A Bookish Effort in Self-Publishing: A Step-by-Step Log

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AnnaPappenheim

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A log of lessons learned and of progress made.

Will share info on the books, websites, and other resources I come across in my quest to self-publish.

I plan to publish in about four months, so initially I'm just learning the ropes :)


Some background:
A year and a half ago, my husband came up with the idea to write a book. A historical fiction book. We would write it together.

Now, I love to write and I love to read, but… us together? And… history?!

My educational background is in Literature. I stopped working so that I could write Creative Nonfiction. Not history.

He’s a historian, by hobby. (Though don’t think that by “hobby” I mean “casual interest,” nor that the term somehow magically regulates its consumption of time-- that it simply must, by definition, take up less time than one’s primary profession.)

Ultimately, though, he sold me on the idea: We would spend more time together. I would do most of the writing and editing, and I would develop the book’s fictional characters. Also, I was enthralled by our topic! He figured out a conspiracy in history that no one else has figured out… and he can prove it!

We did a ton of research. (As it turns out, we work well together.) Our book became longer, and longer, and longer. We started saying things like, “How about a Part 1 and a Part 2?” or “How about a trilogy?”

But the message is too urgent to wait years to say it aloud.

So our book—researched, outlined, partially written—was put on hold. There was now to be a separate book, a nonfiction book. One that would say all the bold facts of the fiction book, but that would tell it rather than show it. The research is all the same, but this approach gets the message out quicker.

We will return to our original book—with its interweaving plot, its three-dimensional characters, and its larger historical fiction audience—afterward.

This new book, while not short, is (much) shorter than the other one. He is doing the writing; I am doing the editing and figuring out publishing.

I’m excited about this book! I want it to do well. And learning about the self-publishing world will help when we finally finish our fiction book.

So, here I am: Isolated writer learning about the vast, crowded, and intricate industry of book publishing.

This is my log of what I learn and my progress. I hope it can be helpful to others.


*Note: My husband will hereafter be known as The Historian.

Also, when I say “the forum,” I’m always referring to AW :)



I’m about a month in, so here is what I’ve learned so far.

So far…


Day 1.
I know nothing about self-publishing. The Historian says he looked online at some popular self-publishing companies: AuthorHouse, iUniverse, and Outskirts Press. He hands me their brochures.

I go to bed.



Day 2.
Monday, August 4th

I Google writer’s forums. Found AW, and did a search through AW under each of the companies names: Outskirts, iUniverse, and Authorhouse.

Outskirts isn’t too familiar to people, but lots about AuthorHouse having bad customer service, and these types of companies being “vanity” presses, and not technically even “self”-publishing.

Huh?

After some more AW forum reading and googling I’m seeing the bigger picture: If I want control, I must publish on my own. Using services, yes, but not using a company does everything for me.

I found this link helpful in defining and detailing vanity presses.
http://www.aeonix.com/vanity.htm

One aspect I uncover about having the most control:
I need to have my own ISBN number, so that it’s not owned by a company and I’d have to get a new one if I get out from under their contract. If I need help with certain services, I can hire someone on my own, like for editing or cover art design.

But… Do I actually need to start my own publishing company??

Overwhelmed.


I share what I’m learning with The Historian, who has an amazon trigger-happy finger, and before I can say much, he’s ordered two books on self-publishing. Dan Poynter’s Self-Publishing Manual and The Fine Print of Self-Publishing, by Mark Levine.

“These have the best reviews.”

Okay then, bébé.


I find a thread on the self-publishing area of the forum on the best books on self-publishing (http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=289237), and am happy to learn Dan Poynter’s Self-Publishing Manual is on there. (Yay!)



Day 3.
I create an account at AW. I start asking questions. I hear about CreateSpace.

I look at CreateSpace author showcase: https://forums.createspace.com/en/community/community/member_showcase/author_showcase/blog



Day 4.
Wednesday, August 6th

I look again at AuthorHouse, iUniverse, and Outskirts Press.

With AuthorHouse looking the most impressive, I start there. They have a great website, but I keep going back to their “packages” page and not finding the brass tacks on how much control I would have vs. how much control they would have.

Outskirts looks okay, but their spotlighted authors are mostly saying how great the customer service is, how they got help with editing and cover design… but NOT how well their books are selling. I don’t just want our book to go to friends and family. I want it to SELL. On the Outskirts website they kept saying how the author has more control than other self-publishing companies, but I couldn’t find exact details on any of the three sites.

Back to the forum…

The people on AW are advising others who’d posted about vanity presses to use CreateSpace and Lightning Source.

Lightning Source. The forum says it’s tedious to learn how to submit your manuscript to LS, and if you realize a typo later, it’s not cheap to fix; whereas, with CreateSpace, it’s free, and immediate for ebooks. CreateSpace is more user-friendly, and cheaper. But the quality of printed books are not nearly as good.

Lightning Source’s website linked me to IngramSpark, their program tailored for Independent Authors.

Ingram Spark… another name in the mess of names in my head.

Bed.



Day 12.
Thurs Aug 14th

Smashwords… what’s Smashwords??



Day 13.
Friday Aug 15th

How to publish a book with Ingram Spark:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B854Nl_2SDw

This is a video from RevanWright, who posted about using Ingram Spark on this thread: http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=286934&page=2

This video really helpful to me. I got to see the finished product (it looks great!) and learn a little about the process with IngramSpark and what their website looks like from a member’s perspective, making it much less intimidating. Also really cool to see someone getting the finished product (their book) in the mail and opening it!

From this video, YouTube is suggesting I watch a few more videos.

Okay then, YouTube.


An hour long video on IngramSpark I found really informative:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YL5on8XtGOI
The two people answering questions on Ingram Spark work for the company.

One helpful thing that was said:
The woman in the video (Robin Cutler) said you can use CreateSpace for Kindle/Amazon, and use IngramSpark for everything else—there is no rule against doing that. Good to know.

