Kindle Book Into Hard Copy Book?

20 replies
Is it possible to turn your Kindle ebook into a hard copy, physical book?

I thought I read somewhere that Amazon has a service for this. But then again, I remember hearing something else that this isn't allowed.
#book #copy #hard #kindle
  • Profile picture of the author BackLinkiT
    Originally Posted by Hitmanad View Post

    Is it possible to turn your Kindle ebook into a hard copy, physical book?

    I thought I read somewhere that Amazon has a service for this. But then again, I remember hearing something else that this isn't allowed.
    Sign up for www.createspace.com

    This is Amazon's print on demand service for selling hard copies. It's as easy as uploading to Kindle.

    Good Luck!
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    • Profile picture of the author vtotheyouknow
      Originally Posted by BackLinkiT View Post

      Sign up for www.createspace.com

      This is Amazon's print on demand service for selling hard copies. It's as easy as uploading to Kindle.

      Good Luck!
      Agreed. Createspace is great. They print and ship your paperback on demand and you generally make higher commissions with a physical copy (depending on what price you choose to set).

      Although, when I put my book on CS I had to create a printable PDF file and paste my cover onto a template they provide. This is a bit of a pain if you don't have some basic GIMP/Photoshop skills. But the guidelines are really easy to follow and I reckon you can figure it out.

      It's worth the bit of extra effort to be able to tell prospective clients/customers/colleagues that you're a *printed* published author. People see you in a whole new light.
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    • Profile picture of the author sajeneika
      Originally Posted by BackLinkiT View Post

      Sign up for www.createspace.com

      This is Amazon's print on demand service for selling hard copies. It's as easy as uploading to Kindle.

      Good Luck!
      Thanks for this, It seems pretty easy way to sell both versions of your book, kindle and paperback, more choice for people - more money for you!
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  • Profile picture of the author Adie
    If you can't find a good publisher then createspace is the best option.
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  • Profile picture of the author GobBluthJD
    Createspace is a better option than finding your own publisher, IMO. Why let someone else take an extra cut of your profits?
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    • Profile picture of the author Adie
      Originally Posted by GobBluthJD View Post

      Createspace is a better option than finding your own publisher, IMO. Why let someone else take an extra cut of your profits?
      I agree, but promoting your own book might need 10x more effort than having a publisher.. But finding a publisher is the toughest thing to do...
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      • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
        Originally Posted by Adie View Post

        I agree, but promoting your own book might need 10x more effort than having a publisher.. But finding a publisher is the toughest thing to do...
        Unless you are Tom Clancy or James Cameron, etc, publishers are not going to put a ton of effort into promoting your book. They'll print a few thousand, put it in their catalog, maybe list it on Amazon, B&N, etc. All thingsyou can do yourself or use alternatives (like CreateSpace).

        Even with a publisher, if you want to sell books you'll have to get out and hustle.
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        • Profile picture of the author Tom Addams
          Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe View Post

          Unless you are Tom Clancy or James Cameron, etc, publishers are not going to put a ton of effort into promoting your book. They'll print a few thousand, put it in their catalog, maybe list it on Amazon, B&N, etc. All thingsyou can do yourself or use alternatives (like CreateSpace).

          Even with a publisher, if you want to sell books you'll have to get out and hustle.
          I pretty much agree with you here, John. Names sell books; books make names. And that last part is why I only "pretty much agree." It takes one hell of a good book - backed up by resume, agent, competition wins, and yes, even a healthy social media following - before any respected publisher will go the extra mile; heck, will go three steps. CS, therefore, is a Godsend to many. The traditional route to literary success, or hell, earning enough to eat, it takes some doing, and for most writers it represents an insurmountable hoop through which to jump. Speaking of which, hoop jumping, I am in full agreement with your last paragraph. Gone are the days of getting drunk on your boat off the coast of Cuba and living the life of the reclusive and rarely seen (sober) author. I loath the move of modern publishing that aims to turn authors into salesmen. Many of them are poor salesmen. They don't all have Stephen King's commendable confidence and gift of the gab. And if not those qualities, they often lack internet know-how. And the result? Good books are slowly drowning in a sea of Stephenie Meyer-inspired literary excrement. And, yes, that's the first time you've seen literary and Stephenie Meyer in the same sentence. Hey - I like to break new ground! haha

          - Tom
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          • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
            Originally Posted by Tom Addams View Post

            I pretty much agree with you here, John. Names sell books; books make names. And that last part is why I only "pretty much agree." It takes one hell of a good book - backed up by resume, agent, competition wins, and yes, even a healthy social media following - before any respected publisher will go the extra mile; heck, will go three steps. CS, therefore, is a Godsend to many. The traditional route to literary success, or hell, earning enough to eat, it takes some doing, and for most writers it represents an insurmountable hoop through which to jump. Speaking of which, hoop jumping, I am in full agreement with your last paragraph. Gone are the days of getting drunk on your boat off the coast of Cuba and living the life of the reclusive and rarely seen (sober) author. I loath the move of modern publishing that aims to turn authors into salesmen. Many of them are poor salesmen. They don't all have Stephen King's commendable confidence and gift of the gab. And if not those qualities, they often lack internet know-how. And the result? Good books are slowly drowning in a sea of Stephenie Meyer-inspired literary excrement. And, yes, that's the first time you've seen literary and Stephenie Meyer in the same sentence. Hey - I like to break new ground! haha

            - Tom
            Given that I made that post almost three years ago, it seems to have held up well, don't you think?

