How to Make Millions from Home with Amazon KDP? – My Experience

So, read this article till the end.

I can tell you from my experience that I am not a great writer, nor am I fluent in English. But if we have a good grasp of the content we provide, language is not a big problem. People will see the value of what we have to say, not our English proficiency.

Amazon KDP is a Self-Publishing Platform. That is, you can upload your own content (book, stories or notebook designs) to the Amazon website. Anyone around the world who wants to buy books searches for them on Amazon, and Amazon shows them your books. When they buy your book, Amazon takes a percentage (a commission) and pays you the remaining amount as a ‘royalty’. Amazon sells this in the form of an ‘e-book’ or ‘paperback’.

Many people have a misconception that “I’m not a great writer, how can I write books?” But as mentioned above, you don’t need to be a great writer to succeed in KDP.

I have researched that there are generally 3 types of books that publishers publish on Amazon. Let’s see them now:

These books take a bit more time to create. If you know your subject well, you can focus on this type. Novels, storybooks, biographies, educational books, and self-help books (like health or money management) are examples. My book “Learn Telugu Through English” is in this category. You can teach a language or write about cooking. If your native language is Telugu, Japanese, Spanish, or any language besides English, try writing in that language to get a better feel for the process.

You don’t have to write anything for these books. They can just have lined pages, like notebooks, sketchbooks, graph books, or blank diaries. The key is the cover page. The more eye-catching your cover, the more likely people are to buy your book.

Now, the market for low- and medium-content books is very saturated. That is, a few thousand books are published every month for each keyword. So, do not publish a book without doing proper keyword research. If you do so, your book will not be seen by anyone and will not sell. I have given a detailed explanation below on how to do this keyword research. Be sure to read it.

Publishing a book on Amazon KDP is a very simple process, but you need to be careful at every step. Let’s see what that process is now:

First, you need to create an Amazon KDP account. For step-by-step details on how to create an account, see this official guide:

Account Creation Help Link: Amazon KDP Account Creation Guide

There, you will need to provide your personal details, tax information, and your bank account details.

Important Note: Your ID Verification is very important. If you do not verify your ID correctly, Amazon may ban your account. So submit all the documents carefully.

As I said above, it is more important to know what kind of book is in demand than to publish a book. Here are some free keyword research techniques that I use.
First, go to the Amazon search bar and type a broad keyword. Then you will see some auto-suggestions—Target Long Tail Keywords is one of them. If you type broad keywords, you will get thousands of results, and you will not be able to compete with them.

Make sure that the results (Search Volume) that come up when you enter a long tail keyword are less than 1000. Along with that, make sure that the BSR Rank of the books that appear on the first page is less than 80,000. Only then will you be able to compete in that category. Also, make sure those results do not include only books from top publishers.

It is important to use the right tools for the type of book you have chosen. Only then will your book be of high quality:

Low-Content Books (Journals, Notebooks):

Book Bolt works great for these. With its KDP-specific research tools, you can have a basic book ready and launched in minutes.

Medium-Content Books (Colouring Books, Activity Books): For these, you can take art (pictures) from Creative Fabrica and use them in conjunction with Book Bolt’s puzzle or activity generator tools to create great books in a short time.

High-End Medium Content (Workbooks, Guided Journals): If you want your book to look professional and unique, rather than just a simple template, use Affinity Publisher. This allows you to design your own layouts, making your book stand out in the market.

High-Content Books: If you are writing novels or books with a lot of information, you should prepare your material in PDF format using MS Word or Google Docs.

Remember, “People who see a book’s cover buy it”. So your book cover should be very professional. You can design covers according to the KDP dimensions using tools like Affinity Publisher or Book Bolt mentioned above. Make sure the colours and fonts are legible.

 

Step 5: Uploading the Book

Click the ‘Create’ button in your account and provide your book’s title, subtitle, and 7 keywords that you have researched. Then upload your interior file and cover file. This is where Amazon assigns a free ISBN to your book.