The video was hosted by Orna Ross, director of ALLI. (Who’s ALLI??)

…Oh, ALLI is a what, not a who: The Alliance of Independent Authors.

So they’re a group of self-publishers.

Their website (http://allianceindependentauthors.org) says: “We offer contacts, connection & collaboration plus expert guidance & advice. We also widely champion the interests of independent authors.”

You pay to join. The fee seems to vary from about $60 to $139 (per year, I’m assuming).

A benefit? Discounts.
“We negotiate great discounts on behalf of our members with self-publishing services, printers, designers, editors, proofreaders, PR and marketing agencies, rights managers and also for key literary and publishing events like London Book Fair and Book Expo America. Save on your subscription fee many times over.” (http://allianceindependentauthors.org/benefits/).

Okay, that all sounds good. I’ll have to look into this more later. I’m sure there’s other organizations like this too. Could be worth joining one. Maybe there’s a genre-specific one.



Day 15.
A week finishing reading the two books ordered by The Historian: Dan Poynter’s Self-Publishing Manual and Mark Levine’s The Fine Print of Self-Publishing.

I like them both a lot.

Self-Publishing Manual:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1568601425/?tag=absowrit-20

Dan Poynter’s is sale-sy, and you’re frequently directed to his website to download more info, generally for a fee, but the book is plenty informative, very comprehensive about the whole self-publishing thing in general. He’s great at marketing, and he explains his process step-by-step. My book is now underlined to death, starred, and dog-eared. I will refer to it often.

Problem is that it’s a little out-dated. 2006/2007 it was published, and we’re now halfway through 2014. He offers enough general business advice for the book to merit reading on that alone, but for specific details about How To’s involving ebooks, or which companies to use, it’s not the book to read for that. I did look up and see that he has a Vol.2 to this book, but I think that was published in 2009, so probably not something I want to buy.

He emphasizes specialty shops. Try to get your books into local specialty shops. For instance, his book on parachutes—great for sporting stores.

He also shares what he knows as the best way to do things. And these are not out-dated. For example, create your own website, and sell from there (as well as other places, of course). Hire a distributor. (He describes how to do this.) Get yourself a mailbox other than your home address. Open your own publishing company (and how to do this). What to put on your back cover and why (and his back cover looks damn catchy, so his is good advice).

He even has a checklist in the back of the book for what you should be doing and when. It’s really great.

He emphasizes that you must buy this book:
Literary MarketPlace (LMP)
http://www.literarymarketplace.com/lmp/us/index_us.asp
Says you can go to the library to reference it, but that you’ll need to reference it so much that it’s worth buying.

But… It’s over $300. (!!!) So I decided to buy the 2013 edition used from Amazon for now. It was $47.00. Two Vols. Make sure if you do this you’re getting BOTH vols. Thankfully, I read an Amazon reviewer who complained about this, and so I went through another Amazon seller and am pleased. More on the LMP later. I have yet to look them over. Who knows, I may end up buying the 2014 one, though likely I’ll be going to the library to reference that one as needed.

Also, getting back to Dan Poynter, I want to mention that he has print outs on his website for free. Rather, some are free. His info kits are helpful, and they’re free.
Free info kits:
http://www.parapublishing.com/sites/para/resources/infokit.cfm

I printed out Info Kits 1 and 2, and they’re now covered in bright pink highlighter ☺
(By the way, in his second info kit he emphatically says to use Smashwords. Smashwords. Here we go again, what is Smashwords?? Must look into this.)


The Fine Print:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1626525358/?tag=absowrit-20

This book is much more up-to-date: 2013. It has a whole chapter on ebooks.

This book, like Self-Publishing Manual, is underlined, starred, dog-eared and will be referenced again and again. Not as often as the other book, however.

He instructs how to get your website viewed as often as possible. And considering how The Historian found his book after only a two-minute online search, I’d say he knows of what he speaks.

Chapter 8 is amazingly helpful. It’s titled “An Apples to Apples Comparison of Major Self-Publishing Companies.”
This includes CreateSpace, Lulu, AuthorHouse, iUnverise, Outskirts, and many more. (Basically, all the companies I’ve thought of using, heard of, and then fives times more.)

For instance, I learned (and by easy to read chart, no less):
Lulu marks up their print cost 99% when author buys books from them. So if I wanted to buy a dozen copies of my book to sell on my own (maybe through a website I create or local bookstores or specialty shops), I would be paying 99% above actual print costs. And who does Lulu use to print? Lightning Source. And what does Lightning Source charge to print? $3.90 per book. So… why wouldn’t I just go directly to Lightning Source??

I would. Lulu out; Lightning Source in.

Mark Levine has his own “book publishing and technology company” and mentions this throughout his book. Not in a sale-sy way, like the other book I just read, but enough to make his point for sure. It sounds to me like hiring his company to consultant on things like cover design and marketing strategies could be really worthwhile. Non-the-less, due to limited funds, I’m not likely to be contacting him. But if we had a bigger budget, I certainly would. He knows his stuff. He has experience being both a self-published author and a publisher for others. He’s intelligent, successful, and gives sound advice.


Here is one website Mark Levine recommends that I need to look into:
http://www.publiceye.com

Oh good. Another website.

This one offers a free assessment of if “your book is in the public eye”, but mostly seems to offer paid marketing services, including blog tours, book tours, social media set up, social media management, author website, Google Adwords (Levine says to definitely use Google Adwords, but does say it’s a fair effort to learn, and that you might consider hiring someone to help), Amazon Exposure Program, etc.

Amazon Exposure Program. That sounds interesting.
Here’s what their site says about what they’re offering with this:
http://www.publiceye.com/amazon-exposure-program/
• Complete Amazon author profile setup, which includes: author photo, author bio, and bibliography. Optional: email address, website link, blog RSS, videos, and book trailers.
• 30 unique keyword to create tags for your book
• 3 Goodreads Listopia lists which feature your book
• 1 So You’d Like To guide which features your book
• Shelfari completion of book listing


I’ll revisit this later. I’m going to try to learn everything I can myself, in the time I have, and then I see where my weak areas are and how much money is left. Then, maybe.

