Publishing

[Jhanananda]

OK, so people have been asking me to start publishing my work.  The world of publishing seems pretty daunting.  Does anyone have suggestions where to start, other than Google.  I already did that and I am a little less confused, but not much.

I own the Adobe Design Suit, so I can, and have, generated books electronically, and I can out put PDF and ePub formats.  OK, so now what do I do?

Still browsing I found this useful guide
How to self-publish an ebook

Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Amazon's e-book publishing platform

Types of Formats supported by Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing
Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) lets you upload and convert your final draft from several formats. For best results, we recommend that you upload in DOC/DOCX (.doc/.docx) or HTML (.html) format. Be sure to read through the tips below for your preferred format prior to publishing your work with KDP.

We accept the following formats:

Word (DOC or DOCX)
HTML (ZIP, HTM, or HTML)
Mobipocket (MOBI)
ePub (EPUB)
Plain Text (TXT)
Rich Text Format (RTF)
Adobe PDF (PDF)

[Alexander]

I wrote a novella a couple years ago which I tried to get published, but I eventually gave up after sending out so many queries. What I did was send query letters/the book to "literary agents" (whose job would be to take what I wrote to a publisher), but only a couple agreed to read it and both declined after reading the book to take it further for me. I also tried a novella-writing contest (the winner got published), but I didn't succeed at that, also.

[Jhanananda]

Well, aglorincz, that has been my experience as well.  eBook publishing has become free, so you and i can publish our books on Amazon at no cost.  I am working on brushing up my book-length collection of contemplative poetry this weekend and plan to have it on Amazon before Monday morning. 

I do not know how much to charge for an eBook.  Apparently they sell just for a dollar.  Since there is so little interest in my work, then I do not expect to sell more than a few of any book I publish.  So, I am not sure if it going to be worth the trouble.  But, it is a rain weekend, and there is nothing else better to do.

[Cybermonk]

Aloha to ya Jeffrey,

At last!! Most of the work is done, as you know. My sister is a writer, a classic
starving artist. She has published books on poetry, yet fails to put her life's
work out there for the rest of us to enjoy. She has at least three 800 page
novels ready, on the shelf. Like many artist, she fears rejection, so she starves.

Many times I've asked her to publish. This last time I created a "to do" list
for her and agreed to do the grunt work. Artist don't do the mundane, grunt
work. Anyway.... here's the startup list;


1-make a list of your writer friends for references. Ask with whom they're working and if they're satisfied. Include their contact info.

2- What type of book you have written and names of similar books currently
successfully selling on the market.

3- a list of links to agency Web sites for information on genres they specialize in, clients they represent, preferred method of communication, and any guidelines for submissions.

4- a list of   professional editors to review your book and polish it.

5- a number of cover letter templates used by authors who write your type
of book and are published.

6- create your profile... highlight all successful publications you have.

7- create a brief summary of the novel--no longer than three paragraphs-- with an estimated word count.

8- a list of the audience you think will read your novel.

Personally.... I believe you should go with the e=book.  However, once you
involve yourself with publishing people, all that may change.
A caution; get your work somehow certified its yours. My sister, Lynn Marie
wrote some movie script for a producer, who took the work, called it his
own and made two movies. The movies were "Dragonheart", so take the
time to cover your ass. She sued and everything, but  there was no money
in it for the lawyers, so they told her to forget it. So it goes. Now... she
is making a finished copy before she sends it to edit. Proof it is her work.

I'm pleased you are taking up the challenge. The story of your journey
and all you've seen and done, will be fascinating. Bravo!
Later,
Kimo

[Jhanananda]

Aloha to ya Jeffrey,

At last!! Most of the work is done, ...Later,
Kimo

Thanks, Kimo, I have pretty much covered all of those bases.  In addition to leading a self-aware contemplative life for 40 years, I also spent 9 years at the university studying creative writing.  There I met a fair number of well-published authors, even Pulitzer Prize winners, and I became friends with them, but getting to know authors, publishers and agents only works if your topic is mainstream.

I also spent 30 years working the guru circuit in search of a guru who would recognize and validate my religious experiences, but all I got was marginalization.

