Why you should publish an ebook, even if you don't read them. Choices for formatting your ebook for Kindle and ePub. Considerations for images in ebooks. Useful books for self-publishing. What you need for publishing an ebook including a great book cover, back blurb or sales description, keyword research, sampling, pricing. Which sites to use for self-publishing ebooks including Amazon KDP, Kobo Writing Life, Nookpress, iTunes Connect for iBooks, as well as Smashwords, BookBaby and Draft2Digital. How reporting works on the stores, and how payments and help with with-holding tax. Piracy vs obscurity.

1. How To Self-Publish An
Ebook
www.TheCreativePenn.com

2. http://smellofbooks.com/aromas/new-book-smell/
“But I will never give up
printed books”
!
“I love the feel and the
smell of a real book”
!
Even if you’re not the
market, you should
publish an ebook.

3. * Sell to anyone in the world over
the internet without printing or
shipping costs. !
!
* Huge growth market globally in
coming years. US & UK ‘mature’. !
!
* Proliferation of smartphones,
tablets & e-readers + kids reading
on devices = future!
!
* More profit per book even when
priced reasonably, unlike print!
!
* Speed of publishing and changes
- 24 hours! !
!
* Lower entry costs, lower risk
www.digitalbookworld.com/
2013/ebooks-at-50/

4. 4
In order to publish, you need:
!
* Finished, professionally edited
manuscript in correct format
!
* Professional designed book cover
!
* Back blurb / sales description
!
* Keywords
!
* Great sample
!
* Price & market decision

5. 5
http://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener.php
Write your book and publish it to .mobi
and .ePub with Scrivener. It’s only $49 for a
once off payment and you can format forever.
For complicated multi-media (but book well
in advance)
http://ebookarchitects.com/
http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2012/02/04/scrivener/
http://www.bookbaby.com/services/ebookconversion
ROUND-UP POST on publishing here:
http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2013/01/15/how-to-publish-a-book-101/
Format your edited manuscript
https://www.createspace.com/Services/KindleReadyFileConversion.jsp

6. 6
Considerations for illustrations / images
* Complications in formatting for
multiple devices so you might
need a professional
!
!
!
* File size impacts your royalty
as it impacts delivery cost
!
* Image files for ebooks may be
different to print version e.g.
colour vs b&w
!
* Full color images expensive to
print so will impact cost of book
* Ensure you have the rights
http://ebookarchitects.com/learn-about-ebooks/non-fiction-fixed-layout/
http://ebookarchitects.com/learn-about-ebooks/childrens-ebooks/
https://www.createspace.com/Services/ComplexKindleConversion.jsp

7. 7
Useful books for
self-publishing

8. 8
http://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener.php
I used to use Word and chapter headings
or separate documents but Scrivener is
life-changing!
You can also use it to format for Kindle
and ePub

9. 9
Great Book Cover
* Research books in the
genre and take screenprints
of what resonates
!
* Give ideas to designer but
give them creative
expression
http://www.thecreativepenn.com/bookcoverdesign/

10. 10
* Better deal if you get ebook &
print together
* Optimize for Amazon page and
thumbnail size. Can add any extra
text to print only editions.
* Revamp old books with a new
cover

11. 11
Killer Back Blurb & Sales Page
* Model successful books based
on your target market research
* What’s in it for the customer?
* Fiction - hyperbole, hook
* Non-fiction: Can include table of
contents
* Use keywords that your target
market use within text
* Include review quotes in
description box - there’s no limit
so use it.
http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2012/05/06/amazon-metadata-mark-edwards/

12. 12
Making changes to your sales page
https://authorcentral.amazon.co.uk/
https://authorcentral.amazon.com/
* Re-format descriptions with
bold, italics, spacing and HTML
!
* Add videos, blog feed, twitter
and more info & photos about
you
!
* Multiple names for brands
!
* Reporting and tracking for
author & books

13. Use keyword research
* Research keywords on
Amazon & online
keyword tools
!
* Non-fiction: Use in
book title if possible and
keywords when loading
to book sites
!
* Themes/places for
fiction e.g. ark of the
covenant, akhenaten
http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2013/02/28/keywords-metadata-discoverability/

14. 14
The Sampling Effect Or Look Inside the Book
* Ebook readers sample. It’s how
we buy. If you don’t hook me in
the first 3 clicks/pages, I delete.
!
*You can get millions of samples,
but people have to click Buy.
* Do you jump straight into the meat? Give people a
reason to get the rest?
* Have you used beta reader/editor feedback to
improve the book & first few chapters?
http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2013/02/02/sampling/

15. 15
Appropriate Pricing / Price Pulsing
* Amazon royalties: Under $2.99 =
35% , $2.99 - 9.99 = 70%
!
* $4.99 - $9.99 for non-fiction
ebooks. Look in your category/niche
at what others are charging.What is
your market happy to pay?
!
* Cost / benefit to the customer?
!
* There are no rules - you can play
with it & change it when you like.

16. 16
Strategic use of Free (ebooks only)
* Price pulsing has been the strategy of many authors
who have done well. Put on sale at 99c or free, then
change price back up again,
!
* Amazon algorithms have changed so free & 99c aren’t
so rewarded anymore, but can be a “gateway drug” so
best if you have multiple books. Also ‘perma-free’
strategy which I use for Pentecost (first in series).
!
* Do it through KDP Select or making free on
Smashwords which then translates to the other sites

17. 17
Basic rule: Go direct where you can for
the most control, fastest service/changes
and income payments as well as
reporting
My strategy:
* Direct to Amazon KDP (70-90% of most
indies income)
* Direct to Kobo Writing Life, iBooks and
NookPress
!
* Use Smashwords / BookBaby /
Draft2Digital for the rest
!
* These are all global options and all
have mobile apps for reading.