In the meantime, here’s a link to the recommended Google Adwords:
https://adwords.google.com/KeywordPlanner

I will look into this more later too, but I’m glad I have an idea of it now.



Day 21.
SAT 23rd Aug

More names:
BookBub
BookBaby


More websites:

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/

http://www.crowdspring.com

http://bookcoverarchive.com

http://bookcoversanonymous.blogspot.com


Been reading APE (Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur). Super helpful. Marketing info good. Really up-to-date info on companies like CreateSpace and many self-publishing companies for ebook and POD, and how they work. Shares technical details, like how to convert files, or your manuscript to ebook format.

It is APE that recommends CrowdSpring. (Possibly those other websites too. Hard to say.)



Day 23.
Monday

Created a new Amazon account. (We have one, but it’s our personal account.)

Apparently, you can connect your Amazon account to your Facebook and Twitter accounts. But… I do not have a Facebook or Twitter account.

Time to create a Facebook account? I don’t think I want to create a twitter account. Also, I learned that you create a Facebook “page” rather than a “profile.” This is what you do when you’re a business. If I go this route, I’ll make it in the name of our publishing house (once it’s set up) or in the name of the book. I wonder: Can it somehow be for both?

Created a YouTube account, or “channel.” Not sure I’ll ever post videos, but this allows me to leave comments under the videos I watch. (That's why I did it.)


Back to the new Amazon account (which I got so that I could post reviews of books I’ve read on Amazon) :
Turns out I can’t post a review on Amazon unless I’ve made a purchase before. And although I’ve purchased hundreds of things on Amazon, I have purchased _nothing_ through my new account.

Okay, no problem. I’ll just order me a new book. How about one of self-publishing? :)

No. No, this isn’t going to work. I need to give my address.

In The Self-Publishing Manual, Dan Poynter says you should set up an alternative address, otherwise you’ll have people showing up at your door. And I learned (whether through him or online searching) that I can use UPS to get an alterative street address, rather than have a P.O. Box. The new street address will be the UPS store I chose to pick up my business mail at. http://www.theupsstore.com/mailboxes/Pages/index.aspx

But, I have not done this yet. So, like many other things, I will have to return to this at a later date.

Darn.

Oh well. It’s time to take the dog to daycare anyway. (Yeah I said it. Doggie daycare. Daycare, for dogs.)



Day 24.
Tuesday

APE says join:
Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA)
They offer significant discounts on a variety of publishing and marketing related things.

Looking at their website, they seem to offer more discounts than ALLI does. I would pay $129 (a year?) with IBPA, so the price between the two isn’t the deciding factor.

Why would I chose IBPA over ALLI? I goggled this, but can’t seem to find any input.



Day 26.
Thursday

I’m learning from APE that Lightning Source will do off-set printing, but they’re a POD printer primarily.

Off-set printing is a good idea if you can afford (and think your book will sell well) several hundred copies at least at a time (maybe spend $2,000). This is the way to get the highest quality print job. It is also the best way if you have pictures in your book. (Our book will have maps and some pictures).

APE recommends hiring a professional to help you, if you decide to use off-set printing. He says also you should get quotes from three different printers.

Here is the link APE gives for finding an off-set printer:
http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2011...rinting-estimates-for-self-publishers-part-1/

This is a list of the 100 top printers, for off-set printing:
http://www.bookmarket.com/101print.htm


So… I feel like what I’m doing here is learning “the best” way to do things, and I’m liking that, but ultimately I do not think it is where I will end up. I think when it’s decision time, we’ll find a lack of money and time will lead up to POD. And ebook, of course, but that’s always been the idea.

Nonetheless, it’s good to research things out fully.


By the way, side thought: Remember when books were just fun to read? When it was all about what happens next? I can’t remember the last time I read a book for fun. Since I was 17, I think reading just became an all out learning exercise. I read a few sentences, a few paragraphs, maybe even a few pages, but then it’s the note-taking, the stepping back to think about style or characterization.

Of course with the books I’m reading of late, it’s meant to be all learning, but the process is still similar. Only now it’s look things up online and read related web pages. Oh well.

Here is a great pleasure read:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0752435469/?tag=absowrit-21

Harris’s List. A conversation piece as a coffee-table book. A history lesson. A delightfully lewd guide to finding that special lady. (Comical. Lewd. Poetic.)

(Although I recommend it as a “pleasure read,” my copy is all marked up with the typical underlining, dog-earing, and starring.)



Day 28.
Sat 30th Aug

I’ve begun making binders, for organization.

The one I’m making now is websites of interest. The binder will consist of one-page screen shots of websites that I’d like to look into more.

This is a good idea because whenever I’m looking into something, I inevitably find other things to look into. Now instead of ending up having twenty windows open on my laptop, ten on my phone, and five on my kindle, I can simply take a screen shot, hit print, and then add it to the binder. Voilà.


Literary Marketplace (LMP)
Really glad I bought this! I bought the 2013 one, thinking I can just go to the library to see the 2014 one if need be. (Thus saving $300.)

It’s the complete reference for everything. Like an encyclopedia for all in the literary field.

For example: Book publishing associations. I’ve heard about IBPA and ALLI. Which should I join? Looking at their websites, I can’t decide. Then it occurs to me: Are there book publishing associations that are genre based? Is there one for history? How would I find this out?

…Oh! LMP.

I look in the Table of Contents. “Associations, Events, Courses & Awards” is the header, and “Book Trade & Allied Associations” is below it. P. 615. Okay, I found IBPA, but not ALLI. ALLI was founded in 2012, so maybe that was very late 2012 and it didn’t get in the 2013 LMP? …

Okay, well, moving on: There is an index of three pages of associations, categorized by purpose; like, “Literacy,” “Publishing,” and “Writers,” and I find IBPA under “Publishing.” There are about 50 associations in this category.

