Amazon KDP has opened the door for independent authors around the world. It offers access to an enormous international marketplace and makes it possible to publish a book without the traditional barriers that once kept many writers out.
But here's something Caribbean authors should also know:
Amazon doesn't have to be your only option.
More Platforms Can Mean More Opportunities
There are other publishing, distribution and direct-sales platforms that allow independent authors to sell books online.
Some can help place books with additional retailers. Others allow authors to sell eBooks and other digital products directly to readers. Their royalty structures, payment methods and payout arrangements can also differ from Amazon's.
For an author in The Bahamas or elsewhere in the Caribbean, those differences are worth exploring.
The goal isn't necessarily to replace Amazon. It's to build a publishing strategy that gives your books—and your earnings—more than one avenue.
Go Where the Readers Are
Different platforms can provide access to different stores, countries and types of readers.
That means expanding beyond a single sales channel can potentially help an author:
- reach readers who don't normally shop on Amazon;
- make books available through additional international retailers;
- create another source of book income; and
- explore payment arrangements that may better suit their circumstances.
There's another practical advantage: if one sales channel changes its policies, payment requirements or reach, your entire author business isn't dependent on that one platform.
Find the Right Mix for You
You don't need to put your book everywhere simply because you can.
The better approach is to understand what each platform offers, how it pays, what it costs and whether it fits your publishing goals.
Amazon may remain an important part of that picture. It just doesn't have to be the whole picture.
Want to Explore Your Options?
GET PAID: A Practical Guide for Bahamian Authors looks beyond Amazon KDP and examines additional ways Bahamian authors can sell books and receive their earnings.
Discover the options, compare the possibilities and decide which combination makes sense for you.
More ways to sell. More ways to reach readers. More possibilities for getting paid.
GET THE BAHAMIAN GUIDE →