Tools to download before formatting

You will need to download a few things to preview and format your eBook.

Kindle Tools & Resources You will see four options: KindleGen, Kindle Previewer, Kindle Plugin for Adobe InDesign, and the Kindle PC/MAC application.

If you haven’t downloaded the app already — and you don’t have InDesign — you will need both KindleGen and Previewer.

KindleGen is a program that will convert your saved file into a format used for the Previewer (.mobi); when you have that file in place, just drag it into the Previewer.

With the Previewer, you get to preview your eBook to ensure it’s formatted to your desire. When on the Previewer, you can go up to the top menu, and click the option to view your eBook on the actual Kindle App (make sure it’s downloaded).

Step 5: Formatting your eBook

You have two ways to format:

• Do it yourself
• Pay someone to do it

In order to format your own eBook, you need a good understanding of HTML.

Most people I spoke to about formatting their own eBook said it was tedious, so  here are some eBook conversion services  to think over if you wish to save yourself the hassle. (I used 52Novels, paid $100 for both Kindle formatting and an ePub format. The price will vary depending on service and the amount of words.)

The final format of the eBook should be a PRC.

If you wish to format it yourself, use Kindle’s Simplified Guide to Formatting Your eBook or Publishing for Mac Users .

Step 6: Before you upload, think this over

By this step, you should have your eBook finished, formatted, and ready to go. All you need to do is upload it, but before you do, you have two ways of uploading:

• Go the KDP Select route
• Or don’t

What is KDP Select? (Kindle Direct Publishing) When you enroll in this program, your eBook is locked in for 90 days. During these 90 days, you have 5 free promotional days to give your eBook out for free. After those 5 free days, your eBook will be back on the market for a price. During this 90-day period, your eBook will be available in the Kindle Owners’ Library.

What is Kindle Owners’ Library? This option is exclusive to those who are Amazon Prime Members. Borrowing eBooks is only available on Kindle devices, not Kindle reading apps .

Members of Amazon Prime can borrow a eBook for free for a whole month with no due dates. When someone borrows your eBook, you earn money. (Note: Only eBooks enrolled in KDP Select will be available to Kindle Owners’ Library.)

How is it calculated? For example, if the  monthly fund amount  is $500,000, the total qualified borrows of all participating KDP titles is 300,000, and if your eBook was borrowed 1,500 times, you will earn 0.5% (1,500/300,000 = 0.5%), or $2,500 for that month.”

If you don’t enroll to KDP Select You can still upload your eBook to Kindle, but it will not be in the Kindle Owners’ Library.

If you enroll in KDP Select First, lets get this out of the way: Your eBook cannot be free on Kindle .

(Note: You may have heard or seen a few titles that were free for a long time. Those publishers may have worked with a company that works with Amazon. For example: Seth Godin’s  The Domino Project ).

It will be available for free for 5 days of your choosing when you enroll in their KDP Select program. Even if you do not enroll, you must have a price tag on it for a minimum of 99 cents.

But there’s more.

If you decide to enroll in the KDP Select program, these are the restrictions Amazon places on your eBook:

• No PDF version with your specific formatting and sexy fonts
• It cannot be distributed anywhere else for 90 days. Keyword: Exclusive.

You may, however, opt out of the KDP Select program before your 90 days are over. When you do opt out, and the 90 days are over, you can distribute your eBook anywhere you like. Your eBook will still be up on the Kindle market — you just won’t have all the promotional tools.

If you do enroll, and stay opted-in, your 90 days will renew and you will be given 5 more days of free promotion.

So you have a few things to think over …

Not everyone has a Kindle. That’s true. But the  Kindle App  is free to download and is available on the following systems:

• Windows 7 Phones

And, they have the  Kindle Cloud Reader , which acts as an app but enables you to read eBooks on your browser: Safari, Mozilla, and Google Chrome.

So is it possible to mix this pervasive and free app into your strategy for marketing your eBook? Possibly.

Step 7: Upload your eBook

You made your choice. You have your eBook. It’s time to upload.

Watch this simple video to guide you through the process .

After hitting Save & Publish, it will take about 24 hours for it to be on the Kindle store. Within 48-72 hours, the remaining details will be visible on the detail page, such as product description and links related to the physical edition.

Your eBook cover Your cover is everything. If the cover is gross and lacks a clear message, the readers’ eyes will scroll right over it, and your opportunity may be lost forever.

Think of it as a blog design: you go to a blog and have — in my personal opinion — less than 10 seconds to attract the reader. After that 10 seconds and they still don’t know what you’re about — they’ll X out and be gone forever.

As your personal guide through this process, I highly recommend you hire a designer. As an avid reader of Kindle eBooks, I’d say 85% of the covers out there are garbage — this is an opportunity, it’s your time to shine .

Can I un-publish at any time? Yes, you may withdraw your eBook at any time, but remember this: Once enrolled in KDP Select, that “exclusive” rule still applies for 90 days — so even if you un-publish, you will not be able to publish your eBook on any other platform.

Royalties As the publisher, you determine the price. KDP offers two  royalty options : 70% and 35%.

In order to receive 70% royalties for your eBook, you must meet the following criteria:

• The price of your eBook must be between $2.99 and $9.99.
• This list price must be at least 20 percent below the lowest physical list price for the physical book.

You can read more about it on the  Pricing Page .

Do I need an ISBN number? No.

An ISBN number is not required when publishing through Kindle Direct Publishing; what you will receive is a 10-digit AISN (Amazon Standard Identification Number), which is unique to your eBook and found on Kindle Amazon.

If you have an ISBN number, you may enter it in the publishing process.

Congratulations, you’re finished!

You defined your target audience and have an idea of how to market it. You wrote the eBook, formatted, and uploaded. You have a great cover, detailed product description of what your eBook is about, and now it’s on the market.

Congratulations, you self-published your eBook; you should be ecstatic.

Just because your eBook is up doesn’t mean the journey ends now — it’s time to write your next eBook. Don’t stop your momentum. Keep it going. Promote your eBook, keep up with your readers and blog, and begin your next project.

Content marketing , self-publishing, eBooks — this is our future.

There really hasn’t been a better time for people who want to spread his or her ideas.

Enjoy, I hope you found this insightful. Let me know about your questions and experiences regarding publishing to Amazon’s Kindle platform in the comments below …

Paul Jun is a writer who focuses on abandoning self-defeat and living up to true potential. You can find more of his work on his blog, Motivated Mastery . He just released his second eBook, Reignite, which you can download at no charge.

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Reader Interactions

Reader comments (192).

March 12, 2012 at 10:03 am

This came at the perfect time – thank you so much!

March 12, 2012 at 11:16 am

You’re welcome, and glad to hear

August 30, 2012 at 4:59 am

Great post Paul, thanks for that! Quite insightful. I had a question, are you able to see your ebook to Amazon (after the KDP period expires) at the same time to iTunes? If not can you then re-format the ebook, so that internally context is different but with same illustrations/pictures? Hope thats clear.

May 22, 2012 at 6:13 am

Paul, I have begun writing my first e-book. I have so many ideas for other books, but I know getting started and publishing the first is the most difficult. I have to admit that I am a little overwhelmed, lacking in confidence and intimidated by the formatting process, uploading the book, etc, etc. Formatting the TOC alone made my head spin! Also, trying to figure out how to promote it, which way is best with Amazon…my gosh, it is a daunting endeavor…but I know worth it! A couple of questions: 1. How much would it cost to have someone publish it on Amazon for me? I honestly don’t know if I can do it myself…I feel so dumb. 2. How much does a cover designer costs? Do you know any reasonable designers? Like everyone, I am short of cash and cannot afford to pay an arm and a leg to have a cover designed, although I agree with you that it is what catches the reader/buyer… Oh boy, so much to think about! I would love anyone’s help and input!

May 23, 2012 at 7:41 am

Hey Rachel,

Try and take it all one step at a time. My first time doing all of this was daunting as well. I’ll help you as best as I can — and don’t worry, you aren’t dumb. Once you complete this first process, I’m sure you’ll be able to teach it to others.

1. I don’t know how much it would exactly cost. I paid roughly $100 to the company that I mentioned, 52novels, and they formatted the eBook for me in both Amazon format and ePub. With that, you can publish very easily. You fill in all the data about your book, the keywords, title, etc., and then you simply upload the file you were given. Then you set the pricing. Then you’re finished. Maybe try the website smashwords; I’m not too familiar with them but I know they have a service that helps you upload your eBook to various places.

2. Designer’s cost varies depending on what you want. You don’t have to pay an extravagant price. Also note, the cover doesn’t have to be extravagant. It has to be clear. Simple. Attractive. Sends the right message about what your book is going to be about. I would recommend a dear friend of mine who is both fair in pricing and excellent in her work. Her website is http://doublestopdesign.com/

I hope that helps. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask. If I don’t answer soon enough, try the Amazon forums. I actually received a lot of help through there.

May 26, 2012 at 5:30 am

Thank you Paul, This is for Rachel. Professionals (www.alexanderbecker.com) are asking $5000+ for every thing like cover design, formating and etc. but I know a guy who can do the same in $400 to $500.

January 21, 2013 at 8:17 pm

Hi Paul, Thanks for sharing your information. It’s my first eBook and money is thin so I wanted to clarify whether if we publish an ebook on Amazon there has to be a physical hard copy version out there in the wide world of self publishing as well? Cheers Marie

March 12, 2012 at 10:05 am

Great post, Paul. I have a couple of PDF e-books for sale on my website. Could I combine those with extra text into a Kindle e-book and still make KDP select?

March 12, 2012 at 10:24 am

Good question, are you talking about an “enhanced” edition that’s Kindle only? Not sure how that works in with KDP select.

March 12, 2012 at 11:18 am

Anything you put on KDP cannot be on your blog or any other platform such as iBooks and Nook (according to their rules).

