What to expect with Amazon publishing

On January 2nd of this year, I published my fourth and fifth poetry books. It has been a wonderful half a year stressing about getting everything right and finally achieving my dream of being a published author. Like many people, I published all five of my poetry books, and a short story book I co-wrote with a friend, directly on Amazon. I/We decided to go with Amazon because it was quick, the prompts were easy to fill out, and, most importantly for a minimum wage warehouse worker, it was cheap.

So far, it has been a neutral experience for me. However, I know that there are a lot of young, bright-eyed writers looking at Amazon as a possible publishing option. For those of you who are considering this route, here a few things you should keep in mind before you publish.

You’re on your own. For everything.

One of the best things about publishing on Amazon is you have complete control over the entire process. No literary agents or focus groups needed and you don’t have to pitch your book to council of suits. You can put your unique and weird creation out there as is for the whole world to see.