Register Guidelines E-Books Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read

Go Back   MobileRead Forums > E-Book General > Writers' Corner

Notices

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old 08-22-2009, 11:26 AM   #1
emellaich
Wizard
emellaich ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.emellaich ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.emellaich ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.emellaich ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.emellaich ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.emellaich ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.emellaich ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.emellaich ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.emellaich ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.emellaich ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.emellaich ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
Posts: 1,101
Karma: 4388403
Join Date: Oct 2007
Device: Palm>Ebookman>IPaq>Axim>Cybook>Kndl2>IPAD>Kndl3SO>Voyager>Oasis
How and Where to Publish Your Ebooks

Hello all, excuse me for sneaking into this writers-only chit chat.

Over in "News and Commentary" Ficbot began an interesting thread, and zelda_pinwheel suggested I bring the conversation over here, so here I am.

Ficbot had noted that so many new authors seemed to publish exclusively for the Kindle, and that this frustrated him as a non-Kindle owner. My response was that the publishing learning curve might be pretty steep for newcomers to the industry.

We might want to consider adding a series of wiki articles that explain the steps in publishing. Everything from creating books in different formats, pro's and con's of different publishing web sites, and even opportunities to market your book without spamming. In the interest of starting this effort, zelda_pinwheel suggested this post. I welcome your inputs to a guide for writers. Please feel free to add your thoughts and comments to this thread, or even to add pages to the wiki that we can pull together into our writer's guide.

I am looking for both topics that writers need to understand as well as explanations and/or suggestions on those topics.

Here is my initial list of topics / wiki pages

First, an intro to ebook publishing that introduces the key concepts and links to separate pages that then explain:
1) Different formats for ebooks and the tradeoffs
2) How to convert between formats: Calibre, Sigil, and more
3) DRM and the problems of using it
4) Web sites that accept self-published books; the pro's and con's of each and where to go to submit books.
5) Options for setting up your own store using your own web site and paypal or ebay or google checkout????
6) Marketing your ebook including does and don'ts on Mobileread

Your thoughts?

P.s. If you'd prefer to simply contribute your thoughts as a new page in the wiki, then go here:
https://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/Main_Page
In the search box to the left type in the name of your new page. When it comes up as a missing search term, you will be given the option of creating a page with that name. If you do take that approach, please report back to this thread to let us know what pages you have added.
emellaich is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-22-2009, 11:31 AM   #2
zelda_pinwheel
zeldinha zippy zeldissima
zelda_pinwheel ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.zelda_pinwheel ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.zelda_pinwheel ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.zelda_pinwheel ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.zelda_pinwheel ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.zelda_pinwheel ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.zelda_pinwheel ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.zelda_pinwheel ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.zelda_pinwheel ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.zelda_pinwheel ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.zelda_pinwheel ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
zelda_pinwheel's Avatar
 
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?
thanks very much for this thread emellaich, it has the potential to be a really valuable ressource for all the independent writers around here (and there are more every day !).

so, now it's time for everybody to add their tips, knowledge, info, good addresses and best practices ! a good idea to start might be to follow the subjects from emellaich's list and add whatever info you have about the point(s) in your post.

this would also be an excellent page for the wiki, under "how to self-publish" or "tips for independent writers" or something.

i've stuck this thread so it will be easy to find.
zelda_pinwheel is offline   Reply With Quote
Advert
Old 08-22-2009, 11:41 AM   #3
ahi
Wizard
ahi ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.ahi ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.ahi ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.ahi ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.ahi ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.ahi ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.ahi ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.ahi ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.ahi ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.ahi ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.ahi ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
Posts: 1,790
Karma: 507333
Join Date: May 2009
Device: none
Excellent idea! Anybody knows what sort of distribution LSI offers for eBooks (if any)?