Any for history? No. But there’s one for Music and Hispanic publishers.
But I’ve learned that IBPA has 3,000 members and has been around since 1983. Good to know.

Also, when looking for associations, I first found “Book Clubs” and did find a history book club. I took a screen shot and printed out their home webpage :)

I just emailed ALLI to ask if they’re not in the 2013 LMP or if I’m looking in the wrong category. I also emailed IBPA to ask a basic question. Since I can’t decide who to go with based on website comparison, maybe their response to my emails will help me decide.


Just came across the name Goodreads again. APE mentioned this, said it was a good social network to join for authors.
Looking at the Goodreads website, I see they have an Author Program. Need to look into this more.

APE also recommends: BookTalk, Shelfari, and Nothing Binding.

Adding them to the binder.

Downloaded a copy of Goodreads for Authors: How to promote Your Books Using Goodreads, by Michelle Campbell-Scott. Going to start reading that tonight. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BKE039I/?tag=absowrit-20


Just finished reading APE, by the way. Great book, highly recommended. I feel like it offers more real time details, and more specifics, like company names and how to publish using CreateSpace. It is the perfect companion to The Self-Publishing Manual, as it picks up where the other leaves off.



Day 29.
Sun, Aug 31st

Purchased the book Self-Publishing On a Shoestring: Insanely Helpful Links for Indie Authors, by Christiana Miller.

The book is a compilation of links helpful to authors trying to self-publish. One reviewer said it’s the ultimate directory for all a self-publishing author needs to know.

Sounds kind of like a Literary Marketplace narrowed down for self-publishers. This book was published in 2013, so while not being up to the minute in accuracy, it is a recent publication.

I’m excited to look through it. First though, reading the book about Goodreads.


Learned about Netgallery through a helpful email exchange. Screen shot. Binder. Will look into this more later.


Started reading Goodreads for Authors and am finding it really helpful.

I created a Goodreads profile. Added a picture, but they deleted it. And here I thought the nude beach was a great backdrop! (This is entirely untrue, just wanted to see if you were paying attention.)

Spent about an hour and a half on the site, finding and rating my favorite books. Crime and Punishment, Wuthering Heights, The Bloody Chamber... and many, many more. It’s a fun website! I’m not very social, and I don’t have a Facebook account, but I could actually see logging into Goodreads regularly. You can have discussions about favorite books. You can recommend books. You can write and read reviews. And you get to have a neat virtual bookshelf, showing all your favorite reads. You can have many bookshelves, actually. The site gives you three: Read, Reading, and Want to Read. The author of Goodreads for Authors recommends that you add some more bookshelves—one for each genre you read, and especially for the genre you write in.

First, you must create an account as a reader. Then you can find your book via search, or enter it manually, and in about 2-3 days you’ll have yourself an author account. The site is for readers to share their recommendations and learn about the recommendations of others, so its main purpose is not for authors to advertise. The general idea seems to be that you write reviews, rate books, make friends, and join groups, and then people will click on your profile and your book(s). And even though it’s not a site primarily for authors, it’s apparently how 50 Shades of Grey became a bestseller.

Michelle Campbell-Scott (author of Goodreads for Authors) has a nice chart showing that Goodreads is one of the best ways to promote your book, whereas Facebook, author websites, and Twitter rank much, much lower. Goodreads also ranks above Amazon.

Goodreads is now an Amazon company, by the way. As of 2013. I believe this means that when you want to buy a book you see on Goodreads, it will direct you ONLY to Amazon, not your personal author website, not Barnes & Noble, etc..

I’ve been reading this book on my Kindle. (Also an Amazon device :) ) The Historian got us both Kindles about a year and a half ago. He (amazingly) only paid $7 for each, as we had earned so many points on our credit card that it nearly paid for them in full. He uses his a lot, but I’ve never really used mine before. I’m liking it. I can highlight and bookmark, my favorite things to do whilst reading.


_________
Well, there you have it: One month down, three to go. And much to do; I feel like I need six months at least. The Historian is still finishing up writing, and I have only done draft editing on what he's written thus far. So, I must edit a book, contract artwork, build a website, create a publishing company, make a go of marketing, and publish a book.

If I was a drinker, I'd have a drink! As is though, I'm about to watch a unabashedly gory horror movie, eat my chocolate soy milk ice cream, and go to bed.
 

GigiBee

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Wow, I've read a lot of self-pub author diaries, but yours is by far the most informative. Thanks for including so many details and resources! Good luck with your book. I think all of this research and hard work is really going to pay off for you. :)
 

AnnaPappenheim

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Wow, I've read a lot of self-pub author diaries, but yours is by far the most informative. Thanks for including so many details and resources! Good luck with your book. I think all of this research and hard work is really going to pay off for you. :)

Thanks, GigiBee, that's really nice :)

I actually like doing research, so learning about this whole world of self-publishing has been really interesting so far. Still have a ways to go, but I hope you're right and that it pays off.
 

slhuang

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First -- welcome to AW.

Second -- BREATHE! :D

I don't have time to respond in detail right now, but I wanted to drop a quick note of caution. It sounds like you're dropping (or preparing to drop) a lot of money before you really know what will be the most useful to you. Be *very* wary -- the people really getting rich in self-publishing right now are the people offering services (sometimes/often with promises they can't deliver on) to authors who want to self-publish.

Try to see everything through that lens. It can be a minefield.

I'm not saying anything you listed is necessarily a bad idea -- personally I've only done maybe 2 things on your entire list in my publishing endeavor, but my book is a completely different genre from yours with a completely different audience, and I know nothing about trying to put out a book like yours. :D I'm just trying to say: if you don't yet know what Smashwords is and you've only recently discovered what Goodreads is, I advise you to slow down before spending any more money on books, memberships, or services. There is a TON of free information online that will get you to a place where you will at least be able to judge whether something will give you a worthy ROI before plonking down your hard-earned cash.

