Thanks, all; just pub. e-book; however, I need to know how to preview!

Espresso, I'm sorry to be so blunt but I'd find your posts much easier to read if you used fewer abbreviations and truncations, and wrote in complete sentences.

1) To preview your book, go to the KDP control panel. Click on the book. At the bottom of the screen (the same first screen in publishing one) you will find an option to preview the book which will use their online previewer and below it is an option to download the book to preview offline in either the kindle previewer or another reader.

2) The chances of getting a "self-published" book into a library are negligible. Most libraries use a service through which they "buy" ebooks and which manages borrowing for them. The industry leader is, I believe, Overdrive.

3) Generally for the KDP system, the first 20% of the book is available. You can write to KDP support and ask that this be changed somehow, but I doubt if they'll do it. Instead, you might take a short excerpt and put it in your blurb.

4) An ebook needs to be readable on a variety of devices, tens of millions of which are black and white e-ink readers. Due to this, you have a very limited control over customization.

Download the free Kindle Previewer (http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/?docId=1000765261), open your book, and check your work in all available formats (Devices tab at the top--although the Kindle Touch doesn't seem to work for people). Correct your errors, if any, and re-check.

Then republish your correct book on top of the old one (do not unpublish).

Amazon displays the first 10% of the published book as a preview.

Libraries won't buy your book unless Overdrive stocks it and the last time I checked Overdrive doesn't stock self-published authors (unless they are huge bestsellers).

As far as I know, Kindle displays only black fonts (Kindle Fire has the option of changing to white on black and sepia).

The odea of KDP select is to offer perks to Prime members and offer access to prime members (depending on your point of view). Free days and loans are for Prime only.

Sign in to your Amazon KDP account. You will be taken to your bookshelf where your books will be listed. Click on the box next to the title of the book you want so a checkmark appears. Click the arrow at the top of the list of books that reads Actions. A drop-down menu will appear. Click on Edit Book Details. Now you can make changes or scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the preview button. If you don't want to make changes, click on cancel when you're done. if you click save, you will not be able to access your book to make any changes or view any information for about 12 hours.

If you opt for KDP Select, you can't sell, advertise, or give away your book (or any portion of your book) on any other site (including your own website or blog). Prime members can borrow your book free--but if you are an unknown author, your chance of being borrowed is diminished significantly when you are up against popular authors. You can, however, offer your book free to anyone for five days of your choice in one ninety-day period.

As for public libraries, they will not buy patron requests of e-books unless they can be purchased from Overdrive. If you have a physical book, they probably will honor a patron request (or you can donate a copy or two).

I'm not sure what your problem with the Previewer is. Once you have downloaded the program, open it (mine defaults to my Start Menu and I keep it there), then open your book publication folder, find your .opf file, click on it and drag it to any place in the Previewer window and it will open the book.

espresso said:

Thanks, all! With your help, did it. The problem is, I keep seeing things I want to change!
Now, a few questions:
1. Can I update description w/o re-loading book file?
2. How in the heck am I going to publicize/get reviews? What's the best place to start/biggest bang for buck?
3. Input on either 1)description or 2)"click to look inside" portion?
4. Anything else I should know?

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You can change your description at any time through Author Central. If you haven't set up an account, go to Amazon and set one up. You will need to claim your book as yours, then Amazon will add it to your Author Central page and you can access the description and other information about your book and edit it whenever you want without it locking up your book on your Amazon KDP Bookshelf.

Pardon my bluntness; however, the time to ask all your questions is before you put your book up on Amazon. It seems that you may have put the cart before the horse. I suggest you read the sticky on this forum about book promotion.

Here is the book promotion room.

Here is the art and design room.

Seek and ye shall find.

Thanks for the compliment, Espresso (my books are thrillers, though--not sci-fi or fantasy!). I hope you work it all out!

espresso said:

OK, guys. Well, thanks for all the input!
Merri, where did you learn so much re cars (read beg. of your book). Great typeface; loved the pace.
Brian, wonderful cover. Also, premise of your book would seem attractive as well for sci-fi/fantasy fans.
Actually, I am so glad I did so much reading up/corresponding re e-books on this forum months ago, as I did feel much more prepared to get the book up. A fellow freelancer at a networking event the other night said something very wise: that is, that when one's work is in a print mag, once it's done - it's done. So my 3 pieces coming out soon in print magas are all "in the bag." I like forgetting about things once I've done my best.
However, the e-book is a bit of a different story -- the description, I sense, is going to go through several iterations. I have several of my photos in the book and I think it's a great read.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009B5PZ8C/?tag=absowrit-20


I'd love to find that promo stickie - didn't see it -- is it in e-pub? Also, wanted to thank folks over at cover design, but can't find that forum - anyone know where it is??
Thanks!!!!!!

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Since you are asking for advice, may I offer some? One, your cover--it doesn't look like a book cover as it has an odd shape. You might want to re-think it. Look at covers in the genre you write and see what the top sellers are. Use something similar for your book.

Second, your price is pretty expensive for such a short book. I realize that non-fiction is sometimes more expensive, but you should have a very slick looking book to get top dollar.