            I agree that Createspace is a godsend, saving a lot of would-be authors a garage filled with books from a vanity publisher. And saying many of them are poor salesmen is putting things lightly.

            Many look down their noses at marketing and get nauseous thinking about having to sell themselves. Zig Ziglar's brother, Judge Ziglar, wrote a book called "Timid Salesmen Have Skinny Kids". Maybe it's time for a companion piece, Timid Authors Have Skinny Royalties. Of course, the writers that needed it the worst would never read it.

            BTW, that is the first time I've seen literary and Stephenie Meyer in the same sentence. I'm guessing it may well be the only time...
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      • Profile picture of the author TinkBD
        Originally Posted by Adie View Post

        I agree, but promoting your own book might need 10x more effort than having a publisher.. But finding a publisher is the toughest thing to do...
        Regarding Fiction:

        As was pointed out, these days publishers do little marketing... the midlist is sinking without a trace.

        To add insult to injury, advances are bottoming out as the Big Six/Five try to wrap their heads around this brave new world.

        My crit partner and I joke... friends don't let friends sign publishing deals.

        If you are offered one, get the proper kind of lawyer to look over your contracts... in the current panic, initial contracts are usually NOT fair [ironic understatement] to the author.

        Follow the advice of this author who has been selling 100k books/month -

        CJ’s formula is 1) write great books, 2) give it time to find an audience, 3) encourage that audience to tell their friends, and 4) repeat. Not easy… but simple.

        SPP 032 – How to Sell a Metric Crap-Ton of Books, with CJ Lyons

        Put your time into writing and publishing more. Once you have enough titles, start marketing, in your spare time. Writing time is the most vital and limited resource you have

        Go ahead... publish yourself or quit pretending you want to be a writer ;-)

        PS - Publish ebooks as well as paperbacks using CreateSpace LOL
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  • Profile picture of the author EASSS
    Can consumers use Createspace to convert Kindle ebooks to hardcopy books ?
    and ship the physical books to the consumers ?
    if not, what other services can do it ?
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  • Profile picture of the author Jon Crimes
    CreateSpace works well for me and sometimes I get more sales from hard copy that Kindle!

    The only sticking point really is the book cover but you can sort this quite easily on Fiverr.

    I tried to design it myself and it didn't work out very well!

    Cheers Jon
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    • Profile picture of the author celente
      Originally Posted by Jon Crimes View Post

      CreateSpace works well for me and sometimes I get more sales from hard copy that Kindle!

      The only sticking point really is the book cover but you can sort this quite easily on Fiverr.

      I tried to design it myself and it didn't work out very well!

      Cheers Jon
      you have the idea.

      Fiverr could be utilized daily if you are making good sales. I have to remind myself, with some of the titles and niches I have done on kindle, I got major help on fiverr for covers, spreading the word and lots more.
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  • Profile picture of the author BradVert2013
    Definitely CreateSpace. The cool part is that the hardcover copy of your book will appear along with your ebook. It might not sell quite as well, but Amazon is pretty good at cross promotions in their Kindle store.
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  • Profile picture of the author quadagon
    The only thing I would say with regards to create space is that their is a strong anti Amazon movement within indie bookshops. A lot of Indies and smalls won't stock your book if it's a cs product.

    If you're not looking at this market IRS not a problem. I see it with non fiction authors though who struggle to get into some shops.
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  • Profile picture of the author writeaway
    Make sure you get the right size cover if you're going to use CreateSpace

    Kindle's book cover requirement is more tolerant of smaller covers. Not so with CreateSpace.

    Also, pay attention to resolution.

    Here's a PRO TIP: depending on your niche, pay attention to vector art.

    The most recent Kindle best-sellers I've been involved with use vector or pure text covers.

    Again, it depends on your niche.
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  • Profile picture of the author Ellen Violette
    I have been taking my clients to Ingram Sparks. They have competitive prices and they have a distribution option for just $12 a year. If you are doing a book thought, with multiple authors, like a collaborative book, Createspace is best because everyone can order from one account.
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    Ellen Violette
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    Turn your message into money! I'll show you how to create, communicate, connect, and convert subscribers into lifetime buyers to build a 6- or 7- figure business.
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  • Profile picture of the author Mr Bill
    This thread is really old as John pointed out above but there are still writers who could use this information so...

    Originally Posted by EASSS View Post

    Can consumers use Createspace to convert Kindle ebooks to hardcopy books ? and ship the physical books to the consumers ?
    if not, what other services can do it ?
    Just to clarify, you can't take a kindle book and tell CreateSpace (or Ingram Spark - these are the two major companies for self publishers). The book has to be carefully formatted for the size you have chosen. There are guides, it's not a piece of cake but it's not impossible either. I did it with some help from some fiverr formatters.

    Originally Posted by Ellen Violette View Post

    I have been taking my clients to Ingram Sparks. They have competitive prices and they have a distribution option for just $12 a year. If you are doing a book thought, with multiple authors, like a collaborative book, Createspace is best because everyone can order from one account.
    I also use Ingram Spark but am also formatting and listing with Createspace as well to make sure I've covered the two major bases.
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  • Profile picture of the author russflex
    Createspace is the way to go. It will also link to your Kindle book when it shows up on Amazon.
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  • Profile picture of the author Randall Magwood
    Yeah it's possible you can use Createspace or Lulu.
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