You can upload it, not have it on KDP, and still have it on both your blog and Amazon, but you will not get the promotion tools such as the 5 free days and for Amazon Prime members to borrow it.

March 12, 2012 at 7:51 pm

Thanks for clearing that up, Paul.

March 26, 2012 at 5:19 am

I’m confused! I’m trying to upload a clients converted book (he has a printed version available) and it looks like I can ONLY upload the kindle version through KDP select??? How do I upload it, not using the KDP select option….? Thanks Alexa

November 26, 2012 at 1:41 pm

I talked to Amazon who told me you can have your books on your website while in the Select Program only if you are in their affiliate program and the book is available via one of their book widgets or a text link generated by their affiliate program. So you can have them on your website or link to them in articles, ect., as long as the links are part of the Amazon Associates Program. Hope that helps!

March 12, 2012 at 10:10 am

Well done Paul! While many people are bemoaning the fact that it is now much harder to charge double digits for an ebook as we could just a few years ago, others are seeing opportunity.

Just a few short years ago, the people who were most familiar with the ebook format were either internet marketers or their regular customers. It was a limited audience in many respects. Now, the general public knows what an ebook is and may be interested in having/buying it. Pricing is a lot lower because they’re now usually compared to print minus printing costs, but the audience is much much bigger I think.

The steps you lay out here are right on target. There are so many businesses that can benefit from ebooks. I hope people will be inspired to open up their Pages or Word and get going!

March 12, 2012 at 11:27 am

Thank you, Cheryl. I can definitely see the rise in eBooks and people using the technology they possess to access these eBooks. More readers. More reading. More ideas spreading — I’m all for it.

March 12, 2012 at 10:11 am

Formatting the ebook can and is tedious, but you don’t need that much html knowledge doing that. I have an ebook out there and it was kind of easy to format it to Kindle. The biggest hurdle comes with images you have attached, since they kinda need to be in certain format and for me reformatting all of them required the most effort.

March 13, 2012 at 7:30 am

Yes, I still had issues with my image. Sometimes it came out too blurry and other times, well, it just didn’t work.

Did you format your book on the Kindle site? Or did you use a certain program?

March 12, 2012 at 10:12 am

I recently downloaded Scrivener, a popular application among writers for its ability to generate a variety of e-book formats. I’m still undergoing a bit of a learning curve with it, but apparently it can generate MOBI, EPUB, PDF and other kinds of files. (Kindle e-books use MOBI format.) Hoping for the best!

March 12, 2012 at 10:51 am

Scrivener is pretty amazing for keeping organized and converting text. I would recommend it to any writer.

March 12, 2012 at 12:08 pm

Thank you guys for the recommendation. I’m going to look into that program

November 26, 2012 at 2:05 pm

Calibre will allow you to convert a an epub file to Mobi or other formats and to also set a cover, and meta data – it will generate a complete ebook file you can upload to Amazon in a few moments – you can generate an epub file from Word using Aspose.WordsEXPRESS. You must know what settings to use in Calibre to generate an ebook from the resulting epub file. I will send you a free copy of my ebook about this called “Word to Kindle and Nook: How to Publish eBooks using Word” which details the settings and shows screenshots of the entire process. It takes just minutes to get a Word document ready for Kindle or Nook publishing using the two free programs. My ebook is not in Kindle Select now, so it has fallen greatly in sales on Amazon – in fact, I don’t do much writing, anymore. I am focusing on my abstract paintings since moving permanently to Hawaii – so anybody who wants a free copy of my book just let me know where to send it and I will give you a copy. You can use Fiverr.com to have someone design an ebook cover for you, too! I have formatted a word based ebook with 77,000 plus words in it and tons of images using these two programs and my special settings with perfect results. For the curious, this book is “Aliens in Egypt”, by Xaviant Haze.

January 9, 2013 at 11:46 am

Hello David! Thanks for putting this out there. listening to how this all works out sounds so very challenging! This sounds like a wonderful plan! I would like to learn more about how I can make this happen with your idea. I would love it if you could send me your ebook on Word to Kindle and Nook!

With Warm Regards, Vickie~

March 12, 2012 at 10:16 am

A really great article, full of ideas and tips. Thanks. You have saved me a lot of time with this info.

March 12, 2012 at 12:09 pm

Thank you, Andrew, I’m so happy to hear that (seriously).

January 9, 2013 at 11:49 am

Yes I agree! Awesome advice Paul! Thank you so much for taking the time to put this information out there to educate others!

Thanks a lot. Words can hardly express how grateful i am for this piece of info. I cant wait for the 21st of March to read your ebook.

March 12, 2012 at 12:10 pm

Thanks Adrian. You can download it tomorrow, I changed my promotion date because there was a tiny mixup, but no worries.

March 12, 2012 at 10:28 am

Great post, Paul! I wish I’d had some of these resourced prior to publishing.

I published my novel (“Never Smile at Strangers”) in November 2011 and two weeks ago it hits the bestsellers list in the Kindle Store. The sales have been wonderful (& I’m selling MANY more ebooks than paperbacks).

What’s extra great though is Kindle’s lending library. I believe the fund for March (as was February) is $600,000. I find that a lot of people get it under loan, then end up either buying the ebook or paperback for their libraries.

These last few months of publishing digitally has taught me a lot and I’ve reaped much more fulfillment, satisfaction & money than ever before from my “fiction” writing career.

This is book #1 of many.

Best, Jennifer

March 12, 2012 at 11:24 am

Hey Jen, that’s incredible and cheers to your success.

Have you seen a great number of borrowers? My eBook has only been out for 20 days (which is still very new), but I haven’t even seen one borrow. There may be many underlying factors, but have you seen an increase in borrowers?

And congrats, thank you for sharing your story.

January 9, 2013 at 11:53 am

Congradulations Jennifer! That is wonderful news!

Many Best Wishes! Vickie Gray~

March 12, 2012 at 10:31 am

Thanks for this article. I found that publishing my first book to the Kindle was a fairly straightforward process. However, I my self made cover does not appear to be doing me any favors at this point. I’ll have to look into replacing it with something a little more professional looking.

March 13, 2012 at 7:29 am

No problem, Daniel. Glad to be of help. Good luck with your eBook.

March 12, 2012 at 11:06 am

Great guide.

I like the idea of the Kindle Owners Library. Readers just pay a subscription and they can borrow those books for no extra cost. It means that the writer can advertise to Amazon Prime subscribers, and they can check his book out without risk. Sounds like an interesting system.

Yep, I love it. Although, the borrowing is only for people who physically own a Kindle device. You cannot borrow books through Kindle Reading App.

March 12, 2012 at 11:29 am

@Paul: Thanks. I’ll keep this in my back pocket for when I need it.

March 12, 2012 at 11:39 am

Thanks Shane, and again, thank you for the help that you provided

March 12, 2012 at 11:38 am

To the readers: I apologize, I had a mixup with KDP promotion so my eBook is not free today; however, I will make it available for free tomorrow (3/13/12). Thank you and I’m glad to see that people are enjoying the post. 🙂

March 12, 2012 at 11:42 am

Paul, Yes, the topic and details are great. And I’m glad you’ve had success with your e-publishing venture. However, I have to comment about the book you used for art at the top of this post. Paula McLain’s critically acclaimed novel, The Paris Wife, a New York Times best seller and winner of many awards, is NOT a self-published e-book. Nor, is it your book. Yes, Paula’s novel — still selling well in hardcover — is available on a Kindle. But it is misleading to include it next to a declaration that you’ve just finished writing your first e-book. As artists, we all need to guard against even the appearance of appropriating others’ creative work as our own. Or, of using others’ art without credit. The post didn’t explain why you used her book as an example. And neither she, nor her novel, were identified, despite being featured prominently. -Becky Gaylord see my entire social presence here: http://xeeme.com/BeckyGaylord

March 12, 2012 at 12:44 pm

You make a valid point there, Becky. I’ll see what I can do.

March 12, 2012 at 1:08 pm

Thanks, Paul, for replying and considering the remarks. Good luck with your book and blogging.

March 12, 2012 at 2:47 pm

Becky, the post image is a promo graphic put out by Amazon to advertise the Kindle Touch, not an image from the Amazon page for the The Paris Wife ( which you can see is completely different ). They chose to feature Paula McLain’s book on the device. We’re just using their supplied media graphic. Sorry for the confusion, but I’m not sure this is much of an issue that requires correction.

March 12, 2012 at 3:10 pm

Hi Brian, Thanks for the reply. No, I wasn’t seeking a correction. And I understand this is the image Amazon put out to advertise the Kindle Touch. If I were writing this post, I would’ve just probably added a line to clarify authorship of the book being shown on the device. That’s all. (In full disclosure, Paula is a good friend. I am in the acknowledgements of the Paris WIfe.) As I said in the initial post, I am thrilled for Paul and wish him much success with his e-book. -Becky

March 12, 2012 at 11:49 am

Paul — thanks for this advice. You put a lot of work into this post which I appreciate as a fellow blogger. I have an ebook in my head but now I have to get out and write it. Question: what is your advice on pricing? The 35% or 70% option?

March 12, 2012 at 12:12 pm

That’s tough because a book that is priced at $10 has to deliver 10 times the value than a book that is $0.99. Honestly, when it comes to pricing, I say go with your gut feeling. To me, it wasn’t about the money but more about getting my writing and ideas out there. It was my first eBook so I wanted to be fair and I wanted to test the waters. I could have put this as a newsletter subscription to my blog, but I wanted to experiment with different avenues.

March 12, 2012 at 10:02 pm

Thanks for your response, Paul. Guess I’ll trust my gut.