AW is one of those places. :) You've made a great start by coming here, and the SP forum is extremely informative. Read back through the archives, read the stickies, ask questions. (Simultaneously, bear in mind that self-publishing changes VERY fast. Advice that was great two years ago may no longer be current.)

Good advice will also vary widely by jurisdiction and genre. Whether it's a good idea to start a publishing company, for example, probably depends on the laws where you live (where I live, it doesn't make sense). Smart marketing and pricing can be VERY different depending on your genre and category. Spending money on marketing can make a lot of sense, or it can be equivalent to feeding C-notes into a shredder. A lot of it depends on your goals, your plan, your market, what's important to you, what your audience responds to, etc..

Good luck!
 
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AnnaPappenheim

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Thanks for the welcome, slhuang!

And for the advice :)

I've actually only purchased three printed books and several very cheap ebooks at this point, and haven't joined any paid associations or memberships... yet.

I agree-- this forum is a rich source of information! I've been reading through it and using the search tool quite a bit, actually whenever I learn of some new (new to me) website, book, service, etc., I come here and type it in the search box :) That's how I found AW, by searching on "AuthorHouse" and "reviews" (or similar keyword), and up came AW with many threads warning of vanity presses. If I hadn't found this site, who knows? Maybe I would have dropped a pile on services that didn't live up to their promises.

I do want to spend on some things, like cover art. It's a little ways off though, at this point.

The stickies!! Yes, I agree absolutely! I've only just started reading them and they're vastly helpful!

Thanks again for the welcome and the advice! Much appreciate the warnings and guidance :)
 

RevanWright

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Wow, this is ridiculously informative. Looks like you're far better at preparation and organization than I am.
Glad my video helped. But remember: the biggest reason to use Ingram is the distribution for print copies. Uploading your ebook to amazon/Smashwords etc allows you to maintain more control over it. And remember the cautions about hardbacks with Ingram Spark. If you're going the whole 9 yards, it's doable. But it's much more cost-effective (lucrative, read up on the 40% vs 55% retailer discounts) and there's more breathing room if you just do paperback.
 
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AnnaPappenheim

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Thanks RevanWright!

While it can be good to be organized and prepared, I tend to get lost in its web; sometimes solid action is the best course. From your video, you said you learn as you go-- and you seem to have taught yourself really well!

Okay, thank you much: I will remember that about IngramSpark for print, and that Smashwords and Amazom for ebooks = more control.

Hardbacks, yes! I do remember that well from your video. In Dan Poynter's The Self-Publishing Manual, he says how you should do hardback (in addition to paperback) if you're in a genre in which that is expected. For example, business and history books are often hardback. That's why I'm trying to learn more about off-set printing. But I'll have to see how things look closer to; I definitely don't want to waste money on a room full of books that I can't sell! Ebook, for sure. And POD. Off-set printing, probably not likely, but a consideration.

Thanks again for the advice! It is much needed.
 

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Just to clarify for you, RevanWright means Amazon KDP when talking about uploading to Amazon. So in that case you're uploading directly to the retailer directly.

Smashwords and Draft2Digital are the two major aggregators. They'll put your book on a variety of different retailers (you choose from the options they offer). Smashwords also has a storefront (so is both a retailer and an aggregator).

When you have the option, it's almost always most lucrative to upload directly to a retailer (because the aggregators take a small cut), unless your sales on that platform are few enough that it's not worth your time. A lot of self-publishers upload directly to whichever of Amazon, Barnes & Noble (must use an aggregator if you're outside the U.S., I believe), Kobo, and Apple (must use an aggregator if you don't have access to a Mac or a way to make your computer pretend to be one) they can and then use aggregators to pop onto as many other platforms as possible. Some upload to Smashwords just to be listed in their storefront, some use it for both storefront and to send to other retailers. Some only upload direct to Amazon and use an aggregator for everything else, if the "everything else" percentage of their sales is small enough that they don't mind the aggregator taking a cut. I don't think I know of anyone who uses Draft2Digital to aggregate to Amazon (Smashwords doesn't offer it, unless that's changed), because Amazon makes up too big a percentage of ebook sales and nobody wants to give an aggregator a cut of that. You can pick and choose what you use the aggregators for.

Personally, I upload direct to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo, and use Draft2Digital for everything else. I do not upload to Smashwords at this time, although I would consider uploading to their storefront in the future if they changed a few things.

The other option you'll hear a lot for ebooks is Amazon's KDP Select program, which means going exclusive with Amazon. I don't like this for a variety of reasons, but some SPers find it more lucrative because of the perks Amazon gives to Select members (and some SPers see very low income at other retailers, making cutting them out worth the income the Amazon perks give).

So there are some more search terms for you. :)
 

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Just to clarify for you, RevanWright means Amazon KDP when talking about uploading to Amazon. So in that case you're uploading directly to the retailer directly.

Yes, I should have clarified. What I mean is that if you choose to go with Ingram Spark, they also have ebook distribution. But you'll have much more control if you forego that and upload directly to retailers.
 

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Yes, I should have clarified. What I mean is that if you choose to go with Ingram Spark, they also have ebook distribution. But you'll have much more control if you forego that and upload directly to retailers.

Okay, thank you for that! I was thinking about using IngramSpark for POD and for ebooks other than Amazon/Kindle (for which I'd use CreateSpace), but that is good to know about uploading directly to the other retailers too, for ebooks. I would like to have as much control as possible!
 

AnnaPappenheim

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Just to clarify for you, RevanWright means Amazon KDP when talking about uploading to Amazon. So in that case you're uploading directly to the retailer directly.

Smashwords and Draft2Digital are the two major aggregators. They'll put your book on a variety of different retailers (you choose from the options they offer). Smashwords also has a storefront (so is both a retailer and an aggregator).

