Ah! It’s here! I finally received a copy of the first product we made through Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing or Amazon KDP. Later in this post, I’ll share the 3 tips for starting Amazon KDP I learned in this process. But first…

Introducing my beautifully aesthetic lined notebook, “In my Manifestation Era.”

What is Amazon KDP?

If you don’t know what Amazon KDP is, essentially, it allows you to self-publish your own books. You can create hardcover books, paperbacks, and eBooks all through their KDP portal online.

The digital passive income world has leveraged this service to easily create paperback composition notebooks, planners, journals, and much more. By pairing this service with an easy-to-use design program such as Canva, anybody can invest the initial time to create products, set them up on Amazon KDP, and then Amazon does the rest of the work.

This creates an effective passive income stream… so long as you create quality products and can get eyes on them to convert to sales. I’m sure I’ll write another post on how to get eyes on your products, but first, let’s dig into some tips for when you are starting Amazon KDP.

In my manifestation era

Let’s take a moment to give our beautiful, aesthetic, lined notebook a moment to shine. We’re all about manifesting the life we want; envisioning working from home with our sweet babies will be a reality. This inspired our “Manifestation Era” lined notebook. I opted for a hardcover because I like the durability it provides. A journal or notebook you plan to use needs to travel with you; a hardcover allows that to happen without damaging your book.

This book is the perfect addition to your desk, and with its beautiful design, it can even be featured in your flat-lay desk photos. Be sure to grab your copy today!

Here are three tips I learned while starting Amazon KDP and publishing our first notebook:

1. Skip the Author or Proof Copies

If you’re outside of the United States, skip the proof stage. All author and proof copies are produced and shipped in the US, which means you have to pay conversion rates, shipping, and even duty! It makes your proof or author copy very expensive.

You have to review the book digitally before you can publish it, so the majority of the errors you will catch before you have a physical copy in your hands. If you still want a physical copy, just wait for the book to hit Amazon.ca or your country.

Plus – chances are nobody is buying your book right away. You have to market it, promote it, and let people know it exists. So, you’ve got time to make changes if you need to.

2. Add branding to the second page of your manuscript

The first page of your notebook is likely going to be a “this journal belongs to” page or something along those lines. Typically, you don’t start right on that first page. This means your third page is where your lined pages will start, leaving an empty second page. This page in a normal book features the publisher’s information, where it was printed, etc. With your notebook, make sure you add your website, logo, QR code, or something for people to link back to your brand.

Need a QR code generator?

I love using Me QR. It has a great free version for up to 10,000 QR codes with unlimited scans. The only downside is users have to view an ad beforehand, but, this is typical of any free QR code generator. There is also a lite version that offers one QR code that is always ad-free. I purchased the Premium version as I also generate QR codes for my clients through Bexlyn Creative.

There’s a good chance your branding is not very predominant on Amazon. This second page is the perfect opportunity to get your branding in front of them and redirect them back to your website or product pages.

3. Create a Paperback version of your notebook as well.

There’s a huge market of people who will want to leverage Amazon’s Prime delivery. People no longer want to wait for their products these days – especially on Amazon. While the hardcover is beautiful, provides more durability, and is a higher-quality piece – to capture this other market, you can easily create an alternate paperback version.

I made the mistake of adding “Hardcover” in my title, thinking it would help with SEO purposes. Ultimately, all it did was prevent me from adding a paperback version I believe. So I’m off to figure out if I should archive my first edition, and create a second edition without hardcover in the title!

Have you created products on Amazon KDP? What tips would you share with people looking to get started?

This month’s book club book was chosen by my sister, Jess! We were both pretty big fans of Anna Todd’s After series, so I was looking forward to this next read. Here’s what the synopsis has to say about the book. Be sure to read on to see what I thought!

The Falling Book Review / Summary

Twenty-year-old Karina is proud of the independent life she has created for herself in Fort Benning, Georgia. And like anyone who has grown up around an army base, Karina knows the background noise that follows men and women home from war.

When she meets Kael, a handsome soldier on the cusp of discharge, she’s immediately intrigued by his brooding presence and enigmatic silence. As their unexpected friendship turns into something more, Karina tries to piece together Kael’s story: he is emotionally closed off, recovering from wounds and other trauma in the aftermath of two deployments in Afghanistan.

Karina considers herself a fixer of broken things and has a strong desire to help Kael heal. She has an equally strong desire to trust him even though it challenges her many insecurities and anxieties. But trust is fragile, and when it is broken, Karina and Kael find their relationship at an impossible crossroads.

My thoughts on The Falling 

Overall, I was disappointed in this book. I figured the characters were likely to follow the toxicity thread that I found Harden from After fell into. However, unlike After, I couldn’t really get into these characters as much. Their flaws did not turn into something that made me want to read more. I’m unsure if it’s just because I’m at a different stage in my life, so it was a little harder to endure through the text.

Karina, being the main character, I found her flaws to be very annoying. It did not make her more endearing to me. I wanted to smack some sense into her half the time! Doing some soul-searching, I wonder if its because she reminds me of issues I used to face in terms of always trying to fix people and taking responsibility for others when its not your weight to bear. Having done some inner work myself, maybe this is why it was so intolerable and annoying to read.

Kael’s mystery and drama with the military history and background was fairly interesting to me, especially having my own ties to the military. I would be curious to read further books to learn more about his story and why he is the way he is, but I’m not sure I can handle the idea of reading from Karina’s perspective!

