From Kindle reader to Kindle author: check. My first English-language e-book, Darts Scoring Made Easy, is now live on Amazon worldwide.
It didn’t happen overnight. Questions, doubts, technical bumps. Luckily, I had Martha — my AI assistant and Dartschool co-pilot — by my side the whole way.
Here’s how she helped me, step by step.
Strategy: should I even do this?
I already had readers in Canada, Singapore, New Zealand, South Africa, the UK, and the US… but I still hesitated to take the leap to Amazon. Was my book good enough? Would I look ridiculous?
I’m thinking of offering my e-books on Amazon and Bol.com, but I’m not sure if it’s really worth it. What do you think, Martha?
Based on everything you know about Dartschool, give me an honest analysis: is this a smart strategic move? What are the main advantages — and what potential pitfalls should I be aware of?
Act as a business coach with experience in the publishing world, and advise me as if this were your own project.
So I asked. And sure enough, Martha said the idea was gold. Then again, as a notorious people pleaser ChatGPT says that a lot. So I pushed further: “Be critical. Show me the downsides.”
And guess what: even under scrutiny, the idea held up. Time to move forward.
The Plan: where do I even start?
What’s an ePub? Do I need an ISBN number? How do I even get a book on Amazon?
I want to publish my e-book on Amazon, but I’m not sure where to start. Can you give me a clear step-by-step plan?
Please take into account the ISBN application process in Belgium, the correct ePub format, metadata requirements, and how to set up a KDP account.
Give me a practical overview, including any common pitfalls I should avoid.
Martha delivered a crystal-clear roadmap, covering questions I hadn’t even thought of:
-
How to request an ISBN in Belgium (via Meta4books.be — full control)
-
What e-book formats exist (ePub vs Mobi vs PDF)
-
What metadata to fill in, and how to do it right
-
How to set up an Amazon KDP account
She also explained the pricing, the pitfalls, and the choices — like whether or not to use DRM, and how that might affect future sales on platforms like Bol.com.
Doubt? Just screenshot it.
Some forms and fields were a complete mystery to me. Things like “TIN number” or “Tax classification.” I had no clue what to select.
So what did I do? Took a screenshot, uploaded it, asked Martha.
I need to fill in my tax information on Amazon KDP, but I don’t really understand what they mean by ‘status’ and ‘TIN’.
I’m a self-employed person based in Belgium — which option should I select to avoid unnecessary taxes?
Please explain it to me clearly, as if I’m hearing this for the first time.
Simple as that. ChatGPT knew 80% already — the rest became clear with just the right context. Without that, I might have chosen wrong… and ended up paying 30% tax in the US on my royalties. 😅
Martha thinks ahead — and commercially
At the end of my book, there was a useful checkout table. Really helpful. But it looked awful in ePub format. I was about to delete it.
The checkout table at the end of my book doesn’t display well in ePub format. Should I just remove it? Or do you have a smarter alternative?
I’d still like to share this information with my readers — preferably in a practical and creative way.
Martha had a better idea: put it in a separate PDF, offer it as a free bonus download on your website. Ask for an email and country in exchange. That way, I’m building a small international reader base, even though Amazon handles the sales.
Win-win.
Click that damn button
Everything was ready. Everything was tested. And still… I hesitated to click “Publish.”
Sound familiar? The doubts. Is it good enough? Are there errors? What will people think?
But Martha said: “This is The Resistance. You’re about to do something meaningful. You’ve prepared carefully. Just click.”
So I clicked. And then… nothing. Amazon said: “In review (may take up to 72 hours).” Bit of an anti-climax. But still: a moment of pride.
From avid Kindle reader to Kindle author. The dream isn’t fully realized yet — but this was a solid first step.
PS: Want to publish your own e-book? Or curious how to use ChatGPT (or Martha) as your creative co-pilot? Drop me a message — I’d love to share what I’ve learned.