When you have the option, it's almost always most lucrative to upload directly to a retailer (because the aggregators take a small cut), unless your sales on that platform are few enough that it's not worth your time. A lot of self-publishers upload directly to whichever of Amazon, Barnes & Noble (must use an aggregator if you're outside the U.S., I believe), Kobo, and Apple (must use an aggregator if you don't have access to a Mac or a way to make your computer pretend to be one) they can and then use aggregators to pop onto as many other platforms as possible. Some upload to Smashwords just to be listed in their storefront, some use it for both storefront and to send to other retailers. Some only upload direct to Amazon and use an aggregator for everything else, if the "everything else" percentage of their sales is small enough that they don't mind the aggregator taking a cut. I don't think I know of anyone who uses Draft2Digital to aggregate to Amazon (Smashwords doesn't offer it, unless that's changed), because Amazon makes up too big a percentage of ebook sales and nobody wants to give an aggregator a cut of that. You can pick and choose what you use the aggregators for.

Personally, I upload direct to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo, and use Draft2Digital for everything else. I do not upload to Smashwords at this time, although I would consider uploading to their storefront in the future if they changed a few things.

The other option you'll hear a lot for ebooks is Amazon's KDP Select program, which means going exclusive with Amazon. I don't like this for a variety of reasons, but some SPers find it more lucrative because of the perks Amazon gives to Select members (and some SPers see very low income at other retailers, making cutting them out worth the income the Amazon perks give).

So there are some more search terms for you. :)

Okay, wow, thank you for all that! That was all really helpful.

Especially about uploading directly to retailers, for the most return and control. (And I do have a Mac, so uploading to Apple shouldn't be an issue.)

Good to know about Smashwords and D2D. I'm starting to become a little more familiar with Smashwords, but D2D is a newer one. I have their website open on my computer, so I'll look into them more. So much to learn!

I saw you posted on another thread (http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=295821) about how to self-convert your manuscript to ebook form, and gave this link: (Guido Henkel's Guide). I will be referencing that quite a bit when the time comes. Thanks for posting that!

Good to know your thoughts on KDP Select too. I'm not sure if that will be the best approach for us either.
 

slhuang

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Glad to be helpful!

Okay, thank you for that! I was thinking about using IngramSpark for POD and for ebooks other than Amazon/Kindle (for which I'd use CreateSpace)

(bold mine)

Createspace is Amazon's POD arm (for print). They do give you an option of putting out an ebook to Amazon based on your print book, but AFAIK it is the FAR better choice to format your ebook separately and upload it directly to Amazon KDP (the Createspace conversion has been known to mess things up royally, and besides, ebooks are a different beast from print anyway). (edited to add: I just noticed your quote mentioned using Ingram Spark for ebooks, too -- Ingram Spark, like Createspace, is for POD. They may offer an ebook conversion like CS does -- I don't know -- but if so, I'd still recommend formatting your ebook separately for the same reasons. And in conversations you'll see in SP, generally assume when people say Createspace/Ingram Spark they mean for print, not ebooks.)

To clarify:

Amazon --
Createspace: Amazon's POD arm, for paperbacks, can submit your ebook through it but is a poor idea. "Expanded distribution" will list your print book elsewhere-than-Amazon at a low return.
KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing): Publishing your ebook directly to Kindle in Amazon's ebook marketplace. Will not get your ebook listed anywhere else.

Okay, and here's actually a categorized list for you of everything, Amazon and non-Amazon:

Popular retailers you can upload an EBOOK to directly --
Amazon KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing)
Barnes & Noble's Nook Press
Kobo
Apple
(etcetera...)
Those are the biggest, but there are others....some people might add Google Play as one of the biggest, but they've been known to mess with people's pricing, which can then make Amazon mess with your pricing (search on price matching if you don't know what I'm talking about), so personally I've unfortunately avoided them thus far.

Ebook Aggregators--
Smashwords: Both storefront and aggregator.
Draft2Digital: Just an aggregator.
These both have pros and cons. Will list your EBOOKS on a variety of retailers they offer (you choose). Most people do some combination of uploading direct for the biggest retailer(s) and using an aggregator for the low-revenue ones / ones they can't upload to directly.

Options for PRINT (assuming POD) --

Createspace: Mentioned above, can do "expanded distribution" to offer outside Amazon.
Ingram Spark (aka the new version of Lightning Source for SPers -- you'll see Lightning Source mentioned a lot in older discussions, and some people who liked LS don't like the changes they made when they started Ingram Spark, so you can't apply all LS advice/recommendations directly to IS): Another POD option, better rates for non-Amazon sales, worse rates for Amazon sales (and other differences).
(etcetera....) There are a few other POD services like Lulu, but Createspace or Ingram Spark are what most people do (and some people use both, Createspace for Amazon and IS for outside of Amazon).

Things can be really confusing if you mix up Createspace and KDP, for example -- easy as you might be thinking of them both as Amazon! :) And further muddling things is how differently print and ebooks work in terms of how to get your work to all the retailers. This should get you started. :) But be aware that what I've listed above is really a very little bit of information as to vocabulary & categories; as you might notice, there are a LOT of choices, but if you google the terms above with search terms like "which is better?" or something, you'll find all kinds of articles weighing the pros and cons or threads with people expressing their preferences.
 
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AnnaPappenheim

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Thank you so much, slhuang!

That is exactly what I did-- mix up Createspace and KDP. I appreciate the clarification. I thought I would use Createspace solely for Kindle, and then IngramSpark for POD (and wasn't sure on other ebooks), so, yes, I thought Createspace was KDP. Thank you!

From where I stand at the moment, I won't be using Createspace at all then. I read many times that their print quality is not as good as Ingram's, so I would have only been using it for ebook formatting to Kindle. So, what I need to do is use KDP. _Very_ good to know. Thank you again.

