OK, I am a huge AI hater....but, check this out! Edit. You don't have to be assholes

[Joinfortmill]

4. I publish 'wide', which means I'm not exclusive to Amazon, but...

Last edited Sun Dec 1, 2024, 07:12 PM - Edit history (2)

there's a lot to say for publishing exclusive to Amazon at least for the first few months. It will help you get reviews, which are damn difficult to get. So, you can publish exclusively on KDP for a few months and then go 'wide'. I use Draft2Digital (D2D) and publish with many booksellers including Barnes & Noble, Apple, Kobo, Smashwords, Angus & Robertson, and Hoopla (library books).

D2D will allow you to format your text for upload to Amazon for free. They are author friendly, and do a lot to help authors. Amazon is more focused on readers.

I use the free version of Canva to format my book covers. My entire operation is a one-woman show, so to speak. I've sold over 3k books, but believe me, that doesn't translate into much cash. I write for the love of it. I market my books through FussyLibrarian and BargainBooksy, which run about $40 to $60. There are a few good sites out there. The big gun for book Promotion is BookBub, which costs over $500. It's very expensive, but authors sell tons of books. I'm working on getting one for the latest book.

There are quite a few author friendly websites and YouTube channels that offer indie writers advice. Some of them are quite good. Best of luck to you!
Just an FYI regarding AI and publishing on KDP. They will ask if you use AI in writing your book. I don't, so I'm not sure if they ask more questions if you answer, yes.