March 12, 2012 at 11:50 am

Hi Thanks for your amazing article! I am a book writer getting ready to do e-books. How does BookBaby compare to Amazon? If I do my books through BookBaby am I still able to do the KDP through Amazon and also get the best that Amazon has to offer in the way of promotions, etc? Thank you.

March 12, 2012 at 12:15 pm

I’m sorry I haven’t heard of BookBaby, but I know Amazon is very serious about their KDP program. If you enroll in KDP then you cannot have it anywhere else — not even on your blog. If they do find it, I think the punishment is them banning you from Amazon — definitely something I wouldn’t want to do.

I’d say go with Amazon because their audience and their foundation really is number one — plus it’s growing and expanding, so the future can be very promising. I hope this helps.

March 12, 2012 at 3:08 pm

BookBaby is a formatting and distribution service. You send them your file, and then they format and distribute it to the major players for you (Amazon, iTunes, Nook, Sony Reader, etc.).

BookBaby charges for this service (giving you much wider distribution), Amazon does not charge to upload a book to the Kindle store directly.

March 13, 2012 at 7:27 am

Thanks for the clarification my good man

March 12, 2012 at 8:28 pm

I use BookBaby for my own eBooks and those that I don’t care to have in the Kindle Direct Library. Though I love the library, fiction are the most lended genre and if I’m expecting my eBook to sell more than 50 copies, listing with BookBaby is worth it due to the massive amount of distribution they offer. They currently charge $99 per title and $19 per year to keep it in distribution. I’ve also had several clients choose to go with their distribution service and they’ve been very pleased with the increase in sales.

One thing, though, I’m not sure how good their formatting service is and it doesn’t look like you can proof read your eBook on a reader device (I proof all my eBooks on my Kindle prior to sending them to BookBaby), so it’s kind of a shot in the dark if you don’t have a level of quality control there. I’ve seen people hire professional eBook programmers and due to a lack of quality control they ended up with a whole section of their book poorly formatted and nearly unreadable.

But for distribution, if you expect to sell a lot of copies, BookBaby is worth it!

March 13, 2012 at 7:26 am

Thanks for that Kristen, I’m going to look into that myself. And also interesting point when you said, “fiction are the most landed genre.” I thought about that myself because I haven’t gotten one borrow yet. Also my eBook is short so it may not be necessary, and most books allow the preview of the first few chapters. Thanks for this added insight.

**lended. Total spelling fail. 8:30 Am and no coffee, don’t judge.

March 13, 2012 at 8:42 am

LOL 🙂 No judgement here! Yes, I’ve heard that shorter eBooks do better in sales and longer fiction books do better in lending. I know I buy non-fiction but borrow fiction myself. Can’t warrant the price tag for only reading fiction once, but non-fiction usually is referenced over and over again, so it’s better just to buy it.

Great article! You left out one very crucial step — editing. If you want to assert your authority, hire a professional editor to make your book as flawless as possible.

March 13, 2012 at 7:25 am

Definitely an essential step. Shame on me for not adding that.

If you can’t hire an editor, use your resources (friends, mentors, coworkers, blogger/writer friends, etc). A lot of my editing in my last book was a lot of teamwork and open brainstorming/openly editing. I was also fortunate to have a friend with great editorial skills, but mainly it helps to have a fresh pair of eyes read over your work (and usually being right next to them to hear what they read).

Thank you for adding this tip, much needed.

March 12, 2012 at 1:43 pm

I literally surfaced from a 60 minute writing burst on my ebook to see this post, Copyblogger needs to stop reading my mind!

I’ve read several books on self-publishing (both free books and paid for) and this guidance is certainly rather more easy to follow than some books I’ve read, thanks for the great post 🙂 I’m currently wavering on exactly how to publish it – yes you can get Kindle apps on all devices but some people have different preferences (such as Stanza, or iBooks) and want to be able to read books there, there’s also the issue that some people have ereaders which are not Kindles (I used to be one of them, and I have many friends who own Sonys or Nooks), I guess it partially depends on what kind of book you’re publishing and the target audience 🙂

March 13, 2012 at 7:20 am

Thank you that’s very flattering. Yes, I agree people do have different preferences, but I do believe that Amazon is dominating in their market. People buy iPads and don’t even really use iBooks — they use Kindle reading app. It does depend on the audience and what not, but overall, with the right marketing, the right target audience in mind, as well as a strong platform, your eBook should get into the hands of your audience. One thing that really has helped me was guest posting for other sites; it still is the most highly effective way of marketing, building relationships, attracting new readers, and spreading the word of your eBook.

March 12, 2012 at 2:13 pm

As a recent ebook author, I appreciate your post. Let me just add a couple points. In addition to knowing their audience, writers need to have a clear idea of their expertise and how it relates to their market. I’m amazed at how much advice I’ve read about finding a topic. You should have a topic, and a working title, before you begin. And you’d better have enough passion to carry you through all the hard work. Let me also suggest that writers also publish in paperback, which Amazon also lets you do through Createspace. There will always be people who prefer reading this way. Plus you can sell them at speaking events. It’s all about giving readers choice. I published my ebook . Write Like You Talk–Only Better, through both Kindle and Smashwords, because I wanted to make sure it was easy to download for all e-readers. They convert to all formats and distribute at no charge, though they do take a slice of the revenues, like Amazon does. I was also be offer free downloads, which are resulting in more reviews. As e-publishing pioneers, we should support each through advice like you did in this post. .Check out my blog if you want to hear more about my experience.. I’ve downloaded your book and look forward to reading it this week. Let me know if you’d like one of mine. Thanks, Paul.

March 13, 2012 at 7:17 am

Barb, this is why I love the comment section because there is so much value down here as well.

What you said is absolutely essential and important to consider, so thank you for that. And thank you for your support, let me know how you like it.

March 12, 2012 at 3:13 pm

You packed a ton of great information in this. Thank you so much. I will use this post carefully to weigh my options and figure out where and how I am going to publish my book. Thanks Paul and good luck with your book!

March 13, 2012 at 7:16 am

I love hearing that Robin. And thank you, to you as well.

March 12, 2012 at 3:45 pm

Great info, Paul. Thanks! An e-book is in my near future (probably this year) and I will definitely be referring to this article!

Thank you Leanne and good luck to the creation of your eBook.

March 12, 2012 at 4:51 pm

I have a couple e-books in mind and this article will assist me in making decisions.

Thanks for the valuable information.

March 13, 2012 at 7:15 am

Anytime, Nancy. Glad to be of help

March 12, 2012 at 5:16 pm

Crikey! I’m sooo impressed with this article. Was doing just fine – all geared up to go with an ebook in mind… until I got to points 5, 6 and onwards. That sounds like real work, the writing bit is easy! Think I’ll hang on to this post and work my way through it verrrry slowly. Thanks 🙂

Thanks Linda 🙂

March 12, 2012 at 6:34 pm

I’ve only published short documents (crochet patterns) on the Kindle Platform, but really want to write and publish an ebook. This article will help get me started. I also need to look into the Kindle Select program more deeply. I remember when it was announced, but didn’t pay too much attention to it because I didn’t want to give my patterns away for free. But 5 free days over a 90-day period isn’t bad at all, and the potential to earn via the lending library has really got me interested. Thanks for sharing.

March 13, 2012 at 7:14 am

Good to hear, Patrice. Definitely weigh your options and see what is best for you. It’ll sound strange for me to say to not listen to anyone when picking a price or enrolling in KDP because what I really want people to do is experiment and learn on their own. It’s not like you’re only going to be writing one eBook for the rest of your life, so I find it important to test, experiment, and measure your results and play to your strengths.

I enrolled and used 3/5 free days. My eBook has been up for 21 days and I have a total of downloads and purchase: 650. Not bad. 0 borrows though, which is a bit strange.

March 12, 2012 at 7:25 pm

Good timing, thanks. Three thoughts:

1) How does Amazon define book? Is it a word count? A page count? Some combination of both?

2) The “Define your target audience” section is helpful. However, I would like to suggest someone devote a full post on vetting an idea for a book.

3) Finally, how about more on the process of pulling those loose ends into focus? Perhaps it’s just me but the publishing part seems to be the easy part. Worst case, as you noted, it can be outsourced. However, the process of shifting from blogger to book author is probably underestimated more often than not, yes?

March 13, 2012 at 7:11 am

1) it can be any length. A kindle eBook is an eBook, period. It can be poetry, short story, how to’s, a long list of blog posts consolidated. Anything, really, in my opinion.

2) That’s a great point, and maybe I’ll do one in the future. Good food for thought. 🙂

3) I don’t know if its underestimated — I personally felt that as a blogger going the eBook route was just expanding and being more diverse with my writing, as well as adapting to the change in the online world. Also, many people have different motives to write. But, it is still very fairly new. I realized that PDF and newsletter subscription was a great way to sponsor and to attract subscribers, but for some reason I feel strongly about Kindle eBooks and reading apps readily available on multiple platforms (cellphone, tablet, etc.). I’m thinking we’re going to be seeing a lot of bloggers self-publishing their eBooks; however, the increase in the number of published eBooks has been consistently rising, so the power of free and the power of $0.99 cents will eventually have a new meaning (in my opinion).

March 12, 2012 at 8:24 pm

This is probably the most comprehensive Kindle article I’ve ever read. As someone who’s been in publishing for many years and seen eBooks grow from internet marketers to the general public, and therefore being abused by authors who don’t know any better, I thank you for posting the importance of audience, a decent cover, and especially proper formatting.

I’ve done a lot of eBooks that started out as nice print books with “sexy fonts” and my eBook programmer has been able to make those eBooks look just as nice as their print counterparts. Pretty fonts stay intact by embedding them as images within the code and complex graphics, bullets, bolds, italics and other formatting issues that come up with anything besides straight plain text look fabulous when a proper eBook programmer converts it.

