Can You Really Earn 30k A Month Kindle Publishing? Truthful Insights From A Long Term Amazon Author
The first book I published on Amazon was in 2008. A decade and a half ago and exactly was one year after Kindle was first introduced.
Since then I have published many more books under another (Maiden) name and as a ghost writer. I’ve written over 3000 articles online, for my own and other people’s websites. If there’s anything to know about how the internet and how online marketing works, I’ve been there and done it and I know what’s really involved (to do it well).
I am not telling you this to brag, I am telling you this because I’ve been through the learning curve. Many actually. I’ve seen so many trends come and go, stopped counting how many I’ve put through the litmus test, through trial and error, and figured out where the success sweet spots lie.
It wasn’t always pretty.
There are fundamental principles that successful marketers follow. Consistency with integrity. Doing so ensures longevity in their businesses. (One of my favorites is Frank Kern. See his Instagram post on his philosophy.)
When I see different people promoting courses for new “side hustles” I often roll my eyes. More to the point though, I feel protective of anyone who doesn’t have the experience and knowledge to calculate and determine the feasibility of the income and timeframes being advertised. They can end up spending huge amounts on courses that don’t result in a lasting income.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, business models such as dropshipping and print-on-demand were popular. Recently, there has been an increase in the promotion of Kindle publishing courses, as individuals have shifted from Amazon arbitrage to creating and selling eBooks. This was largely due to logistical problems sourcing physical products.
It is possible to transition from one Amazon income stream to another within six months, but it typically takes time to build up enough sales to a consistent level where you could possibly replace your current income.
Rather than take my word for it, lets dig into some Amazon publishing facts and figures:
As an Amazon author I consistently earn between .50 and $4.50 per ebook sold. I earn between $4.50 and $6.90 for paperbacks. Why does this vary so much? Exchange rates and distribution channels is the answer. Books sold through stores outside of Amazon, take their cut. My income varies quite alot depending on the exchange rate between the US and New Zealand dollar. Sometimes I hold royalties in a US bank account until the exchange rate is favorable before transferring it.
Some real numbers from a real account:
As you can see, Amazon author income comes from many different currency sources.
A caveat: The average income for Kindle publishers can vary greatly, as it depends on several factors such as the number of books published, the quality of the books, the size/page numbers, the niche they are in, and the marketing efforts made.
You can figure out (roughly) what an author is selling by entering their Best Seller Rank into this handy tool by TCK Publishing. I like the resources Tom shares and his free intro course (I receive nothing for saying so).
Link to the free course: https://www.tckpublishing.com/full-time-author
Attached is a screenshot of a calculation I performed using the title of a book from an individual who claims to earn over $30,000 per month from eBooks, supposedly reaching this level since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
I am basing the figures I am about to calculate on today’s ACTUAL rank. I have had been on best seller lists, which is great while it lasts, however; you can be a number one best seller if you write something in a small niche if your book has a lot of sales in a short period of time. You can sell 20 books and be on a best seller list IF it’s a small niche and you’ve promoted your book offsite. I know this because I have done it.
Back to the analysis. I picked one book with a decent public profile. You can see that based on the authors BSR (best seller rank) approximately 2 of these books are sold a day. This is an average by the way, which surprized me considering they are selling a Kindle publishing course.
Let’s be generous and say this Author makes $3.15 per book. That’s $81.90 per month. To make $35k per month based on the selling rate above, it would require the creation of 427 books (assuming their sales continued on a monthly basis — they typically decline…).
They say they don’t write any of their books…
The cost of having a decent ebook ghost written starts from about $150. That’s the bare minimum and some go up to $1500 for publishing a book with cover design added on to that. Book covers range from $50 to $300 on Fiverr.com.
You can get a cheaper deal but like everything, you get what you pay for and this reflects in your sales!
A summary of what it costs to have eBooks written for you (if you were creating 427 books)
- Ghostwriting 427 books x $150 = $64,050
- Book cover production 427 x $50 = $21,350
- Book formatting and publishing 427 x $80 = $34,160
Based on the above, it would cost $119,600 to create the claimed income stream. OR they would need to sell alot more than 2 of each book per day.
Doing the maths yourself, you can calculate the chances of generating what some say call a Kindle Publishing side hustle within 2 to 3 years.
This is the point course sellers will say “ah but I know the secrets and how to be exceptional”. Ok, show me the numbers then, how it’s possible!
Maybe it’s easier to earn money selling a course on the theory of it. Show me some real evidence of this before you take my money!
As an Amazon author, I know what it takes for top Authors to sell thousands or hundreds of thousands of eBooks. It takes time OR an having a ready audience (just ask Prince Harry), sometimes both.
You can earn a decent income from Kindle publishing, but in conjunction with other income streams. Many streams often work together so you need to enjoy creating that framework, otherwise you’ll burn out.
Creating a consistent income is simply not scalable to the point where a newbie can earn 30k per month in the timeframe touted with no audience to begin with. Nothing is “free” and massive results require massive effort.
To claim to be able to do this within 2 years (since COVID emerged) as is bragged about by some Kindle course sellers is a galactic stretch.
I am not trying to be a negative Nancy, I am being realistic considering what most people looking for a side hustle can achieve. You can do it, but it will take time, perhaps many years.
My advice is to choose something you are passionate about, something you love. Then it doesn't feel like work. I personally love writing, so it’s a no brainer. I enjoy multiple streams of internet income, but it’s the streams I enjoy growing that have had longevity. The rest I sold or shut down.
If you love writing yay, eBooks might still be an option for you, just keep in mind that it’s a long game. Burnout and shiny object syndrome is rife in the online marketing game. You can make the journey the fun part, and enjoy the experience getting to the goal!
If you liked this article you might like this:
Goals Can Be A Blessing Or A Curse- Here’s An Alternative
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