Consider this more of a “do as I say, not as I did” kind of instructional manual. For, if I can say upfront, it’s a requisite of publishing an ebook to make mistakes, not know what you’re doing, get frustrated, bounce between different designers, programmers, programs, formats….oh, my! Enter this world and know this! And also be kind to yourself once ensconced. Everyone gets it wrong! No one knows what they’re doing! Just enter the fray and play, I say.
It’s also a tricky topic to actually find information on. This saddens me: many folk are very guarded as to how they do their ebooks, presumably because they’re hesitant to share their secrets to their success. And it has astounded me how often Jo and I encounter people who try to get “inside info” from us in the most tricky, surreptitious ways…instead of just coming out and asking for help. I’m more than happy to share what I know, and my contacts…although, it’s still a working experiment for me. I’m still playing in the fray.
I’ve published two ebooks now:
And both entailed very different approaches. My next ebook will be done differently again.
But hopefully these tips will help you get started…
The first step
Decide whether you’re going to release your book just as a pdf (a document that you scroll down and can be read on a computer as well as on eReaders, but only as a pdf document). Lots of folk are happy with this option.
Or whether you’d also like to release it in the eReader formats (that is, readable as an ebook specifically designed and programed for the ipad, kindle, Nook etc). When you release in the eReader formats (called epub and mobi) they can also be uploaded and sold on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, ibookstore etc.
One thing to bear in mind: the eReader formats are a lot more clunky than the pdf versions. With the latter you