That’s pretty much what I told a close friend when she said her first book, and probably her second, third, and subsequent books would be self-published on Kindle.
That was about a year ago, and if I remember correctly, it was before Amanda Hocking became an ‘overnight hit’ with her stories of million-dollar royalties.
My friend’s romance novel was published this past January, and in around six months she made ten times the sales I’ve made in a year with my traditionally published romance novel.
Since our initial conversion last year, Amanda Hocking has become a USA Today Bestseller, she’s signed a multi-book contract with St Martin’s Press, and she has secured an agent. Finally, FINALLY, self-publishing has become legitimate.
The question on everyone’s lips is “how did she do it?”.
Let me tell you how she didn’t do it: she didn’t sit back and wait for it all to happen. She worked her guts out with her writing and publicity. She made sure her work was properly edited, and she ensured her covers were good quality.
As someone who has been self-publishing non-fiction for around nine years, I know how hard this can be – when you don’t know how to do it. One of the things I truly love about self-publishing is the complete control you have over your books. And the fact you earn soooo much more when you don’t have a ‘middle-man’ (i.e. a publisher).
Don’t get me wrong, publishers are great. They do the editing, they do the covers. And they do the publicity. Or do they?
In the majority of cases, publishers do not do any publicity whatsoever, particularly if you’re with a small or medium sized publisher.
But I digress.
The reason for this post is to let you know that UK author, Nick Daws, has written a book that we writers needed years ago. It’s called Kindle Kash, and walks you through every aspect of self-publishing your book.
I have a copy of the book, as you probably guessed, because I don’t recommend anything I haven’t personally reviewed, but I haven’t had a chance to properly review it. What I have done though, is skim through the book, so I can tell you some of what’s included:
*The number one self-publishing site to consider – and it isn’t Amazon
*The easiest way to expand your reach to readers
*Ebook formats, and why you need to know about these
*The top ten topics selling on Kindle right now
*Fiction vs Non-Fiction – which one is better?
*How to find what to write about – this will help determine your success
*The free services that will help you research popular topics
*How to create your action plan
*Research
*Formatting
*Pricing your ebook
*Getting reviews
*Getting your book into print
*Your rights as a ‘publisher’
Unlike many books on writing, Nick has included information on how to write your book to give it the best chance of being a great seller.
Here’s the link to Kindle Kash again. Check it out, and if it seems like something you’re interested in, use this link to purchase.
I’ve managed to secure a $12 discount on the selling price, just for my subscribers and site visitors, but I don’t know how long this will last.
UPDATE: My Review is written, and up on the Internet. Click here to read it!
Cheryl
**A quick heads up – if you buy but aren’t redirected to download, or the internet does a hiccup and you lose your download, don’t panic! An email will be sent with download link and instructions. If that doesn’t arrive, check your spam folder. You’ll definitely get an email – one way or another.
