Amazon KDP Self Publishing: Four Books From One

Lecture One. Introduction. Books, Blurbs and Book Covers

The Books, Blurbs and Book Covers lectures prepare the way to completing the uploads of our ebook, paperback, hard cover and large print versions of our books relatively painlessly.

The lectures, as the heading implies, are organised into three sections.

What ‘Books, Blurbs and Book Covers’ covers.

1. Formatting an ebook manuscript

2. Formatting a print book manuscript

3. Writing Blurbs for Novels

4. Writing Blurbs for Short Story Collections

5. Testimonials

6. Creating ebook book covers

7. Creating paperback book covers

8. Creating hard cover book covers

9. Recap

Lecture Two. Formatting an ebook manuscript

Formatting a manuscript in Vellum or Atticus enables you to produce a professional-looking book. The software detects chapters and organises them. There are several elements or pages you can add such as ‘Copyright’ ‘Foreword’ ‘Also By’ etc. There are a number of pleasing fonts to choose from.

What ‘Formatting an ebook manuscript’ covers.

Uploading your manuscript

Organising your manuscript into chapters

Selecting fonts

Paragraphing

Adding ornamental breaks

Adding additional pages

Generating a formatted manuscript

Lecture Three. Formatting a print book manuscript

Formatting a print book manuscript in Vellum or Atticus shares many of the same features as a ebook manuscript.

It enables you to produce a professional-looking book. The software detects chapters and organises them. There are several elements or pages you can add such as ‘Copyright’ ‘Foreword’ ‘Also By’ etc. There are a number of pleasing fonts to choose from.

However it differs in two respects. You will have to decide the books dimensions e.g. 6 x 9 and you have to make a note of the number of pages to create a print book cover in BookBrush

What ‘Formatting a print book manuscript’ covers.

Uploading your manuscript

Organising your manuscript into chapters

Selecting fonts

Paragraphing

Adding ornamental breaks

Adding additional pages

Deciding on the book’s dimensions

Noting the number of pages

Generating a formatted manuscript

Lecture Four. Writing Blurbs for Novels

What is a blurb?

The blurb is the text that appears on the back of our paperback or hard cover book.

A blurb is a teaser. A hook. It is there to whet the potential buyer’s curiousity.

How do we write a blurb?

We could go to Amazon and find books in our genre and check out their blurbs.

We could search online for blog articles on ‘How to Write a Blurb’.

We could go to a book store and peruse hard cover and paperback books in our genre

What ‘Writing Blurbs for Novels’ covers.

1. Study blurbs of books in your genre

2. Search online ‘How To Write A Blurb

3. Visiting a book store and reading blurbs

Lecture Five. Writing Blurbs for Short Story Collections

This lecture considers a blurb strategy, using genre tropes, for collections of stories where there will be many protagonists, settings and plots.

What is a trope?

A trope is a convention or device that establishes a predictable or stereotypical representation of a character, setting, or scenario in a creative work

Definition from dictionary.com

What ‘Writing Blurbs for Short Story Collections’ covers.

Two case studies of using tropes to write blurbs for Short Story Collections

Lecture Six. Testimonials

This lecture considers an alternative strategy to the blurb. Eliminating it completely and using testimonials to fill the back cover.

What ‘Testimonials’ covers.

BookBag Promotion Packages for Self-Publishing Authors

BookSirens

Kirkus

Lecture Seven. Creating ebook book covers

This lecture explains how to create an eBook cover using BookBrush.

Bookbrush is designed specifically for authors.

What ‘Creating ebook covers’ covers.

BookBrush prices

Instant Mockups

Box Sets

Creating an ebook template for Amazon Kindle

Selecting genre book cover images

Adding our front cover matter

Lecture Eight. Creating paperback book covers

This lecture explains how to create a paperback cover using BookBrush.

We will need our blurb, or our testimonials or a mixture of the two.

Because it’s a print book, it will have a spine, so we will add the title and author’s name to that.

The width of the spine will be determined by the number of pages in the Kindle Book format. We will have made a note of that when we created the print manuscript in Vellum.

What ‘Creating paperback book covers’ covers

Creating a paperback template for Amazon

Selecting genre book cover images

Adding our front and back cover matter

Lecture Nine. Creating hard cover book covers

This lecture explains how to create a hard cover cover using BookBrush.

What are the differences between a paperback cover and a hard cover?

