What You Need to Know About Selling Kindle Books
Are you an e-book writer who would like to expand your profits? If so, you may turn to Amazon.com. Amazon is a popular online marketplace. Its popularity skyrocketed with the development and sale of the Amazon Kindle. This small and lightweight device pushed e-books to the next level. Readers no longer need a computer. With the Kindle, they can cuddle with a good book and not have a bulky computer or cords in the way.
If you are interested in profiting from Amazon’s self-publishing features for the Kindle, please continue reading on to know more.
You need a free Amazon account. Since Amazon.com is a popular marketplace, you may already have an account. You can use the same account; there is no need to create a separate one. If you do not have an account, create one. It is quick and easy.
You will need to provide information about yourself. If you only used your Amazon.com account to buy, additional information is needed. Amazon will recheck your email address, ask for your social security number, and your bank account information. As concerning as this sounds, it is legitimate. They need to contact you, pay you, and report earnings.
You don’t sell a traditional e-book. When selling e-books online, you likely create your document in Microsoft Word and convert it to an Adobe PDF file. This is not compatible with the Amazon Kindle. Books must be in digital text format. Amazon handles the conversion during the upload process. Microsoft Word and PDF documents are acceptable for conversion.
There are two ways to get to the digital text platform. You can visit Amazon.com, scroll to the bottom and click on the link titled “Self-Publish with Us.” You can also visit the website directly at DigitalTextPlatform.com.
You do not need an ISBN number to sell on the Amazon Kindle Store. Step one of listing your book for sale is writing product details. You will be asked for an ISBN number, but one is not required. Skip this field and move onto the next.
Amazon.com pays you a 35% royalty fee for each sale made. This amount is relatively small when compared to other selling options. To ensure you make a profit, set a fair selling price. A good selling price translates into more sales. Consider the big picture. More sales at a lower price than fewer sales at a higher price should even out. In fact, most make more money with an affordably priced Amazon Kindle Book.
Prospective buyers can preview your book. Amazon recently enabled a new preview feature. Before proceeding with a purchase, buyers can preview the first chapter or introduction of all books. Before uploading to the digital text platform, review these sections. This is your second chance, aside from the product description, to make a sale. If the first pages of your book are uninformative or uninteresting, the chances of making a sale decrease.
You do not need to write a new book just for the Amazon Kindle. If you are an established e-book author, you may own the rights to many e-books. You can upload each of these to the digital text platform and convert them into Amazon Kindle format. In fact, this is advised. By selling e-books in PDF format and in digital text, you increase your targeted market, your sales, and your profits.
Writing an Amazon Kindle Book: Dos and Don’ts
Do you want to capitalize on the popularity of e-books and the Amazon Kindle? If so, you have many options. You can join Amazon’s affiliate program, Associates, and help to generate sales. When you do, you get paid. This is an easy way to make money with little to no work. But, if you want to invest time into your ability to make money, you can and should write e-books for the Amazon Kindle. With a free Amazon account, you can sell these e-books on their website!
What is nice about writing Amazon Kindle books is that anyone can do it. Those with experience writing print books, e-books, or web content articles are at an advantage. These individuals are familiar with the dos and don’ts of writing for pay. However, if you have never published anything in print, even on the web, you can still make money. Before you start, you should continue reading on for a few helpful e-book writing tips.
DO know what an e-book is. If you are unfamiliar with e-books and web content writing, you may not have the slightest clue as to what they are. Electronic books, otherwise known as e-books, are those that are published online, instead of print. Internet users can use their computer or the Amazon Kindle to read them. The Amazon Kindle is nice in that it is a small, wireless device. There is no cables or big computer needed.
DON’T assume e-books are only for creative writing. It is important to know that e-books are just like print books. In fact, many on the New York Time’s Best Seller List are available in e-book format for the Amazon Kindle and other similar devices. You don’t need to be an established author to compose an e-book and it can be on any topic. Popular books include how-to guides, memoirs, horror, romance, and more. Your options are virtually unlimited.
DO create an outline. E-books can be overwhelming for new writers. As previously stated, many automatically think of those on the bestseller list. Don’t let this intimidate you. You don’t have to have the best selling book to make money. It also doesn’t have to be 200 pages long. Some popular e-books are less than 50 pages long. As long as you get your point or story across, it doesn’t matter how long or short an electronic book is.
DON’T limit yourself. You aren’t guaranteed a sale by selling an Amazon Kindle book, but there is a good potential to make money. For that reason, don’t limit yourself. Do you want to create an e-book on a popular subject, such as working from home or saving money? Do you also want to hone in on your creativity and write a romance novel? Do both! In fact, the more books you write, the easier it will be to make money.
