What Are Your Thoughts About Self-Publishing On Amazon?

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boardj
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What Are Your Thoughts About Self-Publishing On Amazon?

Post by boardj »

Hey everyone!

I'm currently writing my first book and I'm looking to self-publish with Amazon. What are your thoughts, stories, experiences with using Amazon as a self-publishing tool?
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brittanycarr
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Post by brittanycarr »

Hello, I’m in the super early stages of writing a book (brainstorming, gathering information, and studying my audience), and I’ve considered self-publishing with Amazon and other self-publishing sites. Of course Amazon is most popular but I think with questions like these it comes down to personal preference, how much work you want to do on your end and how much work you would like the company you publish with to do, and your end goal(s). Let me know if you decide to go with Amazon and the pros and cons. Congratulations on writing your first book! 😊
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Post by OskaWrites »

I've been planning to publish my collection of short stories there. I think it's really about how much control you want over your work and how much you're willing to put into self-marketing and advertising. I'm happy to put my shorter works there and anything I don't want a publisher's opinion on, but something like a longer novel that I slave over....I think i'd want to hand to a publishing house so they do all the work, if you understand me.
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Post by eastandalchemy »

I would love to hear the opinions of those who have taken this route as well! I get the impression there are a lot of cons to this, but I have heard a lot of mixed reviews without a clear message.
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Nisha Ward
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Post by Nisha Ward »

I'm interested in knowing as well. I'm not looking to make a living from writing because my ideas are kinda niche, but I'd like to put it out there for people to read.
"...while a book has got to be worthwhile from the point of view of the reader it's got to be worthwhile from the point of view of the writer as well." - Terry Pratchett on The Last Continent and his writing.
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Post by Kyrenora »

I self-published a book of poetry on Amazon. The process was incredibly quick and easy, and I love the way it looks. However, Amazon is not going to market that book for me. I still sell more copies in person when performing at poetry events. It's definitely nice to be able to say that I have a book available on Amazon, though. My work had appeared in a few anthologies before then, but I feel that having a collection of my own available for sale gives me a bit more writer cred.
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Post by lucia_kizas »

Just self-published my very first novel on Amazon :) It was easy and quite fast. Well, I am currently waiting for the approval of the paperback version (might take up to 72 hours, according to Amazon). Otherwise - the ebook is live, and if you spot an error - it is easy to fix and submit an updated version of the manuscript. I must admit, I already did it twice, after spotting those annoying mistakes that manage to slip through months of proofreading and editing :)
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Post by Manang Muyang »

Thanks for this thread. Who knows I may also be a published author one day? Good luck to all you authors!

This is an interesting observation. As of this time, four of the eight people (including myself) who have posted here have The Sparrow as their last review.
Victoria zindo Jones
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Post by Victoria zindo Jones »

I would recommend other ways apart from Amazon
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Post by WhiteLotus »

I've self-published to Amazon, mostly through aggregators (because Amazon won't pay directly to my country). I wouldn't go for exclusivity to Kindle Unlimited even if I weren't using those other sites, though. I much prefer going wide with publication because it's more chances of being found.
There are a lot of things I dislike about Amazon as a seller (besides the direct payment issue, the control they put on books, the DRM, the unfair KU page-count algorithm, etc), but it is one of the best places to be discovered easier with the least amount of marketing (which I'm terrible at).

That said, Amazon does make it incredibly easy for you to publish with them.
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Post by Bhaskins »

lucia_kizas wrote: 14 Jun 2019, 05:17 Just self-published my very first novel on Amazon :) It was easy and quite fast. Well, I am currently waiting for the approval of the paperback version (might take up to 72 hours, according to Amazon). Otherwise - the ebook is live, and if you spot an error - it is easy to fix and submit an updated version of the manuscript. I must admit, I already did it twice, after spotting those annoying mistakes that manage to slip through months of proofreading and editing :)
It's nice to know that they make it so easy! I am in the beginning of my process (mostly trying to psych myself up to get writing) and this is one of my biggest fears!
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Post by lucia_kizas »

Bhaskins wrote: 20 Jun 2019, 11:14
lucia_kizas wrote: 14 Jun 2019, 05:17 Just self-published my very first novel on Amazon :) It was easy and quite fast. Well, I am currently waiting for the approval of the paperback version (might take up to 72 hours, according to Amazon). Otherwise - the ebook is live, and if you spot an error - it is easy to fix and submit an updated version of the manuscript. I must admit, I already did it twice, after spotting those annoying mistakes that manage to slip through months of proofreading and editing :)
It's nice to know that they make it so easy! I am in the beginning of my process (mostly trying to psych myself up to get writing) and this is one of my biggest fears!
It gets harder after you've published :) Then it all comes to selling the book, or at last promoting it :) In my case, only my husband and 2 friends knew I was writing a book :) And I still feel awkward about promoting it to my friends, afraid they might not like it :)
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Post by TLWoodliff »

I JUST did this in April.

I released four books at once because people like to binge-read in the summer in my genre, cozy witch mysteries.

Amazon makes it easy!

Marketing? I'll let you know. I'm not seeing great return on Amazon ads, but in general, they are chugging along at a nice pace. I'm not rich, but monthly checks have started coming my way and, more importantly, I'm beginning to live the life of an author! (Self doubt; too much wine; yelling at blank screens. Lol)
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Post by clint_csperry-org »

Victoria zindo Jones wrote: 15 Jun 2019, 21:48 I would recommend other ways apart from Amazon

I am curious here, Why? Have you had issues with Amazon? Do you know a better market place to put your books?
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Post by ElizaPeaks »

The trick with Amazon is to have a good review team on board! The more reviews you receive on your published piece, the more likely others are to see it while searching online. I've just had a friend who published their first book on Amazon, and she was thrilled with the process; however, she also paid an arm and a leg for a self-publishing school that taught her the best tips and tricks of publishing on Amazon.

In my personal opinion, after watching her process, I think that depends on who you want to be as a writer. For instance, I personally would prefer a publishing house because I intend to produce something amazing, and I'm not afraid of rejection. I want my book to receive the best care that it can be given, and I can't do that without professional editors, marketers, and publishers. However, I am also open to publishing my first few books on Amazon to use it as a stepping-stone while I build myself up to writing a piece good enough to take to a publishing house.
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