Notes

Kindle Publishing FAQ
What Kindle cover designer(s) do you recommend?
For Kindle Book Covers: If you’re on a tight budget, I recommend using Fiverr.com. It’ll only cost you $5 to get an ebook cover done (there are dozens of good designers there and if you’re ever unhappy with a cover, just ask for a refund – you will get it 99% of the time on Fiverr). You can also create 10 covers on Fiverr for $50 and get a much wider variety of cover ideas to choose from than you would get for the same price from a mid-tier designer.

For Paperback Book Cover Designs: See our post on how to find a book cover designer.

Who should I talk to at Amazon customer service about a problem with my book?
That just depends on your problem or issue. Here’s where you can get help for pretty much any issues as a Kindle author and/or publisher:

You can contact KDP support about Kindle books here: https://kdp.amazon.com/self-publishing/contact-us

You can contact Author Central support here: https://authorcentral.amazon.com/gp/help/contact-us?

If you’re using CreateSpace for Print-On-Demand (POD) publishing services, contact support here: https://www.createspace.com/pub/services/contact.request.do

If you’re using ACX to publish audiobooks, contact their support here: [email protected]

How do you publish a book on Kindle?
Go to https://kdp.amazon.com, create an account, add your address, business or personal information, tax information, bank account information and upload your book.

For more detailed instructions, read The Kindle Formatting Bible: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AHO9R1M/

You can also follow along with the free video tutorials on self publishing and marketing at Ebook Publishing School.

How do you format a book for Kindle?
It’s complicated, but you can learn how to do it in a relatively short period of time. I recommend using Microsoft Word (learn more about why I recommend Microsoft Word for writing books here and formatting here).

I use a PC for formatting. Microsoft Word for Mac is a little bit different so I can’t help with any Mac Word formatting questions but I know that some people here can: https://www.facebook.com/groups/587402377941733/

For more detailed step by step Kindle formatting instructions, read The Kindle Formatting Bible: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AHO9R1M/ or watch the free video trainings at www.EbookPublishingSchool.com

Do I need an ISBN for my Kindle eBook?
No. You don’t need an ISBN for your Kindle book or any eBook. It’s totally optional.

You do need an ISBN for any print books published via CreateSpace or LightningSource. You can bul those IRBN’s through the Print on Demand (POD) publishing company or through Bowkers.

You can buy ISBN’s for your books at www.myidentifiers.com at 1 for $125, 10 for $295 and $575 for 1,000.

I’m writing my first book. What do I need to know about copyrights?
Whenever you write an original book, you automatically own the copyright to it which provides some basic legal rights. You can pay about $35 in the US to register your copyright and get even more protection, such as the ability to collect attorney’s fees if you should win a case against someone who infringes your copyright.

You should definitely read more about copyrights at copyright.gov and consult an attorney who specializes in copyrights / intellectual property law.

How long should a Kindle book be?
There is no minimum or maximum. I’ve seen 5 page books on Kindle and I’ve seen 1028 page books there. In the past, Amazon removed all books that were less than 2,500 words from the platform (except for children’s books). You can try to publish fiction or nonfiction on Kindle that’s less than 2,500 words, but it’s possible it may not be accepted.

Personally, I recommend at least 10,000 words for nonfiction, unless you can do it justice in less.

For fiction, I recommend 5,000 words or more for short stories. In my experience, individual short stories don’t tend to sell well on Kindle compared to novels. For a novel, I would recommend at least 50,000 words in length. For a compilation of short stories, I would shoot for at least 30,000 words.

Your book length should be determined by its usefulness to the reader, not just your personal agenda. Always remember to give your readers what they want! That’s how you become a successful author.

How many books have you written?
As of December 11, 2013, on Amazon there are 23 books published in my name. I’ve written several more under pen names. I have also hired ghostwriters to write several books for my publishing company. Overall, I’ve published more than 50 books to date as the author.

Overall, TCK Publishing has published over 200 books as of December, 2013.

How do you market Kindle books successfully and become a bestselling author?
My ENTIRE marketing system is included in my books. I literally hold nothing back from my readers. If I ever find a new marketing idea, I always test it out myself first, and if it’s good I edit one of my current books to update it with that new info. If I accumulate enough new marketing ideas, I may publish a new book but for right now, I’m just focusing on making my current books as incredibly valuable as possible for my loyal readers like you.

