You might be struggling to find the best self-publishing house where you can publish your very first book. Find out more about KDP self publishing as well as these other platforms.
Today's question has three answers. The third answer is a secret as to why you're going to lose money in multiple ways if you do not publish on KDP.
Let's get into today's question. The question that was sent in is that, is KDP self publishing right for you? This is a question that many people struggle with when you're first starting to self-publish.
Or maybe you've been publishing for quite a while and it's a question of, is KDP self publishing the right way to go? Maybe you should do something else.
I Started With KDP
There are many other options that are available to you to put your books out. We have audio formats, we have the different paperback distribution channels and hardback as well.
You can also put it out and sell it as a PDF. For example, on your own website, we can put it as an ePub. Go through the Draft2Digital and Smashwords. There are lots of options available.
But what about KDP Kindle Direct Publishing? Is KDP self publishing right for you? When I first started publishing, I started with KDP.
Check out this related article: How To Self Publish On iBooks?
It was very simple. I was working through some books that were helping me explore the subject of Kindle self-publishing. Just how easy it can be, putting writing a thousand words a day.
Trying to get a 10,000 to a 20,000-word book created over a very short period. Running it through editing and getting the cover done. Getting the description and pulling it all together.
Then put it into a format that was easy to put out onto Amazon. Running it through KDP, I found that it was incredibly simple now.
Different Strategies
It wasn't as easy to make money because there are all sorts of strategies and tricks to go about doing that. But at least in terms of getting started and seeing those bookmaking sales, pulling in money is a very very motivational thing.
Check out my free Self-Publishing Checklist. It will help you make sure you aren't skipping any steps. So, is KDP self publishing right for you?
The first thing is if you're just getting started, it is the best place. Because it is just so easy to get started. You can put your books together without much effort at all, at least in the initial part.
That doesn't mean they're going to sell like I was mentioning earlier. You're going to need to learn additional tactics and strategies that you're going to put into your books.
To get them to a quality level that's going to work for you. And going to help you increase the total number of sales that you're seeing on those books.
Check out this related article: Do Self Published Books Sell?
The second thing is if you've been publishing for a while, you don't have a Kindle book on the market, you should fix that immediately. Because the fact is you're losing money.
Kindle books have all sorts of advantages to you. Because they're pulling in readers who would see that low price tag on it. But then say, "wait, he's got a paperback book" or "look she's got a hardback version of this book".
Very tempting so it's going to pull your readers in. Sometimes the Kindle and the prices on them will be the initial draw in. And then after that, they will see at the other place, some people just like to read on Kindle.
You're flat out losing sales, you would be making otherwise if you didn't have them available in the Kindle format. For privacy reasons, some people don't like walking around with a book in their bag. Or maybe which books they're reading, they don't want that public.
Choose Amazon
And Kindles are fantastic for keeping privacy in which a lot of people are very concerned with privacy today. I personally only read Kindle books. I do everything in my power to get a digital version of a book if it's at all possible.
So that's important. Today's secret question of the day and the third answer of the day, it is that audiobooks make great money. But you have to have a Kindle version to publish to ACX and Audible.
That means that if you don't have your Kindle version, you're simply cut out of that market. It is true, we can push our books through all sorts of other distribution channels. But none of them will make as much money.
As if we can just do it through Amazon's channels. Some people, out of principle just don't want to go with Amazon. I would say you need to figure out if your goal is to make a business or living off of the books that you're self-publishing.
Then why would give up the money that would go with it? Once you've made a living and you've expanded your distribution to other channels, if at that point you think "I don't need all the money that's coming through Amazon", then shut it off.
But in reality, you're not changing that much on Amazon. If you aren't already using Amazon, you're making a mistake. That is something that you really shouldn't do.
Check out this related article: How To Self Publish Successfully?
Conclusion
Why would you want to risk the idea of being able to make a business out of the whole thing, if you're just shutting it down a little bit too early or not doing a Kindle version?
So, is KDP self publishing right for you? Kindle Direct Publishing is this the right way for you? What have you found?
Has it worked well for you? Are there any advantages I've forgotten? Or maybe some disadvantages like supporting Amazon or something along those lines?
Let me know below in the comments. And check out my other blogs and videos for more answers to your self-publishing questions.