Storyhound

KDP Formatting FAQs

Do you do children’s books?

No, we specialize in adult fiction and poetry. If you have a children’s book, I recommend checking out Red Birds Publishing.

Do I need Amazon Prime?

Nope! But you will need an Amazon/KDP account. We will load everything onto your account so you have more control.

What percentage of royalties does Storyhound get from my book?

0%. Our job is to get your book across the finish line. Once it’s published, our job is done. (We’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 a moment this is for an author, so we don’t mind being paid at the end of a job well done.

Are you proofreading my manuscript as well?

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

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.

How long does the formatting process take?

Most projects go from first contact to live book in about 4-6 weeks. Probably 1 week between you reaching out and us meeting to walk through things. Then, 1 week for me to format everything. Depending on the 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?

Yes, you will need an ISBN, but you have some options. Amazon provides a free ISBN during the publishing process. You retain copyright and publishing rights, not Amazon. However, there are a few benefits to buying your own ISBN. We encourage you to research the best fit for you.

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 it depends on whether it’s a physical book or an 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.

Do my printing costs go up if I include pictures or graphs?

Only if you choose to print in color. If they’re black-and-white, there’s no difference.

Will there be a Storyhound Publishing logo on my book?

That’s totally up to you. We won’t force it on you. Obviously, it benefits us by providing more exposure, but we also believe it gives a more professional look that will help you promote 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 need to make a change, like 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. We understand not everybody is super tech-savvy, so we’re 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?

We’d either do it via a video conference of your choice (Zoom, Google Meet, etc.) or an old-school phone call.