Amazon KDP's New Hardcover Publishing Service

 A couple weeks ago, I logged into Amazon's KDP service and was surprised to see that they were now offering a beta service to create hardcover books. I decided to give it a try with my latest book, The Lacemaker: A Novel of St. Zelie Martin. 

Overall, the process was very similar to publishing a paperback version on Amazon, so if you are familiar with that, you'll be able to handle this one with no problem. In fact, because I kept the hardcover version the same size as the paperback (6" x 9"), I was able to use the same interior file as I had used with the paperback.

It did require some adjustments to the cover, however. If you are using Amazon's Cover Creator to create your cover, you'll need to go through that process again for this version. In my case, I create the complete cover and then upload it. The amount of area needed for the spine is larger on the hardcover version which means the total size is different and visual items need to be moved accordingly. If you hire a designer to do your covers, keep in mind that you will need different files for your paperback and hardcover versions if you choose to publish in both formats. You are able to choose either matte or glossy finish. 

In terms of pricing, the hardcover must be priced higher (which makes sense). I had to set the price at $15.99 for a 233 page book in order to get even a $1 royalty off of each sale.

So, how did it come out? I was very pleased with the results. I wasn't sure what to expect, but was pleasantly surprised by the quality of this product. While the cover is matte, it has a smooth professional feel to it. It would look lovely on a bookshelf. (Please ignore my old, beat-up table in these images!)

Purchase a hardcover copy of The Lacemaker on Amazon to see for yourself!


 





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