Not quite getting the non-Kindle ebook world

sonofpendragon · 01-01-2012, 05:50 AM

With all the publicity and success of Kindle, it is easy for Kindle only publishers and readers to forget there are other readers and other markets, but that's the problem in a nutshell, for me anyway. I am on Kindle, and overall I do at least ok, then of course like all ebook publishers enjoy the spikes at certain times / on certain days of the year. But what is the best way for me to widen things? I've heard a lot about the Nook too, but what do you have to do to get an ebook ready for the Nook? And of course, where do you sell it from / load it up to? And the 64,000 dollar question - is it worth it?

RobertLCollins · 01-01-2012, 08:44 AM

Smashwords. They will get you into the Nook store, the iBooks store, as well as the other major ebook stores. They also sell ebooks, and you can create coupon codes for special offers. You can also download your ebook to send copies to reviewers. There's also DriveThruFiction, which sells PDFs. There are one or two others; I hope someone else will remember them better than I can at 7:30 in the AM.

Is it worth it? Yes! The more places people can find you, the better your chances are of selling more books. You also want to keep your options open. There were posts in the KDP Select thread about the risk of disappointing fans who don't own Kindles. Your sales on other platforms might not match Kindle sales, but you never know. Some books do better on one platform than the rest.

Make certain you read the Smashwords Style Guide. It will help you get your doc files ready for uploading. Have something that will let you look at mobi and epub files so your books will look right.

Good luck!

sonofpendragon · 01-01-2012, 08:48 AM

Thanks, Robert, will certainly look into that. Cheers.

fjtorres · 01-01-2012, 08:56 AM

Well, now; that's a pretty broad question.

First thing to keep in mind is that the non-Kindle world is (on-paper) based on ePub.
But not all epubs are created equal.
Kindle ebooks are whatever Amazon says they are.
ePubs? Not that simple.
To speak of ePub, you need to specify between Nook epubs, Apple epubs, Kobo Kepubs, and Adobe ADEPT epubs. DRM-wise, all are incompatible. Stripped of DRM, they are supposed to be all the same but your milleage *will* vary depending on who made them, how, and where you got them.

Second question: where are you looking to sell? Your location will matter.
In some parts of the world, ADOBE Adept is the dominant format in percentage. Simply because the BIG BOYS haven't gotten around to staking a claim. Volume will be low, though, as those are places where ebook reader penetration runs in the low single digits. Total available book catalogs running in the thousands. Nook, for one, is US only, but they claim 29% of that market vs 50-60% for amazon. Kobo has less penetration in the US (maybe 5%) but they are present in most english-speaking countries and are aggressively moving into continental europe.

Is it worth it? Again, overly broad and strictly up to you and what you do.
If you're a US-based author writing in english, the most common approach these day seems to be to work through Amazon KDP and Smashwords. And then sit back and see where your audience shops.

If you're looking for "global" distribution, well, that is going to be trickier... Not sure there is much of an option beyond Amazon and Kobo unless you fancy dealing with a hundred regional vendors.

J. Strnad · 01-01-2012, 08:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fjtorres

Well, now; that's a pretty broad question.

First thing to keep in mind is that the non-Kindle world is (on-paper) based on ePub.
But not all epubs are created equal.
Kindle ebooks are whatever Amazon says they are.
ePubs? Not that simple.
To speak of ePub, you need to specify between Nook epubs, Apple epubs, Kobo Kepubs, and Adobe ADEPT epubs. DRM-wise, all are incompatible. Stripped of DRM, they are supposed to be all the same but your milleage *will* vary depending on who made them, how, and where you got them.

Second question: where are you looking to sell? Your location will matter.
In some parts of the world, ADOBE Adept is the dominant format in percentage. Simply because the BIG BOYS haven't gotten around to staking a claim. Volume will be low, though, as those are places where ebook reader penetration runs in the low single digits. Total available book catalogs running in the thousands. Nook, for one, is US only, but they claim 29% of that market vs 50-60% for amazon. Kobo has less penetration in the US (maybe 5%) but they are present in most english-speaking countries and are aggressively moving into continental europe.

