How to Sell Short Stories on Amazon (Self-Publishing with Writing Tips)

When we think about writing as a profession, not too many people find it promising enough to adopt it as a full-time career option. However, many people find themselves in a place where they want to share their fascinating stories with a flair of fiction to the masses.

Due to this reason, a lot of people are eager to start writing and self-publish their writing on a platform such as Amazon. If you can write interesting stories, the eBook market has a lot to offer you.

With an ever-increasing revenue every year, digital publishing and reading markets have crossed over $26 billion, and there are no signs of it slowing down.

With a dire lack of time, most people prefer to read short stories rather than full-size novels. Writing short stories is also convenient for the writer as it does not take years to complete. Hence, writing short stories on Amazon can be a great side hustle for those who have a passion for storytelling.

Why Should You Write Short Stories on Amazon?

When we are writing a full-scale novel, sometimes the time taken in research alone can take years. After generating all the precise details and collecting the required information about the subject, most writers are exhausted to start writing over the subject.

This is not the case with short stories. They are short, crisp, and impactful. Without taking too much time from any stakeholder, short stories ensure that the message is being communicated clearly to the reader.

These are some of the reasons why you should start writing short stories on Amazon today.

Discoverability

Most writers are never known by their name but for their best work. However, the greatest in the craft have been known for their names and their works. The key behind this popularity was nothing fancy but to come out and meet the people who appreciate your work.

Writing short stories on Amazon enables the readers to reach the masses through their work. This increases the probability of getting noticed by a reputable publishing house.

With better discoverability, writers are more likely to develop a community around them by sharing what they learn in the process of writing. This becomes one of the most significant reasons for writing stories on Amazon.

Easy to Produce

A detailed long-form novel can take years to complete. Some of the most prominent works of literature are curated over decades and then presented in front of the world. However, no matter how fast one writes, writing a novel is a tiring task and requires your undeviating attention. The cost of research and advanced plot management tools can also become additional baggage for the writer.

While on the other hand, short stories are small, crisp, and precise without losing the key components of novel writing. They do not require extensive research and can be completed within days to a month, depending upon the writing speed.

Short stories cut the cost of writing extensively and make it easier to publish over different internet channels, such as Amazon.

Source of Passive Income

Most people around the world are working on a job that they do not enjoy anymore and want to start writing as a side hustle. This is a great choice for those who are passionate about writing, but as we mentioned earlier, writing a novel is a full-time job.

Setting down the mood and conducting extensive research on the subject is not easy while working on a full-time job role.

Short stories are short and can be completed within days. They also do not require extensive editing and can get ready to be published in no time. The published short stories can eventually become a source of passive income without taking any extra effort from your end.

Get Better With Writing

Writing is an art that is well respected across all business domains. No business is ever completed with a decent amount of content that is transmitted across channels as its voice. Writing good is a craft that requires sufficient practice and keen attention to detail.

Writing short stories regularly ensures that you are working on the key components of a novel-writing frequently without taking too much time.

These repeated cycles of crafting new characters, conflicts, and plots allow the writer to understand what is working for its audience and what is not. Writing short stories eventually improves the writing skill and encourages the writer to go for a longer endeavor.

How to Write Short Stories on Amazon?

Writing short stories on Amazon is not too complicated of a task and requires basic writing know-how. Knowing the fact that you are not going to become a bestseller in the first attempt will relax your mind and allow you to write your best.

These are some of the things which are mandatory for writing short stories and will help you in the long run. However, feel free to explore different methods as creative writing can be different for almost everyone.

Learn The Craft

There are many writers who are trying to become the next bestseller and have their books and marketing ready to hit that mark. On the other hand, some writers are just good enough with their writing abilities that they do not need expensive editors and marketing to outshine others.

Knowledge of the craft is the key here. There are different aspects of writing that budding writers must know and embrace with diligent practice. To do that, you can pick up your writing courses and mentors from platforms like Udemy, which will pace up your learning process.

Identify Your Writing Niche

We all are good at some things, and there are other things which we are just not as good as everything else. Knowing your fort will make writing much easier and more effective for you as you will only be writing about the things that you already know about.

This will reflect upon your writing voice, and you will be able to find the difference once you hold on to your strengths. So, stay focused and write about the things that you have experienced the most in your life.

Write What People Want to Read

This is another critical point that most writers do not pay enough attention to. If you are writing something that is good but not relatable to anyone, there will be no sales on Amazon. People expect writers to write stories with which they can connect and empathize.

However, even if you are writing fantasy, the emotions, and character arcs cannot be irrational. Thus, make sure that you are writing what people will be excited to read and think about this from the point of view of an online Kindle reader.

Use Modern AI Tools

If you are a working professional, we understand that taking out enough of the creative time while managing the other facets of life is not easy. However, this does not mean that you have to drop your plans of writing short stories. You can use some of the most advanced AI tools present in the market to automate the writing process and assist you in creating your collection of short stories in less time.

Jasper.Ai, Shortly.Ai, and Rytr.me are some of the writing platforms that are based on the GPT3 AI architecture and have a huge database of the internet. These AI are built to write that is not only human but also quick.