The first book in the series is The Kindle Writing Bible and in it I share all of my writing secrets for increased writing productivity as well as my pre-marketing system (how I come up with bestselling book ideas, market research before even writing a book, etc.).

The second book is The Kindle Formatting Bible – it’s a step by step guide for formatting books for Kindle and also step-by-step instructions on uploading your book to Kindle and publishing it.

The third book is The Kindle Publishing Bible and this is the gold mine for marketing. It covers all of my core initial free marketing strategies that propelled me to become a bestselling author earning a full-time income from my Kindle books in less than 8 months. It’s available on Kindle and in paperback.

The fourth marketing book is The Amazon Analytics Bible and in it I share my secret code for tracking traffic to your Kindle book page. You can actually track every single time a visitor looks at your book page and using this data, you can calculate your sales conversion rate of your book page. Using this strategy with a little testing and tweaking, I’ve gotten my sales conversion rate on my book pages from an average of 11.4% to 19.1% – that’s a 67% increase in sales!

The final marketing book is Ninja Book Marketing Strategies which covers 8 powerful free book marketing strategies that will help you sell more books in just 8 days. All of these strategies I discovered after I had already had a lot of success on Kindle, but they helped me bump up my sales even more in a very short period of time, so I decided to put them all in one affordable little book that will help you skyrocket your sales.

Is it tough to get sales on Kindle? Can I really succeed as a Kindle author?
Selling books on Kindle has been pretty easy for me. It doesn’t mean it will be easy for you. If you read the Kindle Bible series though, I think you will see how doable it is for you if you’re willing to put in the hard work, effort, and energy to succeed.

Like any real success in life, it takes work, determination, a burning desire, passion, knowledge, and skills, and a never-give-up attitude. If you’re lazy or just want to get rich quick, please don’t bother.

If you’re someone with a real passion for writing, a message to share or a story to tell, then Kindle publishing could change your life forever, and I would encourage you to explore this route to help your readers with your great messages and/or stories.

Will you promote / tag / like / share / read / review my book?
No, sorry. First of all, I don’t believe in review swapping. This is where two authors decide to leave each other 5 star reviews so they can both sell more books. I believe it’s unethical and I take a strong stance against that in The Kindle Publishing Bible series.

I get hundreds of requests like this a month and, although I want nothing more than to help my readers, I wouldn’t have any time to write or spend time with my family if I had to read all these books and help promote them. Instead, I’ve given you all the tools and resources in my books you need to get legitimate reviews ethically from readers and Top 1000 Amazon reviewers. I’ve also given you step-by-step marketing systems and solutions to promote your books ethically using KDP Select Free promotions to get exposure and word of mouth sales.

How can I publish a Kindle book for free on Amazon?
You can publish ANY book for free on Amazon Kindle. You have to Price Match it down to free though.

Step 1. Publish the book through KDP

Pick whatever price you want.

Step 2. Click tell us about a lower price?

In the Product Details section of the book page, click “tell us about a lower price” and link to your website or blog post where you offer the book for free. Amazon will then price match the book down to zero – permanently.

Warning: This is permanent and you won’t be able to raise your price again. It will always remain free on Amazon.

How do I schedule a KDP Select Free Promo for my book?
I’ll show you how to schedule your 5 free promotion days step by step in this free video tutorial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMXB6e-nsnM

Where can I find a proofreader / editor / writer / ghostwriter / formatting person?
I recommend posting a request on Craigslist San Francisco in the writer’s gig section (it’s free to post there). You’ll get dozens of qualified responses. Be smart though! Always get at least 3 quotes minimum and call references. Never pay in full upfront for any service. Always pay on delivery to avoid losing your money.

If you’re hiring a writer, make sure to get a Work for Hire contract signed and always, always get legal advice from an attorney! I am not an attorney and I can’t give legal advice. This entire post is all just for entertainment purposes and should never be construed as financial, legal or tax advice of any kind. (<3 my lawyers.)

Can you give me some advice about (kindle marketing, publishing, facebook marketing, twitter marketing, etc.)?
No, sorry. Your question is way too vague. I get asked these vague questions often. If you want a good answer, ask a specific question. There is no easy way out. “Don’t be lazy in learning” as my mentor Jim Rohn taught me many years ago.