- Ahi
ahi is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-23-2009, 08:01 AM   #4
Winter
Enthusiast
Winter writes the songs that make the whole world sing.Winter writes the songs that make the whole world sing.Winter writes the songs that make the whole world sing.Winter writes the songs that make the whole world sing.Winter writes the songs that make the whole world sing.Winter writes the songs that make the whole world sing.Winter writes the songs that make the whole world sing.Winter writes the songs that make the whole world sing.Winter writes the songs that make the whole world sing.Winter writes the songs that make the whole world sing.Winter writes the songs that make the whole world sing.
 
Posts: 38
Karma: 40000
Join Date: Aug 2009
Device: Asus EeePC
I'll weigh in with my experience regarding DRM -- it's not worth it. The technology is unreliable and will work against you far more than it will ever do in your favour.

The only reason big companies (book publishers, video game publishers, etc.) get away with DRM is because their customer base has no choice but to accept it to get the product they want. The challenge for a small author, however, is to get people to want your product in the first place.

The simple fact is, people don't like jumping through hoops, especially when they're paying good money for the privilege. The desire to protect your work is understandable, but it's not realistic. Producing content on the internet is like being one voice in a choir of millions all fighting to be heard. If anyone actually wants to steal your work, they can and they will -- but if you make it difficult for honest readers to get to your content, they have so many other options available that they're not going to want the hassle of dealing with a crippled file. Some people refuse to use anything with DRM on it as a matter of principle.

The big thing at the heart of the DRM fallacy is that DRM doesn't deter pirates, but it does put off honest people who deserve to be able to use the file they bought without added headaches. It's worth remembering.

Regards,
Ryan
Winter is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-23-2009, 05:21 PM   #5
nomesque
Snooty Bestselling Author
nomesque ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.nomesque ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.nomesque ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.nomesque ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.nomesque ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.nomesque ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.nomesque ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.nomesque ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.nomesque ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.nomesque ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.nomesque ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
nomesque's Avatar
 
Posts: 1,485
Karma: 1000000
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Ipswich, QLD, Australia
Device: PRS-650
Quote:
Originally Posted by emellaich View Post
6) Marketing your ebook including does and don'ts on Mobileread
Something I haven't mentioned here on MR is that I run a twitter account called @onlinefiction, which promotes free, available-online fiction by posting quick blurbs + links. People can submit their links via DM on twitter. Not incredibly useful to anyone selling their work, of course.
nomesque is offline   Reply With Quote
Advert
Old 08-23-2009, 05:24 PM   #6
nomesque
Snooty Bestselling Author
nomesque ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.nomesque ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.nomesque ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.nomesque ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.nomesque ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.nomesque ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.nomesque ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.nomesque ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.nomesque ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.nomesque ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.nomesque ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
nomesque's Avatar
 
Posts: 1,485
Karma: 1000000
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Ipswich, QLD, Australia
Device: PRS-650
Quote:
Originally Posted by Smashwords View Post
Let me know how I can help!
I don't know about others, but I'd be interested to know about the relative popularity of various formats on Smashwords...?
nomesque is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-23-2009, 08:44 PM   #7
Be Szpilman
Fetch that LRF
Be Szpilman began at the beginning.
 
Be Szpilman's Avatar
 
Posts: 63
Karma: 44
Join Date: Jul 2008
Device: Sony Reader PRS-505, Treo 650
This is a great idea of a thread, I'm watching it closely -- seems to me good and new answers to those questions can be valuable not only to authors!

Last edited by Be Szpilman; 10-09-2009 at 09:22 AM.
Be Szpilman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-24-2009, 10:04 AM   #8
Jack Tingle
Punctuation Fetishist
Jack Tingle ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Jack Tingle ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Jack Tingle ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Jack Tingle ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Jack Tingle ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Jack Tingle ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Jack Tingle ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Jack Tingle ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Jack Tingle ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Jack Tingle ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Jack Tingle ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
Jack Tingle's Avatar
 
Posts: 557
Karma: 1070000
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: The Bluest Commonwealth In East America
Device: Kindle PW, Nexus 7 (2013), Galaxy S5 phone, Galaxy Tab 4 8.0
Speaking as a customer (reader) here's my $0.02. Note that I don't use a dedicated reading device, but read on a variety of devices.

