Digital Pubbing

Exploring the ins and outs of the publishing industry

Information

EBook Conversion for Self-Publishers

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There's a wide range of ebook conversion services out there, from tools to let you do it yourself to companies that will produce the whole ebook for you. Below is a list. (NOTE: I have not used all of these services). Remember: it's important to test your files on all devices you use. Books will look different depending on format and device. Validating is also important. If a … [Read more...] about EBook Conversion for Self-Publishers

Self-publishing ebooks: Why maximizing distribution matters

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New technologies and startups have made it easier than ever to self-publish ebooks. But they don't make it any easier to make a living writing. The most important thing you can do as a self-published author, however, is to make sure your ebook is available through as many retail channels as possible. (FYI, ebook sales accounted for 20% of book sales in 2011, up from 10% in … [Read more...] about Self-publishing ebooks: Why maximizing distribution matters

EBook Design

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Just like regular books, the design, both interior and exterior, of an ebook is important. To see an example of what I mean, see Carolyn Jewel's post, Why eBook Formatting Matters – A Case Study. She includes examples of how her ebook looks on different devices, as well as what a well-formatted ebook looks like compared to some that was converted automatically. Auto-generated … [Read more...] about EBook Design

Writing Contests

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A great way to get in to writing is to enter contests. If you win, you have a publishing credit to your name, and you can use that to build your portfolio and impress more publishers and editors (if you go the traditional publishing route). Even if you decide to self-publish, you can use your published works to build a platform and get your name out to your readers. Recently … [Read more...] about Writing Contests

Self Publishing: Cover Design

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Book covers are the most important marketing aspect of a book. People will make impulse purchases if they like the book cover; the cover is what gets a book attention. Covers that are white backgrounds with large text tend to look amateurish. You also want covers that persuade people to buy the book, with good flap copy. Use the template from Para Publishing to write effective … [Read more...] about Self Publishing: Cover Design

An Interview with Mark Coker, CEO of Smashwords

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I was very fortunate to be able to sit down and talk with Mark Coker, CEO of Smashwords. Smashwords is a site where you can convert ebooks and distribute them through at least seven outlets, including the Smashwords ebookstore. We spent the last hour of BEA discussing self-publishing, the beginnings of Smashwords and where it's going, metadata, ebook distribution, and even the … [Read more...] about An Interview with Mark Coker, CEO of Smashwords

iAuthor

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Three weeks ago, Apple launched an exciting new app: iAuthor. It sounded very promising. Using iAuthor, you can drag and drop to make enhanced ebooks. iAuthor and iBooks2 were released on the same day with the intention of making it easier for students to use interactive textbooks. All textbooks sold on the iBookstore are priced at $14.99 or less. But anyone can use iAuthor to … [Read more...] about iAuthor

So You Want to Write a Novel

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After taking a ton of creative writing classes and working in the publishing industry a little bit, I can say that this video is hilarious and touches upon all the issues/ideas new writers may have. I remember once I saw Jeffrey Eugenides, author of The Virgin Suicides and Middlesex, speak, and he addressed the condension most writers face. "Writing is the only profession … [Read more...] about So You Want to Write a Novel

Writing Sex

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I'm taking an online class, via UCLA Extension, called Writing Sex. It's interesting. So far, I've learned that good sex writing revolves around good character development, and bad sex writing relies too much on cliches and the actual sex act. Does sex writing matter? Well, yes. Just like any other type of writing, it is used to convey a deeper meaning. Can it be thoughtful? … [Read more...] about Writing Sex

Taking online classes

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For the past five or six weeks I have been taking online creative writing classes via the UCLA Extension program. I had never taken an online class before, although I know some universities are starting to incorporate them into their coursework, so I did not know what to expect. As of now, I am about halfway through the courses, and I am enrolled in three classes, where I am … [Read more...] about Taking online classes