I personally use an eBook programmer for all my own books and all my client’s books. Outsourcing isn’t that expensive when it means you can avoid negative reviews on Amazon from people who can’t read a poorly formatted Kindle book. Negative reviews and a soiled reputation as an author are much harder to pay for in the long run than a proper eBook programmer, so if you have bullets, italics, bolds, headings, graphics or other complex formatting I’d recommend not skipping that crucial step.

Thanks for the fabulous post, Paul!

March 13, 2012 at 7:07 am

Thank you for those kind words, Kristen. I love hearing that this article is in-depth because I truly focused on being informative — I could get used to hearing this 😉

July 25, 2012 at 4:47 pm

Kristin, will you share with me (for a friend who’s too stressed right now to research these issues), who you use as an ebook programmer, and some ball park costs? Your’s was a post that added more answers to things I hadn’t even formulated questions for yet.

Thanks, Nancy

March 13, 2012 at 1:08 am

Hi Paul, Thanks for this guide. Do all these steps 9esp uploading, payment etc) also work internationally, do you know? The reason I ask is because Kindle doesn’t work in Pakistan (where I am) and I can’t access the browser/web kindle app either. Thanks for your thoughtful and detailed post. Writing my first-for-Kindle ebook and hoping to work out the kinks soon!

March 13, 2012 at 7:05 am

Hey Salma, I believe this process should be usable internationally. If they formatted their site differently, then I wouldn’t see the point in that. I just checked the UK version of Amazon and if you scroll all the way down the “Self-publish with us” option is available. Let me know if you still run into problems, I’ll do my best to help you out.

March 13, 2012 at 3:38 am

Perfect timing for me as well as I am putting together my ebook on how to crowd fund a project on Kickstarter!

March 13, 2012 at 5:30 am

I’m working on my second ebook and have recently started using Jutoh as the means of auto-creating ebooks for multiple formats. It has a learning curve, but is really good for moving chapters and sections around (which requires a different TOC, which is automatic in Jutoh), automating cover creation, internal and external links, fixing formatting issues, and auto-compiling and producing books for multiple formats – Kindle, Nook, iPad, others. Worth a look. A bargain at $38. There is a free trial copy.

You can find it at Jutoh.com

March 13, 2012 at 7:01 am

Awesome. Good luck, let me know how it goes. Good topic as well, I keep hearing that name everywhere.

March 13, 2012 at 5:56 am

Paul, Thank you so much for this valuable content, you have just saved me a LOT of time and made the consideration of producing an eBook a lot more doable. I keep thinking I must start work on an eBook and have had thoughts about Amazon, but didn’t really believe it would be possible or that I would run into too many issues. Hearing this from someone who has been through the process is so valuable….now to decide what would be of value to my audience. Thinking time 🙂

March 13, 2012 at 7:00 am

That’s awesome to hear, Jessica, and thank you for your kind words. If you have any further questions, I’d be happy to help out.

March 13, 2012 at 6:11 am

Hey Paul, So which one you chose for your ebook (and recommend), KDP or otherwise? Btw, you’ve answered so many things that were popping up in my mind since I planned to self publish… but due to ridiculously busy schedule, I think i’ll need a few weeks before I can write even the first word.

March 13, 2012 at 8:57 am

Well, seeing as how it was my first book, my objective was to promote it as much as possible, to spread my writing, get people to like me, and to see where I stand with my audience, as well as inspire and enrich one’s life. I could have stuck with PDF format (because it looked simply amazing) and used it as a blog subscription, but I wanted to try something else.

So I enrolled in KDP. The few free days I’ve used up has resulted in great numbers, but only because I used guest posting and my relationship with other writers and bloggers to promote my work. If I didn’t do either of those two, then I don’t know what the results would have looked like.

As for writing your eBook, I recommend you take it a day at a time, even if it’s for 1 hour. Get something down. Create the outline. Brainstorm and write down notes. Ask around. It’s important to start, no matter when, where, or how.

I hope this helps, Ali.

March 23, 2012 at 5:25 am

Thanks a ton Paul 🙂

March 13, 2012 at 7:39 am

Great, informative, and straight-to-the-point article Paul. Thanks! I’m gathering a lot of information about e-publishing on the Kindle platform on our ‘Write2Profit’ Writer’s Website, and this is really helpful. As a Kindle ‘newbie’ I’m also hoping to publish some e-Books on Kindle shortly, so again – thanks for a really useful and informative article. I’m off to get your free e-Book now, so thanks for that, too! PS. The subject of how to publish on Kindle is also a great e-Book subject in itself, as you probably know, and we promote some of the current ‘How To’ publish on Kindle e-Books on our ‘Write2Profit’ site.

March 13, 2012 at 8:59 am

Great to hear, Andy and thank you for the support. I really do appreciate it.

March 13, 2012 at 7:52 am

Excellent guide, Paul. Loved watching you learn all this. Thanks for sharing.

March 13, 2012 at 9:01 am

Jeff, thank you my man for everything you’ve done. By the way, guys, Jeff wrote my foreword to my eBook and he starts it off magnificently. More of a reason to read it. 🙂

March 14, 2012 at 3:37 pm

Hi Paul, thanks so much very helpful post. I am in the final stages of preparing to ship to Amazon. I also have recently acquired a Kindle touch for my birthday, NICE!!

Ok to my questions.

So after 90 days you can sell your eBook through other avenues – blog, smashwords etc? If you decide to opt back in after 90 days, can you sell through other avenues?

March 14, 2012 at 4:44 pm

Congrats Barry, you should be ecstatic to ship soon.

After 90 days, if you opt out, you can publish/sell anywhere you like. My advice is to opt out before the deadline. In the KDP option you will see it under your dashboard/menu area once you’re situated.

If you decide to opt back in, you’re locked in the 90 day program again, and therefore cannot publish on blog or smashwords.

March 15, 2012 at 2:32 am

As someone who helps self-publishing on a daily basis, my advice is simple — pay for someone to convert your book. It is a service that we offer our writers, but only on their insistence. We resisted offering it for months, but after many conversations it was clear that many writers were making mistakes they could have avoided.

I also feel that since self-publishers ‘have something to prove’ it is their duty to make their book the best it can be. Self-publishers face immediate suspicion and extra attention from writers, they must, therefore, be amazing. This means a great cover, professional editing and, if you can afford it, professional ebook conversion.

We are now regularly seeing writers selling between 500-1000 books a month. This might not be a huge number but it is a great base line number from which you can work out how much you can afford to spend on pre-production (editing etc.).

Gary Smailes

March 15, 2012 at 12:50 pm

Gary,I agree. I actually got my husband to get really really good at this and now he is doing the formatting and publishing for others, and of course he is doing all of my books. It helps to do a professional publish because as you say,it is very important to make the right impression with our books. I am so happy that Amazon brought us the Kindle store. It is an amazing platform!

March 15, 2012 at 12:57 pm

Yep, I agree. Either take the time to master the tools and skills necessary to successfully format an eBook, or pay a professional to do that work for you so you can focus on other tasks.

I have a friend learning this for me as well, and luckily, it came very easy to him. This is definitely an essential part of writing and self-publishing an eBook. Thank you both for your insight.

March 15, 2012 at 11:39 am

“… Write it in Word because if you decide to format this yourself, you must save your file to a filtered .html or .htm format, which translates on the Kindle very well.” This is not true. My ebooks looked like TOTAL CRAP after converting from Word. I cannot sell books looking like that so I pulled them from the program. I will probably have them professionally formatted at a later time.

Question: When I previewed my ebooks on the KDP select site, they only looked halfway indecent. But when I then viewed them on the Buy page at Amazon.com, they looked totally different, and much worse. Any idea what’s up with that?

March 21, 2012 at 8:21 am

Regarding your question, I have no idea. I stuck with the Kindle Previewer tool they provided.

May 31, 2012 at 2:12 am

Mollie, I hope you discovered how to format your own ebooks from Word to Kindle and Nook, too. This can be done using a couple of free software programs so that your Kindle ebook looks exactly like it did in Word – I wrote a guide about this that is for sale on Amazon right now – but you can discover how to do this by searching YouTube, as well – there are some tutorial there that explain the process!

November 26, 2012 at 2:28 pm

Molly, you can have perfectly formatted ebooks from Word using two free programs: Aspose.wordsEXPRESS to turn your properly formatted Word document into an epub file, then Calibre to set the meta data and add an ebook cover. Calibre will convert your epub file to Mobi (and many other formats) and give you a file that can be uploaded to Amazon very easily. The process takes minutes. No Htlm fussing around – you can download Kindle for PC or Mac to preview your book. If you see errors, just edit your original Word document and run it through the process again! I will send you a free copy of my short guide about this (it has screenshots) if you tell me where to send it?

January 9, 2013 at 1:30 pm

Hello David! This is great information…If you don’t mind, I would truly appreciate it very much if you could share this information with me as well. My email address is: [email protected]

Thanks so much!

March 20, 2012 at 1:19 am

Wow! A very comprehensive guide for self-publishing. Thanks for sharing this informative guide.

March 20, 2012 at 8:16 pm

Thanks for sharing, this is a great post!

But I would add, there’s more to finding a target market than just “finding” it. Once you find it, you then have to figure out what angle you need to come from to make them interested in what you are writing and in some instances that can be tricky. You have to understand what is selling in the marketplace and then what about that HASN’T been tapped into yet.

Also, actually writing an ebook can be difficult for some people. You need to create an outline to stay on track. And you need to get really clear about what is going to be in the ebook and what is left for other ebooks down the road. And, if you find that you want to judge while writing, talk it instead!

March 21, 2012 at 8:24 am

Good points, Ellen.

