Welcome!
This mini course is going to show you how to take your planner, journal, ebook to Amazon for sale with prime shipping.
We’re going to use the CreateSpace platform to do this.
It is free to use. It’s owned by Amazon.
You will be in control of the price and you own your book content. (read more about CreateSpace here)
Once the listing is made on Amazon, it cannot be removed.
You can however, take your book out of print.
Creating Your Own Planner Pages
If you don’t have a planner, journal or workbook yet… here’s a video from Carla over at Internet Famous VIP to show you how you can get started.
More ideas on YouTube guys! Search “Create a Planner in Canva” (and whoa, lots of ideas)
This whole mini course isn’t just for planners and journals either, you can make how-to guides, workbooks and coloring books if that fits your niche as well.
I just wanted to give those without their own stuff a chance to get ideas as well! Thank you Carla for making this!
Please be sure to LIKE & SUBSCRIBE here to Carla, also check out her guide to creating your first digital product!
THIS IS IF YOU NEED TO USE GOOGLE DOCS (skip this if you’re book is in Canva)
Using Google Docs to Write a Book
If you’re looking to write a text heavy book, you can use Google docs instead of Canva.
Here is a 8.5 x 11 TEMPLATE I found, you have to make a copy of it before you can use it. (video below shows you how)
The reason you should use the template is because it’s already formatted for Amazon specifications.
All you need to do is print it as a PDF.
Additional Resources:
This is if you would like to use Word. (skip this if your book is in Canva, move to the next video)
- Interior WORD DOC Templates (for all book sizes)
Let’s Get to The Good Stuff!
Formatting Your A4 Canva Template to Amazon’s Specifications
The hardest thing for me was getting the formatting right from Canva to fit the specifications that Amazon required.
This video will show you how to take your A4 planner pages and make them into the right size PDF for print on Amazon.
Your A4 planner needs to be changed into a 8.5 x 11 using the “Order Prints” button in Canva. (I cover all this in the video)
Canva will format your file to just the right specifications to put it on Amazon.
Always download your final version as PDF.
We’ll take that PDF to CreateSpace where we will begin to put our book together for print on Amazon.
If You Already Started Out with a 8.5 x 11 Size in Canva?
If you already started out with a US Letterhead size (8.5 x 11), you still need to hit the order prints button to have it formatted in the margins correctly.
Those margins are what get you approved on Amazon. You cannot miss that step.
How to Make a PDF Longer than 30-Pages Using Canva
You may or may not need this video but I talk about it in the video above.
If you need to create a book longer than 30 pages in Canva, you can use PDF Merge (its free).
You Need a Cover for Amazon
You will need two PDF files for CreateSpace. The one above from your book (this is called the interior file). You will also need a 1-page PDF for your cover (this is called the cover file).
Create your cover for your book beforehand so you’re ready to go when we get to CreateSpace.
You can do this in Canva and then download it as a PDF file so you can use it on Amazon.
You Should Have 2 PDF Files By This Point! Interior & Cover
You might want to name your PDF files something you’re going to remember and put the date in front of them because you will have revisions later I think.
Here’s a look at the interior files that got approved on my book so you can take a look at the margins.
I like examples, don’t you? Show them to me, Lesley!
Think About Copyrights
Here’s the information about the Copyright that I have on my book in case you would like something similar?
Copy and Paste this and then change it up to whatever you like.
©2017 Lesley Stevens TrichotillomaniaBlog.com
No part of this publication may be reproduced or re-transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or by any information or retrieval system, without written permission from the copyright holder.
How to Get Your PDF’s Into a Book on Amazon
You are going to need to sign up with an account at CreateSpace.
CreateSpace is a place for authors like you and me to put our stuff out there for sale in book form. (you can read more about them here)
I’m going to show you how to go straight into the CreateSpace platform and set up your PDF files so that you can get them approved and for sale.
It’s very easy once you’re in because I’m going to show you where to go, what to upload and what buttons to push to make the process as seamless as possible.
How Much Will My Royalty Be?
That depends on the size, interior and number of pages. Those costs can be calculated here.
Approval Process & Changes:
This has been my experience with it.
- Approval takes approx 1-2 days, you’ll get an email.
- Then you have to proof it.
- Once you proof it, it takes about 1 day to get it on Amazon for sale.
- Any changes you need to make will take the book temporarily out of stock.
- Any changes to the interior or cover take about 1 day to be approved and then after you proof your changes and approve them, it will be live again in less than a few hours.
- Changes to the cover will be approved quick but it actually takes like 3-4 days before the image file on amazon changes.
- Your book will have a preview of some pages for people to view in 2-3 weeks (I called to find out).
Non Canva / Other Sizes
If you want to write a book, a smaller book that is not 8.5 x 11, there are Word templates you can use.
These templates have all the different book sizes pre-formatted for you, you just need to write in them and download your PDF (that’s you interior file).
You would need to make a cover that is the same size as your book, download that as a PDF (that’s your cover file).
Everything is pretty much the same as the instructions for the 8.5 x 11 book except you’ll choose a different book size.
You can find a calculator for pricing the different sizes and interiors here.
Hope that helps give you ideas for other projects you might have.
Sell Your Journal On Your Blog
You can use this method when you’re targeted.
The End!
Special thanks to Carla Hall for her YouTube video on making planners, she also has a digital product creation course. She’s awesome sauce dripped over bacon, we love Carla.
Special thanks to Master Beekeeper Charlotte for always helping me think things through. I was really racking my brain on this project for awhile. 😘