How to Self-Publish on Amazon

Even though there are different ways of publishing your short stories on Amazon, that includes opting for a third-party service provider who will do that for you, however, you can publish your books on Amazon using Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP).

KDP is a platform that makes it easier for you to publish your short stories on Amazon and market them later on. To self-publish your short stories on Amazon, follow the steps mentioned down below:

Create a KDP Account

Creating a KDP account is easy, as all you have to do is go to the official Amazon KDP website. You can create an instant account by entering your credentials and can start with your eBook self-publishing journey.

Start with a New Kindle eBook

Once your account is created, you will land on your KDP dashboard. Now, you have to select the ‘+ Kindle eBook’ button on your dashboard to start entering the details and uploading your book.

Choose the language of the book

Now you will have to enter the basic details required for Amazon to publish your book. Select the language of the book that you have written. This language selection is not for Amazon’s dashboard but for the language in which your books have been written.

Choose Your Title

Make sure that you choose a title that not only grabs the attention of the people but also delivers in terms of the stories that are there in your eBook. Find something that is authentic, creative, and resonates with your writer’s persona.

Enter Your Name and the Book’s Description

Now, you will have to enter your name (Or your pen name if you prefer that). You will also have to enter a description of your book. This description will be there on the sales landing page of your eBook and will act as a first interaction with the reader.

Make sure that it explains what the book is about and what they should expect if they make the purchase.

Verify Your Publishing Rights to Kindle

Here, you would have to verify that you own the publishing rights of the book that you are willing to publish. If not, you would be solely responsible for any legal actions. Make sure to give your publishing rights and ensure that your content is original.

Select The Right Keywords and Categories

Selecting the right keywords will allow your book to rank on the right search results. If you choose the keywords that are relatable to your short stories, there will be better chances of having sales on Kindle. Select your keywords while keeping the theme of your book in mind.

Selecting categories for your book is also something that you must pay attention to. There are different categories on Amazon Kindle on which they list their books. Make sure to select the right categories for your book.

Select the Time of Release

Here you will have to enter the date on which you want your book to be released. You can also publish your book immediately if you need, but we advise it to keep a draft of your book a few days prior to the release.

This will allow you to go through the details again and ensure that you are not missing out on something.

Choose the Right DRM Rights

This is where you need to decide your Digital Marketing Rights. If you enable your DRM, this will disable the readers from sharing your book in the public domain. If you want your book to be exclusively available for a price, you must enable the DRM.

Upload Your Short Stories eBook and its Cover

Now upload your eBook on the KDP website while making sure that it follows all the formatting required to be published on Kindle. You will also have to upload a book cover that will become the face of your book.

You can use the services of a professional cover designer to ensure that your cover looks good and attracts readers.

Choose Your Royalty & Pricing

You can choose the royalty of your books ranging from 30% to 70%. However, the higher you keep your share, the lower you will have to price your book. Thus, go through the KDP regulations before you decide on the pricing of your book.

Writing Tips for Beginners

Now, once you know how to publish your short stories, you must be eager to start writing them. However, there are a few more things that you must keep in mind as a writer. Here is a list of some of the most effective tips for beginner writers that can make your writing stand out to a new level.

Practice, Practice, And Practice

This is loud, clear, and obvious. Most potential writers never write a single page just because they do not embrace the writing in their daily routines. Writing should not be an impulsive reaction but a part of your day. By giving enough time to write and learn about its craft, you will become better eventually.

Practicing writing will ensure that you are writing what you really want to write and not getting into the loop of writing random thoughts. It will also inflict a writing discipline that will help you become a good writer in the long run.

Know Your Characters

While writing any form of fiction, you are supposed to know your characters inside out. To write good stories, you need to know who your characters are, their style of talking, moods, dressing style, and their surroundings.

You will also need to know their stories and the reason for their presence in the fiction. Creating effective and lasting characters in your stories is key to becoming a good writer in the long run.

Structure Your Short Story

This is where most of us get it wrong. We find writing to be a completely creative process and do not want any restrictions on our creativity. However, determining your boundaries before you start with your writing is a crucial step in writing fiction.

A structure will allow you to discipline yourself while writing and not go too far with your flow.  You can always change the structure in the later part of your writing process, but starting with a structure can make things a lot easier.

Show, Don’t Tell

This rule can be foundational to any kind of fiction writing. If you are writing that is making sense but not inciting imagery, then you are doing it wrong. You will have to depict the surroundings and elaborate on the characters to give them a mental image in the head of your reader.

Giving the wings to the imagination of your readers is only possible if you are showing them what is happening with the help of your descriptions.

Conclusion

Books are the core of our culture and mirror our times thus, their need is never going to fade away. However, it is getting difficult to write full-size fiction all alone.

This is where tools like Jasper.Ai, Shortly.Ai, and Rytr.me come into the picture. These AI tools will assist you in writing your books by implementing your creative input.

In the article above, we tried to sum up all the details that you will need to become a writer and start selling your short stories on Amazon. We also discussed the step-by-step process of self-publishing your eBook on KDP, which will help you while publishing your first eBook on Kindle.

We hope that this article will provide you with all the information required to sell short stories on Amazon and assist you in becoming an independent writer.