• They encourage you to write between X and Y number of words, in order to have your book priced at $1.99. It's supposedly the sweet spot for KW books, but if you write beyond Y number of words, Amazon would have to adjust your pricing.
• Another thing I'm not sure about is that we (the first batch of authors writing for a new Kindle World) also received a cash bonus and it was a nice sum of money!!!

• You are legally free to publish (regardless of what name you have to use).
• You are interested in self-publishing, particularly for an international market.
• You really, really, really want to write and are willing to do everything to make a go at it.

• Consider the most popular trends in your romance sub-genre of choice. For contemporary, stepbrothers, billionaires, best friends are still / always hot. Athletes, CEOs, firefighters, even porn stars are pretty in demand. Rockstars are popular as well but to a lesser extent (those who have already established a name for rockstar romances still do amazingly well, though). In the end, focus on what you love and write best.
• Writing in English (not Filipino, not Taglish) is a must for an international market.
• Writing about Western characters is preferable and strongly recommended if you want to earn more quickly.  I also suggest the use of Western settings for the same reasons. (P.S. I have never been to Greece but I write about Greek billionaires. I have never met a werewolf or a demon, but I write about them, too).
• Writing steamy is optional but it's easier to sell when you do. Sex sells. Sorry, it's a fact. But if you don't enjoy reading or writing it, forget it. It's still best to write what you truly enjoy.
• Genre fiction is a means of escape for most readers, and this is especially true for ROMANCE. If you plan to kill off your major characters, I'm sorry but your book is unlikely to sell.
• When writing your book, set aside all thoughts of negativity and doubt. Just focus on writing a story that you would personally enjoy reading. For now, let's not care about grammar and what your peers would say about your work. Just. Focus. On. Writing. An. Enjoyable. Story.
• Write a standalone romance. Better yet, write a three-book series because readers prefer to buy authors who aren't one-hit wonders. Standalone, fyi, means a book with a non-cliffhanger ending. In romance, this means your couple gets their happy-ever-after (let's avoid the happy-for-now ending...for now, pun intended).
• For now, come up with straightforward titles that let readers know exactly what they can expect from your book. Ex: The Greek Billionaire and His Secretary (that's mine, by the way).
• Great looking covers are recommended, but yes there are exceptions (i.e. books that do spectacularly well despite having not-so-pretty covers). However, one thing I've noticed is that these exceptions tend to have compelling stories, and you know what they say: content is king.
• Editing is necessary if - after objectively evaluating your story - you know that your writing will likely prove incoherent to native English readers. Objective is the keyword here. OTOH if you're confident about your ability to self-edit your work then that's cool.
• Sign up for a free account at Mailchimp.com to build your newsletter. Research on how to do this.
• Learn how to format your story for e-publishing. Again, a lot of info is available online for this, and it's free. You can also outsource this if you're willing to pay.
• Work on your blurb. Basically, this is the product description of your book. It's the summary that you see on the product page. It can be short or long, up to you - just make sure it will get readers to click. Think about your favorite book. What about its blurb drew you in? Try to replicate the same thing with your book.
• Prepare front and back matter (basically this is marketing info at the beginning and end of your book). Let's say you have a three-book series.
  • For Book 1, start with an invitation for readers to sign up with your readers and explain why they should do so (e.g. exclusive sneak peeks of upcoming books, random giveaways). At the end, invite them again to sign up and add links to Books 2 and 3 once they're ready. 
  • For Book 2, do the same but link to Book 1 and 3. You get the drift.
• Give out ARCs to trusted readers or friends who are able to post reviews on Amazon. If they're also willing to buy the book on Amazon, SO MUCH THE BETTER! Verified reviews (this means reviews posted by people who bought the book) carry more weight than unverified reviews. And yes, we have a way of knowing this. Just check any book on Amazon. If you see a review tagged with 'verified purchase' then that's a review posted by someone who bought the book. REVIEWS are everything on Amazon and elsewhere so you want to collect as many reviews as possible and make a huge splash on your debut.
• Decide whether you want to take advantage of Amazon's Kindle Unlimited (KU) or not.
  • What's Kindle Unlimited? This is a subscription program that requires you to publish your book exclusively on Amazon for three months. After this, your contract expires (as long as you didn't tick the box for automatic re-enlistment), and it's up to you if you want to sign up for another three months. With KU, you are paid $.004 for every page read. But you can still also sell your book (it's up to you to choose the price of your book) on Amazon. So basically, when you're in KU you can earn from sales and pages read but ONLY on Amazon. This means you can't publish your book on Nook, Google Play, Buqo, etc. However, you can sell your book in print wherever and whenever. It's only the ebook distribution that KU cares about.
  • KU Benefit #1: Free days! During your three-month contract with KU, you can set your book for free for five days. You can do this consecutively or you can do this one day a week. It's up to you. Anything goes for those five days. This is an essential benefit because free books are another promotion tool. It allows readers to try unknown authors risk-free, and if they like what they read then they're more likely to buy the next book. Without KU, you cannot set your book for free immediately on Amazon. You need to wait for them to price-match. More on this later.
  • KU Benefit #2: More visibility. Not surprisingly, Amazon favors books that are published exclusively with them and so KU books are given better rankings. The better your rank is, the more people are likely to see your book and the more chances of getting sales or pages read.
  • KU Benefit #3: So many readers have subscribed to KU, and since your books are technically free for them to read (their subscription rate doesn't change no matter how many books they read), they're more likely to take a chance on your work even if they don't know who you are.
  • KU Disadvantage #1: The $.004/page rate I mentioned earlier is an estimate. It can go up or down anytime. 
  • KU Disadvantage #2: Since you're exclusive with Amazon, your book can't be published elsewhere. This puts you at Amazon's mercy, in case they change the rules again (in a bad way).
• My 2 cents:
  • If you're writing contemporary romance, I think you shouldn't jump into KU right away. You should see how your first books do by going wide (publishing everywhere).
  • If you're writing paranormal romance, I'll go with KU because they don't sell as great outside Amazon.
  • If you're writing young adult romance, I'll also go with KU because of the same reasons above.
  • If you wrote a serial instead of a series of standalone novels, I think I'll risk going wide.
  • Whether you wrote full-length books or serials, I would choose to make the first book free and then the next two books $2.99 each. This price point is my personal sweet spot, and I believe that my books are worth $2.99. This is also the minimum price you need to set in order to enjoy 70% royalty. Anything below this price point only earns 35% royalty.
• To publish your ebook, you will need to set up an account on Amazon and any other retailer. Again, do your research. Consider downloading the self-publishing manuals by David Gaughran for more tips