March 30, 2012 at 11:58 am

One of the ways we have built our blog up to reaching 111 countries and 60,000 hits between our 2 sites is to leave the article hanging when we write it.. they read the article and get the gist but we leave it open on the end. The rest will be in the upcoming book. I don’t know if we have enough to publish yet in interest what do you think? I found it interesting that men don’t come into our tipsforlove.net site but they will come in and read the same articles on my projecttroops.org site. It’s macho and means it ok to read..but tipsforlove? I think they think it’s to female oriented to read. This is important to know if starting a blog.. will you get the readers in with your title? Thanks Tamra Lynn Smith and best of luck to you all.

January 9, 2013 at 1:34 pm

Wow Tamra! What a great insight! Thanks for sharing…

March 21, 2012 at 9:48 pm

Hi Paul, I’ve been thinking to do this, but I’m wondering if I can include hyperlinks to additional resources. Would kindle format allow it? If you’ve read Darren Rowse 30 Days to Build a Better Blog, you will know what I mean. Or do we have to include all content in that book?

March 22, 2012 at 8:00 am

Yes hyperlinks work very well and it is actually a great feature so you can be resourceful to your readers.

March 26, 2012 at 9:13 pm

Paul, Great to see you here and awesome post. A great mix of the high level and details. Great timing too as I’m debating whether to convert my amazon book to kindle and also planning on writing a new one for kindle. I’m going to come back to read the comments because I see that there’s a lot of great info in there as well. Thanks again for the great post!

March 29, 2012 at 7:57 am

Thank you my friend, and congrats to you as well.

March 30, 2012 at 11:51 am

Thank you for this very helpful website. We are trying to get all our ducks in a row to publish our new book by May 2012. This process is a bit confusing and you have helped me a lot on this. I was dissapointed to see how much droid and apple apps are to create. This was going to be a critical step in jumping ahead. We have our blog and hitting 60,000 hits a month since Jan 2012 so I think we have a good base for our new book on relationships. Professor Thomas Nagle has been trying to get this book together for 15 years lol. Visit us on tipsforlove.net Thank you so much for writing this. What do you think? Is 60,000 hits a month on a blog good enough to publish? I have not paid for advertising but instead used facebook and twitter to market this idea? Thank you kindly :From Tamra Lynn Smith

March 30, 2012 at 2:02 pm

Well, the hits certainly help, but I’d suggest not to worry about that so much. Deliver the value in your eBook, guest post to many places, spread the word of your work, and let the rest unfold; if your eBook is remarkable, then your readers will talk about and tweet it and so forth. It’s an eBook so it’ll be around for a long time.

April 3, 2012 at 7:32 am

Everything I’ve read about writing an eBook has been about DIY and How-To’s instruction books, does the same apply if your writing a storybook? And if you’re writing a storybook, should it be published in hard copy before turned into an eBook?

April 3, 2012 at 1:38 pm

No, the beauty of self-publishing an eBook is you can do it without having to get it in print first. This allows you to control when and how you publish the eBook. So no, don’t wait for a hardcover. Get that storybook out in digital form, then if the opportunity arises, get it in print as well.

April 21, 2012 at 11:21 am

A very informative post, Thanks! I wanted to find out if there are any risks as far as licensing and copyrighting if one published an ebook on Amazon. I mean, is it possible that someone might purchase your ebook, copy it and have it published and copyrighted under their own name?

I hope I’m making sense?

Thanks and looking forward to your feedback!

April 30, 2012 at 10:30 am

What you’re saying makes sense, but if you were to find someone who did do that, I’m sure you can report it and have it removed.

When uploading the book, you can claim it to be public domain work or not, and claim all the necessary publishing rights.

Hope this helps.

April 30, 2012 at 10:18 am

Hi Paul, Another great, detailed post, packed with really useful information. Thanks! Meanwhile, I was wondering if we could use part of your article on our ‘Write2Profit’ Writer’s Website – providing we include your Bio/credits at the bottom, of course! Would much appreciate your reply. Either way, keep up the great work! Andy.

April 30, 2012 at 10:31 am

Sure Andy, whatever helps writers get their ideas packaged and sent out. 🙂

April 30, 2012 at 11:00 am

Thanks Paul – that’s great to hear. And thanks for replying so quickly! Much appreciated. I’ll send you a link later, when we’ve updated our site.

Thanks again. Looking forward to reading more of your posts. Andy

May 1, 2012 at 1:53 pm

Hey Paul, I gather from what I read that you are charging 99 cents for your ebook. The most likely reason that people are not borrowing the book is the price. Customers who are involved in the lending program get to choose the book they borrow each month. They usually choose a higher priced book to get for free. If you were going to get 2 books in one month and one was 99 cents and one was $9.99 you would likely choose to get the $9.99 book for free and buy the 99 cent book. This is what KDP members are doing – choosing the books they borrow by looking at the books they want and choosing the more expensive book as their borrowed book and buying the less expensive books.

My partner and I have been successful with our Kindle books, the latest being The Peanut Butter and Chocolate Lover’s Recipe Book. . Good luck with your book!

May 2, 2012 at 8:13 am

Thanks for the info. That’s something I realized over the past few months, and it makes tons of sense. I appreciate you providing this so it can help the readers understand better on how the borrowing system works.

Wish you all the best on your book 🙂

May 2, 2012 at 2:01 pm

Hey Paul, Thanks for posting the comment and your reply. I hope it helps your readers. Thanks too for wishing us the best with our book 🙂

June 10, 2012 at 2:09 pm

Paul, Could you explain how I can have a main blog and 3 additional bogs all on the same website. and SEO would work to optimize. Could this be a child relationship? Thank you, Boyd

June 12, 2012 at 12:38 pm

Boyd I apologize but I don’t have any experience in that. What I have seen is a website have the image of a logo on their site — maybe on the footer or the sidebar — that redirects the audience to that site. Other than that, I wouldn’t know how to combine them together.

June 11, 2012 at 3:41 am

All the sites say that to make your eBook a success, you should start marketing before you publish. Create a site and start blogging before your work is published to get a head-start on getting readers. Does that make sense? I wouldn’t know what to blog about if my work hasn’t been published yet and you wouldn’t want to give too much away.

June 11, 2012 at 9:44 am

Christina, That is what I am doing right now. Establishing a website blog and loading it up with info. Some from my book and some that I may use later. What type of book are you writing? Boyd

June 13, 2012 at 5:32 am

Great, thanks. I wrote a few short books about easy baking, 52 tips for Teens and a few other craft ones. I’ve started writing for teen fiction fans and because this is a whole new area for me I would have to use a different approach and that’s where I’m having most of my problems. My short books were basic enough so I never felt the need to connect with my readers but my latest teen fiction has become very popular online so I’ll have to reconsider.

June 12, 2012 at 12:45 pm

I believe building a platform first and then using it to launch your book is an excellent and well-thoughtout idea.

It all depends on what you’re knowledgable in. If you’re writing about a specific craft that you’re well-versed in, your blog is used to educate your audience on useful tips and insights that you learned and used through your own experiences. For example, Copyblogger provides insight on publishing, writing, blogging, marketing, and so forth. Their product varies from WordPress themes and tools used within.

June 18, 2012 at 12:28 pm

Paul, so much great information here like others said. I find out that even though I have paid WSOs and diff paid ebooks on amazon kindle publishing, I find out that this free guest post is enough for anyone to get started in the kindle publishing system.

While many things has changed, there are still many things working in making high sales on Amazon. If you have a long term plan for your book (like I have for my upcoming trilogy) using the KDP select will be a good thing – if you need your money so fast then you use the normal way, sell and make money.

If one has a platform as well, it is going to be a good avenue to always make good sales like Armanda and Jeff has done with their blogs.

So Paul, do you have any new figure as to how your ebook went? I will like to read your latest experience.

July 25, 2012 at 5:08 pm

A million thanks for the article and all the commenting. There is enough in here to keep me reading and researching for a month (when I have the time.) Right now I’m looking for information for a friend who’s nearly finished writing and illustrating her book, but is no more computer savvy than I am, and as I read all this, I realize I’m going to have to scramble up a steep learning curve to understand Kindle publishing and so much else.

August 13, 2012 at 11:46 am

Paul, There is such a wealth of information that you have been willing to share. This helps me to realize that writing my first ebook is a real possibility for me. I wish I found this months ago, it’s very motivating!! Thanks for sharing.

August 13, 2012 at 12:36 pm

It’s amazing what you can accomplish when you give yourself the permission to initiate.

I hope you start today.

August 31, 2012 at 1:54 pm

Hi Paul ! I want to know that when i will sell my ebooks online say in PDF format, will i have to send it to the customer’s residence or other address given like in a cd? Or, will this all happen online by accepting payments and giving the download link? I want to sell my ebooks on Amazon.

September 1, 2012 at 7:32 am

If you want to sell as a PDF, say, on your website, then you probably have to use a third party website or program to automatically send out your PDF to the customer when they purchase it. I’m not too familiar with that because I’ve never done it.

As for selling it on Kindle, you have to get it formatted for Kindle. That’s a totally different avenue.

November 26, 2012 at 2:43 pm

If you want to sell an ebook seamlessly on your website you can use eJunkie.com which will handle all of your payment processing and digital delivery very cheaply! They also have a marketplace where your ebook is featured. If you don’t want to pay the small monthly fee, you can create a Paypal button that will deliver the ebook on a landing (Thank You) page you create before the sale. After a successful sale on your blog or website, Paypal will send the purchaser to your landing page where the download link is located – you can upsell the purchaser on this page or use it get get them onto your mailing list – show them videos, or give them free bonuses, ask them to follow you on Twitter or Facebook, etc. Hope this helps!

November 26, 2012 at 2:57 pm

You can also use our Premise software to sell and deliver ebooks without paying a monthly fee to e-junkie.

http://getpremise.com/

September 1, 2012 at 7:25 pm

I’d like to ask are there any exclusive copyrights if you want to see your ebook simultaneously to the likes of Amazon & itunes? Love your posts by the way!

