Saturday, October 23, 2010

Do’s and Don’t’s of Ebooks

The Business Section of the NJ News recently had a good article on how to publish an Ebook. We keep hearing that formatting your book is getting easier and easier. In reality, though, it’s not that easy and there is still no one format that works on all readers. That means you’ll have to format it specific to each eReader’s requirements.

The author of the article recommends you make your eBook available on Amazon’s Kindle.
An Amazon video, available at YouTube (youtu.be/QCc2oN9TFak), provides a useful overview of the process, or you might want to download a free Kindle book, "Publish on Amazon Kindle with the Digital Text Platform." 

He follows that up with 8 tips for formatting. If you’re going to be putting your book on the Kindle, check out this article.
Posted by Helen Ginger at 4:07 AM
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20 comments:

  1. Jamie Gibbs10/23/2010 4:20 AM

    Thanks for this, this'll definitely come in useful :)

    I've resisted the Kindle for so long, but I've finally seen the light and a lack of shelf space has made me realise it's a good investment. The way the publishing market is going now (especially in the UK after 25% of its culture budget was cut), eBooks are going to be a lot more popular.

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  2. Laurita10/23/2010 6:25 AM

    I'll be tucking this information away. You never know when you might need advice like this...

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  3. Joanne10/23/2010 7:58 AM

    That formatting business would really scare me, because if I were to ever go this route, I'd want the book to look top-shelf professional. But my guess is that the process will get easier, too, with time.

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  4. Helen Ginger10/23/2010 8:31 AM

    It probably will get easier over time, but no matter what, your eBook has to look and read as professional as a book pubbed by NY - or you won't get sales on future books.

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  5. Enid Wilson10/23/2010 8:43 AM

    It's very tricky to get ebook format correct for Smashwords. I think some people charge to help you do that.

    My Darcy Mutates

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  6. Stephanie Faris10/23/2010 8:58 AM

    I never thought about all that before. I guess back in the day when I knew people who e-published, they always went with a company who took care of all of that. It's changed quite a bit!

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  7. Ann Summerville10/23/2010 9:12 AM

    Thanks for the tip. I have two books on Smashwords but I haven't been very happy with sales. I occasionally get e-mails from Smashwords requesting the file in different formats. It's a full time job keeping up with all the different formats these days.
    Ann

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  8. Laura Eno10/23/2010 9:33 AM

    I format my own books for Kindle and find it easy IF you follow some rules beforehand when you're first compiling the book. As for the other various formats, I let Smashwords take care of those.

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  9. Alex J. Cavanaugh10/23/2010 10:00 AM

    My publisher formats, but I imagine there's a lot to learn before one does it himself.

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  10. Helen Ginger10/23/2010 10:36 AM

    I does feel like a full-time job, doesn't it! It's why I keep calling for a single platform for ePubbing. I doubt it will happen, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't happen.

    Your books, Laura, look very "professional".

    Alex, what you have to learn to ePub seems very daunting to me.

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  11. The Old Silly10/23/2010 11:12 AM

    I'll check out the article. Didn't realize all this, just figured if it's on Kindle (which all mine are) it's probably going to eventually show up on all the ebook formats.

    I really gotta pay more attention to this ebook thang!

    Marvin D Wilson

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  12. Helen Ginger10/23/2010 12:31 PM

    I think, Marvin, it will eventually show up on the other eReaders - if you or your publisher make it happen.

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  13. Unknown10/23/2010 12:50 PM

    I will check it out, thank you!

    CD

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  14. Belle Wong10/23/2010 1:32 PM

    Thanks for the link. I've been reading a lot about authors getting rights back to their backlists that publishers weren't printing or promoting anymore, and giving them a second life on Kindle - I'm nowhere near that situation yet but it's good to know this kind of thing!

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  15. Susan Gourley/Kelley10/23/2010 2:01 PM

    I suspect the process will get even easier. I have nothing I want to self-publish right now but I might in another year or so.

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  16. Roland D. Yeomans10/23/2010 2:07 PM

    Only 9% of the reading public own a Kindle, though you can download straight to your computer. I've been mulling over the eBook concept.

    Thanks, Ginger, for the heads-up about the link.

    Come check out my entry to Roh Mogan's MONSTER MASH BLOGFEST. It's the very short prologue to my new YA urban fantasy, THE LEGEND OF VICTOR STANDISH.

    http://rolandyeomans.blogspot.com/2010/10/hell-bound-busmonster-mash-entry-part.html

    Have a great weekend, Roland

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  17. Helen Ginger10/23/2010 3:44 PM

    More and more people are getting eReaders, but there are many different eReaders. Each of them is vying for readers. That makes them reluctant to come up with universal formatting. We still haven't seen one rise to the top.

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  18. Mark Troy10/23/2010 9:00 PM

    So far I'm pleased with Smashwords. They put the book into multiple ebook formats and distributed it to Apple, B&N, Sony and Kindle. The trick is to read Smashwords Style Guide carefully.

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  19. Helen Ginger10/24/2010 9:45 AM

    Thanks Mark. It helps to hear from someone with first-hand experience.

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  20. MJenks10/25/2010 9:06 AM

    The problem with the Kindle is that you have to go through Amazon. If you can do .epub, you should be able to be read by most of the other (and might I add, better) ereaders.

    ReplyDelete

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