How I Achieved This

I will outline the key steps I took to reach these results.

A quick disclaimer: My experience may not be representative. I've invested significant effort into this over the past couple of months. This is not intended as “advice,” as I'm not an expert—merely sharing my personal journey.

1. I Redefined My Concept of a "Book"

In the past, I believed that writing a book required years of intensive work. For many writers, this is indeed the case. However, when I embraced this challenge, I realized I needed to shift my perspective on what writing a book entails.

Traditional books often feel unnecessarily lengthy. For every bestselling nonfiction title, there exists a concise summary that captures the main ideas in a fraction of the length. Companies like Blinkist have thrived by summarizing popular works.

Instead of spending months drafting a lengthy 250-page book, I aimed to write as succinctly as possible. Most of my works range from 10,000 to 25,000 words—roughly equivalent to a dozen Medium articles.

I also opted not to engage in “no content” or “low content” books like planners or notebooks. While I respect those who do, I prefer to take a different path.

2. I Write With Market Demand in Mind

Years ago, I read Chris Fox's book "Write to Market," which I highly recommend for anyone interested in nonfiction self-publishing. Its core message is that to sell your book, you must write it with a specific audience and relevant keywords in mind from the outset.

Many self-published authors fall into the trap of writing what they want rather than what readers are eager to buy. When brainstorming book ideas, I start with topics that interest me or where I have expertise. Then, I utilize keyword research tools like Book Beam, Helium 10, and Publisher Rocket to assess market demand.

These tools reveal how many searches occur for specific keywords on Amazon each month, guiding me in refining my book topics, titles, and KDP categories. Ultimately, these resources enable me to create books that people genuinely wish to purchase.

Note: While it's essential to have some knowledge about your subject, one does not need to be an expert to publish books on Amazon.

3. I Utilize an AI Writing Assistant

On my own, I can produce 2,000 to 3,000 words in a good day. However, with the help of an AI writing assistant, I can generate 10,000 to 15,000 words within a few hours. I use a tool called Jasper, previously known as Jarvis, which has gained popularity for a good reason.

I primarily write my books using Jasper. It provides basic formatting tools and a word counter to track my progress in real time. A standout feature is its ability to eliminate writer's block. If I find myself stuck, I can hit the “COMPOSE” button, and Jasper will assist in completing my thoughts, which I can then refine.

It's important to clarify that Jasper doesn't create books for you. Instead, it serves as a writing assistant, allowing me to bring my ideas and research to the table while helping me write significantly faster.

If you're interested in trying Jasper, you can use my referral link for 10,000 bonus credits, equating to about 10,000 AI-generated words for free.

4. I Invest in Amazon KDP Ads

While it's possible to achieve organic sales on Amazon, I found that it's not the quickest route to profitability—at least in my experience. Without an existing audience, my books could languish on Amazon for weeks or longer before finding buyers.

To boost my sales, I rely on Amazon KDP ads. This strategy has proven effective.

The way the Amazon algorithm works is straightforward: the more sales your book achieves, the more Amazon will promote it. By running ads from day one, I can generate immediate sales, which signals to Amazon to improve my book's ranking for relevant keywords. Consequently, I often find I can reduce ad spending after a month of promotion, as my books continue to sell well.

I plan to provide a detailed account of my Amazon ad strategy in the future, so follow along if you're interested.

5. I Publish Consistently

Since October 2021, I've released around 40 titles on Amazon KDP. This endeavor requires commitment and consistent effort, especially since it's not my primary job—I manage another business full-time.

While I hesitate to use the cliché “If I can do it, so can you,” it holds some truth. I've learned to prioritize my time, pushing through fatigue to keep up with my writing commitments.

The key takeaway from my experience is that success is achievable.

August 2022 Update

I initially intended to share monthly income reports, but I became involved in other projects that consumed most of my time. As a result, I haven't published a new title since early 2022, and my existing books, crafted with Jasper's assistance, have generated over $20,000 this year.

This is an area I plan to revisit soon. If you're interested in following my KDP publishing journey, be sure to subscribe to my updates.

Note: Some links in this article are referral links.