Amazon Self-Publishing: UK
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In 2020, fiction sales in the UK rose by more than £100m for UK publishers. Non-fiction and children’s book sales also rose 4% and 2%, respectively. And no matter what tech enthusiasts would like us to believe, the book industry is thriving and won’t be losing steam any time soon.
But as any new author knows, it can take years and dozens of rejections to get your book published. Not only that, but authors only get a small percentage of royalties when they go with a traditional publisher.
One of the most popular ways to self-publish your book is through Amazon self-publishing UK. While there are many benefits to self-publishing on Amazon, for the best results, you should publish on multiple platforms.
Keep reading to learn all about self-publishing on Amazon in the UK, as well as how you can self-publish beyond Amazon.
Why Self-Publish on Amazon?
First of all, let’s cover why Amazon is a great place to start your self-publishing journey. You have two options when self-publishing on Amazon, and you can choose both if you like.
The first is that you can publish your book through Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) Program. This is where you can publish your e-book on Amazon for free. Plus, Amazon has a detailed help centre to help you through the entire process.
You can also get copies of your book printed using Amazon’s print-on-demand service. Keep in mind that Amazon doesn’t currently offer hardback for print-on-demand.
Control of the Creative Process
As any artist knows, having full creative control is so important to the creative process. When you go through a traditional publisher, you lose a lot of this control. This is because you have to listen to the requirements of your editor, the marketers, and the book designers.
But when you self-publish, you can say goodbye to artistic quarrels and publishers forcing you to use that “trendy” book cover that you hate. You decide everything about your book’s text, cover art, and publishing format.
Plus, if you end up with writer’s block at any point during the publishing process, you don’t have to stress about meeting the publisher’s deadline with sub-par work.
Higher Royalties
You also get much higher royalties when you self-publish your book.
When you go with traditional publishing, the publisher tends to only give you 10-15% of the list price of your book with each sale.
When self-publishing on Amazon, you can choose between 2 royalty plans. With the 70% royalty plan, you do need to pay for printing and delivery costs if you’re going to be selling physical books. With the 35% royalty plan, you don’t need to worry about these extra costs.
Unless you know you’ll be printing a lot of books, the 70% royalty plan is likely the better option for you, especially if you only have an e-book.
Faster Publishing
When you self-publish, you also get exposure as an author faster.
When you go the traditional route, it can take at least 6-18 months to get your book on the shelves. Keep in mind that this is after a publisher accepts your manuscript!
Combined with the low royalties that traditional publishing gives you, it can take years to get paid enough to make a decent amount of money from your book. This time is crucial if your goal is to become a full-time author or at least partially support yourself with your writing.
But once you’re finished copyediting and proofreading your self-published book, you can put it online the next day. Not only does this method get your book out to potential readers faster, but you get paid faster as well.
More Promotion
You also can get better promotion for your book when you self-publish. For example, many large bookstores rotate the books on the front of their shelves every few months, so your book may only have this exposure for a short time.
But with “virtual” shelves like Amazon, your book is there to stay and be seen by potential new fans.
Plus, one great feature that Amazon offers is that you can offer your book for free for 5 days. While this method isn’t great for your wallet, it’s invaluable for marketing your book, especially if you’re a new author.
Not only do you get new readers with this method, but they can write valuable reviews for your book on Amazon.
Cons: Amazon Self-Publishing UK
While Amazon is a great place to start with self-publishing, it does have its cons, which can be a deal-breaker for some authors.
These cons range from forcing you to depend on Amazon to a frustrating lack of control over your book’s pricing. Remember to research the pros and cons and apply them to your goals for your book.
Exclusivity Clause
First of all, a huge con with Amazon is that you must grant them 100% exclusivity if you publish with Amazon Kindle. This means that you can’t sell your books to any other retailer.
While this exclusivity clause only applies to e-books and not print books, it’s still a significant problem if you want to expand your book’s reach.
Low Print-on-Demand Quality
And if you go with print books, the quality of Amazon print-on-demand books unfortunately isn’t great. If you want to stand out from all the competition on Amazon, you need to make your book look as professional as possible.
Plus, remember that Amazon print-on-demand doesn’t offer hardback, which many readers like for its durability.
Lack of Control With Pricing
Remember that 70% royalty you can get with Amazon? Only certain book prices are eligible for this royalty. If your book is priced at less than a certain amount, your book will automatically be sold at the 35% royalty.
You’ll need to check your region’s Amazon rules to see what pricing groups these royalties apply to.
Your book may also be sold through Kindle Unlimited. If this happens, you have no control over the pricing structure as Amazon determines how much you get paid for each of your books that Kindle Unlimited users borrow.
These cons are why it’s a great idea to work with a knowledgable self-publishing company like PublishingPush.
The Benefits of Working With PublishingPush
When you work with a self-publishing company like PublishingPush, we help you publish not only on Amazon but on hundreds of other outlets as well.
Although Amazon is a great place to start, it’s never a good idea to only depend on one platform to sell your book. Especially if you’re a new author, you want to make sure your books can reach as wide an audience as possible.
Sell in Bookstores
Remember that many people still love to go to bookstores to buy their books.
Printed books will help you reach a larger audience, but remember that Amazon will put you down to the 35% royalty if you don’t want to pay for printing and delivery fees for each book you sell.
When you partner with us, you get access to global distribution to over 40,000 retailers, including high street shops like Waterstones and Barnes & Noble.
Premium Book Printing
We focus on printing your book in a premium format. This means that your self-published print book is indistinguishable from books published by major publishers like Penguin.
Not only do we offer dozens of sizing options for your book, but we also let you choose every detail of your book, from paper colour, weight, ink quality, textures, and binding.
Having a professional presentation with your book builds trust with your readers and shows them that you are a serious author who values their investment in your book.
Feel Supported Every Step of the Way
During your onboarding call with us, we’ll give you professional advice for any questions you might have, such as pricing a self-published book or what book size to pick.
And unlike Amazon, where all the book marketing is up to you, we’ll help kickstart your book’s marketing by promoting it to our 40,000 social media followers.
We also help you publish your book in all formats: paperback, hardback, and e-book.
Ownership and Royalties
When you work with us, you don’t have to worry about those confusing Amazon clauses.
With PublishingPush, you keep full ownership of your book. This means that you keep 100% of your royalties.
So once you’ve paid for your publishing package with us, the money you earn from your book is all yours!
Ready to Self-Publish and Make Your Name as an Author?
If you’re a new author and want to publish faster while earning more money from your book, then Amazon self-publishing UK is right for you!
But remember that while Amazon is a good start, publishing on multiple platforms while keeping all your royalties is the best way to self-publish.
At PublishingPush, we’ve helped over 3,000 authors in the UK and worldwide reach their publishing dreams, and we’d love to help you make your dream a reality too.
To learn about our publishing packages, get in touch with us today, and let’s talk about your book!
