Amazon CreateSpace – How Does It Work?

Publishing has come a long, long ways… and there’s no turning back.

Let’s clarify that: SELF publishing has come a long ways.

The old stuff is still pretty much the same: expensive and exclusive.

Today’s authors don’t have to pay homage to an agent or wait for a publisher’s representative to bless their books with publication. If you have an idea worth writing about (and you’re the judge of that) and get it down on digital paper, you can be a published author.

It’s that simple.

Kindle is the quickest, easiest way to get your book published. Once your book is listed on Amazon, though, there’s one more step that could be an excellent decision: make a hard copy available by using CreateSpace.

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Amazon CreateSpace – How Does It Work?

Amazon CreateSpace is a gatecrasher. It’s a barrier-remover. It is an Amazon-owned system that allows you to sell hardcover copies of your book — real copies that real people can hold, smell, read, take to the beach, and share with others.

Here are some of the main things you should know about CreateSpace:

• CreateSpace costs you nothing (but sweat equity) upfront. Amazon gets paid with commissions on your sales.
• You don’t have to get selected by a CreateSpace gatekeeper. You decide when and what you want to print.
• CreateSpace is a publish-on-demand service. When an order is placed, the book is printed. It’s that simple.
• You decide what to price the book and how to promote it.
• The Kindle version of the book will gain klout in the shoppers’ eyes. The perceived value will increase.
• You earn more money. Most authors see book sales jump by 25% or so after publishing via CreateSpace.
• Getting a book published on CreateSpace is not difficult, especially if you use a template.

CreateSpace has been known to make mistakes. Their print-on-demand system can get a bit flustered when someone orders 100 copies of your book (or 100 people order one copy in an hour), so it’s not perfect. All told, though, CreateSpace is an ebook writer’s intimate friend. It can help you get better known and sell more books. It expands your territory.

How to set up your CreateSpace account

There are just two big things you need to know before heading over to the CreateSpace dashboard to turn your Kindle eBook into an “officially published” book:

1. Be sure the email address you use at CreateSpace is the same as the email address you use for Amazon KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing).
2. You should also use your true name (not a pen name) for the account. Save pen names for individual titles, not for main accounts.

Here’s where to get started: CreateSpace Dashboard.

How to format your Kindle book for CreateSpace

Formatting is the only part that can get a little sticky. Formatting was probably your biggest hurdle for getting a book uploaded to Amazon Kindle… right? I know it was for me.

Using a template can save time, money, and stress. The one I recommend is by the developer of KindleSpy, Wes Atkins. He’s a good guy, a smart guy, and his stuff is always superb.

I buy everything Wes develops. The guy’s an eBook genius.

Amazon CreateSpace – How Does It Work?

I’ll use the short form of the answer to the question about how Amazon CreateSpace works: It works like a laxative. If you get it, and use it, things will definitely start moving!

For help getting going, check this free resource: “The #1 Reason WHY YOU FAIL, (and how to stop doing that)”