18. http://kdp.amazon.com
* Biggest share of ebook market revenue
* Direct to all Kindle stores worldwide
* Published in 24 hours, change whenever you like - pricing/content etc
* KDP Select - your book in lending library and also free promos available
for ranking - BUT/ exclusivity
* Transparent reporting on ranking, sales & income
* Payment by cheque/bank transfer monthly 90 days later

19. 19

20. 20

21. 21
http://www.kobobooks.com/kobowritinglife
* 20% of the ebook market
now - beating B&N Nook, 2nd
to Amazon in some territories
!
* Aggressive global expansion
* Partners with independent
book stores
!
* ePub format and user
friendly interface
!
* Electronic payment in
author’s currency
!

22. 22
Recommended:
* Direct to Amazon KDP (70-90% of most indies income)
* Direct to Kobo Writing Life, iBooks and Nookpress
* Use Smashwords / BookBaby / Draft2Digital for others
* Beware of price matching by country site
* Most relationships with
providers & marketing
opportunities with Apple/Nook
!
* Free to publish, ~15%
commission per sale
!
* Difficult to use interface (as
most established service)
!
* Entirely self-service/ DIY
!
* Changes are self-service
and speeds vary
* Fantastic, easy-to-use
interface
!
* Has multiple services so
you can get a package
deal
!
* Upfront fee and then
100% royalty
!
* Changes need to be
emailed & can take a
while
* Fantastic, easy-to-use
interface.
!
* Ebooks only so a focused
service
!
* Free to publish, ~10%
commission per sale
!
* Changes are self-service
and fast

23. 23
Apple iBookstore
http://www.apple.com/itunes/content-
providers/book-faq.html
* Can go direct or go through
distributors. Direct requires a
Mac and iTunesConnect -
process to set up
!
* Kids at home with iPads
and being used in some
schools. Some kid’s
publishers moving to iPad
only editions. iBooksAuthor
for creation tool.
http://www.apple.com/uk/
ibooks-author/
!
* Takes time so don’t remove
later e.g. for KDP Select.
Leave it and promote it.

24. 24
www.nookpress.com

25. www.smashwords.com
www.smashwords.com/
books/view/52
* Distributes to all ebook
stores so use for the ones
you can’t get to directly
!
* Free to publish to, takes
15% of sales - so they
take the risk, but more
money later if you’re
successful
!
* Formatting can be a real
pain - for those who like to
tinker & DIY or pay one of
Smashword’s freelancers.
ePub just available or
Word.
http://www.smashwords.com/books/
view/145431
Fantastic, free book!

26. 26
Has a free package with 15% commission or premium
services.
* Opt out of Amazon, Kobo etc if direct publishing
* Easier interface than Smashwords - ePub files
* Offers a lot more services if you don’t want to DIY
* Difficult to change once published

27. 27
www.draft2digital.com
* no upfront fees
* 10% royalty

28. 28
Transparent and timely sales reporting
For each title, for each store and each
region, including price and discounts,
borrows
!
Online and downloadable Excel sheets

29. 29
How does the money work?
Income:
!
* Amazon: 35% under $2.99. 70% 2.99
- 9.99. Pays monthly, 60 days after, by
check/transfer in USD & GBP & EUR.
Reconciles to sales report (awesome)
!
* Kobo. Pays monthly, 45 days after by
transfer in author’s currency w/ report
!
*Smashwords. Quarterly by Paypal
* Bookbaby & D2D. Set payment limit
& paid monthly when it reaches that.
Check/EFT/Paypal

30. 30
If you’re planning to make some money :) then
sort out your US tax number in first 6 months
30% with-holding tax
otherwise which adds up
pretty quickly - for Amazon &
iTunes (US companies)
!
* whatever your business
setup you need a tax number
for the US
!
* ITIN, EIN, W8-BEN
https://kdp.amazon.com/self-publishing/help?topicId=A1VDYJ32T5D3U4#nonus-with
This article will guide you through the process:
http://kareninglis.wordpress.com/tax/

31. 31
http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2009/09/08/piracy-vs-obscurity/
http://www.boingboing.net/2011/02/12/neil-gaiman-explains-1.html
Piracy vs Obscurity
* Piracy happens to the biggest, most successful
books. Obscurity is a greater threat to the
unknown author.
!
* Big authors like Neil Gaiman and Paulo Coelho
now embrace piracy as part of marketing and
finding readers in new markets. Tim Ferriss used
BitTorrent to launch Four Hour Chef, NY Times
bestseller
!
* Most ‘real’ readers prefer to buy and support
the author.
!
* Understand that Copyright is applied when you
create the work
!
* Set up alerts (Mention.net) so you are aware,
but don’t worry!
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/feb/01/paulo-coelho-readers-pirate-books

32. 32
If you’re going to e-
publish, buy an ebook
reader
!
* So you can test your own
files on at least 1 device as
well as web services
!
* You can understand the
reader experience so you
can sell more effectively
!
* Once converted, you’ll find
it addictive!

33. 33
Free 87 page
ebook on !
self-publishing and
book marketing
www.TheCreativePenn.com/blueprint/