9 Things I Learned as an Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) Author

2019 is ending. Another glorious year as a self-published KDP author. I wish to share with my readers the things I have learned as an Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing author.

My debut novel 'Without You' came out in June 2015. The paperback had been published by Write India publishers. Then in September 2015, I self-published the eBook version on Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing. Within a day, my book went live. I began to get readers from around the world within hours. What followed after that was an unforgettable journey. Over the last four years, I have published seven novels, two short stories and three children's books on Amazon. 

So, what are the lessons I learned via my journey as an amazon bestselling self-published author?

1) The myth that writers can't earn through writing is a myth

For my debut novel, I had invested a few thousand rupees in getting it edited, the paperback published and marketing. Overall, I didn't get back even 1% of what I had invested. The only perk was that it had won the hearts of most of the readers who read it. 
But once I published the eBook version, I began getting a regular income as royalty every month. I have earned manifolds of whatever I had invested initially in getting the paperback published from the sales of that book alone.
With every book I add to my published list, I gain more readers and earn more. A few months ago, I quit a well earning day job to concentrate more on what I enjoy doing best. Writing!
Many indie authors earn more than what traditionally published authors are paid as signing amount for a book in just a month. 

2) Readers will read your books in any format if they like what you are writing

Among the readers who have written to me, I have had staunch paperback fans who are slowly discovering the advantages of eBooks. Just because eBooks are relatively new, it is not true that you won't have readers. Going by the status of my own books, I am blessed to have many readers who have discovered the advantages of eBooks via my books.

3) Visibility via Kindle Direct Publishing is constant

You invest your time in writing a book, spend hours marketing it once it gets published as a paperback by a reputed publisher and then after a period, the book just disappears from the shelves of bookshops. Unless you are an established bestselling author, your paperback just vanishes from the market.
But via Kindle direct publishing, your books remain for purchase even years after it has been published. Amazon itself creates promotions for older, popular books and talks about it to readers across the world via their newsletters. 'Without You' my first book along with three of my other books are now part of Amazon Prime Reading, via which Amazon allows subscribers to read for free some selected books published on Amazon.

4) The taboo associated with self-publishing is slowly vanishing.

Initially, when I started publishing, none of the traditionally published authors was ready to even consider self-publishing via Amazon. Now I personally know at least six or seven authors who have successfully experimented with self-publishing. According to them, the plus points in self-publishing are the freedom, transparency in sale statistics and the higher royalty rates. 
In traditional publishing, even the top publishers often don't give you clear statistics about book sales. But via KDP, you get to know the sales and pages read instantly via the KDP author dashboard.
In traditional publishing, the max royalty for eBooks is 25%. On KDP, it is either 35% or 70% depending on how we price the book. To get 70% royalty, the price has to be Rs 99 or more. Anything less earns you 35% royalty.
Of course, there is this reality that a self-published author would never be invited to any literature festival. There the taboo still exists.

5) Readers are the gatekeepers of good literature

Be it traditional publishing or self-publishing, readers are the gatekeepers without a doubt. Many books rejected by reputed traditional publishers have won the hearts of readers via self-publishing whereas readers have rejected many traditionally published books. As a reader myself, I do not look at who the publisher is when I buy a book. Mostly it is the author. If it is a new writer, I often read through the blurb, sample etc before buying a book. I have never ever bought a book just because it is published by a reputed publisher. I guess it is the same logic that drives other readers.

6) Indie books undergo the same kind of publishing standards as traditional books.

When I publish my book on KDP, I use an editor, a proofreader and beta-readers to make sure it lives up to professional standards. Though I design my covers myself, many other indie authors use professional cover designers. 

7) Reviews matter but they don't drive sales

Initially, I used to think that the number of reviews affected sales. Some say that Amazon algorithm actually considers the number of reviews before promoting it. In my experience, that is not the case. The keywords, category, genre and popularity of the book matters. 

8) You decide the content, cover, title of your books.

Being an Indie author, I can decide what I want to include in my book. Even if an editor suggests a change, it is up to me to decide whether or not to accept the corrections. I don't think that is the case with traditional publishing. The editors have the upper hand. 
The case is similar for the cover layout, title, etc. Also, with self-publishing, we can change the content, cover photo and even title without much ado even after the book becomes available for purchase.

9) You publish more.

I published three novels and one book set this year. I don't think any traditional publisher would publish more than one book by an author a year. It is just not viable for them. 
But with KDP, you can publish as many books as you can if you have the manuscripts ready. I know indie authors who publish a book a month. Especially authors in the West. 

I am grateful to have discovered Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing and I hope it will bring light into the lives of many more authors in the coming years. 
Hope you found this article helpful.
Have you tried Amazon Kindle Direct publishing? 
How was your experience?

On Writing with Rajesh Konsam

Today on 'On Writing' we have Rajesh Konsam, a young software engineer and writer. A geek at heart, he loves programming and feel-good novels in equal measure. He also enjoys writing poems and occasionally dabbles in dance. Although Rajesh hails from Manipur, he works in Chennai after completing his B.E. in Coimbatore. Bittersweet is Rajesh’s debut novel, and he is working on his next.