Step 6: Pricing & Royalty

Finally, you need to price your book. Amazon gives you 35% and 70% royalty options. Usually, they choose 70% royalty for e-books. You get the rest of the profit after the printing costs. Once you’re done, hit the ‘Publish’ button, and the Amazon team will review your book and make it live within 24 to 72 hours.

A few thousand books are already being published through Amazon KDP’s self-publishing platform. This makes the competition very fierce. And if you are a newcomer and want to win in such a competition, then you must check out these few tips that I have to say:
The mistake that many people make is that everyone else is publishing diaries or notebooks, so they do the same. But the more specific the subject (Niche) you choose, the better. For example, instead of just “Notebook”, choose micro niches like “Notebook for Yoga Teachers” or “Gratitude Journal for Nurses” to reduce competition.1. Niche Research:
The more specific the subject you choose, the better. Especially for those who want to write high-content books, take a look at these top categories that are currently selling well in the market:

Romance: The undisputed leader in KDP. This category accounts for about 40% of Amazon self-published books. Sub-genres like Contemporary Romance, Romantic Fantasy (Romantasy), and Paranormal Romance have huge profits.

Mystery, Thriller & Suspense: This is the second largest category after Romance. Cosy Mysteries and Psychological Thrillers, in particular, provide good income for independent authors.

Self-Help & Personal Development: This is the top performer in the non-fiction category. Books on mindset, productivity, mental health, and relationships are always in demand.

Science Fiction & Fantasy: These have a unique readership. Epic Fantasy and Cyber-Thrillers are trending right now.

Business & Finance: Topics like Investing, Entrepreneurship, and Personal Finance are in high demand.

2. Keyword Strategy:

As I mentioned above, keyword research is the backbone. Give Long Tail Keywords in the 7 backend keywords that Amazon asks for. Targeting keywords with a search volume of less than 1000 will increase the chances of your book appearing on the first page.

3. Quality over Quantity:
Rather than publishing hundreds of inferior books, publishing one high-quality book in terms of content and design will bring in a good income. Amazon’s algorithm promotes quality books more.

4. Attractive Cover and Title:
The first thing a customer sees online is your book cover. Make sure the font on the cover is clear and that the title includes the main keyword.

After we upload books to Amazon KDP, many people have doubts about how income is paid and how to receive it in our bank account.
What is Royalty?
The profit that Amazon gives you every time your book is sold is called ‘royalty’. It is of two types:
35% Royalty: This applies to books that are sold at a low price or in certain countries.
70% Royalty: We usually keep our e-books in this category. You get 70% of the remaining profit after the printing costs (if it is a paperback).
How do you get paid?
Amazon pays us a commission for the last two months of sales at the end of each month.
Indians mostly link their local bank account directly (Wire Transfer).
You can view your sales report on the KDP dashboard from time to time. The amount will be added to your account as soon as the customer buys the book.

There are some strong reasons why many people choose Amazon KDP over other online businesses. Let me tell you in my words:
Zero Investment: You can start this business without spending a single rupee. All you need is your time and a little research.
Passive Income: You only need to write and publish a book once. As long as it is online, you will continue to earn income every time it is sold, even while you are sleeping.
Global Market (Global Reach): If you write a book from home, people in developed countries like the US, UK, Germany, and Japan can also buy it. That means you are doing business worldwide.
No Risk: You do not have to buy stock or visit shops. Amazon prints the book only when the order is received, so that you won’t lose money.
Freedom: You can write books whenever you want, on any topic you like. You don’t have to work under anyone.

Finally, I can say only one thing: my experience with Amazon KDP is not a dream, but an amazing opportunity. If you don’t publish a book and leave it at that, but focus on the keyword research and the right niche selection that I mentioned above, it is not impossible to earn lakhs sitting at home.
My journey also started with a small Telugu learning book. Although I didn’t get any sales initially, I became successful today because of patiently changing strategies and trying. Language or writing skills are not obstacles here; only your thinking and hard work will make you a winner.
Start your Amazon KDP journey today!