Write and Sell Books

Self-publishing has democratized book creation. Anyone can write a book, publish it on Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing or other platforms, and earn royalties on every sale—no agent or publisher required. Your book becomes a digital asset that can generate income for years or decades after you write it.

For digital nomads, writing is the ultimate portable profession. You need nothing but a laptop and your thoughts. Many authors write from cafes, co-working spaces, or quiet corners of wherever they're traveling. The creative work happens anywhere inspiration strikes, and publishing is entirely digital.

The Income Reality

Let's be honest about self-publishing income:

Most books earn very little:

• Median self-published book: $0-200 total lifetime earnings
• Average obscures this (few bestsellers skew the mean)
• Most authors never recoup editing/cover costs

What makes the difference:

• Quality of the book itself
• Marketability of the topic
• Author's existing audience
• Marketing effort and skill
• Multiple books (catalogs compound)

Self-publishing can generate income, but expecting significant returns from a first book is unrealistic for most.

Royalty Structure

Amazon KDP royalties:

Format	Royalty Rate	Example
Ebook ($2.99-9.99)	70%	$9.99 book = $6.99 royalty
Ebook (other prices)	35%	$1.99 book = $0.70 royalty
Paperback	~40% after printing	Varies by page count
Audiobook (ACX)	25-40%	Varies by deal structure

Other platforms (Gumroad, direct sales) offer higher margins but smaller audiences.

Types of Books That Sell

Niche non-fiction (best for beginners):

• Solve specific problems
• Target narrow, motivated audiences
• Examples: "Excel for Real Estate Investors," "Fermentation for Beginners"
• Readers search for solutions; your book appears

Broad non-fiction:

• Compete with established authors
• Require marketing muscle
• Need unique angle or credentials
• Harder without existing audience

Fiction:

• Romance and thriller have active self-pub markets
• Requires series for meaningful income
• Reader expectations are high
• Marketing is about visibility in genre

Low-content books:

• Journals, planners, coloring books
• Low effort per book, high competition
• Volume play—many titles needed
• Lower royalties, commodity market

The Publishing Process

Self-publishing workflow:

1. Writing (the obvious part):

• Outline your book structure
• Write first draft
• Set realistic timeline (months, not weeks)

2. Editing (essential investment):

• Self-edit first
• Beta readers for feedback
• Professional editor ($500-2,000+)
• Proofreading as final pass

3. Cover design (crucial):

• Hire professional designer ($200-500+)
• Study genre conventions
• Cover sells the book to browsers

4. Formatting:

• Format for ebook (Kindle)
• Format for print (if applicable)
• Tools: Vellum (Mac), Atticus, Reedsy

5. Publishing:

• Upload to Amazon KDP
• Set price and categories
• Write compelling description
• Choose keywords

6. Marketing (ongoing):

• Launch strategy
• Reviews acquisition
• Amazon ads (optional)
• Ongoing promotion

Track your book projects, outlines, and marketing in Notion. Store manuscripts and cover files in Google Drive.

The Marketing Challenge

Writing is only half the job. Marketing is the other half:

Launch strategies:

• Build email list before publishing
• Price promotions at launch
• Gather reviews from beta readers
• Social media announcement

Ongoing marketing:

• Amazon advertising (paid)
• Category optimization
• Price promotions
• Building author platform

What actually works:

• Writing more books (catalog effect)
• Building audience outside Amazon
• Genre community engagement
• Consistent quality over time

Books by unknown authors rarely sell without marketing effort.

Multiple Books Strategy

Single books rarely create significant income. Catalogs do:

Why multiple books win:

• Each book promotes the others
• Readers who like one buy more
• Amazon algorithm favors prolific authors
• More shots at finding what resonates

Series advantage:

• Readers commit to series
• First book can be loss-leader
• Compound effect as series grows
• Read-through drives lifetime value

Many successful self-publishers write 10+ books before seeing significant income.

Writing While Traveling

Books are perfect nomad projects:

Advantages:

• Write anywhere with quiet space
• No client meetings or calls
• Complete schedule flexibility
• Travel experiences can fuel content

Challenges:

• Discipline without structure
• Finding focused writing time
• Distractions of new places
• Publishing tasks need internet

Many authors separate "writing mode" (creative) from "publishing mode" (technical). Write during travel, handle publishing during settled periods.

Alternative Publishing Paths

Beyond Amazon:

Direct sales (Gumroad, own website):

• Higher margins (you keep more)
• Smaller audience
• Requires driving traffic

Wide distribution (Draft2Digital, PublishDrive):

• Apple Books, Kobo, Barnes & Noble
• Diversifies beyond Amazon
• Smaller per-platform sales

Hybrid publishing:

• Pay for professional services
• Keep higher royalties than traditional
• Varies in quality and reputation

Is This Right for You?

Consider self-publishing if you:

• Have expertise or stories to share
• Enjoy writing and can sustain it
• Think long-term (years, not months)
• Willing to learn marketing basics
• Want truly passive income potential

Consider alternatives if you:

• Need income quickly
• Hate marketing your work
• Want guaranteed returns for effort
• Prefer collaborative work
• Don't enjoy writing process

Related paths: Ghostwriting writes for others with immediate pay. Blogging tests writing without book commitment. Course creation converts expertise differently.

Getting started: Choose a topic you can write about with authority or passion. Outline your book structure before writing. Aim for 15,000-50,000 words depending on your genre and topic. Invest in professional editing and cover design—they matter for sales. Learn Amazon's algorithm and categories. Build an author platform (email list, social media) to launch effectively. Consider writing additional books—authors with multiple titles typically earn more than one-book authors.