There are two.

First, the hard cover spine is hinged. The paperback spine is not.

Secondly, the paperback cover is flush with the pages. The hard cover is not. There’s an overhang.

However, BookBrush has your back on this. So the set up is the same as for the paperback version.

You will have to place your cover artwork and text within a slightly tighter gridlines.

What ‘Creating hard cover book covers’ covers.

Creating a hard cover template for Amazon

Selecting genre book cover images

Adding our front and back cover matter

In this set of lectures, we looked at how to format our eBook and Print Book using Vellum

We worked on three ways to set up the back page of our print books: a conventional blurb for a novel, a blurb for a collection of short stories, and using testimonials as an alternative to a blurb.

In the final lectures we’ve looked at how to create covers for the eBook, paperback and hard cover versions of our book.

‘Act In Haste. Repent At Leisure’

The good news is that once we complete these three pages for uploading the ebook, most of what follows with uploading the paperback, hard cover and large print versions is relatively straightforward.

It’s vital to remain focused, take breaks if necessary, and work your way through methodically.

Lecture Two. Page One

Warning! This lecture is long and detailed but essential.

Sign up or log in here

https://kdp.amazon.com

There are ten sections but seven of them are pretty much straightforward: Language, Book Title, Series, Edition Number, Author, Contributors, Publishing Rights, Age and Grade Range and Pre-Order

Nevertheless, we look at each in detail, because they are not completely straightforward.

The challenges are with Description, Keywords and Categories. I’ve included useful information about Categories in the next series of lectures on uploading a paperback. Otherwise, this lecture would be even longer than it already is.

If you methodically work your way through these three sections, you’ll be fine. The great news is that the hard work you put in here will be rewarded. The forms for the other versions of your book will be pre-filled.

This lecture covers uploading an ebook to Amazon Page One.

These are the sections

1. Language.

2. Book Title.

3. Series.

4. Edition number.

5. Author.

6. Contributors.

7. Description.

8. Publishing Rights.

9. Keywords.

10. Categories.

11. Age and Grade Range

12. Pre-Order

Lecture Three. Page Two

If you have already formatted your manuscript, you can click the button ‘Upload eBook manuscript’. You will select the Vellum or Atticus file on your computer and upload it.

If not, you can go back to the series two lectures ‘Books, Blurbs and Book Covers’ and watch lecture two.

This lecture also shows you how to format manuscripts and create book covers using Amazon’s own free Kindle Create.

You have either already created an ebook cover or you can go back to the series two lectures ‘Books, Blurbs and Book Covers’ and watch lecture seven.

The Preview allows you to look at how the manuscript will appear on a kindle or mobile device.

This lecture covers uploading an ebook to Amazon Page Two.

Manuscript

Kindle eBook Cover

Kindle eBook Preview

Kindle eBook ISBN

Lecture Four. Page Three

In this lecture we run through the option of enrolling in KDP Select.

The lecture considers each section on Page Three in detail.

This lecture covers uploading an ebook to Amazon Page Three.

Territories

Primary Marketplace

Pricing, Royalty and Distribution

Terms and Conditions

Request a Book Proof

Lecture One. Introduction

The paperback version of the book will differ from the ebook version in the following ways.

1. The book manuscript will be created in the print format in Vellum.

2. The book cover will have a physical front, back and spine.

3. There will be a blurb on the back cover.

4. The price will be adjusted to take printing costs into account.

Lecture Two. Page One

The information you entered for the ebook version is pre-filled here for you with some very minor differences.

Here’s my letter to Amazon Author Central Customer Support requesting my book be assigned additional genre categories (examples given below). You can request up to ten ebook and ten print book genre categories.

Amazon Author Central Customer Support

Hi

Can you add the categories below to the US version of my ebook 'Tinker Tailor Soldier Sailor'?

Best wishes

Charles N Palmer

ASIN (Redacted) .COM, eBook

Categories to be added

Kindle Store » Kindle Store » Kindle eBooks » Science Fiction & Fantasy » Fantasy » Epic Fantasy

Kindle Store » Kindle Store » Kindle eBooks » Science Fiction & Fantasy » Fantasy » Historical Fantasy

Kindle Store » Kindle Store » Kindle eBooks » Literature & Fiction » Horror » Dark Fantasy Horror

Kindle Store » Kindle Store » Kindle eBooks » Children's eBooks » Children's Science Fiction & Mystery » Children's Fantasy Books » Children's Paranormal, Occult & Supernatural Books

This lecture covers the specific differences of uploading a paperback cover to Amazon Page One.

