What Formats Do You Sell on Your Website?

[SigilBear]

This has probably been discussed to death, so feel free to post a link to a page where my question has already been answered.

I just published my first ebook to Amazon and iBooks, but I want to sell it on my website, too. I've signed up with E-Junkie, which seems really user friendly.

But I wondered if I should just sell my epub as is, or should I offer different versions for different readers?

I don't own a Kindle, but my understanding is that you can't read anything but MOBI files in a Kindle, right?

Epubs work fine in iBooks. My understanding is that any epub specifically formatted for iBooks can't legally be sold anywhere but on iBooks. The only advantage to iBooks formatting is "multi-touch," and from what I've read, that sounds like a pretty worthless feature.

So I'm guessing I should offer the original epub for iBook fans and a Kindle version form people who own Kindles. What other formats do you sell your epubs in?

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by SigilBear

This has probably been discussed to death, so feel free to post a link to a page where my question has already been answered.

I just published my first ebook to Amazon and iBooks, but I want to sell it on my website, too. I've signed up with E-Junkie, which seems really user friendly.

But I wondered if I should just sell my epub as is, or should I offer different versions for different readers?

I don't own a Kindle, but my understanding is that you can't read anything but MOBI files in a Kindle, right?

Epubs work fine in iBooks. My understanding is that any epub specifically formatted for iBooks can't legally be sold anywhere but on iBooks. The only advantage to iBooks formatting is "multi-touch," and from what I've read, that sounds like a pretty worthless feature.

So I'm guessing I should offer the original epub for iBook fans and a Kindle version form people who own Kindles. What other formats do you sell your epubs in?

Depends on the kindle but they can read several formats.

[MikeB1972]

Just do ePub and mobi

The very few people who don't have something to read either of them will already know how to convert.

[HarryT]

Moved to the Writers' Corner forum.

I agree with the previous posters: Mobi and ePub will cover the basics - certainly for a novel. For non-fiction I'd offer a PDF version, too.

[JSWolf]

Also sell KF8. Mobi is obsolete and only of use to those with really old Kindles.

[SigilBear]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Also sell KF8. Mobi is obsolete and only of use to those with really old Kindles.

Is KF8 a synonym of AZW, or is yet another format?

Your comment about Mobi being obsolete just answered another question I was about to ask.

I just converted one of my epubs to both Mobi and AZW and was shocked at the lousy CSS support in Mobi. I'm not sure if it's worth the troubling fixing.

[SigilBear]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Moved to the Writers' Corner forum.

I agree with the previous posters: Mobi and ePub will cover the basics - certainly for a novel. For non-fiction I'd offer a PDF version, too.

Even for a 500 page reference?

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by SigilBear

Is KF8 a synonym of AZW, or is yet another format?

In general practice AZW=MOBI (an early eBook format which works fine for linear fiction & linear non-fiction, but is limited in formatting options) and AZW3=KF8 (similar in many ways to ePub). Amazon also has other formats, one which is basically a renamed PDF and when a customer downloads a book a lot of times it will have the AZW extension no matter what the underlying format is.

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by SigilBear

Even for a 500 page reference?

Especially for a reference book. Many people put reference books on tablets and computers.

[SigilBear]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

Especially for a reference book. Many people put reference books on tablets and computers.

Wow, thats good to know.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

Especially for a reference book. Many people put reference books on tablets and computers.

Exactly. I have all my Egyptology reference books as PDFs on my iPad.

[crich70]

One thing that you may find of use is Scrivener. It can compile books as epub, the kindle or pdf. It can be found here Click Or for already created books there is Calibre which is great for converting between formats. And its developer is a member here at Mobileread.

[toddhicks209]

I simply link to some of my books on my blogs.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by SigilBear

Is KF8 a synonym of AZW, or is yet another format?

Your comment about Mobi being obsolete just answered another question I was about to ask.

I just converted one of my epubs to both Mobi and AZW and was shocked at the lousy CSS support in Mobi. I'm not sure if it's worth the troubling fixing.

It most certainly is. There are still millions--millions--of KF7 devices in use. If you don't care if you omit those folks from your potential buying demographic, that's your choice, but I certainly wouldn't.

When you build a PROPER MOBI file, using Kindlegen or KindlePreviewer or the KDP, etc. it will have inside it both a KF7 and KF8 "mobi."

Spoiler:

(Don't start, Jon!!! You know I love ya, but I'm not in the mood.)

The KF7 mobi is effectively an old .prc file (mobipocket creator); regardless of purported or asserted nomenclature, they truly are BOTH called "mobi" by Amazon. Period. The KF8 is the version for tablets and more-advanced (newer) KF8 devices. Please note that KF7 devices were sold until 2015, or the beginning of 16--anyone remember when the DX was d/c'ed? Not that long ago.

Thus, I wouldn't arbitrarily decide that it's okay to eliminate all those folks. But, your book, your ROI, and all that.

Lastly, on the topic of selling eBooks from your own website, here's what I say in an article on my website:

Frankly, in terms of selling from your own website, the single biggest obstacle is the (unpaid) Tech Support, which is needed for the dozens or (hopefully!) hundreds of buyers that won't know how to get the book to their device or reader. I emphasize to clients, repeatedly, that you have no idea how onerous tech support is until you are forced to provide it. Unless you are prepared to take phone calls, answer emails, and explain the "how' of how to sideload eBooks, for those dozens/hundreds/thousands of buyers who won't know, then an ePDF is likely your best way to go. That, or stick to the big retailers.

In 3500+ eBooks, of all the clients that insisted that they were going to sell ebooks from their own websites, you know how many are still doing that, within 6 months of the time that they started?

ZERO. ZERO. That includes law firms and other commercial businesses that decided that the Tech Support burden was so onerous that they were delighted to pay Amazon, et al, their "pound of flesh" so that they, the publishers, wouldn't have to take ONE MORE PHONE CALL about how to sideload a MOBI file to an iPad (via a connected USB to iTunes to..), or how to get their MOBI onto their Kindle. These are the same clients that screeched about how ravenous and rapacious Amazon was, how they had no right whatsoever to that 30%, yadda, yadda, yadda. Today? Today they pay that 30% quite happily, having learned firsthand exactly what they're paying Amazon to do.

Offered solely FWIW.

Hitch
(Who would sell eBooks from her own website over her dead body.)