Storyhound

KDP Formatting FAQS

Do you do children’s books?

Unfortunately no. We specialize in adult fiction and poetry.

Do I need Amazon Prime?

Nope! But you will need an Amazon/KDP account. We will load everything on your account because I want you to have more control.

What percent royalties does Storyhound get off my book?

0%. My job is to get your book across the finish line. Once it’s published, you pay me and my job is done. (I’ll always be around for any questions!)

Do I pay upfront or at the end?

At the end. We want you to be really excited about your book and happy with the job Storyhound did. We understand how big of a moment this is for an author, so we don’t mind being paid at the end of a job well done.

What versions will you be providing (hardcover, paperback, ebook)?

We recommend paperback over hardcover because of the printing costs, and it’s what we have the most experience with, but we can do hardcover too. We can also do an ebook.

Are you proofreading my manuscript as well?

No. I’m assuming your manuscript is done-done and ready to be formatted and loaded up to Amazon. I can provide a high-level proof for typos for an additional cost, though.

How long would this formatting process go?

Probably 1 week between you reaching out and us meeting to walk over things. Then, 1 week for me to format everything. Depending on schedules for when we would meet to load up everything in KDP, it would probably be 1 week for you to get a preview copy. (Then, however long your reviewing process takes.) Then a few days for us to schedule a time to finalize everything, and a few days for KDP to process the book and make it live.

Do I need an ISBN?

No. Amazon provides a free ISBN during the publishing process. You retain copyright and publishing rights, not Amazon. There are a few benefits to buying your ISBN, but we’d recommend just using the free ISBN.

When I publish on Amazon, do I need to place a minimum order of copies?

No. Amazon prints on demand, so it only makes prints when someone places an order. That’s another pretty big benefit of KDP.

How much money do I get paid per copy?

There’s a lot that goes into it – and depends on physical book vs. ebook. However, as a rough example, it’s usually 60% of the list price, minus the printing costs. Ex: You sell the book for $20 … 60% is $12 … but your book costs $6 to print. You would earn $6 per copy.

Will there be a Storyhound Publishing logo on my book?

That’s totally up to you. I won’t force it on you. Obviously, it benefits us because it’s more exposure, but we also believe it provides a more professional look that will help you in promoting the book. However, including the logo is optional.

What if I need to make changes after my book has been published?

That’s common and one of the major benefits of publishing on KDP. If you spot a typo or are adding a positive review to your book (woohoo!), Storyhound will either provide a tutorial video on how to reupload your manuscript or meet to walk you through those steps (at no additional cost). Also, we will provide you with the formatted Word Doc, so we recommend you make changes directly in that document.

I’m in the Chicago area, are you willing to meet in person to walk through major milestones?

Absolutely. I understand not everybody is super tech-savvy, so I’m more than happy to meet and walk through major steps in the process in person.

I’m not in the Chicago area, how would we meet?

Unless you’re up for paying for my travel and lodging, we’d either do it through a video conference of your choice (Zoom, Google Meet, etc.) or even through an old-school phone call.