My first KDP related interview

Below is a written interview that I recently did with “Danny on demand”. He is a fellow self-publisher and entrepreneur.

I had the privilege of interviewing Ben, a six-figure Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) author, who, against all odds, has built a successful self-publishing career while juggling family life and a full-time job.

Ben not only has a flourishing publishing career on Amazon KDP but also runs a monetised YouTube channel, an Etsy store, and is developing an in-depth Amazon advertising course.

He has a wealth of knowledge to share about self-publishing, time management, and developing a resilient mindset.

Let’s delve into his inspiring journey.

1. Can you share your journey to becoming a successful book publisher on Amazon KDP?

I’ve always aspired to achieve wealth since a young age. Over the years, I’ve attempted numerous money-making ventures, many of which failed. Some of these included drop shipping, writing blogs, and trying to sell various products online, to name a few.

Always on the hunt for fresh ideas for earning money, I first stumbled upon ‘Merch by Amazon’. This platform, not too dissimilar from Amazon KDP, allows you to create designs and upload them to Amazon, from where you can choose which clothing products to display your designs on.

Despite trying this for several months, I didn’t experience much success. However, within the various Merch Facebook groups I had joined, I noticed the admins promoting a course on Amazon KDP. I decided to take the plunge. I enrolled in the course and, as they say, the rest is history.

2. Why have you been able to have success must faster than most self-published authors?

Like I mentioned before, I’ve tried a lot of different ways to make money, but most of them didn’t work out. To be honest, I was usually the one to blame for these failures. I often gave up too quickly and would point fingers at the ventures, saying they were ineffective or too saturated. The real difference for me has been changing my mindset and how I approach things.

In July 2019, I learned that my partner was pregnant with our first child. Even though we were planning on it, it happened much faster than either of us expected! This news really shook me and put a rocket up my behind.

I wanted my partner to be able to take a year off from work to spend time with our child. This meant I would have to handle most of our financial responsibilities. So, I became obsessed with self-publishing, hoping that I could at least make up for some of my partner’s lost income.

3. You still have a full-time job alongside KDP and a family, how are you to manage your time?

What really sped up my success was finally having a real, tangible reason to earn more money, not just the vague idea of wanting to be rich so I could buy expensive things. The thought of providing financial stability for my family was, and still is, a powerful motivation for me. Without the news of my partner’s pregnancy, I might not have found a strong enough reason to push for success.

Yes, I do. I work on the railway; my role involves replacing and repairing the overhead electrical lines and equipment. My shifts are mostly during the night.

Balance has always been one of my biggest challenges. It’s incredibly hard to juggle a “regular” job, being a good dad and partner, running a business, and maintaining good health all at once.

I am blessed that my partner is so understanding and that we are on the same page in terms of our future. She allows me to work hard, and to do that she takes on most of the jobs around the house such as, shopping, cleaning, cooking, as well as looking after our son (more than I do)

If I had a demanding partner, I doubt I would be able to earn as much as I do.

I am very strict with my time management and ruthlessly eliminate distractions and wasteful activities. I rarely watch TV and avoid wasting hours scrolling through social media. These are the two biggest time-drains for most people. My only hobbies are going to the gym and running my business (sad, I know).

I try to use my time as efficiently as possible. For instance, I listen to entrepreneurial podcasts and audiobooks during my commute.

While my son is at school, I get as much work done as possible so that I can spend time with him and my partner after school. Once my son goes to bed, I try to squeeze in some more work before I have to leave for my night shift.

Until I leave my ‘regular’ job, achieving a work-life balance will remain a challenge. Luckily, quitting my job is becoming an increasingly viable option, and with every month that passes, I am closer to making that leap.

4. What advice do you have for aspiring self-publishers looking for success with Amazon KDP?

Brush aside self-doubt and commit to being consistent with it for at least a year. Work hard, strive to create quality books instead of settling for easy-to-make lined journals. Consume as much self-publishing content as you can, never stop learning!

Be patient, as success requires time. During my first year with Amazon KDP, my highest earning month brought in $1500, while in my third year, my biggest month yielded $14,000. Trust the process. If you put in the effort, the results will materialize over time.

5. What was your biggest challenge while publishing on Amazon KDP, and how did you overcome it?

I nearly quit self-publishing about 6 months after I started. After my earnings drastically dropped after the peak of Christmas, I began to wonder if all of my time and effort was worth the earnings I was getting. I earned about $350 one month and I remember being so disappointed, because I was putting in at least 30 hours a week. Luckily, I choose to keep on publishing and see if it was just a bad patch. My royalties began to rise after a few months and I am extremely glad I didn’t give up.

Fortunately, I chose to keep publishing to see if it was just a temporary slump. After a few months, my royalties began to rise again, and I’m so glad I didn’t give up.

Like most things, KDP has its own cycles that I didn’t understand at the time. The fourth quarter (October to December) tends to be the best period for self-publishers, thanks to the surge in Christmas shoppers. After December, sales typically drop off, and then the cycle starts again.

6. Do you have any other successful side hustles?

I have a YouTube channel which is monetised. I have an Etsy store which sells digital downloads. I’m also in the process of creating an in-depth Amazon advertising course which will bring me another source of income. In addition, I earn a little bit of affiliate commission for promoting self-publishing tools that I use.

Although I rarely push the affiliate stuff. I will if there is a special offer that will save my community money.

I’m not sure if you consider investing a side hustle, but I funnel most of my income into various investments that will help my net worth grow over time.

7. What are your future plans and goals for your publishing career on Amazon KDP?

It really depends on the time I have available. My goal is to increase my average monthly royalties each year. However, as I’m dedicated to diversifying my income streams, I find my time for publishing is decreasing more and more each month. That’s why I’m smarter with my time and focus on running ads to maintain or even boost my books’ positions on Amazon.

If I decide to leave my full-time job, I would likely publish more, create additional courses to support my community, as well as offering mentoring.

Thanks, Ben for this outstanding interview. You can find him on these social media platforms below, make sure you give him a follow:

Youtube Channel — https://www.youtube.com/c/MoneyonTheSide7

Free KDP Facebook Community Group (12,000+ members) — https://www.facebook.com/groups/kdpsecrets

Website — https://getmoneyontheside.com/

Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/moneyontheside7/