- How much does it cost to self-publish a book on Kindle Direct Publishing?
You can publish your book for free! Check out Amazon Kindle. https://kdp.amazon.com/
But! Preparing your book for publication will cost money. Even if you have written a non-fiction book or even a novel, there is still the expense of hiring a book editor to edit and proofread your content. You will also need an eye-catching book cover. DO NOT! Attempt this yourself.
- How much does it cost to illustrate a children’s picture book?
You can do this for free using public domain images. Watch my video, How to Make a Children’s Kindle Picture Book Using Public Domain Images’ to learn more.
It can also cost several hundred dollars. Depends on how many illustrations you have in your book. It also depends on the experience and talent of your illustrator. Remember that a talented artist is going to be in demand and there could be a waiting list to hire their services. Keep that in mind when writing your book.
- How do you find an illustrator for your picture book?
There are many sites out there where talented artists offer their services. Sites like upworks.com and fiverr.com are excellent places to start. You can find a talented artist for a reasonable price.
- How many illustrations are in a children’s picture book?
In a 32-page picture book, you don’t need 32 illustrations. For my Pete’s Monster children’s book, I only needed 18 illustrations, not including the book cover.
- How do you self-publish a paperback book?
Go to https://kdp.amazon.com/ (owned by Amazon) and sign up for an account. Make sure when you complete your book details you check the box that asks if you want your book published in both paperback and Kindle edition. Watch my 20-minute video, ‘How to publish a paperback book on Createspace.’ I walk you through the process step-by-step.
- Do Picture books have words inside them?
Word count is low for Picture Books, — some have fewer than 150 words. Keep a simple sentence structure with large font. The illustrations themselves should explain the story.
- How many words are in a children’s picture book?
Picture books for children up to age eight average 1000 words (though many are shorter); easy readers for ages five to nine are 50-2500 words. Chapter books (short novels for ages seven to ten) typically are 10,000-12,000 words.
- What is considered a chapter book?
A chapter book is a storybook intended for intermediate readers, generally age 7-10 years. Unlike a picture book, a chapter book tells the story primarily through words, rather than pictures.
- How many words are in a chapter book?
If you’re publishing a paperback book, then a 50,000-word count might break nicely into ten chapters — about 5,000 words per chapter. Depending on your writing speed and time, you can devote to your skill. 5,000 words aren’t much more than the length of a couple of blog posts, and you can quickly write this word count over a weekend.
12,000-24,000-word count is a good range if published to Kindle.
- Do I need to hire a book editor?
Absolutely! This is the one step of book publishing that you Should Not miss. Have a fresh set of eyes to read and review your book for proofreading and editing. Cost of $200 – $1,200 depending on the word count.
- How long does it take to write a book and get it published?
This question has no single answer. One book may take a year, whereas they design and print another in three weeks. Three months is necessary; six to twelve are ideal for novels. Time varies based on the number of edits, re-writes, and research required.
- What is the word count for a Kindle fiction book?
Modern life is full of distractions, leading to difficulty concentrating. The word count should be between 12,000—24,000 words is a good range.
Split a Kindle complex novel into a book series of smaller books.
- Do I need to research a book niche before writing or publishing my book?
Yes! YouTube mirrors trends. Same goes for Amazon. Look for a trend under best sellers for popular book topics and niche. The diet and cookbook niche is constantly changing.
- How do I know what books are selling and making money on Amazon and Kindle?
In your book genre, view the book sale ranking. Ranked #1 means it’s a best seller. Even with a ranking of 1,000, the author is receiving an excellent royalty commission. Anything over a 30,000 ranking, book sales are slow.
- How Important are book reviews?
Crucial! That’s another reason you MUST have your book edited. Someone gives you a one-star review because of grammar or poor writing. Ouch! That can cause people to click away and not buy your book.
- Are book reviews helpful with research?
YES! Many authors overlook reviews. Use book reviews as part of your research. They can tell you what people liked or disliked about the book they read. Reviews can also tell you if the reader felt like some information was missing or not covered in enough detail.
Reviews are also a wonderful place to get your next book idea.
- Do I need an author’s page on Amazon?
Yes! Create your author’s page. Follow the steps at authorcentral.amazon.com to set up your account. Make sure you add lots of information about you and why you write. Include any writing award you have achieved. It’s your place to brag!
- Do I need to write a book description on my Amazon book page?
Yes! If you want people to find your book, think SEO. Search Engine Optimization. Write a book description containing about 500 words. Use keywords that reference your books content and you. Refer to specific pages in your nonfiction book where your readers can find the answers to solving their problem or dilemma.
- Do I need to promote my book?
Only if you want people to read it. This, I would say, is the second most overlooked step to publishing a book. The first being editing that authors overlook.
I cannot emphasize this enough.
I wish I knew this information before I published my books on Amazon.
Promote! Promote, Promote!
Amazon Kindle offers a book launch promotion for FREE, so make sure you follow the steps. Also, the best day to launch your new book is on a Sunday. Get your Facebook friends to read your book and tell them you need 5 book reviews around launch day. Ask your readers on the last page of your book to write a review and include a link where they need to go!
- Does promoting my book cost money?
If you don’t have an email list of raving fans.
Set aside a budget of about $150 – $300 to pay for book promotions. This is, I just learned, a tactic that many of the bestselling authors used to get their book ranked as #1 on Amazon best seller list.
Check out these websites to learn more about promoting your book.
kindlepreneur.com/list-sites-promote-free-amazon-books/
jameshmayfield.com/book-promotions/
booksbutterfly.com/
freebooksy.com/for-the-authors/
- Can I create my own book cover?
The answer to this is, DON’T! Do it!
Have a professional graphic artist design your book cover. Let them read the back-cover text or send them a synopsis of your manuscript.
You can find a graphic artist on 99designs.com, Upworks.com, or on Fiverr.com.
- Can I make money by writing a book and self-publishing?
There are several methods to generate revenue from paperback or Kindle book. You can collect royalties from your book sales. You can sell merchandise associated with your book’s content. You can also earn money by being a guest speaker at an event. Share your self-publishing experiences or explain your book’s benefits to readers.