This document provides a step-by-step guide to self-publishing a book through Amazon's CreateSpace, Kindle, and Smashwords platforms. It outlines developing the concept, writing and editing the book, formatting the interior and cover, uploading the files, setting pricing and distribution channels, and marketing the published work on websites, through social media, giveaways, and in-person events. The goal is to self-publish, distribute in ebook and print formats, and promote the book for sales.

1. Self Publishing
AMAZON CREATESPACE, KINDLE, SMASHWORDS

2. Step One: Concept
 What are you expert on?
 Do you have something
new to say?
 Is this hot now – will it sell?

3. Step Two
 Write an entire book.
 Edit, revise, etc.
 Decide it’s ready to publish.

4. Speed writing?
 Remember…
 Nonfiction has lots of block quotes.
 Maybe even bullet points
 Simple web and database searches can
give you source lists
 30,000 words can be a book
 Publishing takes a day…or an hour
 Write SOMETHING every day

6. Upload Interior
 Blank page, half title page, other books by the author,
title page, copyright, dedication, acknowledgements,
table of contents, table of figures, preface
 Word makes a great automatic table of contents.
 Also a great index if this is nonfiction.
 Afterward, Glossary, Bibliography, Index, About the
Author
 Black and white pictures are fine – must be 300 dpi
high quality.
 Consider a little icon at chapter starts or scene
separations.
 PDFs are more stable than Word.

7. Cover
 Use Amazon’s templates
OR
 Get a decent graphics program
and a high quality background
you like. One or two pieces of
high quality royalty free clipart
and some text and you’re done.

9. Cover Check
 https://www.creates
pace.com/Help/Bo
ok/Artwork.do has
a template for your
book size and
number of pages.
 Make this semi-
transparent and
paste it over your
book cover to
make sure you’re in
the lines.

10. Finishing Up
 Amazon reviews it for errors.
 Amazon asks which sales channels you
want (probably all of them)
 And what price you’d like (they set a
minimum)
 Cover finish
 Back cover summary, category, and
keywords
 Done!

11. Ebooks
 Now that Amazon has all your book details, they’ll
adapt it into a Kindle ebook and sell that too.
 ACX.com will walk you through auditioning actors for
your audiobook.
 Now that your book is done, why not distribute the
ebook to iBooks, Barnes & Noble, Sony, Kobo, Scribd
and everywhere else? Go to Smashwords.com, give
them your manuscript (as a Word doc) and front cover
and set your price. They convert it into EVERY ebook
format and send it out EVERYWHERE…except Amazon.
 They prefer a copyright page where you say
“Smashwords Edition,” and no giant fonts or piles of
line breaks in a row. It’s an ebook, after all. Charts are
messy. Pictures jump around but still work. Replace
bullet points with a *
 These will all provide a free ISBN.

14. Now we Publicize…

15. First Get Reviews
 Amazon Top 100
 Friends and family
 Appropriate themed magazines
 Book blogs
 Blog tour

16. Tie Yourself to events!
 Book’s Release
 KDP Free Days or Sales (ask your publisher)
 Goodreads Giveaway
 Holidays: Mother’s Day, Talk like a Pirate Day,
historical event, December, Cyber Monday,
Superhero Saturday, Free Comic Book Day,
(#mothersday, #FCBD)
 Television season, movie release (built in
hashtags)

17. Twitter
 What’s trending?
 Loads of keywords
 Ask fan groups to retweet
 Vary your content

18. Facebook
 Request reposts
 Join groups
 Add pictures, flyers, samples, and so on
 Targeted ads

19. Goodreads
 Post your sale or KDP day in targeted
groups
 Have a friend add it to lists.
 Have a friend review it
 Post samples, art, details
 Goodreads Giveaway now includes
ebooks but they charge. Packages start
at $119.

20. In Person
 Holiday fairs
 Conventions
 Speaking engagements
 Schools
 Throw a party

21. For these tips and more, try my free ebooks,
Free Guide to Self-Publishing and Book Promotion:
Inside Secrets from an Author Whose Self-Published
Books Sold in Thousands and Self-Promo Stories
by Valerie Estelle Frankel
at
Smashwords.com
or
Vefrankel.com