October 26, 2012 at 9:18 am

As long as you don’t sign up to the KDP program, you can have your book anywhere you’d like (as far as I know right now. Maybe that might change.)

September 3, 2012 at 12:41 pm

From my experience of publishing two fiction books on kindle, actually writing them and publishing them was the easy part. Trying to publicise your work, get sales and push your books up the rankings is a very hard slog. Perhaps it may become easier the more books you publish because then it becomes a numbers game like having more chance of winning a prize the more entry tickets you buy. For anyone contemplating self publishing, it is hard work but on the up side, very satisfying

Yeah that’s the idea of using your platform and building an audience greatly increases the chance of sales and visibility.

September 7, 2012 at 10:56 pm

Good stuff. I’ve converted several of my own books and a few for others authors and find that Jutoh works really nice. I’ve had success promoting my book using KDP Select and doing the promotion for several day in a row. I went to #2 in Web Marketing after the book came off promotion. But just like anything you have to keep trying and be open to trying new things.

October 26, 2012 at 9:17 am

Nice work Dennis. Thanks for sharing.

October 26, 2012 at 4:30 am

Not sure if this is correct: ” When you do opt out, and the 90 days are over, you can distribute your eBook anywhere you like. ” – If I remember correctly, you can opt out, but the exclusivity remains till the end of the 90 day period…

That’s what I said. When you opt out, AND the 90 days are over, you can distribute the book.

November 7, 2012 at 10:20 pm

Thank you for he wonderful step-by-step, Paul! I’ll certainly be using this in the future. First, I have a question, and a problem.

My question is regarding the section where you say you can’t publish on nook as well. Does that mean you can’t publish via nook the first ninety days, or not at all? My plan was to publish on KDP, wait out the ninety days, and publish other places. I now wonder if that will be an issue?

And as for the problem, I’m a fourteen year old (aspiring) author and I’m looking to self-publish my novel through KDP. But I really feel like it’s a sort of cop-out– just slapping it up on the internet and advertising. Like giving up without trying. I really want to share my work with others, but I don’t want just a few people to see it, I want it to be more than that. I’m not saying I will be disappointed with anything less than J.K. Rowling-worthy sales, but it would be comforting to know that it isn’t just uselessly floating around on the internet. Does any of that make sense? Furthermore, my current plan is to be a novelist for a living, and I feel like I might as well get myself out there sooner than later, right? Get started while my parents will still support me, build up my own little army of people wanting another book, and be set for a while?

If you actually end up reading this long-winded nonsense, thank you. 😛

November 26, 2012 at 9:03 am

Sorry for the late reply Faye.

You can publish it on Nook AFTER your 90 days are over. During the KDP promotion that you sign up for, no, you cannot publish it elsewhere.

As for the second part of your comment, it’s a process. Build your platform and audience. My first self-published book sold, to date, about 3500. To many that’s not much, but for someone who picked up writing only a few years ago, I’d say that’s a big first win.

Seth Godin said something awesome to me, and I’ll say it to you: “Think journey, not destination.”

As a new author, you will not receive much in the way of promotion for your traditionally published book. In fact, they will ask YOU how you intend to promote it. You will have a small press run and you book will be tied up contractually with the publisher for years. With Amazon, or simply publishing for Kindle on you own – you will still have to face the giant hurdle of promotion but with the Select Program you will at least have Amazon’s huge promotional system giving away your ebook to a wide audience and they hope is that this will build an audience and sales. What happens is people download tons of free ebooks and don’t read them! You have to stand out in some way, ask for reviews, and promote your book via social mediums, blogs and in any other way you can think of – you are not just a writer when you become an author, you are a self-promoter, too! But as young as you are – you will master all of these things over time and have every chance of becoming a working published novelist and writer. Nothing is stopping you but your own willingness to jump and work at it every day. My friend Steve Hayes is a professional writer in his 80’s who writes every day at 4:00 am when his house is quiet and has done this for decades. He was a young actor in Hollywood turned screenwriter in the 40’and 50’s and beyond and now is retired but is a writer ever really retired? His books are published every year in all sorts of genres, including ebooks versions. Nothing is stopping your from becoming another Steve Hayes!

November 30, 2012 at 5:40 am

Thank you for a great article. I am in the process of writing my first book and this helped alot. I will be saving this page and coming back to it again and again.

December 1, 2012 at 10:16 am

David: I enjoyed browsing your blog. The information came at a great time for me and was just what I needed. Your reader comments and your responses to them proved even more helpful. Thanks for the good work. Charles Webb

January 24, 2013 at 9:07 am

Just uploaded my first eBook and it has been accepted, thanks a lot for all the info.

One question though, on Amazon it says my book is a Kindle edition, does this mean that people with iPads and so on can’t read it?

January 24, 2013 at 12:23 pm

First, congrats on shipping. People with iPads can read it because the Kindle reading app is available on many (if not all) operating systems. As long as a person has an Amazon account, the Kindle reading app on their phone or tablet or computer, they can read it.

February 13, 2013 at 2:32 am

Thank you for a well-written and well-formatted post. I’ve tried to scan all 182 comments and answers (!) but forgive me if this has already been addressed… I’m going to publish with KDP then opt-out @ 90 days so I can sell via my own site. I believe Word play better than Pages with KDP due to conversion issues to .mobi. My content will consist of stories, photographs and recipes – so I anticipate formatting nightmares.

Do you recommend any recipe formatting templates or rules of thumb? If I can find a service for $100 that may well be a bargain, but I’d like to take the material to the first level – edit, format as much as possible to reduce risk of typos and such.

Doesn’t seem to be much out there (save for iBooks – incompatible/compeitor, and some subpar templates..)

Any help is much appreciated. I have most of the content done, have the platform, and am eager to put it all together!

Cheers, Jacqueline

February 14, 2013 at 4:31 pm

Jacqueline,

I’m not well versed in this because I didn’t include any recipes or photographs in my book. What I would recommend to you is that you see how other authors have successfully done it, take certain elements that you like, and tell the designer, “Here, this is how I want this page and this page to look.”

There really is no right or wrong answer here, I don’t think. As long as it’s easy to read, navigate, and see, then it shouldn’t be a problem. So if it’s a cookbook, I’d say maybe have a picture on one page, then when someone hits next on their Kindle or slides their finger, the recipe is on the following. Something like that. Or have it so the picture fits on the far left or right, and the recipe in say, bullet form, on the opposite side.

February 16, 2013 at 5:21 pm

Scrivener has templates for a cookbook! I use Scrivener for my writing and Kindle formatting! It’s perfect! Think it cost me around $50. There is a free trial. You should be able to Google and find it. Hope that helps someone!

February 16, 2013 at 5:22 pm

I came here from a Google Search myself. I downloaded my first “enhanced edition” book and I LOVE it! The author included embedded video, etc. So, I can NOT find any help anywhere that tells me how to include such in my own books. I know the bandwidth surcharges with Amazon etc – but I still would like to explore doing that in future books. Anyone know how to include – what the format is for Kindle to include the video, enhanced content, etc?

February 21, 2013 at 11:22 am

I’m wondering…

Are hyperlinks, graphics, tables, jpg images, etc, retained when creating an ebook for kindle…?

I’ve been searching for a while without an answer to that question.

February 21, 2013 at 12:41 pm

As for as hyperlinks, yes I’m sure they’re retainable. I have a few in my first one. As for graphics and tables, I’m pretty sure (not 100%) that they’re allowed in eBooks. I don’t see why not. Because I don’t format the book myself most of the time, I would ask the designers if they provide such a tool. I’m sure they would know, as they format hundreds of varieties of books.

February 25, 2013 at 4:58 pm

Great Article! Thank you.

Forgive me if this was already asked, but I’ve been searching online for hours for an answer…

How do you set up business licensing for selling ebooks online through amazon/kindle, et al AND your own personal website? Are we sales tax exempt since we are selling a digital product to an international market? My business revenue will be primarily digital products but also “consulting” and “public speaking/training”.

I am based in California, USA. Setting up my business as a sole proprietor to start out with an EIN, DBA and business bank account linked to a merchant Paypal account. BUT what sort of licensing do I need to sell digital info products and ebooks?

Thank you for clarifying how to best funnel the dough into my bank account and help me set this up right from the get go!

xo ~Scarlet

March 2, 2013 at 6:52 pm

Hi Paul, thanks for all the info. I’m a published writer/columnist who has been out of sync with all the new ‘e’ stuff so it’s all Greek to me. Your article has given me comfort and hope that I’ll be able to negotiate the shark invested waters of self-publishing…I’m secretly hoping to find dolphins in these waters instead!

Thanks again! Linda

March 5, 2013 at 6:19 am

Thank you so much for everything, one more question to add to the many. How many words or pages is the least acceptable for an ebook?

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Amazon Kindle Scribe Now Lets You Write Directly on Some Books

But only a small selection of guided journals and books with games, like crosswords and sudoku.

• Member of Screen Actors Guild and Actors Equity Association

You'll now be able to write directly on books in the Scribe, but only in select journals and games. 

Amazon is committed to updating the software on its new Kindle Scribe . On Monday, the company announced its third update to the device since its launch last November. The latest update marks the end of the first series of improvements, according to Amazon, and brings substantial improvements to notebooks, PDFs and even some ebooks . 

One of the biggest complaints with the Scribe is that users are not able to write directly onto their Kindle books and are instead forced to write their notes on the Sticky Note app. This update does not change this for most books, but does introduce a few types of books where you are allowed to use the pen to write directly onto the text. 

See Also: Best E-Reader for 2023: Top Picks for Book Lovers

Amazon calls these books Write On content, and they are currently limited to a small selection of guided journals and books of crossword puzzles and sudoku that users must purchase separately through the Kindle store. 

