Prepare a self-published book with a rights record, edited master, format-specific files, checked proofs and explicit royalty assumptions.
Record the intended reader, language, formats, territories and distribution channels. Read the current terms for each chosen service, including rights grants, exclusivity and required disclosures, before making a release commitment.
Keep a versioned master, revision log and unresolved issue list. Confirm permission or licensing for text, images, cover assets and fonts, including the intended formats. Agree an editor’s actual scope and deliverables from a written quote.
Choose print trim, ink, paper and layout against the selected printer’s current requirements. A word-density page estimate can help early planning, but obtain the final page count from the actual print file. Check ebook navigation, headings, reading order, links and image descriptions in a suitable reader.
Check title, contributor names, edition, description, categories, rights information and identifier requirements for each format. Make the cover, interior and platform entries agree. For KDP, review its specific ISBN and imprint rules rather than assuming a free ISBN works on other services.
Record a dated royalty basis, rate, deductions before and after the rate, and net units for one market and format. Use the royalty calculator for those terms only. Keep fixed editing, cover, print proofs and marketing expenses separately. If producing audio, measure a narration sample and recording ratio before estimating sessions.
Use the service’s preview process and, for print, inspect a physical proof when available. Check margins, bleed, page order, headings, images, cover alignment and metadata. Log corrections, regenerate affected files and recheck the corrected version before approving it.
Only after file and rights checks, submit the approved edition through the selected service and verify its live listing. Archive the submitted files, terms, metadata and proof notes. Track actual sales, returns, charges and payouts against the correct reporting period; offer updates only to readers who opted in.
Make an early word-density page plan; final print specifications require the actual layout file.
Calculate explicitly entered royalty basis, rate and deduction order for one set of terms.
Estimate recording time from a measured narration pace and productive-time ratio; post-production is separate.
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KDP print and ebook calculations use different deduction structures and eligibility conditions. Check the current market and format rules and model each applicable set of terms separately.
KDP’s free ISBN is for eligible print formats and can be used only on KDP. Its ebook ISBN is optional. Match the registered metadata and verify the requirements of other channels independently.
A KDP proof is intended for checking before publication. An author copy is made from the live edition; unpublished changes do not appear in it.
Keep enough detail to reproduce the approved edition.
| Record | Content |
|---|---|
| Master | Version, revision status and asset rights |
| Format files | Print specifications or ebook structure and validation notes |
| Approval | Proof issues resolved, approved filenames and date |
| Commercial terms | Market, currency, rate basis, deduction order and source date |
Put the approved files in a named version so an older draft is not uploaded by mistake.
Add an audio edition only after confirming rights, production scope and the distributor’s delivery requirements.