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9 contributions to Lessons in Self Publishing
Self Publishing Costs 💸
What was the most expensive part of your publishing process? What do you think you spent money on that wasn't necessary?
7 likes • 13d
For a typical ~70,000 page book without images, it's something like this, give or take 50% on each metric: $1,500 editing $300 proofreading $200 Cover $200 layout $100 Proofs $200 Software For a typical textbook 30,000 words with lots of images and diagrams $700 editing $1000 consulting $2000 image licensing $200 proofreading $1000 layout and cover design $200 proofs Note: These would be for Self Published titles destined for KDP / Ingramspark I'd say hiring beta readers too early in the process is something I regret spending money on.
0 likes • 6d
@Brad Silva https://youtube.com/@learntostargaze?si=jnmqCFBA1nKVo63O
There’s Nothing Like Publishing a Book on KDP
There’s something incredibly rewarding about finally publishing a book. All the late nights. All the edits. All the rewrites. All the moments you questioned if it was even good enough. Then you hit publish. Your book goes live. Your name is on Amazon. Your ideas are finally out in the world. It’s an amazing feeling every single time. But here’s what I’ve realised… Publishing the book is not the end, it's the beginning of the end and the start of something new. Now comes the real journey. Getting reviews Building awareness Learning what worksImproving the next book Growing your audience No matter how many books you publish, that launch moment never gets old. What’s been the most rewarding part of publishing for you? 📚
1 like • Mar 28
When the reviews start coming in!
Uploading a Paperback to KDP - Full Process
I screen recorded the process of uploading a simple paperback to KDP (edited down to 13 minutes). This was for a poetry book written by Astronaut Dr. Sian Proctor. We filmed this to share at a "how to publish your book" workshop at the Analog Astronaut Conference (AAC) held each May at Biosphere II in Arizona.
Formatting Children's Books
First off, it's NOT the same as formatting a novel! With a novel, as long as you set the correct guidelines up front, all you really need to do is upload the text and everything will fall into place...for the most part. Not with children's books! There are so many moving parts when it comes to the design especially if the illustrator does not include the text in the picture. (TIP- if this is your first children's book, find an illustrator that will fully incorporate the text! This will save you time and money.) Are you formatting yourself? If so, what platform and tools are you using?
4 likes • Feb 20
InDesign. I've self published books that major publishers have purchased the rights to. They'll generally require the Indesign (package) as part of the contract. I haven't heard of publishers using any other software.
0 likes • Feb 28
@Barbara Freethy recently I haven’t had to think about any of that because I’m traditionally published. My InDesign skills are high enough to meet any needs of the publisher.
REMINDER: AMAZON ADS CALL TOMORROW!
Don’t forget to save it to your calendar; tomorrow morning we will be discussing Amazon ads!! We will share tips to help you understand and succeed. If you’ve struggled with ads before, you need to be here for this call. 💯 If you’ve never done ads but will be in the future…JOIN THE CALL! Leave any questions you’d like answered/discussed in the comments below. SATURDAY MORNING @ 10AM EST!!
1 like • Feb 28
I’ll be there!
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John Read
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35points to level up
@john-read-8832
Host of Learn To Stargaze on YT with 75K subs, #1 Bestselling Astronomy Author

Active 24m ago
Joined Feb 16, 2026
ENTJ