IngramSpark does offer conversion to ebooks, and I was considering using them for all ebooks other than Kindle, but I will X doing that now. Your argument for uploading ebooks directly to retailers is a solid one, and you've completely convinced me! :)

Really appreciate all of this, and your mapping out everything so neatly in your last post!
 

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Hint to Mods:

This is such an informative and helpful thread, it ought to be a sticky!

Just one thing to add for the OP ... and apologies if this was already pointed out ... another bit of terminology that is often muddled up is that ebooks on popular retail site are either mobi (for Kindle) or ePubs for B&N, Kobo, and iTunes. Two different formats, although I know people who've had success uploading ePubs to Kindle which Amazon converts to mobi files as it does with Word docs and HTML docs.
 

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Hint to Mods:

This is such an informative and helpful thread, it ought to be a sticky!

Just one thing to add for the OP ... and apologies if this was already pointed out ... another bit of terminology that is often muddled up is that ebooks on popular retail site are either mobi (for Kindle) or ePubs for B&N, Kobo, and iTunes. Two different formats, although I know people who've had success uploading ePubs to Kindle which Amazon converts to mobi files as it does with Word docs and HTML docs.

Thanks for that! I'm actually right this minute looking at ways to convert files to ebook format. Just downloaded a program called Calibre that my husband seems pleased with (which is good, because I'm _not_ technical!), but we're just at the messing-around-with-it stage right now.

He just asked me which is the best format to start from (from which you'd convert to other formats), and I looked at your message and told him about Mobi and ePub. But… I don't know up from down on this particular topic, so we'll see how it goes :)
 

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Anna, Oh my stars you remind me so much of myself. That is just what I do, dive in and research like there is no tomorrow. ;) I got some new ideas from reading your journey too!

I also like classics, but I'm more Jane Eyre and less Wuthering Heights, LOL! I haven't read Crime and Punishment but it is on my list.

I like Michelle Campbell-Scott's work too. I didn't read her book, but I enrolled in her video course on Goodreads. It was helpful. If you join Facebook, there is a page for people that have read the book, or taken the e-course.

Netgalley...it's expensive to go solo, but you can do it very afforably with a co-op. I've used Netgalley twice, and I joined up with the Patchwork Press Co-op

You mentioned Goodreads, Shelfari and Nothing Binding (that one is new to me), don't forget LibraryThing. They are similar sites, though Goodreads is by far the most popular. Still I think it is worth your time to join LibraryThing because they allow you to do giveaways of ebooks, which is nice because there's no cost to you. I've done giveaways through them and I always get a few reviews from it. Of course, Goodreads giveaways are good to, but you have to send print copies so that is a little more expensive.

I look forward to your future updates...for your list...How to Market Your Book by JoAnna Penn is my current favorite. She also has a website, youtube page and podcast.
 

MaggieDana

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Just downloaded a program called Calibre that my husband seems pleased with (which is good, because I'm _not_ technical!), but we're just at the messing-around-with-it stage right now.

He just asked me which is the best format to start from (from which you'd convert to other formats), and I looked at your message and told him about Mobi and ePub. But… I don't know up from down on this particular topic, so we'll see how it goes :)

I'm not sure, but I believe with the latest version of Calibre you can input a Word doc for conversion. Best to convert to ePub first, then use Kindlegen/Kindle Previewer (download from Amazon) to convert the Epub to Mobi.

That said, I have heard of Amazon rejecting mobis made with Calibre which is not a file conversion program but rather a library management system. I used it for a year, had no trouble, then learned about Sigil and now I use that. However, you cannot feed a Word doc into Sigil and get an ePub; you have to convert your Word doc to HTML and then dump it into Sigil. A downside here is that Sigil (which is free) is no longer supported by the developers.

Also, Sigil is an ePUb creator. It doesn't do mobis at all; see above about using Kindlegen to convert ePub to mobi.

As you are no doubt finding out, there's a bit of a learning curve with all this!

If your book is mostly text, you might be able to upload the Word doc to Amazon and let them convert, but if you have subheadings, lists, references, etc., you'd be better off doing it yourself or hiring someone.

ETA: no matter which path you choose, make sure to learn about Word's STYLES and use them. It will save much frustration and teeth gnashing.
 
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AnnaPappenheim

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MaggieDana Wrote:

ETA: no matter which path you choose, make sure to learn about Word's STYLES and use them. It will save much frustration and teeth gnashing.

STYLES, yes, thank you! That one we actually have down.

I'm not sure, but I believe with the latest version of Calibre you can input a Word doc for conversion. Best to convert to ePub first, then use Kindlegen/Kindle Previewer (download from Amazon) to convert the Epub to Mobi.

That said, I have heard of Amazon rejecting mobis made with Calibre which is not a file conversion program but rather a library management system. I used it for a year, had no trouble, then learned about Sigil and now I use that. However, you cannot feed a Word doc into Sigil and get an ePub; you have to convert your Word doc to HTML and then dump it into Sigil. A downside here is that Sigil (which is free) is no longer supported by the developers.

Also, Sigil is an ePUb creator. It doesn't do mobis at all; see above about using Kindlegen to convert ePub to mobi.

Husband is actually super pleased with Calibre. It was free too!

Calibre is:
- ebook management system
- Converter
- Editor

KindleGen-- a new word, thank you for telling me about that! He says Calibre "infinitely" better than KindleGen though. (He's the tech-savvy one, and the one doing the conversion, so I don't have much say here. But he is also a computer software engineer, so if he's comfortable with something best to just leave him be :) )

With Calibre, you could, but don't have to, convert to Mobi; you can convert to AZW3 instead, which is the latest one and Kindle prefers it over Mobi.

Just transferred the converted manuscript it to our Kindle to have a look-- looks good! It's exciting to see your book for the first time on a Kindle! There's still _much_ polishing to do though, on the conversion, but we haven't even finished writing and editing the book yet, so it will be awhile before we get to see the completed ebook.