Overall, it was a fairly easy read, but not one I would pick up again.

Favourite Quotes from The Falling by Anna Todd

“For about the fourth time today, I can feel the panic bubbling just below my chest and it dawns on me that every time I imagine our reunion, I see him the way I did the very first time I laid eyes on him.”

― Anna Todd, The Brightest Stars

The Falling Book Club Questions

1. How does Karina’s mother’s story shape her growth and identity?
2. How is Karina’s life shaped by her tendency to assume responsibility for things outside her control?
3. Do you think Kael is emotionally unavailable? How do you think this impacts his relationship with Karina?

Other books in this series

The Burning

The Infinite Light of Dust

Other books by Anna Todd

After

After We Collided

After We Fell

After Ever Happy

Before

Similar books to The Falling

If you enjoyed The Falling by Anna Todd, you might like the following books that have similar themes of romance, emotional intensity, and complex characters:

Beautiful Disaster
by Jamie McGuire

Ugly Love
by Colleen Hoover

The Deal
by Elle Kennedy

Punk 57
by Penelope Douglas

Final Thoughts on The Falling by Anna Todd

If you’re into easy reads, this book falls into that category. It leaves much to be desired but has enough intrigue about why Kael is the way he is that you want to read the next book in the series to find out. If I’m looking for something to read and can’t find anything else, I might be convinced to pick up the second book. Overall, with the excitement I felt about reading a book by the author who wrote After, this book leaves me with the feeling of disappointment.

Following last month’s thriller, this month’s book club book was picked by Lindsey and for my sake, was not another thriller! Thank goodness. On the docket, we had The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods, which, can I just say the cover of this book is absolutely magical. Here’s what the synopsis has to say about the book. Be sure to read on to see what I thought!

The Lost Bookshop Book Review / Summary

The Keeper of Stories meets The Lost Apothecary in this evocative and charming love story full of mystery and secrets. Gorgeous descriptions of Paris and Dublin transport you to another world – a book to truly escape into.

‘The thing about books,’ she said ‘is that they help you to imagine a life bigger and better than you could ever dream of.’

On a quiet street in Dublin, a lost bookshop is waiting to be found…

For too long, Opaline, Martha and Henry have been the side characters in their own lives.

But when a vanishing bookshop casts its spell, these three unsuspecting strangers will discover that their own stories are every bit as extraordinary as the ones found in the pages of their beloved books. And by unlocking the secrets of the shelves, they find themselves transported to a world of wonder… where nothing is as it seems.

My thoughts on The Lost Bookshop 

I thoroughly enjoyed The Lost Bookshop. This story follows three main characters on their own intriguing and unique path. With every new piece of information in each individual storyline, I was glued to the pages to see just how these characters’ lives intertwined.

Woods does an excellent job creating three vastly different storylines within one book with enough similarities and common threads woven throughout to know that somehow, someway, they will come together.

There was one moment in the book when I actually put the book down on the bed, turned to my partner, and exclaimed “OH MY GOD! I need to tell you about this book.” The twists, intensity, and overall magical whimsicalness of this book took me by surprise and had me absolutely hooked. The banter between Martha and Henry, the determined spirit of Opaline, and the charm of this lost bookshop makes this book a must-read.

With a few heavier themes throughout like abuse, mental health, and traumatic events surrounding birth, this book really does have it all. I highly recommend giving this one a read!

Favourite Quotes from The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods

“Lost is not a hopeless place to be. It is a place of patience, of waiting. Lost does not mean gone for ever. Lost is a bridge between worlds, where the pain of our past can be transformed into power. You have always held the key to this special place, but now you are ready to unlock the door.”

― Evie Woods, The Lost Bookshop

“The thing about books,’ she said, ‘is that they help you to imagine a life bigger and better than you could ever dream of.”

― Evie Woods, The Lost Bookshop

“I learned something in that moment; you’re on your own in this world. No one is coming to save you. People don’t suddenly change, say they’re sorry and begin to treat you with respect. They are a jumble of hurt and pain and they will take it out on whomever they can. I had to save myself.”

― Evie Woods, The Lost Bookshop

The Lost Bookshop Book Club Questions

These particular questions were provided on Evie Woods’ website and contributed to great conversation in our own book club! View more questions.

1. Opaline’s love of books is what guides her through life, like talismans and passports of escape. As a reader, what do books mean to you? How have books impacted your life?
2. Were there any significant plot twists that surprised you?
3. Did the book provoke any emotional responses from you? Which scenes stood out in terms of their impact?
4. Intergenerational trauma is another significant theme, with each character facing the repercussions of the previous generations actions. What is your opinion on the subject?

Other books by Evie Woods

The Story Collector

Similar books to The Lost Bookshop

If you enjoyed The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods, you might like the following books that share themes of mystery, history, and the magic of books and bookstores:

The Book of Beginnings
by Sally page

The Little Paris Bookshop
by Nina George

The Keeper of Stories
by Sally Page

The Midnight Library
by Matt Haig

Final Thoughts on The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods

If you are a lover of books and magical themes, this book needs to be added to your ‘To Read’ list! The characters, depth, development, and surprises throughout the story keep you reading. You grow attached to each character and need to know how the story ends. This was an easy 5-star read for me. If you take a read through this lovely novel, please let me know what you thought in the comments below!