• Set up a Facebook page, Twitter account and other social media accounts you're comfortable using for your author profile. Start a website or a blog if you can't afford to pay for your website's domain just yet. Please research about this.
• Set up your author account on Amazon's Author Central page. Add books to your author page.
• Post on your social media accounts just once or twice a week about your books. Interact with your readers. 
• Write your next book. This is the most important way to market your old books. Write as many as you can. Release regularly. Don't pay attention to bad reviews. As long as you've put your heart in your writing, then you did a great job. Continue writing. Continue reading. As long as you're objective with your work, then you'll be able to tell if you're not writing shit.

• Book cover design (self or outsourced)
• Editing (self or outsourced)
• Title (be strategic still)
• Blurb (work it!)
• Front and back matter (invite readers to sign up for your newsletter, explain why, give them a list of your older books, and invite them to review your books, too)
• Format your book (self or outsourced)
• Give out ARCs and remind them gently about the need for posting reviews ASAP
• Publish
• Send out newsletter to let readers know that your new book is out. Include an exclusive excerpt (not the first chapter because this can already be seen in Amazon's Look Inside preview) and high-resolution image of your photo.
• Update front and back matter of older books to include link to your newest book.
• Post on social media accounts about new release.
• Recycle and repeat.

Lately, I've been receiving emails from young writers (both sexes) wanting to know what their options are for getting their works published. I've been meaning to write this entry for them but life and work's gotten in the way.
Eventually though, I've realized that life and work will always get in the way until I make time to write this entry. So here I am, and apologies for the delay.
Now, I've actually rewritten this post in my mind several times, trying to think of how to best explain the difference between traditional and self-publishing is. But now I'm thinking I don't have to do that. Other experts have already weighed about the difference between as well as the pros and cons of self-publishing and traditional publishing, and their explanations are way better than anything I can ever come up with. 
So no, I'm not going to bother with that. I do recommend you read Courtney Milan's take on it as well as this and this by Jane Friedman.
(Note:  I know that PH's publishing industry is different from the publishing industry in the US but there are also enough similarities for the aforementioned posts to still be applicable.) 
Anyway, what I'll be sharing with you now is a questionnaire that I hope can help Filipino authors determine whether it's traditional or self-publishing they're more suitable for.
Now, the rules:

1. Each question is answerable by YES or NO.
   
2. When you're done, tally your answers.
3. If you have MORE YES answers than no then you're more suitable to self-publishing.
4. If you have MORE NO answers than yes then you're more suitable to traditional publishing.
5. This questionnaire is ONLY meant to be used as A GUIDE. 
6. It DOES NOT GUARANTEE SUCCESS in publishing.

