Publishing
Just Press Play To Hear The Piece.
Self-publishing children’s books on Amazon is an excellent way for new authors to get their stories in front of readers worldwide. With Amazon’s massive global reach and infrastructure for digital and print-on-demand books, authors can make their books available with just a few clicks.
This guide will tell you how to publish a children’s book on Amazon in just 7 minutes.
1. Why should you Publish A Children’s Book On Amazon?
The benefits of using Amazon Book Publishing Services include:
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Global distribution:
Books are available to millions of Amazon customers in countries around the world. Authors can reach a much wider audience than just local bookstores.
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Print-on-Demand:
Ordering a large print run and paying for warehousing is unnecessary. Books are printed as needed, even just a single copy at a time.
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Control and flexibility:
Authors maintain full control and rights over their books. Updates and changes can be made instantly. Pricing and promotions can be adjusted as desired.
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Quick and easy process:
Authors can upload their book and have it live on Amazon within a few minutes with just a few pieces of key information.
2. Step by Step process to publish A Children’s Book On Amazon
Self-publishing on Amazon allows anyone to be a published children’s book author with minimal hassle and upfront costs. In just 7 minutes, your imagination can be available to the whole world. This section of the guide will walk through the simple step-by-step process.
2.1 Choose Book Details
When publishing your children’s book on Amazon, you’ll first need to choose some key details about the book itself. This includes selecting the age range, number of pages, trim size, etc.
- Select Age Range
Amazon allows you to select an age range for your book, such as Baby2, Ages 48, Ages 912, Teen & Young Adult, etc. Choose the range that best fits your target audience. This helps readers find age-appropriate content.
- Set Page Count
Enter your book’s page count. This should include all story pages and any blank or decorative pages. Page count can range from board books with just a few pages to novels with 200+ pages.
- Pick Trim Size
Trim size refers to the finished measurements of your book after printing and binding. Standard trim sizes for children’s books include 8.5″ x 8.5″ square, 8.5″ x 11″ standard, or 6″ x 9″ paperback.
- Choose Type
You’ll also need to designate whether your book is a paperback, hardcover, or board book. Each format has different binding, covers, and pricing considerations.
- Select Images
If your book contains images, you can upload them to Amazon. Make sure any images are high resolution for printing quality. Amazon will need images to display on your book’s detail page.
- Add Contributors
Include info on any contributors like illustrators, coauthors, editors, etc. This gives credit to others involved in the book.
With these key details chosen, you’ll have the foundational information needed to set up your book correctly on Amazon. The next step is uploading the manuscript!
3. Upload Manuscript
The manuscript is the interior text and images that make up the pages of your print book or ebook. When uploading your manuscript to KDP, there are a few key things to keep in mind:
3.1 Supported File Types
KDP accepts manuscripts in DOC, DOCX, RTF, HTML, and PDF formats. PDF is recommended for print books to ensure the fidelity of images, charts, graphs, and special formatting. For ebooks, DOCX or HTML are preferred.
3.2 Cover Requirements
You’ll need to have a front cover image prepared that meets KDP’s specifications:
- JPEG or TIFF file format
- At least 1000 pixels on the shortest side
- RGB color mode (not CMYK)
- No borders on the cover image
Additionally, the cover dimensions need to match your book’s trim size. KDP provides recommended cover sizes based on your page count and trim size.
A high-quality, print-ready cover image is important for attracting readers when publishing print and ebooks on KDP.
4. Add Metadata
Adding relevant metadata ensures your book is discoverable by readers searching Amazon. You’ll want to fill in the following:
Title: The title of your book. Make it descriptive yet catchy.
Subtitle: A short subtitle that further explains your title. Optional.
Series title and number: If your book is part of a series, include the series name and number here.
Description: A short paragraph summarizing your book. Make it intriguing.
Keywords: Relevant keywords and phrases that readers may search for related to your book’s topic, characters, genre, etc., are crucial in the writing and marketing process. For instance, if you aim to Write a Fantasy Book, using applicable keywords can significantly enhance your book’s visibility among your target audience.
Categories: Select 27 appropriate Amazon book categories so your book surfaces in those sections.
Age range: Select the age range your book is intended for.
Grade range: Select the grade range if your book is for students.
Interest Level: Choose from Children’s, Middle Grade, or Young Adult.
Lexile measure: Include a Lexile measure if known to help teachers and parents.
