Selling eBooks - Non-US Publisher's Options

ahi · 06-04-2009, 03:57 PM

What are a non-US publisher's (or self-publisher's) options with regards to selling eBooks?

The Kindle store is closed to us, short of us being willing to go through a ludicrous number of hoops to provide Amazon with a US address, a US bank account, and US tax documents.

Mobipocket.com is an option that, despite the format limitation, reaches reasonably far through their partner websites.

What other options are there?

Thanks in advance!

- Ahi

zelda_pinwheel · 06-04-2009, 04:06 PM

there is always self-publishing, via your own website or through sites like smashwords (paid or free content) and feedbooks (currently free only but paid is planned, i believe).

i think it's possible to get distribution via fictionwise for independent authors but i am not sure how that works ; i'm sure some more knowledgeable people will be able to answer that question.

mobipocket gives you access to their partner sites but if i understand correctly they also impose their drm scheme (which is costly). and depending on which audience you want to reach, it's not the optimal format. in europe epub is rapidly gaining predominance, so to ensure you can be read by everyone you should make both formats available.

ahi · 06-04-2009, 04:16 PM

Thanks, Zelda. I will check out both of those websites.

To be clear, what I am most interested in is having other companies selling my eBooks, whatever the other details may be... in part because I do not want the hassle of having to handle payments through my website, particularly as my list of books will not be sizable in the foreseeable future.

Whether the model is publishing or self-publishing is--assuming the percentage I get to keep is not outrageously low--a minor enough detail.

I agree with you that mobipocket in and of itself is not sufficient. Are there places that specialize in selling .lit or .ePub files the same way mobipocket sells its own format (i.e.: with a reasonably broad list of distribution partners)?

Am I correct in guessing that ADE requires rather expensive software purchase to be able to add books to the ADE library list?

- Ahi

zelda_pinwheel · 06-04-2009, 04:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ahi

Thanks, Zelda. I will check out both of those websites.

To be clear, what I am most interested in is having other companies selling my eBooks, whatever the other details may be... in part because I do not want the hassle of having to handle payments through my website, particularly as my list of books will not be sizable in the foreseeable future.

Whether the model is publishing or self-publishing is--assuming the percentage I get to keep is not outrageously low--a minor enough detail.

i think you should definitely take a look at smashwords, in that case. and there might be other similar sites (i'm not sure).

Quote:

I agree with you that mobipocket in and of itself is not sufficient. Are there places that specialize in selling .lit or .ePub files the same way mobipocket sells its own format (i.e.: with a reasonably broad list of distribution partners)?

Am I correct in guessing that ADE requires rather expensive software purchase to be able to add books to the ADE library list?

- Ahi

i honestly don't know the answers to these questions. for ADE, are you talking about their drm scheme ? i can tell you that drm *is* very expensive ; i believe the licence to create drm-ed books using adobe's adept system costs 10,000$ (and probably a pourcentage of whatever sales you have, for each time the server is accessed). yet another reason to avoid drm.

you might get some more pertinent replies in the writers' forum ; would you like me to move this thread there ?

Ankh · 06-04-2009, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ahi

To be clear, what I am most interested in is having other companies selling my eBooks, whatever the other details may be... in part because I do not want the hassle of having to handle payments through my website, particularly as my list of books will not be sizable in the foreseeable future.

Have you considered paypal as a method of payment?

P.S. Oh, but m-dashes...

ahi · 06-04-2009, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

you might get some more pertinent replies in the writers' forum ; would you like me to move this thread there ?

Thanks, that's probably a good idea!

ahi · 06-04-2009, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ankh

Have you considered paypal as a method of payment?

P.S. Oh, but m-dashes...

I have, but I have heard enough horror stories that I'd feel comfortable with another alternative if I ultimately did decide to take the plunge.

Is there one that is available for non-US use?

- Ahi

zelda_pinwheel · 06-04-2009, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ahi

Thanks, that's probably a good idea!

done.

Elfwreck · 06-04-2009, 04:30 PM

Fictionwise partners with publishers who can provide 25 or more titles by at least five different established, professional authors. I have no idea if they deal with books that have never been in paper form.

They have both DRM'd and non-DRM ebooks, and the non-DRM ones are available in several different formats.

ahi · 06-04-2009, 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elfwreck

Fictionwise partners with publishers who can provide 25 or more titles by at least five different established, professional authors. I have no idea if they deal with books that have never been in paper form.

They have both DRM'd and non-DRM ebooks, and the non-DRM ones are available in several different formats.

