Author Marketing
Amazon Book Description: How to Write One That Sells
Your Amazon book description has five blocks and one job. Learn the structure, what to cut first, and how fiction and nonfiction openings differ.
Author Resources
Practical guidesfor indie authors.
Straight answers on KDP, formatting, covers, ISBNs, audiobooks and editing from the Opus team.
ISBN & Copyright
How to Register Copyright for a Book: Fees and Steps
Register copyright for a book with the US Copyright Office: the $45 and $65 filing fees, which application fits your book, and what a later fix costs.
Audiobook Production
Narrate Your Own Audiobook: Room, Mic and ACX Specs
Narrate your own audiobook at home and pass ACX: the loudness, peak and noise floor numbers, plus the room treatment and settings that hit them.
Book Cover Design
Book Cover Thumbnail Test: Does Yours Pass?
Run the book cover thumbnail test the way shoppers see it, in a real store grid and in grayscale, then fix the one element that failed first.
Amazon KDP
Is KDP Select Worth It? What You Get and Give Up
Is KDP Select worth it? What enrollment gives your ebook and audiobook, what exclusivity costs you, and the 3-day window to cancel it.
Book Editing
Self-Editing Checklist to Run Before You Hire an Editor
A self-editing checklist in pass order: what to fix yourself, what to leave for your editor, and how to tell when your own passes are finished.
Author Marketing
KDP Keywords: What to Put in All Seven Boxes
KDP keywords belong on what your title and categories miss. See Amazon's five keyword types, what KDP keeps out of the boxes, and how to test a phrase.
ISBN & Copyright
Do You Need a Separate ISBN for Ebook and Paperback?
Do you need a separate ISBN for ebook and paperback? KDP's rule format by format, how many to buy, and when a new edition needs a new number.
Audiobook Production
Prepare Your Manuscript for Audiobook Narration
What to cut, what to mark and what to send when you prepare a manuscript for audiobook narration, plus the ACX rules that shape your script.
Manuscript Formatting
Bleed vs No Bleed: What Your KDP Interior Needs
Bleed vs no bleed in a KDP interior: the rule for which layouts need bleed, and the ink, trim size and Kindle Create limits it brings.
Book Cover Design
KDP Cover Template Explained: Bleed, Spine, Barcode
The KDP cover template explained zone by zone: what bleed, safe area, spine margin and the barcode block mean, plus the clearances KDP requires.
Amazon KDP
KDP 70 Percent Royalty Requirements, and Why You Get 35%
KDP 70 percent royalty requirements explained: how buyer territory, VAT, delivery costs and price matching decide whether a sale pays 70% or 35%.
Book Editing
Developmental, Line or Copy Editing: Which Do You Need?
Developmental editing, line editing or copy editing: match each edit to the problems in your draft, get the order right and know what to ask for.
Author Marketing
How to Choose KDP Categories That Readers Browse
How to choose KDP categories using Amazon's own balance rule: the three slots, the Primary Audience gate, and why your picks can take 72 hours.
ISBN & Copyright
Do You Need an ISBN to Self-Publish? Free vs Your Own
Do you need an ISBN to self-publish? KDP requires one for print, not eBooks. Compare the free KDP ISBN with buying your own before you publish.
Audiobook Production
ACX Audio Requirements Explained in Plain English
The ACX audio requirements in plain English: RMS, peak, noise floor, room tone and MP3 settings, what each one means and the order to fix them in.
Manuscript Formatting
Book Trim Size: How to Choose Before You Format
Choose your book trim size with confidence: KDP's page count limits by ink and paper, the large trim cost boundary, and what locks after you publish.
Book Cover Design
KDP Spine Width Calculator, Formula and Cover Size
Use the KDP spine width calculator formula to get your paperback spine, full cover size and bleed right, and learn when KDP allows text on the spine.
Amazon KDP
KDP Paperback Royalty Calculation: What You Earn Per Copy
KDP paperback royalty calculation, explained: the 50% and 60% price thresholds, printing costs by page count and trim, and royalties at real prices.