Publishing a book on Amazon Kindle is free, which is an excellent opportunity for indie authors who want to gain traction in the online publishing industry. The book uploading process is also relatively smooth and convenient, which means that in just a few minutes, you can publish your book file on the Amazon marketplace.
However, since publishing a book is free and the formatting guidelines aren’t hard to grab, it can be pretty competitive to rank your book high up in the Amazon search results.
One of the biggest reasons why books fail to sell is because they don’t look professional and polished. Readers notice every small detail, so you need to make sure that everything is taken care of. You can also choose to work with Amazon publishing services to receive professional and expert help.
Here are three important things to focus on when publishing your book on Amazon.
Book Editing
Focus on editing. Every author knows that editing is important, but many new authors aren’t sure how to get started. Begin by reading your manuscript aloud to yourself — doing this will help you find awkward sentences or sections that sound unnatural when read aloud.
If you’re not comfortable editing your own work, ask a friend or family member to read through it and offer feedback. Remember, there’s no such thing as a perfect manuscript — the goal is just to make it as strong as possible before releasing it on Amazon.
Make sure that your margins and text layout are consistent throughout the book writing services. You don’t want a significant margin on one page and a tiny one on another one. This will only distract the reader from what you’re trying to say and not contribute anything good at all to your sales. Moreover, your text layout should be the same throughout the entire book for readers to feel comfortable while reading it and not get distracted by unnecessary elements.
Cover Design
The cover is the first impression of your book, and it’s the first thing a potential reader notices in your book. This is why it’s essential to hire a professional cover designer to work on a cover that goes well with the theme of your story. Look for someone who has worked on related books and has a portfolio of samples that you can review.
Having a professionally designed book cover is a significant key to the success of your book. Readers are more likely to pick up a book that looks professional and polished. Make it clear with your cover that you have taken the time to get your book to a level of professionalism that will ensure readers will not be disappointed in what they find between the covers.
Marketing
If you want your book to sell, you have to market it. So how do you make your book stand out in a sea of millions of books? You start with the basics and work from there. Consider these three things to do to help your book compete on Amazon:
- Create an effective book marketing plan
- Focus on getting reviews and feedback from customers who love your product
- Add discounts and promotions to get more annual sales.
You don’t have to spend a lot of money on marketing to build an audience for your e-book, but you do need to spend the time and effort to create a plan in which you present your book’s benefits and ask people to buy it.