If your book is mostly text, you might be able to upload the Word doc to Amazon and let them convert, but if you have subheadings, lists, references, etc., you'd be better off doing it yourself or hiring someone.

Our book has maps and pictures, so yeah, we're kind of stuck converting ourselves or hiring someone.

As you are no doubt finding out, there's a bit of a learning curve with all this!

Yes, definitely a learning curve! I'm still pretty thoroughly and completely lost. I don't know what we would be doing without AW… and actually, it's frightening to think of! You guys are a light in the dark :)

Thank you again for taking the time to share with me, I really appreciate it!
 

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See this thread on using AXW3 on the kdp formatting forums. Lots of good help over there. I've learned a lot, especially from Hitch, a.k.a. "booknookbiz." I take her advice over all the others because I've seen her work and it's gorgeous.


https://kdp.amazon.com/community/thr...711840&#711840

Thank you, that is vastly helpful! I just registered at the KDP forum. I will look up booknookbiz's other posts too, and learn some more that way too, thanks. I will check out her work too.

The thread you posted is saying that Kindle doesn't accept AZW3, which my husband thought it would, since Amazon distributes AZW3. booknookbiz writes: "You cannot upload an AZW3 file to the KDP, only a MOBI file" (https://kdp.amazon.com/community/thread.jspa?messageID=711840��). The thread is from Mar 2014, so unless something has changed that is very useful to know.

Much to learn! Thank you again!
 
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Anna, the link that you copied from mine is truncated (they often do that!) and takes you to the main KDP page. If anyone reading this wants this particular KDP thread, best to scroll up to my post for it. That one seems to work.
 

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Just tried to edit that post to include the full link, but no such luck! Yes, scrolling up would be best :)
 

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Hey Anna, did you see my post up thread?

No, I did not see this, thank you for letting me know! I don't know how I missed it, as I've "subscribed" to this thread. Sorry about that! I certainly appreciate your writing :)

Anna, Oh my stars you remind me so much of myself. That is just what I do, dive in and research like there is no tomorrow. ;) I got some new ideas from reading your journey too!

Oh good, I'm glad you got some ideas from this thread :) It's good to know someone else dives in doing research too!

I also like classics, but I'm more Jane Eyre and less Wuthering Heights, LOL! I haven't read Crime and Punishment but it is on my list.

I read Jane Eyre in high school and I didn't like it, but maybe I should revisit it. I remember talking to others about it at the time, and they got something completely different out of it than I did.

Crime and Punishment is one of my all time favorite books, probably in my top five. That being said, it is not a pleasant-feeling book to read. Dostoevsky does such an amazing job putting you in the mind of this tormented soul, Raskolnikov, that you actually feel his torment-- particularly his anxiety. It prompts a visceral response-- I sometimes get chest pains (from anxiety) while reading it. So, I love the book, because it's brilliant, and incredibly well-written, and there's much to learn there, but it is difficult to read, especially for the sensitive reader (which is me :) ) I think I've read the book four or five times now.

I also wrote an article on it-- or more on Dostoevsky while he was writing it-- and I learned a lot. He burned the entire manuscript the first time it was ready to be published (his publisher was NOT happy). His only comment: "I liked a new form." He then rewrote it from memory in third person (it had been a first-person confessional). He rented a room in a family house, I think in the country, and he rarely spoke while there, appeared very somber, and stayed in his dark room for days at a time, often not eating. He finished the book in 11 months. And the early chapters were being published before he'd written the later ones (they were published by subscription, in a newspaper, like Dickens did-- which is why Dickens made his cliff-hangers so great at the end of every chapter, by the way).

I've read a really good article about how Dostoevsky, in Crime and Punishment, narrates by mainly writing in third-person, but during intense scenes, to heighten the intensity, he switches to first person (and to brilliantly unnerving effect!). The article is on JStor, but maybe available other places as well. I found it well worth a read. It's called "First- verses Third-Person Narration in Crime and Punishment," by Gary Rosenshield.
http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/305635?uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=4&sid=21104122420751

Okay, well I hope that was informative, more than boring!

I like Michelle Campbell-Scott's work too. I didn't read her book, but I enrolled in her video course on Goodreads. It was helpful. If you join Facebook, there is a page for people that have read the book, or taken the e-course.

That's good to know about Michelle Campbell-Scott. I'm not on FB at the moment, but if I join I will be sure to find that page for her readers and join it. I like her style. She's very clear and concise, and and comes across as down-to-earth (relatable), and fun. I'm learning a lot from the book.

Netgalley...it's expensive to go solo, but you can do it very afforably with a co-op. I've used Netgalley twice, and I joined up with the Patchwork Press Co-op
Thank you very much for the info on Netgallery and the link to the co-op site! I will look into that more.

You mentioned Goodreads, Shelfari and Nothing Binding (that one is new to me), don't forget LibraryThing. They are similar sites, though Goodreads is by far the most popular. Still I think it is worth your time to join LibraryThing because they allow you to do giveaways of ebooks, which is nice because there's no cost to you. I've done giveaways through them and I always get a few reviews from it. Of course, Goodreads giveaways are good to, but you have to send print copies so that is a little more expensive.

Thank you for that! I was actually just pondering over that today-- whether or not to join LibraryThing. One of my (2!) friends on Goodreads is on there, and I went to their website yesterday and it looks really neat. That's good to know about the giveaways.

Shelfari I still need to do, and also I've been adding reviews on Goodreads and I need to do that on Amazon too. I've accumulated quite a to-do list!

I look forward to your future updates...for your list...How to Market Your Book by JoAnna Penn is my current favorite. She also has a website, youtube page and podcast.

I have that book on my Kindle and ready to read! I think it was through you that I learned about it, on the "Best Self-Publishing Books" thread. It's next on my list to read! Good to know about her website, youtube, and podcast.

And thank you! I look forward to reading more of your posts too! So sorry I didn't see your earlier post, but want you to know I really appreciate your taking the time to share all of that information :)
 
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