Properly optimizing this metadata ensures maximum visibility and sales for your book. Take time to fill it out accurately.
5. Set Pricing
One of the most important steps when you book writing services is determining the right price. You’ll want to consider Amazon’s royalty structure and research competitor prices for similar books.
- Amazon Royalties
The royalty rate for print books sold on Amazon depends on the print size. For standard-size books (over 8.25 inches by 5.5 inches), the royalty rate is 60% of the book’s list price. For smaller sizes, it’s 40%.
For ebooks priced between $2.99$9.99, the royalty rate is 70% of the list price. For ebooks priced below $2.99 or above $9.99, the royalty rate drops to 35%.
It’s important to understand the royalty structure when pricing your book. You’ll want to price the book to maximize your royalty earnings.
- Competitor Pricing Research
Before setting your price, research the prices of comparable children’s books on Amazon. Search for books in a similar age range, genre, and format as yours.
Look at both print and ebook prices. See what price range most comparable books fall into. While you don’t need to directly match prices, following general pricing norms will make your book seem competitively priced.
If your book has enhanced features like multimedia or extra content, you may be able to justify pricing it slightly higher than competitors. Just make sure parents will still find it reasonably priced for a children’s book.
Considering Amazon’s royalty structure and competitor pricing will help you land an optimal price for maximizing earnings on your children’s book.
6. Rights & Distribution
When you publish a children’s book on Amazon KDP, you retain full rights to your book. As the rights holder, you control how your book is distributed and at what price.
One of the key choices is whether to enroll in KDP Select. This is Amazon’s ebook lending program that allows readers to borrow your book for free through Kindle Unlimited and the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library.
When you enroll a book in KDP Select, you give Amazon exclusive distribution rights for 90 days. Your book cannot be sold on other platforms or websites during this period. It must only be available through Amazon.
After the 90-day exclusivity period ends, you can continue enrollment in 90-day increments or make your book available on other platforms.
The main benefit of KDP Select is access to Amazon’s enormous customer base. Millions of Amazon Prime members can borrow your book for free through Kindle Unlimited. This allows you to reach more readers and earn royalty payments from pages read.
However, by going exclusive with Amazon, you miss out on other sales channels like Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, Google Play, etc. It’s a tradeoff between wider distribution and Amazon exclusivity. Most authors test KDP Select for the first 90 days, monitor results, and decide whether to continue or go wide.
Ultimately, publishing rights and distribution channels give you flexibility as an independent author on Amazon KDP. You can tailor your strategy based on what works best for each book.
7. Preview Book
Once your book is uploaded and you’ve added all the necessary details, Amazon will generate a preview to see how your book will look to readers. At this stage, you’ll want to carefully review the entire online preview from start to finish.
Look out for any formatting, spacing, or layout issues. Check that images and text are displaying properly and the way you intended. If you notice any problems or things you want to improve, go back and make tweaks before publishing.
For example, you may decide an image needs higher resolution, or a heading should be larger. Take time to get the preview exactly how you want so readers get the best experience. The preview lets you catch errors and fine-tune everything, ensuring your book is primed for publication. Don’t skip this vital quality check before making your book available.
8. Publish Your Book and Reach a Global Audience
With just a click of a button, you can publish your book on Amazon and make it available to millions of readers worldwide. Amazon’s self-publishing platforms, like Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), allow you to distribute your book globally across Amazon’s different marketplaces, like Amazon.com (US), Amazon.co.uk (UK), etc.
Once your book passes Amazon’s review process and goes live, readers worldwide can find, preview, and purchase your book on Amazon within minutes. You don’t have to worry about printing, warehousing, shipping, and fulfillment; Amazon handles everything. They will print copies on-demand whenever a customer orders and ship them directly to the customer.
Conclusion
Publishing a children’s book on Amazon can be quick and easy if you follow the key steps outlined in this guide. The process to publish a children’s book on Amazon involves choosing your book details like title, author name, and categories, uploading your manuscript, adding metadata like keywords, setting pricing and rights, previewing the final product, and hitting publish.
The entire process, from start to finish, can take as little as 7 minutes if you have your book ready to go. The most important step is ensuring your manuscript meets Amazon’s specifications for formatting and dimensions.
With the power of Amazon behind you, your beautifully illustrated children’s book now has the opportunity to delight and entertain young readers worldwide. So take a moment to celebrate your accomplishment, but don’t stop there. The real work begins in getting your book discovered.
