Use This Weird Trick to Save on Proof Copies of Paperbacks on Amazon

In August, after I sorta figured out how to do a sequel to Reunion:  Gender Swap Warriors #1, I decided to make a paperback of it.  I was at work and the mail wasn't in yet so I downloaded the HTML files of the ebook and put them in a Word file.  Then I quickly formatted a paperback by using my post from 2013 that gives advice on the margins and such.  It really is so helpful whenever I need to make a paperback.  Instead of goofing with the headers on top I just put a page number centered at the bottom.  There aren't chapters in the book so it wouldn't be much of an issue.

After saving the file as a PDF, I set up the paperback on the KDP site.  I didn't have a cover pic handy so I just used something from theirs on a template.  It took only about 30 minutes or so to throw the whole thing together.

Now here's how I saved a couple bucks on a proof copy:

If I had ordered a proof at that point, it would have cost about $2.65 plus probably another $4 shipping because they don't let you get Prime shipping on that.  And I'd have to wait days to get it to approve my proof.

Instead, I just used the online viewer and approved it.  Then I set pretty much the lowest price I could, $4.49.  The key here is to NOT select "Expanded Distribution."

I had to wait about 12 hours or so for it to publish and show up on Amazon.  But then I could order it with Prime shipping for $4.49.  So I got it for $4.49 versus about $7 if I bought a regular proof.

Then once I went through my proof copy and made changes, I reloaded it on Amazon, put in a better cover, and turned on the Expanded Distribution, which raised the price to $6.99.

Anyway, all said and done that's how you save like $2-$2.50 and probably get it faster too.  Of course that doesn't work if you don't have Amazon Prime.  

Recently Amazon started to offer hardcover books.  As far as I can tell, the same paperback file would work for the interior, so long as you keep the same size.  I did one for the special edition of A Hero's Journey and found the cover image needed some resizing to fit properly, so you might need to tweak your cover a little.  The hardcovers are more expensive, so I don't really see much use for them for me except maybe something like Where You Belong where I might want something fancier.

I have been meaning to do another version of Where You Belong for the 10th (now 12 1/2) anniversary but I never got around to it.  Doing a hardcover version might finally get me to do that.