I then spent the last 10 years building a readership through running forums, as you know, here, for example.  But, it has produced little interest in my subject area, because too few of those who claim to practice meditation, actually do it consistently enough to get anything out of it.

Thus, the community of people who would be interested in my subjects is just too small to warrant putting ink to paper, so it will be a free to me eBook publication.

I just need to understand the logistics of eBook publication, the mechanicals of the layout of an eBook, and pricing it.  I thought perhaps there might be some dialog here on that.

[Michael Hawkins]

Hello Jeffrey and friends,

Jeffrey, you may already be aware of the Calibre e-book management software, but I thought I'd suggest it anyway:

http://calibre-ebook.com/

There is an OSx version.

Basically, this free software does a great job converting files across various platforms -- from .epub to .mobi, for instance.  You can also program a table of contents, design covers and otherwise manipulate metadata.  I have a Kindle reader, so I also use Calibre to manage my book library.

Many blessings,
Michael

[Jhanananda]

Thanks, Michael for your post.  I am pretty happy with InDesign, and several of my books are already designed using it.  I have version 5.5 and it outputs ePub files, and PDF files, which i understand are all I need. 

The questions that I have right now are to understand the logistics of eBook publication, the mechanicals of the layout of an eBook, and pricing it, etc.  With an ePub file, do I need to be concerned about layout, or does the Kindle reader dynamically adjust the file to fit the screen?  Perhaps, I could send you a copy of my ePub file and you could let me know how it appears on your Kindle reader?

It has been raining almost nonstop here in Sedona for the past 2 days, so I am keeping warm and dry huddled by the fire place, and working on a final edit and layout of a book-length collection of poetry, which I hope to have on Amazon as an eBook soon.

[Cybermonk]

Hi Jeffrey,

Personally, I use my lower levels of success's, to alert me to any minor
changes I could make to my tra-la-la, skipping down the path of existence
life stye.

Someone will say'; Kimo... your wasting your talent, time, energy, ect.
Then, while struggling to put my emotional ego, knee jerk response aside, I just have to ask the critic; How would you do it? Nine times out of ten, those people
are quivering inside and are constantly seeking to," blow out my candle to
make theirs shine brighter". I think of them as "slow growers".

However.... its the one person in ten that has the nugget I'm looking for.
I think of it as the cost of doing business.
Speaking of business, I'm enjoying the nuggets of info on ebooks. Thanks,
Jeffrey and Michael, for posting.
Later,
kimo

[Michael Hawkins]

Hi Jeffrey and Kimo,

Jeffrey, Kindle won't read epub files, so we'd need to convert to .mobi -- which is what Calibre does with the click of a button.  I'd love to see your epub book, though, and I'd be happy to run the conversion for you and send it back.

Much love,
Michael

[Jhanananda]

Thanks all for the help, and especially, Michael.  I have downloaded Calibre, and converted my book, I think, and I have sent it to you as an attachment in an email in .Mobi format.   Please let me know if it works as expected, or if I need to make some changes.  It looks like the cover is separate in .mobi?

I originally laid the book out in 8.5x11 format so that I could print it on a laser printer, back when I had access to one.  It is still in 8.5x11 format, but I output it to .ePub, then converted it to .Mobi, so I have not idea what it is going to look like on a Kindle.

If it is too large, then I can re-lay it out in any format, but I need to know what that format is.

I have developed some questions regarding the use of Calibre and understanding the parameters of the eBook:
1) I wanted to make a few layout changes, which I did in inDesign, but I want to remove the old .mobi file, and ePub files from Calibre to eliminate confusion, but after spending several hours exploring Calibre, I have found no way to do that.  So, if Michael, or someone else, can help with this matter it would be great.
2) Calibre seems to be a really useful way to manage and convert epublications; however, it does not seem to offer the ability to create them, or just read them.  How do I read my .mobi files on my Mac?
3) I have some more sophisticated projects in mind, such as publications that include my photography and/or audio recording.  How do I do those projects in an eBook format?  Or, is it possible?
4) I still have trouble understanding pricing of an eBook.  Apparently eBooks are very cheap, selling as cheap as the newspaper, or a comic book.  However, I have trouble considering pricing my work at $.99 for 30 years of poetry, or 40 years of research into the religious experience, or 40 years of alternative fuels research.  So, some feedback from people who have experience with eBooks would be useful. 