I do not have 25 titles yet, and the titles I want to add are--with few exceptions--not from professional authors. Public Domain books (restored to a higher quality than is most widely available) for the most part. Possibly other stuff down the road, ranging from folktales to foreign language books.

I think Mobipocket would get my books into fictionwise's list too though, no?

- Ahi

ahi · 06-04-2009, 04:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

for ADE, are you talking about their drm scheme ? i can tell you that drm *is* very expensive ; i believe the licence to create drm-ed books using adobe's adept system costs 10,000$ (and probably a pourcentage of whatever sales you have, for each time the server is accessed).

Basically I was inquiring whether I was correct in assuming that the cheapest way to get my books into the ADE store/format involved an initial multi-$1000 outlay of money. Which, it sounds like, you also think it does.

- Ahi

zelda_pinwheel · 06-04-2009, 08:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ahi

Basically I was inquiring whether I was correct in assuming that the cheapest way to get my books into the ADE store/format involved an initial multi-$1000 outlay of money. Which, it sounds like, you also think it does.

- Ahi

hm, well, i am not sure ; which ADE store are you talking about ? as for the format, you can make epub books yourself (that is the ADE format) with no drm, for free. it is using adobe's "adept" drm that costs 10,000$. but i don't know any more than that...

Smashwords · 06-07-2009, 11:38 PM

Hi Zelda and Ahi.

Here's a handy link of information on how to publish at Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/about/how_..._on_smashwords

Ahi, I should add that we generally discourage folks from publishing public domain works, unless they're the original author of the work.

Best,
Mark

06-04-2009, 03:57 PM	#1
ahi Wizard Posts: 1,790 Karma: 507333 Join Date: May 2009 Device: none	Selling eBooks - Non-US Publisher's Options What are a non-US publisher's (or self-publisher's) options with regards to selling eBooks? The Kindle store is closed to us, short of us being willing to go through a ludicrous number of hoops to provide Amazon with a US address, a US bank account, and US tax documents. Mobipocket.com is an option that, despite the format limitation, reaches reasonably far through their partner websites. What other options are there? Thanks in advance! - Ahi

06-07-2009, 11:38 PM	#13
Smashwords Connoisseur Posts: 64 Karma: 4999999 Join Date: May 2008 Location: Los Gatos, CA Device: iPhone	Smashwords info Hi Zelda and Ahi. Here's a handy link of information on how to publish at Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/about/how_..._on_smashwords Ahi, I should add that we generally discourage folks from publishing public domain works, unless they're the original author of the work. Best, Mark

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06-04-2009, 04:06 PM	#2
zelda_pinwheel zeldinha zippy zeldissima Posts: 27,827 Karma: 921169 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Paris, France Device: eb1150 & is that a nook in her pocket, or she just happy to see you?	there is always self-publishing, via your own website or through sites like smashwords (paid or free content) and feedbooks (currently free only but paid is planned, i believe). i think it's possible to get distribution via fictionwise for independent authors but i am not sure how that works ; i'm sure some more knowledgeable people will be able to answer that question. mobipocket gives you access to their partner sites but if i understand correctly they also impose their drm scheme (which is costly). and depending on which audience you want to reach, it's not the optimal format. in europe epub is rapidly gaining predominance, so to ensure you can be read by everyone you should make both formats available.

06-04-2009, 04:16 PM	#3
ahi Wizard Posts: 1,790 Karma: 507333 Join Date: May 2009 Device: none	Thanks, Zelda. I will check out both of those websites. To be clear, what I am most interested in is having other companies selling my eBooks, whatever the other details may be... in part because I do not want the hassle of having to handle payments through my website, particularly as my list of books will not be sizable in the foreseeable future. Whether the model is publishing or self-publishing is--assuming the percentage I get to keep is not outrageously low--a minor enough detail. I agree with you that mobipocket in and of itself is not sufficient. Are there places that specialize in selling .lit or .ePub files the same way mobipocket sells its own format (i.e.: with a reasonably broad list of distribution partners)? Am I correct in guessing that ADE requires rather expensive software purchase to be able to add books to the ADE library list? - Ahi

06-04-2009, 04:30 PM	#9
Elfwreck Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,185 Karma: 25133758 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: SF Bay Area, California, USA Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3 (Past: Kobo Mini, PEZ, PRS-505, Clié)	Fictionwise partners with publishers who can provide 25 or more titles by at least five different established, professional authors. I have no idea if they deal with books that have never been in paper form. They have both DRM'd and non-DRM ebooks, and the non-DRM ones are available in several different formats.

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