Finally! We launched our first recipe book – Fall In Love With Salads – on Amazon. Yay. And the response we are getting is unimaginable. We sold 100+ copies on the launch day itself. Waaaooo!
Also, our book was in the Top 50 in the Food and Drinks category (earlier Top 100) and No. 12 in Lifestyle and Personal Style Guides (earlier 37) on Amazon. This all happened organically within 2 weeks of the launch because of the careful planning and execution of the book launch activities.
Amazon Self Publishing (KDP)
Gone are the days when it was so difficult for first-time authors to publish their books. Earlier, aspiring authors faced many challenges in publishing their books via traditional publishing routes. That is why, not everyone could write and share their thoughts and learnings through their books.
But Amazon gave a platform to all aspiring authors to follow their passion and write about it. In today’s digital age, there are many self-publishing options available. The advent of these publishing services turned a writer’s dream into a reality with ease and accessibility.
Benefits of Amazon Self-Publishing
- Ease and Accessibility
KDP has made the life of authors easier. Anyone with a story to tell can become a publisher author with just a few clicks. The only challenge is to finish writing your book. Once you are done with that, make an account on the Amazon Self-Publishing platform, upload your manuscript, and press on Publish. That’s it. Sitting in the comfort of your home you became a Published Author at the click of a button. Hurray!
Amazon eliminates the need for literary agents, publishing contracts, and traditional gatekeepers. It allows writers of all backgrounds and genres to share their voices with a global audience for FREE.
- Total Creative Control
One of the best features of KDP is that it provides complete creative freedom to the authors. From cover design and formatting to pricing and distribution – You are the BOSS! You are in charge of all the key aspects of your book. This gives you complete freedom to focus on your creative side, experiment with different styles and genres, and work to satisfy your readers. All without the constraints of traditional publishing timelines or editorial mandates.
- Global reach and distribution
Who doesn’t want their work to reach every corner of the world? And Amazon made it possible. With Amazon’s vast global reach and distribution network, self-published authors can reach readers in every corner of the world.
- Multiple publishing options
Amazon gives you all the formats to choose from – ebooks for Kindle readers, paperback editions, or audiobooks. You can leverage multiple formats to maximize your book’s visibility.
- Provision of ISBN
Every print book needs to have an ISBN. The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is a numeric commercial book identifier intended to be unique. They come at a price and Amazon provides it for FREE.
Print Quality of Amazon Self-Publishing
This is the main concern when we publish our book. With millions of books to choose from, we all want our books to stand out. Here’s an overview of the print quality options available through Amazon’s self-publishing platform, Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP):
- Print-on-Demand Technology
Print-on-demand means that Amazon prints a book when someone places an order. This eliminates the hassle of bulk printing because many books are wasted if they do not sell. But this increases the price of printing for obvious reasons.
- Paper Quality and Binding
If you have a textual book, the quality of the paper, cover page, and print is good. You can expect a decent-looking book to reach your readers. Authors can choose from various paper types and trim sizes to best suit their book’s content and aesthetic preferences. Text quality is sharp for a good reading experience.
- Color and Photo Printing
Amazon takes care of the precise color reproduction and image printing. If your book has color photos and images, you can be assured of the clear and correct printing quality.
Amazon Self Publishing For Recipe Books
I was clueless about the publishing options when I wrote my recipe book. All the while, I was focused on creating one of the best recipe books available in the market. I wanted the photos to shine, put a lot of effort in designing the book, and making it easier for the readers to cook. I was going with the flow, learning new things as they came my way. All my attention was on creating a premium book with amazing colors and photos to make you hungry. The soul of a recipe book is in its photos and I wanted my photos to take center stage. I wanted to justify my photography skills and create a buzz about it.
My readers should feel proud owning a copy of the book I created. Is it too much to ask?
The Publishing Time Arrived
After finishing the book, I started looking for publishing options and making the launch plan. I heard people talk well about all the self-publishing options, especially Amazon. I researched more about it and even talked to some of my author friends who chose Amazon Self Publishing (KDP) to publish their books. After doing all the work, I was happy and sure to publish my book through Amazon. Why not?
I created my account, uploaded my book, set the pricing and distribution, and requested a SAMPLE COPY. While I was waiting for the sample copy to arrive, I announced everywhere that my book is launching soon. I sent mail along with ebook to all my friends so they can check and review it on Amazon. I was very excited about my book launch.
And the book arrived!
I hurried to get it from the post-box and opened it fast making sure not to tear the pages. I was too excited to see it so I handed it over to my husband, Jatin. He was speechless! Not in a good way. I saw the book and I was silent for a few minutes. This is not what I expected, I said. My excitement shattered within seconds. I can still feel the sadness I felt that day.
The problem with the book is that it was like an average recipe book with some recipes and photos. It was not premium. No one will say “Wao!” looking at the photos. My ebook (pdf) was looking much better than the paperback edition.
Look at the photos that I clicked. I wanted the photos and the color to shine. I wanted the food to look real and classy. Not just photos, the paper was also quite thin (74 to 90 gsm) making the 100-Pages book look much thinner than expected.
Let me share some photos for more clarity.
After looking at the print, I decided to look at other self-publishing options. After all the research, I realized this option was not for me. And then what? I was back to square one – clueless!
The Happy Ending!
My story also has a happy ending. After struggling for 2 years to publish my book, I launched my book. I explored every possible option and turned every stone to reach this point. It was not an easy path to travel. Every ray of hope brings darkness in the end.
Luckily, after struggling for months, I found a publisher who agreed to print my book with the desired quality of the paper. They also promised me an unmatched photo quality. I went ahead and successfully published my book in 2024. The reviews I am getting have made it all worth it! People are not just appreciating the recipes but also the book and photo quality. And that is my happy ending!
But is it the end? Not at all!
Is Amazon Self-Publishing A Good Option For Your Book?
Like I said in my previous articles, you need to be clear about the goal and purpose of the book. Why exactly are you writing a book? What would make readers pick a copy of your book? Do you only want to sell your story or do you want to focus on the packaging too?
Our Recommendation
- If you have a textbook, you can choose any self-publishing option. They all provide good paper and print quality.
- If you are telling your story through some images but those images are only the supporting actors and not the main hero, you can opt for any self-publishing option.
- If you have a recipe book and are not very concerned about the color and the photo print quality, go for Amazon Self-Publishing.
- But, if the success of your book depends on the quality of the photos like a recipe book, kid’s book, or any photobook, Self-Publishing is not for you.
If self-publishing is not an option, then what is? Well, it all depends on the kind of book and the audience you want to reach. There is not one solution that can fit everyone. We can explore the options based on your requirements and needs. You can schedule a consultation call and we can discuss it in detail.
Love,
Richa
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