One of the projects I set for myself this month was to learn how to publish a book on Amazon. Like most of us when we want to learn something new, I did what comes naturally, I dove into a series of YouTube videos on the subject. I also had the good fortune of talking with a friend who has published over 30 books on Amazon and was willing to share his hard-won insights. What started out sounding like a relatively straightforward process once my manuscript was proofed, fact-checked, and run through Claude for a final “polishing” pass turned out to be simple enough for an eBook (formatted for Kindle) but a surprisingly complex endeavor as a printed paperback. That distinction, as I would soon discover, made all the difference.
Within a few hours of starting, I had the eBook ready to go, cover uploaded, description written, pricing set, and my finger essentially hovering over the “Publish” button. But I paused. Something made me stop and think. As I reviewed the manuscript one final time, I realized it contained personal information about someone who had specifically asked me not to share it publicly. In my excitement to complete the project, I had completely overlooked that request. Upon reflection, I knew they were absolutely right to have asked me not to, and I was grateful I caught it before hitting publish. It was a timely reminder that momentum is a powerful thing and that sometimes our enthusiasm can outrun our judgment. Has that ever happened to you? You’re so focused on finishing that you don’t stop to consider the full implications of what you’re about to do?
What I haven’t mentioned yet is that even before I pulled the plug on the eBook, I had already plowed ahead with the paperback version. And if the eBook process was a gentle stroll, the paperback was a full-on obstacle course. The simplicity I had experienced with Kindle Direct Publishing’s eBook workflow was nowhere to be found when it came to print.
As I was soon to learn, “follow the guidelines” meant exactly what it said. Amazon’s print publishing platform has very strict formatting requirements, complete with cut-and-paste templates that must be used precisely as specified. Margins, bleed areas, spine width calculations based on page count, interior formatting standards the list went on. I found myself making many trips back and forth to YouTube, watching instructional videos segment by segment, pausing and rewinding to make sure I understood each step before moving forward. It took several days of patient effort, but I slowly worked through it and eventually figured it out.
But once again, I hesitated and this time for a different reason. In my rush to become “an Amazon published author,” I had not fully thought through the implications of putting a book up for sale. When someone purchases a book, they have a reasonable expectation of quality, depth of content, and genuine usefulness. Looking at my manuscript with fresh eyes and that standard in mind, I realized it wasn’t quite there yet. It was missing a table of contents, proper footnotes, and a few other elements that separate a polished publication from a rough draft. So I went back and learned how to add those features properly. And then, having thought it through more carefully, I decided not to publish the paperback version of that story either, at least not yet.
So, what’s the good news in all of this? Quite a bit, actually. I now have a thorough, hands-on understanding of the entire Amazon publishing process both for eBooks and print built not from reading about it, but from doing it, making mistakes, and working through them. When I am ready to publish my next book, I will move forward with the confidence and efficiency that only comes from having already navigated the learning curve. There is something uniquely valuable about that kind of knowledge.
And yes, I already have my next book in mind. Stay tuned.