Doubt to Published: How LIFTu and Amazon's self-publishing platform Empowers You to Become an Author

Meet Alex, a person with a head full of great ideas and stories to tell. Despite their passion for writing, they've always been put down by people around them for daring to dream of becoming an author.

One day, a wise old mentor suggested Amazon's self-publishing platform as an opportunity for Alex to pursue their dream of becoming a published author. Alex initially hesitated, thinking that being an author was only for "other people."

But with the mentor's encouragement, Alex explored Amazon's self-publishing platform and found it incredibly accessible and easy to use. They could format their manuscript, design a cover using Canva, and upload their work to Amazon's platform.

In no time, Alex's imagination was set free into published paperback, hardback, and e-format books. They were thrilled to see their book available on Amazon and receive positive feedback from readers.

Alex overcame their self-doubt through self-publishing on Amazon and pursued their dream of becoming a published author.

Using amazon KPD

• Pick your niche and plan your book. You should choose a topic that you are passionate about and has a market demand. You should also outline your book’s structure, content, and target audience1.
• Start the process with a Kindle Direct Publishing Account. You must create an account on KDP, Amazon’s self-publishing platform, to upload, publish, and manage your book. You can visit the KDP website here2.
• Write your book. You should write your book in a format compatible with KDP, such as Word, PDF, or HTML. You should also proofread and edit your book for grammar, spelling, and style errors.
• Name your book. You should choose a title and subtitle that are catchy, descriptive, and relevant to your niche. You should also check if there are other books with similar titles on Amazon and avoid confusion or infringement.
• Hire an editor/proofreader. You should hire a professional editor or proofreader to review your book and provide feedback and suggestions for improvement. You can find editors and proofreaders on platforms like Reedsy or Fiverr.
• Get a cover art designed. You should hire a professional designer or use a tool like Canva to create cover art that is attractive, eye-catching, and reflects your book’s genre and tone. You should also follow the KDP guidelines for cover art size and quality.
• Set your description and keywords for your book. You should write a compelling description summarising your book’s main idea, benefits, and features. You should also choose keywords relevant to your niche and help readers find your book on Amazon.
• Choose your categories for your book. You should select up to two categories that best describe your book’s genre and topic. You can browse the available categories on Amazon or use tools like Publisher Rocket to find the most suitable ones.
• Upload and preview your book. You should upload your manuscript and cover art files to KDP and preview them to see how they will look on different devices and formats. You should also check and fix any formatting or conversion errors before publishing.
• Set your price and royalty options for your book. You should decide how much you want to charge for your book and choose between two royalty options: 35% or 70%. You should also consider enrolling in KDP Select, which gives you access to exclusive benefits like Kindle Unlimited and Kindle Owners’ Lending Library.
• Publish your book. You should review your book's details and submit it for publishing. Your book may take up to 72 hours to appear on Amazon stores worldwide.

Promote your book. Market your book to potential readers using various strategies, such as creating a website or blog, building an email list, getting reviews, running ads, or doing giveaways.

Using CANVA

• Canva is a user-friendly graphic design platform that offers a range of benefits. Here are some of its key features:
• Easy-to-use design tools allow users to create professional-looking designs without extensive design skills or experience.
• Users can access a vast library of templates, graphics, and images to make their designs more visually appealing.
• The ability to create various designs such as graphics, social media posts, presentations, posters, flyers, and more.
• Collaborative features that enable teams to work together on projects in real time, allowing for seamless collaboration and feedback.
• A range of customization options allows users to personalise and make their designs unique.
• Access to a large community of designers who share their work and inspire others.
• I use Canva routinely, so I purchased the pro plan, but you can still use a free version :) 

Using Pictory AI

• Pictory AI is a fully automated video creation platform that easily transforms text into professional videos. Here are some of the benefits of using Pictory AI:
• Saves time and effort by automatically creating videos from text, eliminating the need for manual video editing.
• It provides high-quality, polished, professional-looking video outputs, making it suitable for various use cases.
• Offers a range of customisation options, including voice-over options, font styles, and colour schemes to make videos unique and on-brand.
• It supports multiple languages, enabling users to create videos in a language of their choice.
• Offers affordable pricing plans that cater to different needs, making it accessible to businesses and individuals of all sizes.
• I use Pictory to create promo videos, in fact, the video at the top of this blog post is made using Pictory; you can try it for free right here... 

At LIFTu we believe in helping you achieve the things that are important to you, from enhancing your fitness to building your first business. That all starts with a free initial consultation.

I'm based on the Isle of Wight and offer face-to-face and Zoom-based services. Take a look and book :)