Is it worth it? Again, overly broad and strictly up to you and what you do.
If you're a US-based author writing in english, the most common approach these day seems to be to work through Amazon KDP and Smashwords. And then sit back and see where your audience shops.

If you're looking for "global" distribution, well, that is going to be trickier... Not sure there is much of an option beyond Amazon and Kobo unless you fancy dealing with a hundred regional vendors.

An EXCELLENT summary!

altworld · 01-01-2012, 11:29 PM

More places more eyes, more eyes more chance for a sale.

If you are in the USA then go onto B&N via Pubit. If you are not then go via the Smashwords route and use their distribution hub. You should though be on Smashwords just for the easy route to get onto Sony, Kobo, eDiesel, and itunes. Really is no reason to not be on there and the publishing guidelines do give you are very good robust file to use.

sonofpendragon · 01-03-2012, 04:01 PM

Thanks for all ths, folks. I am fine with all things Kindle, but will commence baby steps with the epub side of things.

ScalyFreak · 01-03-2012, 10:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sonofpendragon

Thanks for all ths, folks. I am fine with all things Kindle, but will commence baby steps with the epub side of things.

Please do. For all the success and fame of the Kindle, there's lots of other eReaders out there, and their owners really don't like the thought that they are missing out on books just because they didn't buy what everyone else did.

On a more serious note, a lot of non-Kindle stores (including publishers selling direct) have less geo-restrictions than Amazon do, and practically every single brand of eReader can do ePub, so you can reach more readers that way.

And yes, I am shamelessly biased by the fact I have no Kindles.

banjobama · 01-11-2012, 01:07 AM

One thing also to remember is that people have different payment preferences. Some people don't want to make an account at Amazon at all, while some (like me) are fine with downloading Kindle books and changing their format in order to read them, to avoid missing out on a possibly good book.

I can't really see any reason for you to not upload your work to Smashwords. They will take your Word doc and make all necessary formats out of it for you. Like others have said, they will also distribute it for you.

anamardoll · 01-11-2012, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScalyFreak

And yes, I am shamelessly biased by the fact I have no Kindles.

I thought I was the only one! Internet Besties?

VydorScope · 01-11-2012, 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by anamardoll

I thought I was the only one! Internet Besties?

Me neither... though thinking of getting one for testing my books on.

JSWolf · 01-11-2012, 07:21 PM

I don't buy from Smashwords. I detest their meatgrinder.

That said, when I do hear of authors going Amazon only, I just think they have no clue how bad they are making themselves look. The world does not revolve around Amazon and the Kindle. There are lots of people who have nothing to do with Kindle eBooks who do read eBooks.

anamardoll · 01-11-2012, 08:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VydorScope

Me neither... though thinking of getting one for testing my books on.

I'm in that boat right now, actually. Fortunately, Best Real Life Friend has one, so I can ask her to help me beta test.

A.Rosaria · 01-21-2012, 12:18 AM

This week I found xinxii. It's an European company, and claims to be one of the bigger E-books distributor in Europe.

From their site:

"XinXii is Europe's Leading Online-Marketplace for eBooks from Indie Authors

XinXii is an indie eBook publishing and distribution platform: We empower anybody to upload and sell any kind of self-written works in multiple formats. Every author and publisher has complete control over her/his uploads (description, pricing...). XinXii converts eBooks with ISBN to the ePub and mobi format and distributes to major eBook retailers all over the world (Amazon, 32 iBookstores, Casa del Libro,...) - for free.

Readers have the opportunity to discover new authors in all categories and genres of the written word. The titles are ready for immediate download after purchase."

