Kindle book publishing success stories?

17 replies
How is the kindle book publishing going for those of you that do that? Making moolah? Is it hit and miss. Just wondering what the reality of the scene is.
#book #kindle #publishing #stories #success
  • Profile picture of the author Randall Magwood
    Kindle can make you alot of money. It is for me. You will want to test price tho. Some ebooks can sell well at $7 on Kindle.
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  • Profile picture of the author bchez
    Interesting question. I am taking a little class on formatting for Kindle, and the next segment is about Smashwords, so I would add this to the OP's question - do you also use Smashwords, and is there a thought process / plan behind using both, or just Kindle?
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  • Profile picture of the author colinph970
    My thoughts.....yes, easily possible to earn on Kindle and there are a lot of misconceptions about the process.
    You have to diversify from Kindle onto other platforms so that risk is minimized. What would you do if Amazon terminated your account for example? If you sell on Kindle and Smashwords then you have access to seven different routes to market including Barnes & Noble, Ipad and others.
    Treat it like a business - because it is.
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  • Profile picture of the author lossman29
    The sales numbers for Kindle books are low however. So, you're looking more at quality than a volume business.
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    • Profile picture of the author bchez
      Originally Posted by x3xsolxdierx3x View Post

      Look into Amanda Hocking

      Ever hear of her?
      Let be honest though, few of us on here are going to be an Amanda Hocking or a Joe Konrath with the general sorts of non-fiction books that we provide. I think the question is valid.
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      • Profile picture of the author x3xsolxdierx3x
        Originally Posted by bchez View Post

        Let be honest though, few of us on here are going to be an Amanda Hocking or a Joe Konrath with the general sorts of non-fiction books that we provide. I think the question is valid.
        Unfortunately, besides the positive of bringing more eyes to Kindle book publishing, I do think their success stories have drawn in a serious flood of people who think it will be "easy": submitting low quality pieces in an attempt to make a quick buck. The reality is that most won't achieve that level of success. On the other hand, "remarkable" things do stand out....I can't tell you how many times I've sat down, pen in hand, attempt to construct a story like they have. It's definitely not easy....
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        • Profile picture of the author KenJ
          Originally Posted by x3xsolxdierx3x View Post

          Unfortunately, besides the positive of bringing more eyes to Kindle book publishing, I do think their success stories have drawn in a serious flood of people who think it will be "easy": submitting low quality pieces in an attempt to make a quick buck. The reality is that most won't achieve that level of success. On the other hand, "remarkable" things do stand out....I can't tell you how many times I've sat down, pen in hand, attempt to construct a story like they have. It's definitely not easy....
          Well said x3xsolxdierx3x

          Constructing a work of fiction takes a lot of work. I have been planning my new novel for 3 months. I am about ready to start writing properly. The beauty of fiction is that once you have a book that sells it provides a foundation for the future.

          So far I have 2 books that sell well and 2 that only sell the odd copy each month. (Plus one I unpublished because it was poor quality)

          From my point of view this is very passive income once a book starts selling well. Looking 5 years into the future it's hard to know if my titles will still be selling. The ebook reader market is still very young.

          kenj
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      • Profile picture of the author WriterWahm
        Originally Posted by bchez View Post

        Let be honest though, few of us on here are going to be an Amanda Hocking or a Joe Konrath with the general sorts of non-fiction books that we provide. I think the question is valid.
        Well, I wouldn't completely agree. I can tell you that a lot of warriors here are in the Kindle fiction genre - I even provide ghostwriting services for some. I recently had a thread asking for reviewers for a fiction related product I'm working on and the response was overwhelming.

        It seems there are a lot of aspiring authors here; that is, genuinely aspiring authors who want to make a name for themselves in fiction (no matter the genre). Then there are also those who have discovered the potential profitability of fiction and are rushing there.

        Either way, like you've said, the question is valid.
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  • Profile picture of the author Yogini
    I find social proof helps. When I have days that a book gets a few sales, it seems to get more that same day. When the book doesn't get many sales and it has dropped in the category or subcategory then it is harder to find within amazon because many people stay on page 1 of the subcategory or category.

    Debbie
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  • Profile picture of the author Paul Gram
    Kindle has been going great and the income has been very steady, not hit or miss at all. You need to create great books in a popular category, formatted well, priced right, and marketed properly.

    When that formula is followed, there is a tremendous amount of opportunity.
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    • Profile picture of the author jwiggens
      Originally Posted by Paul Gram View Post

      Kindle has been going great and the income has been very steady, not hit or miss at all. You need to create great books in a popular category, formatted well, priced right, and marketed properly.

      When that formula is followed, there is a tremendous amount of opportunity.
      I totally agree with Paul. If you hit these 4 points, you'll find that the Kindle platform can be very lucrative.
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      • Profile picture of the author amanchadda123
        Interesting question.
        I think it is not easy for any book to become a hit on kindle. I had to publish 3 books before I had any success. But if you stick with it and do your homework correctly, then it can be really rewarding. Best of luck if you are starting out.
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  • Profile picture of the author Tiffany Carter
    Kinde publishing brings me about 1500 a month - I'm not sure if you consider that substantial or not but it is not my main source of income.
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    • Profile picture of the author chrisg942
      I have been writing in both the fiction and non-fiction realms of kindle for just about 2 years now. As long as you have decent content, do good research, and proofread well. The sky's the limit.

      As I continue to develop my bookshelf daily on KDP, all i can say is the amount of income and potential is amazing. I am doing this full time now.

      Chris
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      • Profile picture of the author ocflyfish
        I'm very happy with the royalties I've earned so far from publishing on Kindle. Two of my books are or have been #1 best sellers in their categories (finance and cooking). Last month's earnings on two actively promoted books resulted in a $1,600.

        That may not sound like a lot but as my arsenal of books increases the revenues will increase as well.
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  • Profile picture of the author twentytwo
    I have a question for you kindle writers. When writing a Kindle book do you add pictures as well? Also if you do where do you get them from?
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