1) Different formats for ebooks and the tradeoffs
a) best for reading: MS .lit - unfortunately, MS Reader is moribund and unsupported.
b) best DRMed format: .prc/.mobi is simple, compact, and almost universally usable. Also very good non-DRM.
c) best non-DRM: .rtf - same virtues as .prc, a little larger, and much more flexible
d) other useable formats: eReader, PalmDoc, tagged PDF with very plain settings and no ligatures
...
3) DRM and the problems of using it
I don't - personal policy. It's too much trouble and potential data loss. If you DRM your books, I won't be a customer. Sorry.

The other issues are author-specific, and as a courtesy to the Western canon, I've never published any of my fiction.

As an aside, I buy mostly from Fictionwise and Baen, but have no particular axe to grind against other commercial sites. Some work well, some work less well. I'd suggest authors have any free content available on their web site, to eliminate certain kinds of infrastructure hassles that can annoy customers. I'd also suggest you be careful with free content. If you give it to me for nothing, I'll gladly take it, but I may not buy anything else, even if I like your work. This is simply because the next guy is also offering free stuff that takes up my time. I have to really like your work to go back and buy the next novel you have for sale.

Regards,
Jack Tingle
Jack Tingle is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-24-2009, 10:07 AM   #9
Moejoe
Banned
Moejoe did not drink the Kool Aid.Moejoe did not drink the Kool Aid.Moejoe did not drink the Kool Aid.Moejoe did not drink the Kool Aid.Moejoe did not drink the Kool Aid.Moejoe did not drink the Kool Aid.Moejoe did not drink the Kool Aid.Moejoe did not drink the Kool Aid.Moejoe did not drink the Kool Aid.Moejoe did not drink the Kool Aid.Moejoe did not drink the Kool Aid.
 
Posts: 5,100
Karma: 72193
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: South of the Border
Device: Coffin
Feedbooks FTW!
Moejoe is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-24-2009, 03:13 PM   #10
_windy
Frances
_windy has a complete set of Star Wars action figures._windy has a complete set of Star Wars action figures._windy has a complete set of Star Wars action figures.
 
_windy's Avatar
 
Posts: 27
Karma: 282
Join Date: Aug 2009
Device: none
This is a great idea! I've been wanting to provide downloads on my website, but the format choices and the methods for doing so are baffling me. I'm not sure I want smashwords, and I'd love a comprehensive rundown of what's popular.
_windy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-31-2009, 08:50 PM   #11
BearMountainBooks
Maria Schneider
BearMountainBooks ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.BearMountainBooks ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.BearMountainBooks ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.BearMountainBooks ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.BearMountainBooks ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.BearMountainBooks ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.BearMountainBooks ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.BearMountainBooks ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.BearMountainBooks ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.BearMountainBooks ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.BearMountainBooks ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
BearMountainBooks's Avatar
 
Posts: 3,746
Karma: 26439330
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Near Austin, Texas
Device: 3g Kindle Keyboard
I posted this on another thread, but in answer to someone's question about popular formats, smashwords did a survey:

http://blog.smashwords.com/2009/03/w...ks-matter.html

Edward Patterson published this helpful guide on publishing ebooks (his experiences and recommendations and he has a lot to say) It happens to be a free download, making it even more useful:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/316

Me, I'm still learning. I can say that the biggest problem is finding a place where enough readers go. Amazon works very well for that precise reason. Tons of readers go there. For any other format, it's a battle to find the readers because there are simply too many sites--it's impossible to go to all of them to get one or two or 10 readers.

It's also a changing scene with new devices coming out and new converts to e-books joining daily!

