You wrote a book. Great! Now what? How do you publish? Where do you publish? If you’re an indie author, these are probably some of the questions you are asking yourself. I know I did. That’s why I’m doing these indie author posts. I want to share the knowledge I’ve absorbed over the last year. I’m by no means a “know it all” or expert, and I hope I don’t come off like that. I’m simply here to pass along what I’ve learned on this journey. Networking is a must when it comes to indie authors.
Today we are going to talk about eBooks. If you’ve been following my post, you know by now that eBooks are HOT. In early 2010, Amazon reported that it sold 143 eBooks for every 100 hardback books. In July, they reported that the sales had increased to a rate of 180 eBooks to every 100 hardcover. Keep in mind, Amazon isn’t the only eBook retailer.
Now, having said that, think of how many eReaders were sold last year at Christmas? Just eReader sales were over two million. Now, add in smartphones and you have even more potential readers. You do know smartphones have apps for eBooks, right? They sure do. People can also download an app from Kindle for their PC or Mac. This is why producing an eBook is so important.
So how and where do you publish an eBook? First off, Amazon. They have all the facts listed on their website and a guide to help you get started. Formatting maybe the hardest thing you run into, but the authors I have spoken with say it’s not as hard as some people may expect. There is also a forum on Amazon where other authors are eager to help you learn.
Another great eBook publisher is Smashwords. (More info is here.) The great thing about Smashwords is that they will distribute your book to many of the online retailers such as Barnes & Noble, Borders, etc. Through Smashwords, you are able to format your book for the different types of eReaders on the market, such as Kobo, Apple’s iPad, Amazon’s Kindle, Barnes & Noble’s Nook, etc.
I also know from my experience with my iPhone 4, there is an app called Stanza and I have downloaded eBooks from Smashwords through this app. Stanza also has catalogues for other eBook retailers. For potential readers who do not own an eReader or a smartphone, they can also download the pdf file of your book straight to their computer.
One of the many great thinga about Smashwords is that you can generate coupons to give potential readers a discount on their purchase, as well as giving possible reviewers a free copy of your book.
You can go to Barnes & Noble’s eBook publishing website, PubIt and upload your book through their program, but many people choose to do it through Smashwords alone.
There are other ePublishers out there, so you will have to do some additional homework if you want to explore other options, or if you just want to have your book offered at various eRetailers. Whatever you do, make sure that if you are publishing indie, eBooks are on your ‘To Do’ list. You will miss out on many sales if not.
Any questions? Feel free to comment below or you can email me at [email protected] Next week I will go into the importance of networking. If there is a particular topic you would like me to post about, please let me know.
Awesome post! Thanks so much for sharing this with us! 🙂
You are most welcome :-)Thanks for leaving a comment.
great post. i'd been looking someone who'd pulled all this information together in one place. Nice work.
Loved your post, and I agree every bit. The hardest thing, in my opinion, as an indie(wannabe I call myself-working on the 1st novel) is keeping a good balance between doing all of the things that someone else helps you with when you go via publishers. They seem little things, but they add up. Just networking, in itself, is quite the adventure.
Thanks for the advice 🙂
@David, thanks for the comment! I'm glad to be of help! 🙂
@Olteano Thanks for your comment, too. Marketing and editing are a plus to traditional publishing, but even the marketing budgets are decreasing, as are royalties. It's forcing traditionally published authors to market themselves, just like indie authors. As far as editing for indie authors, there are freelance editors for higher, though it can get expensive. If you don't have the funds for that, beta readers and writing communities are a big help. That's what I've been doing. If you have more question or need help with anything, don't hesitate to ask me. I'll do what I can 🙂
Thanks so much for the information. I was wondering which writing communities you use and how you choose your beta readers? Is there any concern over plagiarism or stealing of ideas when going this route for editing?
Very useful information to have! thanx, and for the follow.
Thanks Elizabeth! Same to you on the follow 🙂
Very useful information to have! thanx, and for the follow.
great post. i'd been looking someone who'd pulled all this information together in one place. Nice work.
Awesome post! Thanks so much for sharing this with us! 🙂