Kindle Direct Publishing: Conquer Your Fears And Just Get Started

My Journey With Self-Publishing Through Kindle Direct Publishing Is Like Riding A Bike 

To accomplish something, the first thing to do is get started.

Getting started is the hardest part.

We don't like to fall, it hurts and stings.  It can be embarrassing.

And nobody likes being embarrassed.

But falling is how we learn.

Most of us don't remember learning to ride a bike.

We don't remember the training wheels coming off. We may remember a specific crash or accident, but we don't remember the countless times it surely happened.

We can see that process in action in our lives even today.

We've all see kids trying to learn how to ride a bike and have often see them fall over.

It's painful to watch them, but eventually they learn how to balance without falling over.

In a recent post, we discussed why I took my ebook down from Kindle Direct Publishing ( You can see it here: Why I Deleted My Ebook From Kindle Publishing)

As I wrote, the reason why was because the ebook was getting zero traction on its own and I needed to rethink the process.

I needed to add some more content - so I've been editing a couple other stories.

Obviously there should be a marketing idea in place - so I've been researching what other indie writers have attempted with their platform with Kindle Direct Publishing.

In A Nutshell, My Marketing Plan Is Simple

I plan on creating a number of avenues to funnel traffic to the books.

The plan includes using some additional stories as other vehicles to drive traffic to the collection of short stories.

The idea is to take think of the book like a hub with spokes.

On its own, a spoke is weak, it will break easily, and can't support a tire.

With a hundred spokes, each centering to the hub, the tire is supported and can easily support the weight.

So each of these kindle ebooks will be a spoke, centered around a hub.

How To Get Ideas For Content - Take Off The Training Wheels

A great resource guide, aside from Write Publish Repeat that we discussed in an earlier post. ( See it here: My Journey Into eBook Publishing)

But another great writer in the field of self-publishing is Steve Scott.  While a non-fiction writer, Steve Scott offers many different tactics and ways to get an ebook up and running as soon as possible.  

A great ebook to start with is his ebook on developing great ideas for content generation. If interested you can check it out on Amazon through my affiliate link.

By using my link, you'll get some great suggestions, tips and know-how from one of the best of the best in the Kindle Direct Publishing field.

I'll get a small commission from Amazon for your purchase, but it won't cost you a dime extra.

Check it out here: How to Discover Best-Selling Nonfiction eBook Ideas - The Bulletproof Strategy

Kindle Publishing And My Future Plans

Why I Took My eBook Down From Amazon Kindle Publishing 

Yesterday launched the first post about my efforts to write and publish a series of eBooks on Amazon's Kindle platform.

Yesterday also marked the day I took my collection of short stories OFF the Kindle Publishing marketplace.

Why?

When I uploaded the eBook, it was akin to me being drunk in a bar, blindfolded and spun around, then given a dart to throw at the board.  Maybe I hit something other than the huge biker that was sitting between me and the target.  Maybe I hit my friend.  Maybe if I'm really, really fortunate I hit the target - doubtful - but hey, people have to win the Powerball Lottery sometimes.

I surreptitiously uploaded a file that had a standard cover from Amazon and waited.  And waited.  In the month and a half since, it saw ZERO traction.  If not for me checking my reports, I'm not sure anyone even looked at the collection.

I didn't promote it.

I didn't advertise or have a website to drive traffic toward it.

It was uploaded to Kindle, sat there, and that was that.

So I took it down.

Now I have a plan.

What I'm Focusing My Energy On Right Now

Currently I'm working on two new short stories and a couple edits of previous stories that were stillborn, hoping to breathe new life into them.

Soon the first eBook will be uploaded again, with a couple tweaks, edits and additional content.

And then I'll upload another collection of short stories.

I'll promote them both.  Maybe buy some ads.  That part hasn't been decided yet.

The key, the absolute foundation, is for me to move forward with the stories intelligently.  To make a plan and stick to it.

And then wash, rinse, repeat the process. This is a great strategy that Johnny B. Truant, Sean Platt and David Wright talk about in Write, Publish and Repeat.






 

Journey Into Kindle Publishing

Here's A Little Story About A Man And His Plan

Welcome!  Inspired by people like Sean Platt, David Wright, Johnny B. Truant and others, I'm going to document my journey of trying to get words out into the world.  

In 2015 I'm launching a series of collections of short stories on Kindle publishing.  Some are old, some are new, but they'll all have one thing in common - observations of our world.  

I plan on listing how I go about publishing, the types of responses I get, how I drive traffic to the stories and if those tactics, strategies and plans are effective.  

Stay tuned for weekly updates, stories and ideas that I'll be pitching.  Some will be about the actual facet of story telling, some will be about the marketing around those stories, and all of them will be about the journey.  

Right now, I'm working on a collection of older short stories and plan on having them in the Kindle store shortly.  When I release them, I'll be sure to include the update here!

Have you any stories you'd like to see written, published and marketed?  Have you done something already? 

Leave suggestions on story ideas, or how to market them, as a comment!