How to handle tweaking your book?

Personally, I would go with "live, learn, and do better." Those who have been reading you all along will notice the growth and appreciate it, too. Just my two cents, anyway. Best of luck with your latest release!

I've done a fresh edit on a book, though I'd note it was only for very minor things. I didn't call it a new edition, because that'd be a bit odd for a few typos and spelling mistakes.

A thing people often don't realise is how the update system really works on Amazon. When you simply upload a new copy of the book (by editing the listing), it will only be available to people who buy the book from that point on.

If you want Amazon to make it available to past buyers, you have to contact them and give examples of the changes you've made. If the changes are deemed to be minor, readers will have the option to update. Some will have it set up to do it automatically, but most would have to seek out the update.

If the changes are major, Amazon can email readers to tell them about the update. Unless your book was unreadable or something, this isn't likely to be the case.

On whether you should, I don't see the point in avoiding spelling corrections and the like, but do be a bit careful about the urge to rewrite everything. There is a point where you have to move on.

When I created the print versions of my non-fiction titles, I made some of those kinds of edits and uploaded a new file. But I didn't bother with trying to get a better version in front of people who already had the file. I assumed they'd already read it. I just put the new one up for anyone who bought the titles from that point forward. I would say that every moment you spend re-reading and editing your old stuff is time you're not spending writing the next thing. So...try not to do it.

This is part of being a writer, and generally you have to let it go. If your book has achieved a certain level of competence, you should let it stand. You did your best then, now you know better, so in the future you will do better.

Having said that, I perpetually tweak and edit my first trilogy. Those are the books I used to cut my writing teeth, and goddamn, they need a lot of editing. Previous posters are right that Amazon is loathe to notify customers of a new edition; I tried it once and they couldn't be bothered. Previous posters are, however, wrong that it's impossible for customers to get the new edition. There's a well-hidden place somewhere on the website that allows a user to request a newer edition of the book, if it exists.

Given the rare success of your first book I suggest you leave it alone, but if you just can't, make the tweaks, upload them, and call it a second edition on the KDP dashboard.

Fix minor mistakes. Upload the new fixes for new readers so they don't experience the mistakes. This is akin to trade publishers fixing issues in later printings of the book and no one should really find it objectionable.

Old readers have read it. No need to alert them.

I wouldn't mark it as a new edition, but I could see the argument why someone might. I don't think there's a signification problem with either choice.

Katharine Tree said:

Previous posters are right that Amazon is loathe to notify customers of a new edition; I tried it once and they couldn't be bothered. Previous posters are, however, wrong that it's impossible for customers to get the new edition. There's a well-hidden place somewhere on the website that allows a user to request a newer edition of the book, if it exists.

Click to expand...

In this case, I'm not wrong. Uploading a new copy will not make it available to old buyers. Amazon has to be told to make it available. As well as this being what Amazon says in their help, I tested it. The update buttons only appeared in "Manage Your Content and Devices" after contacting Amazon. I didn't contact Amazon for the other two books, so there's no update button.

Amazon's help states: "Customers who buy your book after you republish will receive the updates. Customers who purchased your book before you made changes will keep the original version." It then goes on to explain how to make the update available to everyone. https://kdp.amazon.com/help?topicId=A1RGGPBKDR1BPZ

I also didn't know this when I started out, so it's an easy mistake to make. It doesn't work the way you'd expect.

That's interesting to know about how Amazon deals with updates, I guess it's understandable as they don't want to trump up extra bandwidth on auto-updates without sales to go along with it...still a pity though.

I've updated my novel once already for some non-vital grammatical issues, and have a small list of similar minor changes to make in the very near future. Basically, I'm taking the approach that I will update the book once more and then make the incoming paperback version one that will be set in stone and move onto the next project!