As life-long learners, many Walden students spend a great deal of time applying their critical thinking and writing skills. The skills they acquire from this process may result in work to share with the world in the form of papers, textbooks, works of fiction, or even children’s books, and all can be self-published on Kindle Direct!
In my youth, I often wrote short stories and even a couple of novellas. However, in those days getting published was daunting, and rejection was common. Even if accepted, the process was slow and laborious. Times have changed! Now publishing an eBook or printed-on-demand paperback on Amazon is a matter of hours, not months or years! I recently spent several months writing a Sci-Fi novel, and from start to finish on Kindle Direct Publishing, my eBook was published within two hours, and for sale online in twenty-four hours. Let’s go over the basics and get you published!
File Formats for Kindle Direct Publishing
What are the basic file formats to use with Kindle Direct? While popular formats such as Adobe PDF and Apple’s ePub are accepted on the Kindle Direct Publishing Platform, Microsoft Word is recommended in either the Windows DOC format or the Apple Mac DOCX format. Best practices include avoiding special fonts, using the Word “insert” feature for tables and images, and using JPEG images inserted in a center alignment. Every chapter end should have a page break inserted, and always use the spell checker!
Proofreading Tips
One of the most challenging parts of publishing my book was the proofreading. I enlisted several friends to help, and everyone caught errors I missed! However, rest easy, a big advantage of publishing on Kindle Direct is that your text, and your cover image, can be updated at any time after publication. Kindle Direct also offers various third-party experts to assist along the way. For most books, the process in Kindle is straightforward: you see your book laid out just as it will be in eBook form, and you simply review the pages, formatting, and overall look. Once you are satisfied, finalize your product, and your book will go live!
Setting up an Amazon Account
To get started, go to the Kindle Direct Publishing website and set up a free Amazon account. After you set up your account, you will be directed to upload your manuscript. Once you approve of the layout and cover, you will be guided to select royalty options. You also will be able to set up ad campaigns using ads placed strategically by genre or through keyword searches. Ad campaigns can be monitored, adjusted, or cancelled at any time. Sales can also be monitored. Your eBook will be for sale in the Kindle store on the Amazon website. Sales potential can be enhanced with a paperback and audiobook, and good reviews are great for sales! Seeing your book online for the first time is very rewarding!
For more information about Kindle Direct Publishing go to https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G200634280
Written by Technology Graduate Assistant, Martin Culberson