PFDs management has also been difficult on the Scribe, but the latest update attempts to address some of the Scribes biggest issues in this area. Scribe users will finally be able to crop the margins of their PDFs to increase font size, which potentially fixes the current need to zoom in and out on every page in order to size the page appropriately. You'll also be able to switch between portrait and landscape mode in PDFs, as well as have the ability to look up dictionary definitions, translations and Wikipedia results. Unfortunately, you'll need to send your PDFs through Amazon's Send-to-Kindle feature in order to access the new features. PDFs uploaded directly to your Kindle through your computer will operate as they did before. 

Other improvements include a new lasso tool that allows you to select, resize, move, copy and paste handwritten text across notebooks and other documents. Additionally, users will now be able to convert their entire handwritten notebooks to text when exporting, just by tapping a button. 

Overall, these updates appear to push the Scribe in a better direction, though there is still significant room for improvement. While it makes sense to allow journals and games to take advantage of writing directly on the page, it seems as though it shouldn't be difficult to make that experience accessible to all books -- especially when Kobo , the Kindle rival, lets users write on any book in the Kobo library. 

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How to Write a Kindle Ebook: A step-by-step guide (How to Self-Publish Book 1) Kindle Edition

• Print length 148 pages
• Language English
• Sticky notes On Kindle Scribe
• Publication date April 7, 2020
• File size 5277 KB
• Page Flip Enabled
• Word Wise Enabled
• Enhanced typesetting Enabled
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Product details

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B086WLXFMT
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 7, 2020
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• File size ‏ : ‎ 5277 KB
• Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
• Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
• Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
• Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 148 pages
• #247 in Electronic Publishing
• #468 in Electronic Documents
• #1,670 in Computer Graphic Design

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Susanna B (Member) asked a question.

I noticed a new category of books in the Kindle Scribe store - "write on" books, mostly puzzles. After exploring the KDP dashboard, I can't see a way to specifically publish to this category and designate the book as such. Does anyone have the scoop on this? They seem to act like PDFs vs epubs and are not reflowable.

• General Questions

booknookbiz (Top Contributor)

There isn't, and it doesn't work the way you think, or the way those other publishers are trying to imply. Wait until KDP/Amazon catches up with those.

The Scribe isn't magically any wildly different than the other Kindles. Sure, you can 'target" the scribing a bit more, because you use a pen sort of thing, but you still aren't putting the content IN boxes. It's not like...it's not like doing Sudoku, and it checks your answers, or checks that you've even written letters (versus numbers or gobbledygook).

Moreover, KDP expressly bars any sort of "fill in the blank" books from being made as eBooks. : https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G200952510#unsuited you should read all of that section and the part that states:

"Some books are simply not well suited to the Kindle format. These include any kind of book where the main purpose is to allow the reader to write or color on the pages. These books are better suited to publishing in a physical form."

We produce print layouts + ebooks

An Amazon Professional Print+Conversion Service: https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G201723120

http://www.booknook.biz/

Susanna B (Member)

@booknookbiz (Top Contributor) ,

I did not think it worked that way. I'm a longtime KDP platform user and I know all of that. I assume it works like a PDF that you write on, the way you would write on imported PDFs on the Scribe, only they are in the Kindle store. People on Etsy sell such things for users of e-ink tablets and iPad+Apple Pencil. As I mentioned, it's literally a new category in the Scribe store. Photo of it on the menu here: https://www.reddit.com/r/kindlescribe/comments/11vy3a7/learned_that_this_is_a_thing_thanks_to_a_facebook/

@Susanna B (Member) ,

Yes, I know that, I'm familiar with that new category, as I do have a Scribe. What I mean, though, is that...well, let's start this way--copy the section of the HELP pages that I linked you to, about the specficially disallowed content and <u>ask KDP if you can, or cannot, publish a puzzle book now as an ebook</u>. That's the smart path forward on it (even if you can't limit your book to "write-on books," which is one of the reasons I think that this might be a trade publishing perk, see below).

It's entirely possible that Amazon is changing their position on eBooks with "disappointing content" (Fill-in-the-blank, etc.). However, the thought of what would happen around journals, then, is terrifying--but the current limitation and prohibition, there in the HELP pages, is at the moment, pretty clear.

Heck, if they say it's okay, great. Make sure that they know you're talking about eBooks, though, not print.

The other factor is, never forget, (and bear in mind, I'm writing this to you and the 20 or 50 or 100 people that will come along after you and read this thread....), as you already know, that trade publishers can do many things and have access to functionality, categories, marketing capabilities, etc. that KDP publishers do not. Way back, in 2010-12, it was the ebook format "Topaz" that no self-publishers got; it was a pseudo-fixed-layout format. That sort of thing. And that's just one example; there are many others.

It's entirely possible that Amazon has that category for the Random Houses of the world, and the prohibition still exists for KDP self-publishers. It's a good question to ask.

<strong>Quote from : Susanna B on 3/21/2023, 8:18 AM</strong>

<strong>----------------------------------</strong>

<strong><em>"  @booknookbiz (Top Contributor) ,I did not think it worked that way. I'm a longtime KDP platform user and I know all of that. I assume it works like a PDF that you write on, the way you would write on imported PDFs on the Scribe, only they are in the Kindle store. People on Etsy sell such things for users of e-ink tablets and iPad+Apple Pencil. As I mentioned, it's literally a new category in the Scribe store. Photo of it on the menu here: https://www.reddit.com/r/kindlescribe/comments/11vy3a7/learned_that_this_is_a_thing_thanks_to_a_facebook/ "</em></strong>

<strong><em>----------------------------------</em></strong>

I figured all that and hoped some of the official KDP forum people were still floating around on here, or that someone had the inside scoop in a general way before I emailed directly. I didn't see anything different on the dash that would indicate it was an option, but thought I could be missing something. The Scribe rollout has felt fairly experimental thus far (frustratingly so, IMHO, but not atypical for Amazon)--as you say, maybe this is another thing they're sort of floating for select publishers to see if there's a demand.

I think there's some potential beyond puzzles. For example self-helpy books that include pages for responding to questions for reflection and discussion, and the like, so people can seamlessly engage without tapping over to a notebook. Eventually it's got to get there. Apparently not yet, though!

Yeah, but ya know, none of the write-in eReaders has that. Not Boox (I have one) and not Scribe, etc.

They don't track the pixel positions, and without that, the fill-in-the-blank, check-the-box stuff, is never going to happen. And I honestly don't see how they can do that unless/until they create an edition for every SINGLE Kindle device and reader (OY VEY!), and that would be a nightmare.

You can't force someone, for example, to view (say) Kindle for PC on a size Z to Y screen. They decide. That makes that check the box stuff impossible. believe me, I know.

I don't see any opt-in method at all. My guess is, as I said earlier, that they've created this "category" for trade publishers, but those of us here at the bottom of the barrel have to wait.

As far as I know, I've never seen any of the official KDP people respond about POLICY here. General answers, yes, but policy issues, typically not.

<strong>Quote from : Susanna B on 3/21/2023, 8:46 AM</strong>

<strong><em>"  @booknookbiz (Top Contributor) ,I figured all that and hoped some of the official KDP forum people were still floating around on here, or that someone had the inside scoop in a general way before I emailed directly. I didn't see anything different on the dash that would indicate it was an option, but thought I could be missing something. The Scribe rollout has felt fairly experimental thus far (frustratingly so, IMHO, but not atypical for Amazon)--as you say, maybe this is another thing they're sort of floating for select publishers to see if there's a demand. I think there's some potential beyond puzzles. For example self-helpy books that include pages for responding to questions for reflection and discussion, and the like, so people can seamlessly engage without tapping over to a notebook. Eventually it's got to get there. Apparently not yet, though!"</em></strong>

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Here's How to Send an E-Book to Your Kindle If You Don't Want to Go Through Amazon's Website

"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."

[table-of-contents] stripped

For many book lovers , there's no better reading companion than a Kindle . Learning how to transfer an e-book to your Kindle is one of the first things that an e-reader owner needs to do to build their digital library.

There are many ways to add e-books to your device, from shopping the Kindle Store to borrowing from the Libby app to uploading PDFs for distraction-free reading. The specific steps to transfer an e-book to your Kindle mostly depend on the format and source of the reading material. If you're reading an e-book already formatted for Kindle, it's very easy to download. However, there can be a slight learning curve with other formats.

Here, we're breaking down what to know about downloading and sending various formats to your device. Here's how to transfer an e-book to your Kindle, so you can take your favorite reads everywhere you go.

Link your Kindle with your Amazon account

Turning on your Kindle for the first time will automatically prompt you to link the device with your Amazon account. Before you start shopping for e-books, this is an important step to take so you can transfer files immediately to the right place.

Turn on your Kindle.

Select your language and region, then tap "Set up on this Kindle."

Connect to your Wi-Fi network.

Enter your Amazon account login credentials, then tap "Sign in."

You should see your name appear on the following page, along with a prompt to download the Kindle app for your smartphone. This step entails entering your phone number. You can also skip this step and return to it later.

The next page prompts you to set up or link your Kindle to your Goodreads account. You can also skip this step and return to it later.

The next page prompts you to sign up for a 30-day trial subscription to Audible . You can also skip this step if you choose.

From here, your Kindle setup is complete. Now that the e-reader is linked to your Amazon account, hitting the "Buy now with 1-Click" button on any Amazon Kindle title will purchase and transfer the e-book to your Kindle.

Likewise, you can shop the Kindle Store right from your Kindle by tapping the shopping cart icon at the top of the Home or Library page. Anything you purchase will be transferred and downloaded immediately to the device.

Which file types are compatible with Kindle?

Kindle currently supports the following file types:

Note that the files must not exceed 200 MB.

