Is it worth self publishing a booklet?

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Yes, it is worth self-publishing a booklet if you already have the content. Put it out as an ebook, run a small ad against it, and aim for about 3,000 words if you also want a paperback and an audiobook. A booklet that sits on your hard drive earns nothing.

Is a booklet worth publishing?

If you have already written something, it is a waste to let it sit. Why not put it out, run ads against it and see?

When I started, the books I was reading said 10,000 to 15,000 words was the ideal length. My first book was about 10,000 words, the next about 22,000, and I tried 4,000 and 5,000 words as well. I even published a short book report my son wrote in school, a few hundred words. From time to time I still see sales on it. Readers search for all sorts of topics on Amazon, and the audience is big. That is why I say that most things will sell at some level if the cover and description are right. See is self-publishing on Amazon worth it? and should you self-publish on Kindle Amazon?

Quality still matters. KDP says books should provide a positive customer experience and it does not allow content that is typically disappointing to customers. A short book is fine, as long as it delivers what the title promises.

What topic rule should I follow?

You will sell far more books if the topic is based on a keyword people already search for. I use KDSpy for this. Search Amazon for the keyword and note how many books come up. KDSpy then shows how many of the top 20 results rank in the top 100,000 for sales. Divide the total number of results by the number in the top 100,000. If the number is under 30, the topic is worth publishing on. That’s my rule of thumb, not Amazon’s. Then put the manuscript into Atticus to format it. For royalties, see what are reasonable self-publishing Amazon royalties?

How long should a booklet be?

About 3,000 words, if you can.

• Reviews. People looking for an answer want some length, or they leave one star. At 3,000 words I found readers tend not to complain.
• A paperback. 3,000 words come to about 24 pages with the table of contents, copyright page and introduction. KDP’s paperback minimum is 24 pages, so under that you can only make an ebook. Lulu and IngramSpark hardbacks also have a minimum page count, so check theirs before you plan one.
• An audiobook. I work on about 155 words a minute, so 3,000 words is roughly 20 minutes. ACX calculates the estimated running time from the word count you enter (posted 30-Apr-13), and says the finished time depends on the book and the narrator.

If you can’t reach 3,000 words, publish an ebook only, and skip the paperback and audiobook. Once the draft is done, the next step after your first draft covers the edit, cover and format.

Do I need an ISBN for a booklet?

Only for the paperback. KDP says an ISBN is optional for ebooks, and each print format needs its own. KDP offers a free ISBN for paperbacks and hardcovers, but it can only be used on KDP (KDP ISBN help). If you plan to sell the same paperback through other stores, think about that before you pick the free one.

What will a booklet earn per sale?

On Amazon.com, KDP says that from 7-Jul-26 the 70% royalty option covers list prices from $2.99 to $12.99, and delivery costs still apply to it. The 35% option has a minimum price that depends on file size: $0.99 under 3 MB, $1.99 from 3 MB to under 10 MB, and $2.99 from 10 MB up, with a maximum of $200 (KDP ebook royalties). So a booklet priced at $0.99 gets the 35% rate, and one priced at $2.99 or more can get 70%. The page does not give the delivery cost amounts, so work out your real royalty before you set a price.

Have you made money from a booklet? Or published one and not sold? Tell me in the comments. If you have a manuscript sitting unused, book a free 25-minute discovery call and we will work out the best way to publish it.

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