1. Do you want to own copyright to your work? (Note: It's possible that you'll still own copyright to your book when it's traditionally published, but it's something you usually have to negotiate with the publisher. The advantages of owning copyright is that you DON'T need to ask anyone's permission when you want to promote or alter your book in any way. BUT if a publisher owns copyright to your work then you may have to ask their permission for just about, well, everything. Keep in mind as well that when you sign your copyright to a publisher's, it's very hard - in most cases - to get those rights reverted back to you. In worst case scenario, these contracts can actually STOP you from self-publishing your other works.)
2. Do you want / are you more comfortable with having more control over your book covers? (Note: With traditional publishers, they often will consider your opinion but they almost always have last say over your books, and yes, that means they can choose to ignore your output. On the other hand, more control means YOU have to PAY for your OWN COVER. Then again, you can always make your own covers, and sometimes - depending on your skills - that could work, too.)
3. Do you want / are you more comfortable with having more control over the editing of your books? (Note: I know a lot of authors who self-edit their work and are still able to sell a lot of copies. You need to be honest with yourself, though, and figure out on your own if you need professional help with editing. The main advantages with working with a professional editor: it frees up your time to write more AND your book is less likely to suffer from poor editing since you are working with a professional. However, this also means having to find a good editor to work with and paying for their services - something that traditional publishers typically do for their authors.)
4. Do you want / are you more comfortable with having more control over the marketing of your books? (Note: It used to be that traditional publishers would spend a lot of money on every book they release. Now, that's no longer the case. Only a few handful - really few, to be honest - get to enjoy huge marketing campaigns. Of course, you can still do your own marketing even with a traditionally published book but if that's the case, you should be publishing your own work. On the other hand, being indie means you have to DEVELOP and PAY for your own marketing campaign.)
5. Are you READY to think of WRITING AS A BUSINESS? (Note: You can no longer think of your writing as just art. You also need to see it as a business - in every aspect. You still need to write what you LOVE, absolutely, but you also need to make sure that what you love is what readers will love as well. This may mean tweaking your plot, setting, even your characters' names. This also means thinking about the right pricing strategy and how to package your work.)
6. Are you ready to work on spreadsheets? (Note: I'm NOT asking you to be an accountant, but you do need to keep track of your expenses to figure out the ROI of each book. You will also need to monitor results every time you conduct experiments on your books in order to figure out what you need to keep doing and what you need to change with your strategy.)
7. Are you OKAY with NOT having your books IN BOOKSTORES? (Note: It's possible for an indie author to get his/her books on local bookstores on consignment, but you'll need to negotiate your own contract and take care of all the logistics. It's not easy but not impossible either. Also, having your book in bookstores is considered an important milestone by many authors. Are you willing to let go - even temporarily - of this opportunity?)
8. Are you READY to take FULL RESPONSIBILITY for your book? (Note: As an indie publisher, the buck will always stop with you. No ifs, no buts - whether it has to do with your writing, cover, editing, or even formatting - you're accountable for it. BUT then again, everything that's right about the book is also because of your own efforts.)
9. Do you want to enjoy INCREASED CHANCES of EARNING? (Note: I say increased chances of earning because I can't guarantee that you'll earn from your work. However, if you take a look at AuthorEarnings.com, you'll see that indie authors out-earn their traditional counterparts in general. Primary reasons for this include being able to have higher royalty percentages for authors and indie writers being free to publish as many books as they want.)