They don't convert your files for you, you have to provide your own epub, mobi, etc, etc,

It's easy to pub a book with them, took me about 15 minutes to do so. Tthe royalty rate is lower compared to Amazon. It's about 70% of net. They withhold 19% sales-tax. You can offset this by increasing your price.

flipreads · 01-26-2012, 01:27 AM

For me, ePub is the way to go, but as mentioned above, different vendors (and different e-Readers) will render them differently. But if you keep it simple, it should be readable in most devices.

The problem is for international (anyone outside of US) readers. For example, I'm from the Philippines, so neither Barnes & Noble or iTunes will sell to me (it's why we set up our own store here in the Philippines). There are also several indie publishers. At least for science fiction/fantasy, there's Weightless Books (http://weightlessbooks.com/) and Wizard's Tower Books (http://www.wizardstowerbooks.com/) for example.

You can also sell it directly off your website, which is what some publishers like Angry Robot does.

01-01-2012, 05:50 AM	#1
sonofpendragon Member Retired Posts: 56 Karma: 696290 Join Date: Sep 2011 Device: Kindle for PC	Not quite getting the non-Kindle ebook world With all the publicity and success of Kindle, it is easy for Kindle only publishers and readers to forget there are other readers and other markets, but that's the problem in a nutshell, for me anyway. I am on Kindle, and overall I do at least ok, then of course like all ebook publishers enjoy the spikes at certain times / on certain days of the year. But what is the best way for me to widen things? I've heard a lot about the Nook too, but what do you have to do to get an ebook ready for the Nook? And of course, where do you sell it from / load it up to? And the 64,000 dollar question - is it worth it?

01-11-2012, 07:21 PM	#12
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 79,621 Karma: 145864263 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	I don't buy from Smashwords. I detest their meatgrinder. That said, when I do hear of authors going Amazon only, I just think they have no clue how bad they are making themselves look. The world does not revolve around Amazon and the Kindle. There are lots of people who have nothing to do with Kindle eBooks who do read eBooks. Last edited by JSWolf; 01-11-2012 at 07:24 PM.

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01-01-2012, 08:44 AM	#2
RobertLCollins Groupie Posts: 155 Karma: 1735704 Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Kansas Device: iPhone	Smashwords. They will get you into the Nook store, the iBooks store, as well as the other major ebook stores. They also sell ebooks, and you can create coupon codes for special offers. You can also download your ebook to send copies to reviewers. There's also DriveThruFiction, which sells PDFs. There are one or two others; I hope someone else will remember them better than I can at 7:30 in the AM. Is it worth it? Yes! The more places people can find you, the better your chances are of selling more books. You also want to keep your options open. There were posts in the KDP Select thread about the risk of disappointing fans who don't own Kindles. Your sales on other platforms might not match Kindle sales, but you never know. Some books do better on one platform than the rest. Make certain you read the Smashwords Style Guide. It will help you get your doc files ready for uploading. Have something that will let you look at mobi and epub files so your books will look right. Good luck!

01-01-2012, 08:48 AM	#3
sonofpendragon Member Retired Posts: 56 Karma: 696290 Join Date: Sep 2011 Device: Kindle for PC	Thanks, Robert, will certainly look into that. Cheers.

01-01-2012, 08:56 AM	#4
fjtorres Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,732 Karma: 128354696 Join Date: May 2009 Location: 26 kly from Sgr A* Device: T100TA,PW2,PRS-T1,KT,FireHD 8.9,K2, PB360,BeBook One,Axim51v,TC1000	Well, now; that's a pretty broad question. First thing to keep in mind is that the non-Kindle world is (on-paper) based on ePub. But not all epubs are created equal. Kindle ebooks are whatever Amazon says they are. ePubs? Not that simple. To speak of ePub, you need to specify between Nook epubs, Apple epubs, Kobo Kepubs, and Adobe ADEPT epubs. DRM-wise, all are incompatible. Stripped of DRM, they are supposed to be all the same but your milleage will vary depending on who made them, how, and where you got them. Second question: where are you looking to sell? Your location will matter. In some parts of the world, ADOBE Adept is the dominant format in percentage. Simply because the BIG BOYS haven't gotten around to staking a claim. Volume will be low, though, as those are places where ebook reader penetration runs in the low single digits. Total available book catalogs running in the thousands. Nook, for one, is US only, but they claim 29% of that market vs 50-60% for amazon. Kobo has less penetration in the US (maybe 5%) but they are present in most english-speaking countries and are aggressively moving into continental europe. Is it worth it? Again, overly broad and strictly up to you and what you do. If you're a US-based author writing in english, the most common approach these day seems to be to work through Amazon KDP and Smashwords. And then sit back and see where your audience shops. If you're looking for "global" distribution, well, that is going to be trickier... Not sure there is much of an option beyond Amazon and Kobo unless you fancy dealing with a hundred regional vendors.

