Wicked
asked
Helen Harper:
Helen, my mom (a Brit) wrote a children's book (still adventure, paranormal but for younger children) about two decades ago. She is getting on in years (82 today), and I would like her to see it published before she is gone. How do I get started with getting her self published on Amazon? Is there something to read about how to go about this?
Helen Harper
Hi Wicked,
It's surprisingly easy to get books self-published. For Amazon, all you need to do is to search for Amazon KDP and then create an account with them - it doesn't cost anything. Then you input all the book details - their dashboard is quite self-explanatory and there are a lot of helpful hints on the forums in there as well if you have any formatting issues.
I'm assuming that it's not a fully illustrated children's book but, regardless, you will need to sort out a cover. If you're just looking for something basic because it's for the joy of your mum seeing the book in print, then you can use Amazon's own cover creator. I've not used it myself but I don't think it's complicated. Otherwise, you can look for a professional cover designer online. There are lots! If you don't want to spend a lot then most of them do predesigned covers which tend to be fairly cheap.
You don't just have to stick to Amazon either. If you choose not to enter into the Kindle Unlimited programme, then you don't have to be exclusive with them. It's worth taking a look at Draft2Digital as they make distribution to other retailers very straightforward.
It's such a lovely thing to do for your mum. I hope it works out! Do feel free to ask any other questions about the process if you can't find the answers or help that you need online.
x
It's surprisingly easy to get books self-published. For Amazon, all you need to do is to search for Amazon KDP and then create an account with them - it doesn't cost anything. Then you input all the book details - their dashboard is quite self-explanatory and there are a lot of helpful hints on the forums in there as well if you have any formatting issues.
I'm assuming that it's not a fully illustrated children's book but, regardless, you will need to sort out a cover. If you're just looking for something basic because it's for the joy of your mum seeing the book in print, then you can use Amazon's own cover creator. I've not used it myself but I don't think it's complicated. Otherwise, you can look for a professional cover designer online. There are lots! If you don't want to spend a lot then most of them do predesigned covers which tend to be fairly cheap.
You don't just have to stick to Amazon either. If you choose not to enter into the Kindle Unlimited programme, then you don't have to be exclusive with them. It's worth taking a look at Draft2Digital as they make distribution to other retailers very straightforward.
It's such a lovely thing to do for your mum. I hope it works out! Do feel free to ask any other questions about the process if you can't find the answers or help that you need online.
x
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