How Much Does It Cost to Publish on Amazon KDP?

About this video

Dale L. Roberts answers what it costs to start publishing on Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing in 2017, and his headline answer is: nothing. He says he has made money from books that cost him a little time and not a single dime, though producing zero-cost books has brought failures too. Citing what he calls the Pareto principle in his own account, he says the creator claims roughly two out of every ten books make about $200 to $300 on a good month, and that about 20% of his books do about 80% of the heavy lifting in his KDP account. He argues the better question is not the startup cost but how much time and money it will take to make a specific amount per month, and that he will not make unfounded claims that anyone can or cannot build a successful business with little to no money. His advice to newcomers is to dip a toe in before jumping into the deep end: like gambling at a casino, invest only as much time or money as you can afford to lose, learn from losses without repeating mistakes, and consider having an experienced professional in your corner to minimize risk.

Key takeaways

• Roberts’s stated startup cost for Kindle publishing can be zero — he says he has made money from books costing only time
• He claims, for his own account, about two in ten books make roughly $200-$300 on a good month and about 20% of books do 80% of the work
• Reframe the question: ask how much time and money it takes to reach a specific monthly income target
• For a first book, invest only as much time or money as you can afford to lose, as with casino gambling
• Learn from losses, do not repeat the same mistakes, and consider getting an experienced professional to help minimize risk

Episode details: published June 24, 2017 · 3:49 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. Business results and any income figures mentioned are Dale L. Roberts’s own claims, shared for education — they are not typical or guaranteed.

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