01-01-2012, 11:29 PM	#6
altworld Evangelist Posts: 495 Karma: 746472 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Deep in Maryland Device: Android G1	More places more eyes, more eyes more chance for a sale. If you are in the USA then go onto B&N via Pubit. If you are not then go via the Smashwords route and use their distribution hub. You should though be on Smashwords just for the easy route to get onto Sony, Kobo, eDiesel, and itunes. Really is no reason to not be on there and the publishing guidelines do give you are very good robust file to use.

01-03-2012, 04:01 PM	#7
sonofpendragon Member Retired Posts: 56 Karma: 696290 Join Date: Sep 2011 Device: Kindle for PC	Thanks for all ths, folks. I am fine with all things Kindle, but will commence baby steps with the epub side of things.

01-11-2012, 01:07 AM	#9
banjobama Busy Read'n Posts: 980 Karma: 5039283 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Auburn, WA Device: Pocketbook Touch Lux 5	One thing also to remember is that people have different payment preferences. Some people don't want to make an account at Amazon at all, while some (like me) are fine with downloading Kindle books and changing their format in order to read them, to avoid missing out on a possibly good book. I can't really see any reason for you to not upload your work to Smashwords. They will take your Word doc and make all necessary formats out of it for you. Like others have said, they will also distribute it for you.

01-21-2012, 12:18 AM	#14
A.Rosaria Junior Member Posts: 9 Karma: 10000 Join Date: Jan 2012 Device: kindle	This week I found xinxii. It's an European company, and claims to be one of the bigger E-books distributor in Europe. From their site: "XinXii is Europe's Leading Online-Marketplace for eBooks from Indie Authors XinXii is an indie eBook publishing and distribution platform: We empower anybody to upload and sell any kind of self-written works in multiple formats. Every author and publisher has complete control over her/his uploads (description, pricing...). XinXii converts eBooks with ISBN to the ePub and mobi format and distributes to major eBook retailers all over the world (Amazon, 32 iBookstores, Casa del Libro,...) - for free. Readers have the opportunity to discover new authors in all categories and genres of the written word. The titles are ready for immediate download after purchase." They don't convert your files for you, you have to provide your own epub, mobi, etc, etc, It's easy to pub a book with them, took me about 15 minutes to do so. Tthe royalty rate is lower compared to Amazon. It's about 70% of net. They withhold 19% sales-tax. You can offset this by increasing your price.

01-26-2012, 01:27 AM	#15
flipreads Connoisseur Posts: 99 Karma: 433632 Join Date: Dec 2011 Device: iPad	For me, ePub is the way to go, but as mentioned above, different vendors (and different e-Readers) will render them differently. But if you keep it simple, it should be readable in most devices. The problem is for international (anyone outside of US) readers. For example, I'm from the Philippines, so neither Barnes & Noble or iTunes will sell to me (it's why we set up our own store here in the Philippines). There are also several indie publishers. At least for science fiction/fantasy, there's Weightless Books (http://weightlessbooks.com/) and Wizard's Tower Books (http://www.wizardstowerbooks.com/) for example. You can also sell it directly off your website, which is what some publishers like Angry Robot does.

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