What not to do Number 2:
Do not believe the encouraging statement that your book will be uploaded in only 20 minutes. Mind you, it cheered me at the start but I've always been a sucker for optimism.
Somewhere on kdp (which is Amazon's kindle direct publishing site) there must be all of this information in side bars. But we're talking me here. The hopeful basher-ahead. And I didn't read it.
Here comes the helpful bit:
Before you sit down to elf publish, collect the following items/ info:
1. A bank statement for the bank you want to be paid into. (I know it seems previous and ridiculous at the moment, when you only have only the vaguest hope that anyone other than your mother will buy it, but Amazon won't upload unless they have somewhere to pay you. ) You will need the usual account and sort code numbers but also two other numbers the BIC code and the IBAN (or SWIFT in US) to identify your bank internationally. Which is why you need the statement, (digital or paper) not just a card.
2. Your National Insurance Number for the US tax form. (Again you're thinking - Already?'But .you cannot upload without it - and looking for it delays the process).
3. The Cover image - so obvious that no one would think they could upload without it - wouldn't they? No one could be that stupid ...
There are lots of ways to get your cover made, or make it yourself. There are lots of sites that can make one pretty fast and the prices and quality vary. You could post the job on http://www.fiverr.com
or try Upwork where you can post a job and review portfolios.http://www.upwork.com
4. When you go on to add your book to Createspace (Amazon's free print-on-demand site) you will also need the measurements of a paperback that you wish your book to be (in inches) This will stop you staring at figures depicting book sizes with not a clue how to envisage them.
5. While we're on Createspace publishing, you will need your cover photo, an image for the back of your book and a blurb. The Createspace tools will lead you on from there.
All of this saves jumping up like a jack-in-the-box at regular intervals and finding those pesky bits of paper that are at present in a filing cabinet under your husband's camera equipment which you absolutely did not kick.
I won't lie to you, the rest won't occur in two minutes, but you really will have just saved yourself about two hours of phaffing around - and around.
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