10. Do you want to START EARNING NOW? (Note: Amazon et al has a 2-month delay for royalty payments. What you earned this September, you will be paid with a check late November. For us Filipino authors, this check will be mailed and reach us early to mid-December. OTOH it takes publishers months to a year or even more to pay you royalties.)
11. Are you comfortable with working on your own? (Note: Indie = independent, and most of the time you will be working all by your lonesome.  There won't be anyone to prod you about deadlines, no one to look after your interests except yourself. If you're the type who needs supervision while working then indie publishing may not be for you.)
12. Are you good with TIME MANAGEMENT? (Note: You need to know your priorities as an indie publisher. You need to learn how to say 'no' to people or opportunities in order to FIERCELY PROTECT your writing time. Marketing and networking with other writers is important, yes, but it's not as important as getting the next book out.)
13. Do you write FAST enough? (Note: The main advantage of working independently is being able to publish as many books as you want. But if it's an advantage that you don't think you want or intend to make use of, then you may be better off signing with a traditional publisher.)
14. Are you comfortable with and excited about WRITING TO TREND? (Note: Imagine having watched this week's blockbuster movie and finding it so inspiring you want to write something like it, with your own twist. Imagine having read this week's NYT bestseller and again feeling so inspired by it that you want to write your own version. That's what writing to trend is all about: you're writing what's CURRENTLY POPULAR, regardless of your motivations. This used to be an ill-advised move in the past because then, we only had traditional publishing. Since it usually takes 1 to 2 years for a book to go out from the time you signed your publishing contract, there's no point writing to trend. By the time your book's out, the trend's no longer popular. BUT IT'S DIFFERENT NOW. Depending on how fast you write and how passionate, excited, challenged, and inspired you are about the trend, it's more than possible to get your next book out while the trend's still hot and readers are EAGER to pay for books that cater to that trend. Don't you want to be the author who gives these readers what they want?)
15. Are you comfortable with approaching readers or reviewers about your work? (Note: I consider this as an inevitable and necessary part of self-publishing. With traditional publishing, your publicist or your publisher's marketing department will do it for you but since you're indie, you'll need to do this on your own. You'll need to come up with a system for determining which reviewers are best to approach, following them up, and monitoring reviews.)
16. Are you READY to SPEND money on MARKETING? (Note: This is also something I consider inevitable and necessary. While there are many ways to market your book for free, in the end there are also instances when you just HAVE to pay for marketing, in order to boost your book's visibility.
17. Are you FLEXIBLE? (Note: I still believe the ebook / digital publishing industry will continue to experience growing pains for quite some time, and because of that we as indie authors need to be ready to work with whatever changes that are sure to come our way. An example: KU changing its payment policies, which totally took me by surprise, but I've moved on and I'm already working on my next strategy. We can't waste time crying over spilled milk. We just need to move on, work harder, and keep writing.)
18. Are you READY to face the STIGMA that still comes with SELF-PUBLISHING? (Note: People's take on self-publishing isn't as bad as it used to be in the past, and yes, I thank God for that. BUT it's not completely gone. There will still be people who won't consider you a "real" author because you don't have a book in bookstores. There will still be people who think you don't have a "real job". If you're not ready to deal with such stigma in a positive manner then you may not yet be ready to self-publish.)