Amy Quonce was another of the presenters at the Writer’s Conference I recently spoke at. She recently self published her first book and gave us all the lo down and the in’s and out’s of using CreateSpace, the self-publishing branch of Amazon. Here are some of her notes. The very best tip is at the end for anyone that may want to order proof books for their beta readers. Amazing!
Pro’s and Con’s of being your own boss
Self publishing in 10 easy steps
- Create an account and choose either a free ISBN assignment or enter one of your own
- Choose a trim size for your book and decide if you want white or cream colored pages
- Save your completed (and edited) manuscript as a pdf file (making sure that your pages are already in your chosen trim size)
- Upload your book’s interior
- Create a cover. Choose either one of their many designs, upload a photo of your own, or use a professional designed cover
- Write a blurb for the back cover
- Upload the book’s cover
- Preview what your book will look like. (You will get a virtual book to flip through) When satisfied, hit the complete button
- Files will now be reviewed by the company and within 48 hours (typically 24) you will be able to approve the book or make changes.
- Once approved you can set up your e-store, write a product description for your book along with an author bio. This will be displayed on your Amazon account. Then choose your distribution options.
Your royalties will vary with each distribution.
Sold yourself ~~~Royalties earned $9.80
What services does CreateSpace offer?
- Blog (Free)
- E-store (Free)
- ISBN number (Free)
- Library of Congress number
- Design layout
- Editing
- Marketing services
- Kindle conversion
Helpful hint:Even if you chose not to self publish, you can upload your manuscript and order proof books to give to Beta Readers. This is cheaper than making copies at Staples and easier to read than looking at a pdf file. You can always cancel your ISBN number as long as you did not approve the files.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Diane,
I'm so glad that you posted this. Since hearing my presentation at the Delta Lake Writer's Gathering several people have already been inspired to take the initative and self publish their work. It's wonderful that we now have the capability to put our words into the hands of others.
Great article and information. Easily laid out step by step. I'm in the process of completing the final details before self-publishing my book, "Hiding in a Cave of Trunks." I've more or less decided on CreateSpace and KDP Select and this confirms my belief that it's the right choice. Thanks again, and best wishes for your success.
Hi, Diane:
Thanks for publishing this. I appreciate the step-by-step guide. I have a friend who published her work through CreateSpace and is doing well with it.
Hugs to you!
~Janette