As of November 1, 2023, you can no longer send.MOBI files to your Kindle, though any.MOBI files that are already on your device won't be impacted. Short for Mobipocket, .MOBI is an old file extension type that is proprietary to Amazon's e-reader content. Amazon has phased out this file type in favor of the more widely used and responsive.EPUB format.

Send to Kindle via web

If you have a supported file on your desktop that you'd like to transfer to your Kindle, you can do it right from Amazon's website.

Visit Amazon's Send to Kindle page.

Click "Web" in the right-hand column.

Drag and drop your files to the center of the screen or click "Select files from device" to search for them.

Once uploaded from this webpage, you should see the files appear on your Kindle Library page.

Send to Kindle via Chrome Extension

Chrome browser users can transfer webpages and articles to their Kindles by downloading the Send to Kindle Chrome Extension .

Once this browser extension is downloaded and pinned to the top of your browser, you can click it on any webpage and either send the page to your device, view a preview, or send a selection of highlighted copy.

Note that this function is best used with text-only pages, instead of those filled with pictures and videos — some of the extension's reviewers cite wonky formatting with certain media-heavy webpages. We suggest always previewing your page before sending it to your device.

Send to Kindle via email

If you have a lengthy.PDF that you'd prefer to read on your Kindle instead of on your computer or phone screen, you can email it to yourself instead of going through the Send to Kindle page. To do this, you'll need to find your Kindle email address:

In the bottom menu of any Amazon webpage, click Manage Your Content & Devices .

Select "Preferences" in the top toolbar.

Select "Personal Document Settings."

Here, you'll find the name of your Kindle, along with its email address. You can select "Edit" if you'd like to change it to something easier to remember.

You can then attach your supported file to an email and send it to your Kindle email address, leaving the subject line and email body blank. The file should appear shortly on your Kindle homepage.

Link your Kindle with your Libby account

If you have a library card, you can use the Libby app to download e-books to your Kindle. Once you've linked your library card to the app and borrowed an e-book, you can choose your Kindle as an option for instant reading.

Tap the "Shelf" icon.

Find the book you'd like to read on your Kindle and select either "Read With..." or "Manage Loan." (If you clicked "Manage Loan," select "Read With..." from the next menu.)

Select "Read With Kindle."

Here, Amazon's website will open. Select "Get Library Book," and the e-book will transfer to your Kindle.

Not all Libby e-books are available in Kindle-supported formats. Some can only be downloaded through the app, while others may be available to download as.DRM (Digital Rights Management) files.

Once you have an e-library book on your Kindle, you'll usually have access to it for 30 days, though borrowing times may vary.

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How to buy books on Kindle (and why you can't from the app)

• You can buy books directly on your Kindle by accessing the Kindle Store and tapping the Buy button.
• You can also buy books from Amazon's website by searching for the book, selecting the Kindle option, and clicking Buy now with 1-Click.
• Kindle books are cheaper most of the time compared to physical books, and you don't need Amazon Prime to buy Kindle books.

So, you've just got yourself a new Kindle. Congratulations! It's a great e-reader. In fact, we think the Kindle Paperwhite might just be the best all-around e-reader there is. However, you do eventually have to add books to the thing or else it winds up being a paperweight.

How to schedule warm light on your Kindle Paperwhite (and why you should)

Amazon's book selection is top tier in terms of selection, so you should be able to find what you're looking for. Fortunately, there are a bunch of ways to do it, including the Kindle app on your smartphone, on the website, and through the Kindle itself. We'll show you all three methods, what to look out for, and how to stock your Kindle full of awesome books to read.

How to buy books directly on your Kindle

Kindle e-readers have direct access to Amazon's vast library of books, so it's just a matter of accessing it, finding the book you want, and buying it. Your Kindle should also be linked to your existing Amazon account, which is where Amazon will source the payment method for your Kindle purchases. With that out of the way, here's how to buy books on a Kindle.

• To your Kindle's home screen and make sure it's connected to the Internet.
• Tap the shopping cart icon next to the search bar.
• This opens the Kindle Store on your Kindle.
• Select a book you want to buy either by looking through the Kindle Store's recommendations or by using the search bar to find the book you want.
• Once you're ready to purchase, tap Buy button.
• Note - Sometimes the buy button has a price like the photo above, and sometimes it says But now with 1-click like the photo at the top of the article. Both types of buttons perform the exact same function.
• Anyway, after you tap the button, your payment will process, and your Kindle will download your book automatically.

The only thing to watch out for is that the buy buttons in the Kindle store are instant purchases. At least, they were in my testing. Make sure to give the Kindle time to load pages and only click that buy button when you're ready to spend the money.

How to buy books from Amazon.com

The other main option is to buy the book from Amazon's website. You can do this through your mobile phone or your computer, although it is easier on a computer since your phone is likely to bounce you to the app, which does not work for buying books. In any case, here's how to do it.

• Head to Amazon.com on your phone or computer.
• Search for the book you want and click on it.
• On the product screen, find the Kindle option and select it.
• Once done, hit the Buy now with 1-Click button and confirm your purchase if it asks.
• After that, your payment will be processed. Your Kindle will automatically download as long as it's connected to the Internet.

It's honestly the same process as it is on your Kindle. Amazon does a pretty good job of making the experience consistent, no matter which platform you use.

Why can't I buy books from the Amazon or Kindle smartphone app?

The reason is because of the Apple App Store and Google Play Store fees. Kindle books are digital goods, which both Google and Apple subject to a 30% fee on top of their regular cost. Instead of pushing this fee onto you, Amazon instead directs folks to purchase the book either directly through their Kindle or through a web browser. While it is somewhat annoying, it ultimately saves you, me, Amazon, and the book author from having to pay those extra fees.

Is it cheaper to buy books than ebooks for my Kindle?

It really depends on the book. Usually, yes, the Kindle version is cheaper most of the time, especially if the book comes in hardcover. Softcover books are usually pretty competitively priced with the Kindle version, but in my personal experience, the Kindle version is cheaper most of the time.

Can you still buy books without Amazon Prime?

Yep. You don't need Amazon Prime to buy books at all. In fact, you don't even need a Kindle e-reader to buy Kindle books, since you can read anything you buy from the smartphone (or tablet) app. All you need to purchase Kindle books is an Amazon account with a payment method attached to it.

Is it better to buy Kindle books than physical books?

That is subject to each person's personal opinion. For me personally, I own a Kindle Paperwhite and I don't own a bookshelf. So, while I appreciate and often miss the smell of a freshly cracked new book, it's better for me to buy the Kindle version since my e-reader takes up less space. I own something like 90 books, so it's very convenient.

You'll have to think about it and figure out if it's better for you.

How to find and use your Kindle's Vocabulary Builder (and why you should)

Can i use points to buy amazon books.

Yes, for every 300 points you earn, you get $3 to spend on Kindle books. You can also spend gift card money and vouchers. When I order things, I'll often take the slowest possible delivery time and spend that credit Amazon sometimes gives you on Kindle books.

How would you rate your experience using this page?

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Hardcover Formatting

Unlike paperbacks, case-laminate hardcovers extend beyond the manuscript. It’s recommended you review those dimensions and make adjustments to your cover, as needed. In most other areas, the formatting of your manuscript is the same as paperback.

View hardcover formatting resources

eBook Formatting

eBooks are digital books, where readers can access them on Kindle devices and apps. Areas to pay special attention to: which file type you’re using to upload as and how it converts into an eBook.

View eBook formatting resources

Tools & Resources

KDP offers a variety of tools and resources to help you with formatting your book. We recommend these if you’re not familiar with formatting a book within a word processor. Alternatively, if you want to hire professional help, you can find service providers on this page.

View tools & resources

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How to register a Kindle to your Amazon account

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Are you the proud owner of a new Kindle e-reader? This sleek device can be your window to thousands of books, magazines, and newspapers, all at your fingertips. But before you can start downloading your favorite titles, you'll need to register your new Kindle to your Amazon account. If this sounds daunting, don't worry—it’s not. Follow these simple steps to begin your digital reading adventure without any hitches.

Step 1: Charge your Kindle

First things first, ensure that your Kindle is fully charged. Connect it to a power source using the supplied USB cable and adapter. A full charge can take a few hours, so be patient. You'll know it’s ready when the indicator light turns from orange to green.

Step 2: Turn on your Kindle

Once your Kindle is charged, press the power button to turn it on. The power button is typically found at the bottom of the Kindle next to the charging port or on the back, depending on your model.

Step 3: Connect to a Wi-Fi network

Before you can register your Kindle, you need to be connected to the internet. Swipe down from the top of the screen to access the menu and tap the Wi-Fi icon , or select All Settings > Wi-Fi & Bluetooth > Wi-Fi Networks (the exact path can vary depending on your Kindle model).

Choose your home network, enter your Wi-Fi password, and connect. If you see a lock icon next to the network name, that means it’s secured, and you'll need to enter a password.

Step 4: Register your Kindle

Once connected to Wi-Fi, tap the Register button . You'll be prompted to enter your Amazon account information. If you don't have an Amazon account, you can create one directly on your Kindle or visit Amazon's website on another device.

Enter your Amazon account email address and password and select Register . Your Kindle will connect to Amazon's servers to complete the registration.

Step 5: Confirmation

Your Kindle will confirm that it's registered, and you can now access the Kindle Store and your Amazon account's library. You’ll be able to buy, download, and read your eBooks immediately.

What to do if you encounter problems

If you have any issues with registering your Kindle, ensure that you are entering the correct Amazon account details.

If you still face difficulties, consult the Help section in your Kindle's settings or visit Amazon's support site for further assistance.

Once you’re registered, you’re all set to enjoy a world of reading wherever you go. Your Kindle is not just a device; it’s a passport to the vast universe of literature ready for you to discover. Read on!

Next, find out which Kindle device is right for you .

Disclaimer: This article was written with help from an AI engine. It was reviewed, fact-checked, and edited by our editors.

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