Self-Publish on Amazon KDP

The 90-Day Launch Checklist

Companion to the lesson "Your first ninety days"

One rule keeps the plan honest: no step starts before the step before it passes its checkpoint. Check each gate in order. Date started:

Gate 1: Lane and Shelf (Weeks 1–2)

☐ Lane chosen with a one-paragraph reason I can defend out loud
☐ Research sheet with twenty rows, three finalists, one chosen topic

Checkpoint: you can say your search phrase, point to three books on that shelf that are demonstrably selling, and explain in one sentence the gap your book fills. If you cannot, repeat week one.

Gate 2: Production (Weeks 3–6)

☐ Manuscript written or commissioned, professionally edited, fully previewed
☐ KDP account complete including tax interview and bank details
☐ Review team of twenty-plus readers committed in writing

Checkpoint: manuscript final, account complete, review team committed, cover commissioned or built.

Gate 3: Packaging (Weeks 7–8)

☐ Cover passes thumbnail, shelf, and genre tests against real search results
☐ Price set with the royalty calculator, not by feel

Checkpoint: a complete draft listing. Paste your search phrase into Amazon, screenshot the results, and place your cover mockup in the row. If it does not earn the click against the real neighbors, fix it now.

Gate 4: Launch, Ads (Weeks 9–13)

☐ Book live, free copies delivered, launch week run to pattern
☐ Ten or more honest reviews posted
☐ Starter ad campaigns run, then judged against break-even ACOS

Checkpoint: at least ten honest reviews, a handful of sales or page reads from strangers, and a listing that loads correctly. Fifteen or more reviews puts you in strong shape for ads.

Gate 5: The Written Verdict

Verdict	Criteria (from the lesson)	Chosen
Double down	Sales plus an ad campaign under break-even: research book two in the same niche now	☐
Pivot	Clicks but no conversions: the listing or price failed. Fix and retest once	☐
Stop	No clicks worth buying and no organic life: the research bet lost. Take the lesson to the next shelf	☐

Written verdict with reasons:

All three verdicts are wins if they are made honestly: each one is the market teaching you at the lowest possible tuition. Seasonal note: if your niche has a gift season, a fourth-quarter finish line is worth more than a summer launch.