While I can see that a cheap price could increase volume; nonetheless, it is clear that my work has such a narrow appeal that if I sold the ebooks for $.99, and I would only get 30% of that, then I do not expect to receive more than a few dollars for my efforts, which certainly would not inspire me to continue the effort, nor help to sustain me.

[Jhanananda]

So, after more research I found a few readers for the Mac.  The Kindle and Sony readers were useless, because all they want the consumer to do is consume.  However, Adobe has the Adobe Digital Editions, which is a free download reader that does some conversion.  As they say, "Adobe Digital Editions software offers an engaging way to view and manage eBooks and other digital publications. Use it to download and purchase digital content, which can be read both online and offline."

With Adobe Digital Editions I was able to open my ePub file and read it.  i am not sure if it is what people expect in a eBook, but it is not what I expected when I laid it out.  I did find out that both the photos I included in the eBook were included in my ePub file.  Those photos are front and back covers.

Apparently Adobe Digital Editions also supports the creation of audio books, which is something I am interested in producing.  However, I am not sure how audio books are marketed.

[Michael Hawkins]

Thanks, Jeffrey.  I responded to your email with a few suggestions and comments.

http://www.smashwords.com is a great place to upload your material, once the formatting is squared away.

[Jhanananda]

Thanks, Michael for your excellent input.  I have fixed the spelling errors, good to have a another pair of eyes on it.  I have also created links for all of the table of contents. I found that the PDF format retained the links, but ePub does not. I used Calibre to convert the PDF file to .mobi format, but I have no way of testing it.  If you would not mind checking that feature, it would help a great deal.

Since I have already given everything away on the website and forums, but I need to come up with a money stream, then I am going to try to sell my eBooks.  I still have not figured out the pricing yet.

I will check http://www.smashwords.com.  Do you know if I can I sell my eBooks through Amazon, and list them through smashwords.com? 

OK, I checked smashwords.com and it is either them or Amazon, so why would I use smashwords.com instead of Amazon, or vice versa?

Well, I guess I answered my own question here.  I tried setting up an account with Amazon, but it will not let me do so without a Japanese Bank account.  I do not have an account with a Japanese Bank.  How does one get one?

[Michael Hawkins]

You can sell through Amazon and Smashwords simultaneously, Jeffrey -- and on Amazon you can run limited-time "special offers" to drum up business through forums and email lists.

I will load your book onto my Kindle later today and see how it looks!

Edit:  I did not know that Smashwords prevents one from selling on both venues -- I've seen many ebooks listed at both sites, so perhaps they've changed their policy...?  Interesting.....

[Michael Hawkins]

Here's something I found on the Smashwords FAQ page:

Why do I sell more books at Amazon than Smashwords?
Amazon is about 2,000 times larger than Smashwords, so for the time being at least, if you list your book in both places, you'll probably see more sales at Amazon. This is starting to change for some authors, however, especially as Smashwords expands its worldwide distribution network. Our primary benefit to you as an author is our broad and growing distribution network.  You upload one book to Smashwords and we distribute it multiple major retailers, including the Apple iBookstore, Barnes & Noble, Sony, Kobo, the Diesel eBook Store, and others.  Over 80% of our authors' sales come from our distribution network.  As an author, your objective is to maximize the availability of your book by getting listed in as many retailers as possible, and this is where Smashwords is so valuable as your ebook distribution partner. We are constantly building out our distribution network, all with the goal of helping you read more readers.  To learn the best practices of the bestselling Smashwords authors, download a copy of our free ebook, the Secrets to Ebook Publishing Success.

I'd say that there are definite benefits from publishing through Smashwords and Amazon at the same time.  There is a dedicated community that visits Smashwords looking for reading material, who would otherwise not find your books on Amazon.