There are none. The following remain the same.

1. Language.

2. Book Title.

3. Series.

4. Edition number.

5. Author.

6. Contributors.

7. Description.

8. Publishing Rights.

9. Keywords.

10. Categories.

Lecture Three. Page Two

There are significant differences between the ebook and paperback versions of your book. You can ask Amazon to assign you an ISBN or you can buy your own (Warning. This can be pricey)

In the UK, you can buy the ISBNs from Nielson

https://www.nielsenisbnstore.com/Home/Isbn

In the USA, you can go to Bowker

https://www.myidentifiers.com/identify-protect-your-book/isbn/buy-isbn

You have either already created a print version of your manuscript or you can go back to the series two lectures ‘Books, Blurbs and Book Covers’ and watch lecture three.

You have either already created a paperback book cover or you can go back to the series two lectures ‘Books, Blurbs and Book Covers’ and watch lecture eight.

This lecture covers the specific differences of uploading a paperback cover to Amazon Page Two.

Print ISBN

Publication Date

Print Options

Manuscript

Book Cover

Book Preview

Lecture Four. Page Three

Much remains the same as for the ebook version. The differences are the pricing, the opportunity for expanded distribution to libraries, shops etc and the right to request a proof copy.

This lecture covers the specific differences of uploading a paperback to Amazon Page Three.

Territories

Primary Marketplace

Pricing, Royalty and Distribution

Terms and Conditions

Request a Book Proof

Lecture One. Page One

The information you entered for the ebook version is pre-filled here for you.

This lecture covers the specific differences of uploading a hard cover to Amazon Page One.

There are none. The following remain the same.

1. Language.

2. Book Title.

3. Series.

4. Edition number.

5. Author.

6. Contributors.

7. Description.

8. Publishing Rights.

9. Keywords.

10. Categories.

Lecture Two. Page Two

Apart from the ISBN and the Book Cover, everything remains exactly the same as for the paperback version.

You have either already created a hard back book cover or you can go back to the series two lectures ‘Books, Blurbs and Book Covers’ and watch lecture nine.

This lecture covers the specific differences of uploading a hard cover to Amazon Page Two.

Print ISBN

Publication Date

Print Options

Manuscript

Book Cover

Book Preview

Lecture Three. Page Three

Apart from the Pricing, everything remains exactly the same as for the paperback version.

This lecture covers the specific differences of uploading a hard cover to Amazon Page Three.

Territories

Primary Marketplace

Pricing, Royalty and Distribution

Terms and Conditions

Request a Book Proof

Lecture One.

This is a short ‘talking head’ lecture which introduces the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of creating large print books.

This lecture covers

What is the definition of a large print book?

Who needs large print and accessible books?

Lecture Two.

Creating a large print version of your book is not difficult once you understand how to create paperbacks and hard covers.

This is a screencast lecture where I walk you through the process of creating a large print book using Vellum, BookBrush and Amazon.

This lecture covers

1. How to create a large print manuscript in Vellum.

2. How to create a manuscript for dyslexic readers in Vellum.

3. How to create a manuscript with highly differentiated letters for readers with significant visual impairments in Vellum.

4. How to create book covers for large print books in BookBrush.

5. How to upload large print books to Amazon.

Lecture One. The Finish Line

You’ve reached the Finish Line. Congratulations!

By now, you should have a solid foundation from which to earn money from four versions of your book.

Learning Outcomes

1. You know how to format an eBook in Vellum and in Kindle Create.

2. You know how to format a Paperback, a Hard Cover and a Large Print Book

3. You know how to create a book cover for an eBook in BookBrush.

4. You know how to create book covers for paperback, hard cover and Large Print Books.

5. You know how to write three types of blurb

6. You know how to complete the book description, the seven keyword boxes and the genre categories.

7. You know how upload your manuscript and book cover.

8. You know how to set the price of your book

Remember, because you purchased this course, it will be here to come back to, to help refresh your memory as you write your next book and the one after that.

It’s the Finish Line. Yes. But it’s a Start Line too. Now it’s time to apply your new knowledge and put it to use.

Look out for new courses coming down the line.

But for the moment, goodbye and good luck!