If you have any specific questions about marketing or publishing, feel free to contact us here: tckpublishing.com/contact

Can I interview you for (insert show, product, program)?
For media interviews, just contact me using the Contact Form on this site. Make sure to include the name of the media outlet and audience size.

If you want to interview me for some kind of product launch, tele-summit, podcast show or live speaking event, please send information about proposed date(s), time required for the interview, medium (live, phone, Skype, etc.), and any other pertinent information.

Can you publish my books for me?
We do publish books for a few key clients with a 50/50 royalty split. We’re looking for clients who are passionate about their messages/stories, motivated, driven to succeed and who are committed to becoming a professional author, not just a hobbyist. We’ve published every kind of author from brand new first-time writers to seasoned published authors with large backlists.

We are open to submissions from anyone, but we’re especially looking for clients who:



Have a large online following or existing platform

Are leading experts in their field who have multiple completed books that are yet unpublished

Are good marketers with a lot of experience in online marketing, a big marketing budget, and are new to Kindle and publishing or just want someone to do all the cover design / formatting / publishing for them and help with the marketing campaign.



If you would like to submit your manuscript, please read the submission guidelines and contact us here.

Do you use KDP Select for every book you publish?
Pretty much, yes. If a book does exceptionally well and has a large market, I will remove it from KDP Select after the KDP Select period has expired and publish it on Barnes & Nobles, Kobo and other bookstores. In most cases, though, the author will earn more income from keeping their book in KDP Select and publishing solely on Amazon.com.

For Amazon Analytics Bible readers, why doesn’t my tracking code work?
Amazon recently updated the HTML they allow in book descriptions in KDP and in Author Central. You can no longer insert images in book descriptions which means you can no longer track visitors to your Amazon book page.

Should I publish my book in Paperback?
I highly recommend publishing your book as a paperback if it’s at least 75 pages on Kindle (that will be about 100 pages in paperback or so when it’s properly formatted) and your book is currently selling more than 500 copies a month (then it will be a quick payback on your investment.)

Also, if you’re a frequent public speaker and could sell books when you speak, you should probably have your book published in paperback so that you can sell copies during your presentations.

Having a published paperback is awesome because it’s a great physical representation of your work as an author, and it provides a lot more credibility than saying you publish ebooks because people can’t see, touch, or feel your ebooks, especially at live events, social situations, or in 1-on-1 meetings.

Here’s a picture with me and two of my friends who received the first copies of my book The Kindle Publishing Bible in paperback. Erai and Raam are both extremely successful online marketers, and I’m really grateful to have the opportunity to help both of them publish their great content, advice, and message on Kindle.

Paperback Book Kindle Publishing

I use CreateSpace for paperback publishing because it’s super easy, syncs with Amazon Kindle listings seamlessly, and it’s POD (Print on Demand) meaning there is no upfront investment for printing. As an author, this means you don’t have to pay for expensive inventory or stock your garage full of books! You also don’t have to worry about shipping books to customers or going to the post office every day.

Can you give me advice on my book title, marketing, categories, keywords, Facebook ads, building a marketing funnel, etc?
If you want specific advice and coaching, my schedule is currently booked but you can add yourself to the waiting list using the Contact Form on this site. My hourly rate for consulting is $1,000 an hour, payable upfront.

How do I get my book featured in Amazon’s email newsletters to customers who like books in certain genres or categories?
When I contacted Amazon to ask about how they choose which books to promote in their email newsletters to readers, they said they will not disclose how they choose which books to promote so it’s pretty much random – there’s nothing you can do that will guarantee your book is featured in an Amazon newsletter.

My advice is to just write the best book you can, get as many great reviews and sales as you can and you might just get lucky and have your book featured in Amazon’s newsletters.

What advice would you give to an author who really wants to succeed?
If you’re serious about being a successful author or Kindle publisher, you better connect with other like-minded people and learn from each other!

There is no success without continual learning and improvement and you can’t do that just by reading books alone – you need a community to support you! Here are just a few of the groups I’m in that I recommend:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/587402377941733

https://www.facebook.com/groups/357112331027292

https://www.facebook.com/groups/204725947524



I would also recommend you read, learn and study as much as you can about writing, publishing and marketing. You can browse my books on these subjects at www.Amazon.com/Author/Business