Your Options as A Self-Published Author

You're done with your book. Everything is fully edited. The summary is done. The cover is made. You've made the decision to self-publish, giving you full autonomy on your content. You've chosen Amazon as your platform to make money off of your hard-earned work, but you're given so many options! Which ones do you pick?

I'll be giving you the options that Amazon has given you as an author. I'll also give my experience with each option. Hopefully, this article will help with your options to publish your work in any capacity.

The E-Book and Kindle Unlimited

The first option is the e-book format. I remember years ago, everyone was saying that the e-book format will kill the hard-copies. Luckily, that never happened. Everyone has a love for both formats, but sometimes the e-book is the better option for those on the go. Whether you're washing your clothes in the laundromat, or you're on your lunch break from work, the e-book is there for you to keep your mind occupied.

As a reader, you have two options: either buy the e-book, or join Kindle Unlimited for US$9.99 a month. Kindle Unlimited, or KU, is basically a streaming service where each page you read pays the author. I only recommend it if you're an avid reader. If you're like me, where I don't really have time to read unless it's for the Coalition book clubs, or my own works, buying the e-book is the better option. I can read on my own time at my own pace.

As an author, I do prefer people just buying my books directly. I get the royalties a lot faster, and I see the earned income in my bank account. While with KU, I only get American pennies for each page until the reader is done with the book.

Amazon does have an app called Kindle Create. It converts your document into an e-book. You can format it in any way you want. The title font and everything to give your book a certain aesthetic. You can add a dedication and such to the e-book. You save the final product to submit to Amazon. It's fairly easy to work on.

When it comes to pricing, you can make this format as affordable as possible. For me, in order to see something concrete, I price them at US$5.99 each. It's affordable enough for the reader, and it's enough to see some decent royalties in my bank account. You can do sales on them. I don't know when I'll do a sale, but I do know people are more inclined to buy your book if it is on sale for free. I should know, as I have gotten free romance books myself.

It's really up to you as an author if you want to join KU. Your book would be exclusive to that platform, unless you decide to opt out. At least with the e-book, it can be published on other platforms. You'll get your earnings either way.

Paperback

Paperback is another option. This one is where you'll make the most money, but it's also the hardest one to do. You have to follow the required guidelines that Amazon provides for you. You can't just have the cover of the book; you'll also need the back cover as well. Amazon does provide a plain back cover, but it also has a template to place the artwork on the spine. For the spine itself, it depends on how many pages are in your book. For the file, you have to convert the document into a PDF file. You may have to purchase Adobe Acrobat to make this happen and make adjustments.

As a reader, you'll get to hold a physical book, one that was made by an internet writer. As a writer, it would be your prized possession, your hard-earned work finally in your hands.

With paperback, you're given the option to make it available for wider distribution, such as physical bookstores and libraries. Printing costs depend on your country's currency, but here in America, it's almost US$5. If you want to even out your earnings, you'll have to figure out how to even out the costs. You'll have to make the paperback more expensive than the e-book.

In the end, the paperback is the best option to make the most money, but it is more complicated than formatting the e-book. It's also more costly for both the author and the reader.

Audiobook

This one is a new one. Amazon partnered with Audiobook to create audiobooks for your works. With this one, your books have to already be published.

You have three options: Either hire your own narrator, audition people to win a chance to be the narrator, or you record yourself to read the book. If you choose one of the first two, a portion of the royalties go to the narrator, and then eventually to you. Certain options might make you pay out of pocket to pay the narrator. It would be best to split the royalties with the narrator. You can record yourself, but it depends on how comfortable you sound when you read aloud.

As the reader, an audiobook works well with their busy lives. They can listen to the story while on their way to work or school. It can help them fall asleep, which is why I don't do audiobooks. I, personally, want to enjoy the story, not fall asleep while trying to be in that world.

As the author, it's another way to generate more money out of your works. Earlier this year, I was about to choose one of the girls to narrate my book, Let Me Be The One. Unfortunately, I never got around to choosing the girl due to everything happening all at once at the time, both personal and work related. I hope to get back to it before the year ends, maybe in time for Christmas.

Hardcover

I'll keep this brief. This is purely optional, but it is very expensive. You'll have to pay out of pocket to cover the costs of the hardcover version of your book. Maybe do a limited edition hardcover if you have the money and opportunity. Until then, sticking with the paperback format is the cheapest way to go.

Kindle Vella

This is a new platform to come from Amazon. If you're familiar with paid platforms, such as Wattpad Paid and Tapas, this is what Amazon Vella is. It is still starting out, as it is only available in America and can only be in English. I'm still not quite sure how to access it, at least on my Android phone.

Like on Wattpad Paid and Tapas, you buy "tokens" to read the rest of the story. You only get a couple of chapters to read for free. The works are serialized, like on Tapas.

As a reader, you'll get to support the author as you read each chapter. Yes, you'll have to pay out of pocket to read each chapter, but it would help them. As a writer, it is another way to make a quick buck off your work.

Will I ever join Kindle Vella? I plan to one of these days, but I'm not putting my books on this platform. I'll be using it to publish bonus chapters that didn't make the cut in my books. Essentially, they would be considered "filler chapters," had they stayed in the final product. At the same time, this platform is only available in the US. Maybe within a year or so, it'll be available worldwide, such as Canada and the UK. We shall see.

Conclusion

In conclusion, you have options as an author. You got the e-book format, in which the reader can either "stream" your work, or just buy the book itself. You got the paperback format, which is tangible, and you make the most money. You got the audiobook, another way to reach new readers. You got the hardcover, but only if you desperately want this option. It'll cost you. Finally, you got the new Kindle Vella, a new way to make a quick buck off your work.

These are plenty of options for authors. As long as you market your book through social media and word-of-mouth, you'll get your readers. Marketing is key to gaining that audience. Yet, even if only one person bought your book, feel proud you've made it this far to publish your book. It is an accomplishment to achieve, and it's relatively easy to get there instead of going traditional. It may not replace your day job anytime soon, but it is a side job that you can enjoy.

In the end, your story is yours to share. It's up to you if you want to share it for free, or make money on it.

Content Created by ImTheGirl