Why I Self-Publish Books On Amazon KDP

It’s now been 18 months since I started my self-publishing journey, I think it’s now time to answer a few questions that I’ve been asked over the past few months. And maybe lay down some ideas that you can use if you decide to go into self-publishing.

First of all, “why do I do it“?. Well, it’s fun, and secondly, it’s profitable. Of course, I didn’t know that it was going to be profitable when I first got started. You have to start anything new with positive expectation. I just listened to my gut instinct and I learned everything I could. (I’m still learning)

As I write this post in September 2022, I currently have 31 books live on amazon. 11 of these books are actual reading books, 10 of these reading books contain over 30,000 Words and all of these are on sale as either kindle, paperback, hardback and audiobooks. The other 21 books I have self-published are all low-content books such as coloring books for kids and for adults, puzzle books etc. I publish books in my own name and also two other pen names.

Self-Publishing – The Perks And The Quirks

I also have some of my books published on Ingramspark and Lulu. So, why am I telling you all this?. Well, lots of people are looking for a side hustle or a full-time internet-based business where they can work from home. Self-publishing is a good business model as you don’t actually have to carry any stock. All of your books are sold on a print-on-demand basis. Therefore, your risks are fairly low.

I will be up front with you.

I don’t write all of my high-content books myself, I have written some, but I also have a female ghostwriter who writes books for me. I also have an experienced narrator who narrates my audiobooks. Why?

Having an experienced ghostwriter and narrator to write and narrate high-quality books for you can be very beneficial. First of all it frees up your time so that you can concentrate on running the actual business, YES, there is marketing involved too – just because your books are on Amazon, doesn’t mean people are going to rush out and buy them. Secondly, unless you are a really experienced writer or narrator, you’ll probably sell a lot more books & audiobooks if you choose to hire a professional.

Many of the top books you see today on Amazon and in bookshops that look like they have been written by celebrities and other top personalities – have actually been ghost-written. You provide an outline of what you want in the book to your ghostwriter and leave them to write it. Around 6 weeks later, you should have the finished manuscript in your hands. You then get a designer to create you book cover and you’re almost ready to Rock and Roll.

Next, there is the description for amazon. This is the sales text that will accompany your book on your book’s Amazon page. I used to write this myself but lately, I have been experimenting with professional copywriters to do this.

Can It Be Profitable?

There are many people out there making six-figure incomes from self-publishing and (of course) there are also people making next to nothing. This situation is not exclusive to self-publishing, as with any business, online or otherwise, some make it and for whatever reason, others don’t. However, with time, some capital and the will to learn some new skills, I do believe that this is one of the best opportunities to make money successfully from home in 2022.

Here’s how I look at self-publishing. If I could pay someone $1000 to write a book for me that eventually makes $1000 a month in revenue for the next two or three years, how many books would you have written?.

The Answer Is PLENTY!

Now, I’m not saying every book you commission will make money. Some will lose money, some might make you $100 or less a month, and some might make more than $1000 a month. There are books on amazon making multiple tens of thousands of dollars a month. Around 20% of your books will make around 80% of your profit.

So, this is why I write and self-publish books. It’s fun, you can do it from home, and some of your books may just turn out to be very profitable. If you are patient, hard-working and can come up with some profitable niches to write in, it might just work for you. Be prepared for short-term failures in order to get long-term gains.

That’s all. I hope you got some value from this post. If you did, please do leave a comment below and share this post. If you want more knowledge on how to get started in self-publishing, I have the ideal book for you, and YES. I did write this one.. Click this link or click the image below to find out more..

Have a good day

Keith