Maria
Sage: (multiple formats; Amazon or Smashwords--$1.00)
Catch an Honest Thief (Kindle only format: $1.99; a cozy mystery)
BearMountainBooks is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-01-2009, 09:43 AM   #12
ahi
Wizard
ahi ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.ahi ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.ahi ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.ahi ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.ahi ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.ahi ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.ahi ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.ahi ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.ahi ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.ahi ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.ahi ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
Posts: 1,790
Karma: 507333
Join Date: May 2009
Device: none
Sorry, Hadrien, you lost me... in practical terms what's OPDS about?

- Ahi
ahi is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-01-2009, 10:01 AM   #13
Hadrien
Feedbooks.com Co-Founder
Hadrien understands the importance of being earnest.Hadrien understands the importance of being earnest.Hadrien understands the importance of being earnest.Hadrien understands the importance of being earnest.Hadrien understands the importance of being earnest.Hadrien understands the importance of being earnest.Hadrien understands the importance of being earnest.Hadrien understands the importance of being earnest.Hadrien understands the importance of being earnest.Hadrien understands the importance of being earnest.Hadrien understands the importance of being earnest.
 
Hadrien's Avatar
 
Posts: 2,263
Karma: 145123
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Paris, France
Device: Sony PRS-t-1/350/300/500/505/600/700, Nexus S, iPad
Quote:
Originally Posted by ahi View Post
Sorry, Hadrien, you lost me... in practical terms what's OPDS about?

- Ahi
It's a standard for e-book distribution. That's the core technology that we use for our integration with Stanza (iPhone) and Aldiko (Android).
Hadrien is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-01-2009, 10:04 AM   #14
JSWolf
Resident Curmudgeon
JSWolf ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.JSWolf ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.JSWolf ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.JSWolf ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.JSWolf ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.JSWolf ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.JSWolf ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.JSWolf ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.JSWolf ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.JSWolf ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.JSWolf ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
JSWolf's Avatar
 
Posts: 73,514
Karma: 126422064
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts
Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3
Quote:
Originally Posted by BearMountainBooks View Post
I posted this on another thread, but in answer to someone's question about popular formats, smashwords did a survey:

http://blog.smashwords.com/2009/03/w...ks-matter.html

Edward Patterson published this helpful guide on publishing ebooks (his experiences and recommendations and he has a lot to say) It happens to be a free download, making it even more useful:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/316

Me, I'm still learning. I can say that the biggest problem is finding a place where enough readers go. Amazon works very well for that precise reason. Tons of readers go there. For any other format, it's a battle to find the readers because there are simply too many sites--it's impossible to go to all of them to get one or two or 10 readers.

It's also a changing scene with new devices coming out and new converts to e-books joining daily!

Maria
Sage: (multiple formats; Amazon or Smashwords--$1.00)
Catch an Honest Thief (Kindle only format: $1.99; a cozy mystery)
The thing with Feedbooks is that their conversions are overall better than Smashwords. So (personally), I'd prefer books from Feedbooks overall.
JSWolf is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 09-01-2009, 10:07 AM   #15
BearMountainBooks
Maria Schneider
BearMountainBooks ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.BearMountainBooks ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.BearMountainBooks ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.BearMountainBooks ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.BearMountainBooks ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.BearMountainBooks ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.BearMountainBooks ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.BearMountainBooks ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.BearMountainBooks ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.BearMountainBooks ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.BearMountainBooks ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
BearMountainBooks's Avatar
 
Posts: 3,746
Karma: 26439330
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Near Austin, Texas
Device: 3g Kindle Keyboard
JS Wolf--thanks for that feedback. I've heard others talk about feedbook as well. I'll have to check them (and their inventory!)

Maria
BearMountainBooks is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
looking for a self-publish success story kenshi General Discussions 9 10-13-2010 06:34 AM
Self-Publish Your E-Book in Minutes! nicolafurlong Self-Promotions by Authors and Publishers 0 07-28-2010 02:38 PM
Using Calibre to publish JBNY Calibre 1 12-04-2009 09:56 AM
Publish Year? coyote Calibre 6 02-26-2009 10:51 AM


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 05:09 AM.


MobileRead.com is a privately owned, operated and funded community.