Here’s What I Learned From The Steep Amazon Self-Publishing Learning Curve

I’m not a diehard Amazon shopper. The Amazon Prime lifestyle hasn’t changed my shopping habits.

But publishing my first book on Amazon was a no-brainer.

I can’t deny any platform known as the mecca for buying books and providing one of the leading electronic reading systems.

It’s why I had to be part of it.

As a typical broke author, I chose to self-publish on Amazon because it costs absolutely nothing.

No initial outlays.

No sign-up costs.

Just load your book and watch the money roll in.

If only it were that easy, right? Well, as I discovered, it wasn’t. Publishing on Amazon came with a steep learning curve. Here’s what I learned.

The Paperback curve

I dreamed of publishing the perfect book—a hardcover classic design with thick, luscious pages and a coloured interior.

The moment I researched paying for this beautiful design up front with an independent printing service, quickly discovering the astronomical costs, I found myself on Amazon.

Print-on-demand was ideally suited to my nonexistent, poor writer budget. But then I took my dream design to Amazon and discovered I would continue to dream.

Printing in hardcover isn’t available in Australia, where I live. This seems to be a limitation of Amazon’s ability, a discovery I made well after I committed to the platform.

There was an option for me to add a hardcover option on my Amazon account, but as it’s printed from the US, it would render the shipping costs impossible for my Australian customers.

I had already found a hurdle in my Amazon journey. It made me wonder what was next.

The compromising curve

Here’s what this first issue taught me: throughout the publishing journey, I would need to make compromises. I would need to adjust my dream plans to suit what I could achieve on Amazon.

These compromises were necessary. I either compromised and published a book or stood firm and didn’t publish at all.

It wouldn’t be the last time compromising was necessary. When publishing a book, best to get used to compromise.

Free accounts for everyone

Anyone can become a writer on Amazon.

To create a writer account, I didn’t have to hand over a cent nor promise to pay fees at a certain point in my success. The only money Amazon takes is when I sell a book.

This part caught me off guard. Not because I thought I should have to pay money to sign up as a writer. But suddenly, it put something into perspective about the authors on Amazon.

Anyone can be a writer.

Anyone can assemble pages and a cover and sell a book without any quality control, market research, or consideration for the reader.

It became a thought I couldn’t ignore. I was joining literally thousands of people trying to do the same thing as me.

I felt this pressure to not only do my best but not to be some Amazon author who thought they were good but turned out to be really bad.

I didn’t want to become a reason why future Amazon authors pay to join the platform.

The pressure curve

Pressure is completely standard within the publishing process.

A little bit of healthy pressure can help you as a writer. If you're feeling it during your publishing process, try to embrace it. Use it as a tool to improve your work, not fear it.

You can't permanently remove pressure from your life. And as you can't beat them, you might as well join them.

The Word curve

I Googled the best editing software to create an Amazon manuscript suitable for uploading to Kindle and print on demand. I hadn’t done this before. I was a self-publishing student, after all.

Before looking, I hoped everyone in the literary world used one program or Amazon restricted how the manuscript was uploaded.

I didn’t want to make a choice. I had made enough choices while writing the book; I didn't need any more.

I wasn’t in luck. When I started searching, I found out there are many software options for putting together a manuscript. The most popular ones were:

• Reedsy
• Scrivener
• Atticus
• Vellum
• Word
• Google Docs

So, what did I end up using?

I could talk all day about the ins and outs of the best editing software for writing a novel. There are many factors in choosing the perfect editing software because many have drafting capabilities, too.

They are designed to help you build chapters and maintain continuity, not just exporting for Amazon’s printing purposes.

However, after completing the drafting process, I cared more about programs that allowed maximum editing capability and an exporting system fit for Amazon (which turned out to be a PDF-formatted document).

I also needed a program that didn’t break the bank. Though I was happy to pay a fee for one of these programs, it couldn't be hundreds of dollars. I couldn't afford to outlay that money without testing the program first to see if it had all the features I needed.

That meant the ideal program also needed a free trial option.

