I Published My First Amazon KDP Journal at 60 — Here’s What Really Happened

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This week, at 60 years old, I became a published author on Amazon.

But the road to that “Congratulations” email was anything but smooth.

I’m building my online business in real time while working a demanding full-time job, and one of the things I decided to learn was Amazon KDP. My first project was Watchmen on the Wall: 30-Day Guided Prayer & Intercession Journal.

MY FIRST KDP REJECTION

My first submission didn’t make it through exactly as planned. Amazon flagged the cover because the lettering on the spine was too close to the edges.

I had a choice: get discouraged or learn how to fix it.

I corrected the cover by removing the spine lettering and submitted it again. Problem solved—or so I thought.

THEN CAME AN EMAIL I WASN’T EXPECTING

On September 10, I received another message from KDP. This time Amazon said it had detected “brand-associated content” in my cover or book information.

The frustrating part was that the email didn’t tell me exactly what was causing the problem.

So instead of immediately redesigning everything, I started investigating. I reviewed the cover, wording, and images. I even used Google Image Search to see whether there was an obvious matching cover or image that might explain the warning.

I couldn’t find an obvious answer.

Rather than guessing and changing a cover I loved, I emailed KDP and asked them to identify specifically what had triggered the warning.

THEN SOMETHING COMPLETELY UNEXPECTED HAPPENED

Later that same day, another Amazon email arrived.

This one said:

Congratulations. Your paperback is published on Amazon.

After the spine rejection, the correction, the confusing warning, and all my investigating, Watchmen on the Wall was officially published.

That was a moment.

THE FIRST REAL RECEIPT

I immediately ordered my first author copy because I want to see the actual journal in my hands before ordering additional copies.

Here is exactly what that first copy cost me:

Printing/book cost: $4.22
Shipping: $3.59
Estimated tax: $0.72
Total out of pocket: $8.53

When it arrives, I’ll inspect the cover, printing, margins, page order, and writing space—and I plan to share that part of the journey too.

WHY I’M SHARING THE MESSY PART

There are plenty of people online who show you the finished product after they’ve figured everything out.

That isn’t what I want The Digital Carpenter to be.

I’m learning KDP, YouTube, websites, digital marketing, and online income while I’m actually doing it. That means you’re going to see the things that work, the things that fail, what they cost me, and even the things that turn out to be just so-so.

I’m not waiting until I have a perfect success story to tell you how I got there.

I’m documenting the building process.

One board. One nail. One mistake. One lesson—and apparently, one Amazon email at a time.

I’m 60. I’m not retired. And I’m building now because I want to change what comes next.

— Trisha Hayes
The Digital Carpenter with Trisha