Let's welcome Rajesh Konsam...

Website  Facebook Twitter Instagram

Was becoming an author always your dream or was it a particular event or incident that gave birth to the author in you?

I guess the writer in me was dormant all along. I was never the voracious reader to begin with, but I was always creative and expressive as a kid. Despite maintaining a journal like most people do, the thought of completing a novel and then publishing it never occurred to me.

It was on this one day, during a trip to Mysore with my college friends, that the idea behind my debut novel ‘Bittersweet’ germinated in my head. I discussed it with my boys, and they encouraged me to execute it. As an ambitious young man who was standing at a crossroad and still figuring out his life, there were noises in my head, and I just wanted to vent off my feelings somewhere. So, I picked up my pen and paper, typed my heart away and eventually began enjoying it to the fullest.

How important are the names of the characters in your books to you? Do you spend agonizing hours deciding on their names?

I do a lot of research while deciding the names of my characters. 

For starters, my male protagonist is soft at heart despite having rough exteriors.  

Roshan was a meaningful name, and it didn’t sound too contemporary or traditional—just what I wanted.

Secondly, I wanted to bring in a bohemian female lead, and for that, I created ‘Shanaya’. I wanted her to be half-Indian (despite not mentioning that fact explicitly in the book), so I looked up various surnames belonging to people living in Goa. That’s how I named her Shanaya Pinheiro, envisaging her as an Indo-Portuguese girl. It adds to her personality.

What is your writing process like? Do you write every day? Is there a favourite place to write?

I write only on the weekends or on national holidays as I zone out on weekdays with a job I equally love. Hence, it’s hard for me to come up with a new book. I do enjoy this slow process and try to remain consistent. I love writing in dimly lit rooms. Just me, my laptop and no one bothering me.

What is different about ‘Bittersweet’? 

I have been told by my readers that the story is very real and relatable.

‘Bittersweet’ is about a group of young millennials, led by Roshan, who struggle to find footholds in the creative industries, as they tackle first jobs, financial independence, second relationships, compromises, loss of identity and fear of failure.

Coming to the romance subplot of the book, I used the love story between Roshan and Shanaya to deepen their relationship. As two creative people looking for their big break, they share a common flair for creativity. The support system they have for each other during predicaments is what most of us yearn for in life.

While still being character-driven, it offers an exciting plot and is even packed with surprises.

Who is your favourite character in the book and why?

The protagonist Roshan is my favourite character in the book because he is real, headstrong, unapologetic, flawed and naïve but stands up for himself when he needs to. The kind of thoughts that cross his mind reminds me of the time when I was struggling in life.

I created him at a time when I wasn’t even aware of the publishing industry and poured whatever I had in my mind.

Which do you prefer as a reader? EBook or Paperback?

I have a split personality while choosing books. I prefer reading half of my books on Kindle with the night light turned on because I read at night and I travel a lot. But with my most favourite books, I make sure I own the beautiful hardcover editions and nothing less.

How long did it take to finish writing ‘Bittersweet’? 

It took me two years, as I was straddling between the manuscript and my college projects.

How important do you think is marketing in today’s world for any book?

Marketing is pivotal for the success of any book because for the initial word-of-mouth which many authors rely on, the book must reach its first set of readers. 

Secondly, when people talk about marketing, I think about creativity. It’s important that we spin up unique marketing plans. When everyone else is doing the same thing, how would you make a difference? Quality over quantity, anytime!

Another important thing is that, as authors, our writing should speak for ourselves. Come up with the best book titles, book covers, blurbs and first paragraphs. That’s marketing. 

Lastly, an author should not have any wrong notion about marketing, as it’s proven that it’s beneficial to any author. 

As someone who doesn’t like sharing his photos on social media unless there’s an important event in my life, it was a life-changing decision to come out and promote my book.

Please share a passage or quote from ‘Bittersweet’ for our readers.  

“You acquire taste. You soak them in little by little. A soul that has appreciation for art continuously expands itself to new dimensions. Enjoy the natural learning process. Just because some critics ask you to ‘learn the craft’ you shouldn’t force everything down your throat. Every successful man we know initially started off with the dumbest ideas. And when you feel you’ve learnt to some extent, break free. You will surely find your forte, your unique voice. You’ll do well, young heart. Now, go and flourish.” 

What are the three tips you have for readers of this interview who are aspiring writers?

1) Read a lot. Go out of your comfort zone and read books from different genres. One might teach you how to write a satisfying plot twist, and another might inspire you to write beautiful prose—all of which are important to surviving in the industry. Learn from different authors and aggregate all qualities into your book. 

2) Spend time developing your characters and focus on both the internal growth and the external goal. Characters are the driving forces of your story.

3) Write what you love, not what people insist you to read or write. 

Thank you, Rajesh. Wishing you the very best in all that you do.

Get the book here:

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