After reviewing everybody's recommendations, I landed on Word of all things. Word was the only program that:

• Was easy to use — I already knew the ins and outs of Word and how to create a printable document on the platform.
• Free to use—This specific task cost me nothing since I already have Microsoft Office.
• Allowed me the greatest design flexibility — While I liked the sophistication of the other programs, they simply didn't have the fonts, design or flexibility to align pages the way I wanted them to look.
• After the hardcover disaster, I thought there had to be a problem I wasn’t seeing.

Yet, many other published writers also touted Word's benefits for printing their books. This was the social proof I needed.

In the publishing process, we’re trained to feel wary of free options. We’re meant to assume they're almost too good to be true.

I learned this assumption didn’t always have to be the case.

The Kindle Create curve

I assumed I would be able to use Word to create the Kindle version of my book. However, many writers said they had used Word. Many also said there was an Amazon-specific program just for Kindle.

It was then that I found Kindle Create. Another free program.

Though I wasn't enthused by the functionality and design options of Kindle Create, it was the easiest to put together the EPUB manuscript that Amazon required.

This free was too good to be true, though. One moment free was good, the next free was challenging.

Again, it's one of those moments where it was a compromise. Amazon wanted something specific for me, so I had to bend my plans to make sure I could accommodate those needs.

The cover curve

The book's front cover is another area that I needed to format and load to Amazon.

I was quietly confident about creating my own cover because I had worked as a website designer in the past, using Canva often to create graphics.

There is also endless information online about what is needed on the front cover of a book, and if you're ever in doubt, five minutes spent walking around a bookshop will also provide you with examples.

I knew I needed to follow other people's examples while injecting my own imagery into the design.

A year before publishing, I hired a graphic designer to create character images for my fiction series. Once I had that imagery, I knew I would use it for the front cover of my book and future books in the series.

I didn't need the graphic designer to then take that imagery and turn it into a cover. Amazon's system is pretty easy to follow if you can use programs like Canva.

When your manuscript is ready to go, you simply log in to Amazon’s “Kindle Direct Publishing” in your writer's area and follow the instructions on the size of the cover required for your book.

It takes under a minute to punch in the details of what you want for your cover.

They call it the KDP cover calculator. As you can see below, all you need to do is select the appropriate details from the drop-down options, and a cover template will be created for you.

It took many attempts to ensure I had a perfect cover in place. Once I saw it on the screen in Amazon's program, I could see things differently. Amazon would also point out any issues with the cover, such as printing on the edges.

Although it seemed like it should be loaded and moved on, it was one of the longest processes for me. I had never created a book cover or used Amazon’s printing system.

This reinforced the idea that the more you learn these programs, the longer it will take to get everything right.

If you enter with the mindset that everything will take you a long time to learn, you won't be disappointed when it actually takes you that long.

The proof copy curve

One of the best aspects of self-publishing on Amazon is that you can order proof copies of your book; you just pay for printing and shipping.

For a copy of my book to see how it looked as a bound book cost about seven dollars. That was cheaper than going to my local office supply store and having it printed and bound. It was fifty dollars cheaper on Amazon.

I never contemplated publishing my book without completing a test copy, first. It's a part of quality control, and no matter how much it costs, I was going to see the book first.

Yet, I didn't realise I would need so many test copies just to adjust the smallest parts of the design.

I ended up with four test copies, and these were to:

• See how the book looked in a matte finish versus a gloss finish.
• See how the font on the back of the book looked in a cleaner design to match the other fonts better.
• See how the front cover image was printed within Amazon’s guidelines. I thought the cut-off point of the image on the front cover was higher than it actually was.
• Test how the Amazon-generated barcode on the back of the book compared to the one I created on Canva.
• Did I think I would need to do so much quality control? No way. I assumed one or two copies at most. Even with all my design skills and confidence in my decisions, I learned each stage of the writing process is as long as the last.

If this process doesn't make you appreciate what goes into a book or the production of any product, I don't know what will.

I changed the launch date of my book several times.