DO write your e-book in Microsoft Word. Microsoft Word comes standard on most computers and is available for sale separately. This program is nice in that it has a spell and grammar checker. If you are an inexperienced writer, you will make mistakes. Luckily, Microsoft Word will catch most for you. Amazon Kindle books are sold in digital text format. Amazon automatically converts the format for you. Word documents are acceptable for conversion. By typing your e-book in Microsoft Word, you not only get editing help, but your document is automatically ready for upload.
DON’T add “fluff” to increase your word count or page numbers. As previously stated, an e-book comes in a number of different formats and sizes. Do not assume you need to have an e-book that is 300 pages long. If you are writing a how-to book on how to save money at the grocery store, just start writing. If you get your point across in only 75 pages, so be it. Slightly lower the selling price of your book to compensate for the small content. Honestly, readers don’t want to be bombarded with fluff or fillers.
DO proofread your e-book before uploading and converting to digital text. As previously stated, Microsoft Word catches most grammar and spelling errors for you. But, it isn’t 100% full proof. For that reason, proofread at least twice.
DON’T forget to add a table of contents. Whether you write a fiction or non-fiction book, have a table of contents. Mention the name of each cheaper or section and the page it starts on. The table of contents comes after the cover.
Sell an Amazon Kindle Book in 10 Easy Steps
The Amazon Kindle is a popular electronic device that is rapidly increasing in popularity. In fact, over a year after its release, Amazon is finding it difficult to keep up with orders. If you are an author, whether you write for fun or for money, you can take this popularity and capitalize on it. You can do so by writing and selling an Amazon Kindle book.
So, what do you do?
1 – Write an E-book Outline
This is your brainstorming session. Decide on a category. What type of book do you want to write? Do you want to compose a how-to guide or express your creativity with drama, horror, or romance? Regardless, start planning your outline. For creative books, you may want to avoid an outline and just write from the heart. That is fine, but for how-to guides, an outline can be beneficial.
2 – Write an E-book
When writing the e-book, consult your outline. With an outline, you are less likely to experience writer’s block. This means you can write your e-book quicker. As for writing, compose your document in Microsoft Word. They have a helpful grammar and spell check programs. Start with the introduction, move on to the chapters, and end with the conclusion.
When writing your e-book, don’t focus on length. Just tell your story or explain the how-to process. Readers don’t want to be bombarded with fluff. E-books have varying lengths. Don’t believe yours has to have the same word count or page numbers as the best selling novel.
3 – Proofread the E-book
Even if you composed your book in Microsoft Word, proofread and edit. Spell check and grammar check programs are nice, but they are not 100% guaranteed. If you have a trusted friend or relative, ask them to proofread and analyze your book.
4 – Create an Amazon Account
To sell an Amazon Kindle book in the store, you need to have a free Amazon.com account. If you already have one, skip this step.
5 – Get Ready to Self-Publish
To self-publish your Amazon Kindle e-book, scroll to the bottom of the page. You will find a link titled “Self-Publish with Us.” Click on the link and visit the Kindle section.
6 – Go to Your Dashboard
While on the digital text platform, go to your dashboard. Here, you click on the link to add a new item. This gets the process started. If you aren’t already logged into your Amazon account, do it now.
7 – Enter Product Details
You will be prompted to enter in product details. Just fill out the form. Enter the title for your book, your name as the author, and complete the description. This description is very important. Provide many details. Prospective buyers will see it. This is your opportunity to sell your e-book.
8 – Upload
The next step is to upload your e-book to the digital text platform. Browse your computer to find the right file. It will then be converted into digital text. This is the only format compatible with the Amazon Kindle.
9 – Preview and Make Changes
After uploading and converting your Microsoft Word document to digital text, you can bypass the preview options but don’t. Although rare, it is not uncommon for formatting issues to arise. Preview the document and make any necessary changes.
10 – Set Selling Price
Amazon enables you to set your own selling price for your Kindle book. Use your best judgment. How-to e-books are often shorter in length, so they should cost less. If you are the first-time author, consumers will automatically expect to pay less. Don’t undersell yourself, but don’t set too high of a price. To profit from an Amazon Kindle book, a fair selling price is required.
As you can see, writing and selling an e-book for the Amazon Kindle is a relatively easy process. Not only is it easy to do, but to make money too. You can sit back and wait for sales or start your own marketing campaign. By driving traffic to your Amazon sales page, you generate interest and should increase your sales.
