[jewishwriter]

Have any authors gone this route--publishing first with Create Space and then doing Kindle on their own? I'm wondering how rewarding it is..Their royalties seem very high--so does the cost of a cover, etc. But it's such a great answer to all those publishing houses saying they only accept submissions from agents...I'm ready to upload a memoir--not sure whether to do Kindle first on my own/then the paperback with Createspace. Every time you turn around another publisher is in the ring.

 

[Gertie Kindle]

Create Space is owned by Amazon and they are not really a publisher. It's a print on demand service to issue a paperback if you wish. CS automatically puts your paperback on Amazon for sale.

The cover doesn't have to cost you anything unless you use their designers. There are dozens of templates on CS that you can use for covers, all free, where you just drop in your artwork and your blurb.

You'll want to get the pro plan which is $39.99 and well worth the cost in increased royalties and reduced costs when you want to purchase books directly from them. You may or may not want to go for expanded distribution. I have and it's worked out well for me, but it depends on how big your book is and how high you have to set your price.

I think most of us upload the kindle version directly to Amazon KDP first and then format the file for CS.

 

[kempton.mooney]

One thing to keep in mind is that publishing it yourself is a double edged sword. If you publish it yourself, whether kindle or createspace, many publisher might not want to touch it unless it proves to be very successful. Once a book is out there and available, it no longer can be a new product, which is what a lot of publishers want to sell. The only thing a publisher likes better is a sure thing, so if it takes off, then they may want to buy the rights if they think they can reach a larger audience.