Before even getting to Amazon, I had changed the date three times. Once I went to Amazon, I set up a time for a pre-sale, and without realising, I hit publish on the pre-sale.

That meant the book was live for ordering on Kindle when I wasn’t ready.

I changed the pre-sale date. I had to, I wasn’t ready after all. But then came the rule I wasn’t aware of.

Once you change the pre-order date twice on your Kindle book, you get banned from running a pre-sale for 12 months. Amazon puts this ban in place to stop you from constantly changing your book launches and giving false hope to its customers.

I received a warning. If I did this again, Amazon would enforce the pre-sale ban. I was on my last chance.

It’s a fantastic rule. But how was I to know? I never thought of checking to see if this was a problem, nor did I think I would ever have to change the date once I reached this stage.

By the way, I'm not too angry I made this mistake or that I nearly got banned. Not only has it forced me to pick up my game and work harder to make sure the book was ready by that pre-date time, but it has also given me insight into how business runs.

You can't just change the date of launches when customers and businesses are preparing for your launch. You can’t manipulate other people's time when people are relying on you.

Though accidents happen within a business, and sometimes you have to make these hard calls, this near Amazon ban taught me about being someone who always has to make hard calls.

You can't be that person.

You have to be better at what you do and more precise with your business actions. Or you will get penalised.

The print-on-demand curve

I appreciate that many people aren’t going to love the print-on-demand aspect of Amazon.

Whilst I would've preferred a traditional publishing approach, where copies were printed in advance and sent to book shops, from a waste point of view, this is a far better option.

It doesn't make sense to print copies if I don't think they'll sell or if I'm unsure of their popularity ahead of time.

It also makes sense from a personal cost point of view. Outlaying the amount needed to print the book, shipping it to my home, and then shipping it out to buyers, as well as running an online store to sell the books, all add up.

It's a lot of money before even publishing a book, and it's not a start-up cost I’m 100% certain I can recoup.

I love this side of Amazon print on demand. But I learned there is much I don’t like.

I'm not thrilled with the way Amazon sends its books. They arrive in an undignified, brown paper package with an Amazon logo. I would prefer something a little more glamorous or even the option to personalise the packaging.

Yet, I’m comforted by the knowledge Amazon shoppers know what to expect when they buy books from the website.

Seeing this side of the purchasing process for a customer has inspired me to run a limited edition, hardback copy of my book at a later date. During that process, I will have custom mailers, a hardcover I've always desired, and thank you cards I've designed.

In many ways, it's nice to see what I like and don't like and then make plans to give people what I really want them to have.

Sometimes, you need to see the bad to appreciate the good. Sometimes, you need to have the bad moments so you can work harder towards the perfect product.

The Amazon factor curve

As I'm now live with my book and published on Amazon, I’m on an entirely new learning curve. I’m learning to handle the objections from the general public.

Well, not necessarily the general public. But more so, the people in my personal life are passing judgment on me for using Amazon as my publishing vehicle.

There have been many mixed reactions — whispers of taking the easy road out.

I didn't think I would be dealing with this, as self-publishing has become as prevalent as traditional publishing. But it's impossible to remove some of these outdated values from people's minds.

I'm happy that I have experienced judgment over my choice of publishing. It's made it easier for me to understand what criticism will be thrown at me when I self-publish again.

It's like a tester for when something bigger and more controversial will inevitably happen.

In many ways, it’s just another learning curve.

I feel stronger as a businesswoman and a writer because I’ve needed to justify my actions and explain my business decisions. I feel more empowered as if I know what I'm talking about.

It's basic confidence. And even though I'm not a best seller on Amazon yet (I can dream!), I feel like I can do this again.

I feel like I've overcome the steep learning curves, and I’m confident I can go through the process again.

I know I will make mistakes again. Next time, I'll have an entirely different set of problems, too.

But at least I can take a confident step foot forward.

And that's what matters.

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I write about the emotional and practical reality of being a writer - drafting, doubt, discipline, and publishing while still figuring it out.

Mostly for people who write because they have to, need to, want to | https://linktr.ee/ellenfranceswrites