I looked at your sample, and I think it was over in less than three pages--and it ended with the end of the preface, so no actual book sample. Since the sample is based on a percentage of the book, I can safely assume the book itself is very short.

Espresso, you're welcome to add a link to your signature but please stop including links to your book on Amazon in with your posts, it comes across as spammy; and it would really help if you would write your posts here in full sentences and stop missing out words and abbreviating things. Thanks.

espresso said:

Thanks, MM! Yes, it is odd shape. Took forever to get it done, however, and I just figured as long as the title and basic elements were there I'd just leave. I like the cover; used one of my photos. Might try for normal shape later.
Quoted from book in description. It's 58 pgs.
Can I post one of my photos included in book w/in description?????
Don't want to go $2.99 right away; biggest problem is lack reviews, I think.
Am going to revise descrip, preface next few days.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009B5PZ8C/?tag=absowrit-20

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Espresso, you've got a typo in the first line of your Amazon book description.

That, combined with the inability to see any of the actual content (rather than the preface) in the preview, combined with the high price for a very short book, put me off the book completely.

I don't think lack of reviews is the problem, right now. If I read a positive review of this book, I don't think I'd trust it, not until the other problems are solved.

(And I second the repeated request that you write in full sentences in your posts - I'm having trouble understanding some of what you're saying.)

espresso said:

Thanks, MM! Yes, it is odd shape. Took forever to get it done, however, and I just figured as long as the title and basic elements were there I'd just leave. I like the cover; used one of my photos. Might try for normal shape later.
Quoted from book in description. It's 58 pgs.
Can I post one of my photos included in book w/in description?????
Don't want to go $2.99 right away; biggest problem is lack reviews, I think.
Am going to revise descrip, preface next few days.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009B5PZ8C/?tag=absowrit-20

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Reviews might come after you have some sales, but to do that, you may have to fix the above problems. Right now, it has the impression of those books that are just repackaged Wikipedia content thrown together in a few few hours with a generic title, like, How to Grow Organic Tomatoes". Those books are mostly pamphlet length and done over and over again, with slightly different titles, like "Organic Tomatoes, Everything You Ever Wanted to Know."

Those books never sell a lot, but the person who does them is just counting on putting up tons of them and fooling readers into buying them and being too lazy to get their money back.

espresso said:

Thanks, MM! Yes, it is odd shape. Took forever to get it done, however, and I just figured as long as the title and basic elements were there I'd just leave. I like the cover; used one of my photos. Might try for normal shape later.
Quoted from book in description. It's 58 pgs.
Can I post one of my photos included in book w/in description?????
Don't want to go $2.99 right away; biggest problem is lack reviews, I think.
Am going to revise descrip, preface next few days.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009B5PZ8C/?tag=absowrit-20

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Seriously - I can't read half your posts.

This does not encourage me to buy your book. That and it's overpriced/undersized. As well I can't tell by the description what the book is about.

Please slow down and take a step back. You may be thinking a bit too fast and getting ahead of your audience. They need to know WHAT they're putting money down for and right now between these posts and the rather horrible set up on Amazon, I can't see why anyone would buy it.

Slow. Down. Breathe. This isn't a sprint, it's a marathon.

Good luck.

espresso said:

Thanks, all. Really appreciate advice. Out of town next few days, so nothing will get changed till after.
I really do love input, but could you indicate why anyone would think this is Wikipedia content (I do discuss organic tomatoes, though, but no one would know that unless they'd read book!!!)?
And can't find typo -- (the "@" symbol is a part of my title).
If I drop price to $2.99 don't think I'll get Prime borrows.
Just was including link as a reference; how do I set up signature? I've never had.
And, does anyone know what organizations/people might get paid to review self-pubbed e-books?

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I'm saying your book looks like those kinds of books, which is why it needs an overhaul. Going into KDP Select isn't a guarantee of borrows, no matter what your price is. I've heard many people say that they were surprised that their 99 cent book received more borrows than their more expensive ones. I myself, had my duobook in Select. It is the first two books in my series in one volume and priced at $5.79. I only had a handful of borrows on it. To get a lot of borrows, you need visibility in the KOLL. To get that, you need a good ranking and also it helps to come off free days strong. My first book has 188 borrows so far this month. The second as just 34. (My third isn't in Select). I'm thinking those who borrowed the first this month weren't able to get the second this month due to the borrow restrictions in Prime, and so they bought the book instead.

Until May, my first book was priced at $2.99, and yet it always received more borrows than my other book--almost always having a surge in borrows after going free.

What we're all trying to tell you is that your book doesn't look professional, and so it may not ever get sales/borrows no matter what price you put it at.

For instance, what does your cover have to do with your book? And empty chair chained to another one facing a door? I don't get it. Add to that the odd shape, and it screams amateur. I'm sorry to be so blunt--I tried to be gentle as we all go through a learning curve. My first covers were terrible, but I learned and made changes.

espresso said:

Hello, again. Do I have control over what Amazon puts in as "Quick Look?" From earlier posts on another forum, I don't think so. Don't want to skip preface entirely. That's why I put quoted material from book in description.

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No, there is no control. I think it is 10% of the book. If you have a good description on your page, you don't need all that preface. You can put that info in the back as more of an author bio.