Self-Publishers and eBook Authors Need a CHAMPION to Assist Them in Gaining Access to the Library Lending Process

Amazon’s entry into public libraries and their own lending process through the Prime program has just quadrupled the activity in ebook lending. With this rapid growth of the ebook lending process comes some inherent problems as everyone rushes to get a piece of the action.

At the top of the ladder are the traditional publishers, Amazon and Overdrive. They are the people that have the most control. Their motive is profit. At the bottom rung are the libraries and the authors.

I have discussed this issue with several authors recently and the sentiment is the same. “How do I make a living if they’re going to give my ebook away?”

One author relayed this to me. “I spent 16 months of my life, writing and researching a 600 page technical book/ebook and the sales have been mediocre at best. The hardcover sells for $35.00 USD with the ebook at $19.95 USD.”

“Now my publisher is going to let over 11,000 libraries have access to the ebook version and I haven’t heard anything about me sharing in the income. There is no one to turn to. You know? No competition.”

There are Some Problems with the Current Lending Model?

The current model

The current model is a profit-orientated process designed to funnel readers to the retailer’s buy pages by creating an availability problem. Avid readers want something to read and the convenience of an online device that can access a library’s collection, means they can be reading an ebook in moments. Sounds good!

Retailers and publishers know that ‘lending leads to sales’. The one copy, one user rule insures them the sale of the ebooks to the libraries. Then the publishers jack up the price above even the current online price and start to bring in the money from the libraries. Oh, I forgot to mention, the profit margin on an ebook is in the 90 percent range.

Several publishers have opted out of the lending because they have not bought into the ‘lending leads to sales’ theory. One thing for sure is they control the selection of what is available.

They already have a delay built into the model so the new releases are not available until they have passed an established sales period. This is similar to the movie industry. They do the same thing with new releases by monitoring sales until it passes an acceptable level and then they release the movie to video and online viewing.

And the kicker is that accessing ebooks is not an easy process, as advertised. Just try maneuvering through the catalog and all the separate Internet pages to borrow an ebook.

Amazon

Amazon has a very sound strategy here. They already have the ebook content on their servers. First they throw the readers a bone by allowing some ebooks to be purchased by libraries for lending. Then they flood the device market with Kindles at below market pricing. Some reports say below the cost of production. Of course, the Kindles are using Amazon’s own proprietary format.

Next they add the Amazon Prime lending program which allows a member to borrow one ebook per month for about $6.50 a month. The Prime program does have several other features like free shipping and the ability to stream movies and videos at a price. This could be a trial balloon for something more dramatic like a Cloud-based service renting ebooks and circumventing Overdrive and libraries all together. All links lead to their buy pages and at the same time they are capturing the patron’s information and reading habits.

You know there is too much power here when Amazon includes a publisher’s ebooks without their permission. Of course, the publishers can withdraw their ebooks from the Amazon sales site but I don’t think that is going to happen often.

Amazon biggest benefit is the increased pressure on Barnes and Noble. This competition definitely will affect the Nook ebook availability and their exposure to the Library audience.

Libraries

With Libraries, the squeeze is on. Saddled with limited budgets and a growing demand for ebooks spurred on by the entry of Kindle users into the mix, the availability of new titles is few and far between. And the Nook users are now battling for access to ebooks that before were totally in their domain. The multiple formats, one access per ebook model insures that.

Add to this a movement by publishers to affix an artificial limit to the ebook life cycle. HarperCollins has already put in place a checkout limit of 26 before a library has to rebuy access to a title.

Libraries, who fought for ebook lending, how realize that the opportunity comes at a price. Not only is the demand crushing the system, but the motive behind the change was to sell more ebooks and devices to frustrated readers.

And the price the readers had to pay was the loss of privacy of their information. Now the retailers are capturing all the reading habits of the library patrons with no recourse. To read more about the privacy issue go to Librarian by Day by Bobbi Newman and Librarian in Black by Sarah Houghton.

Another problem is the decision making process. In the library setting, a reader browses the online card catalog looking at very limited information. Next the reader goes to the shelves, finds the book and scans it. Then they borrow it or not.

Unfortunately, with ebooks the catalog descriptions are card-based. Some do provide a sample of the works but that is a very limited number of titles at this time.

And the kicker is libraries, at this point, have no alternative. Avid readers and the authors deserve better.

How do eBook authors and Self-publishers make a Living using this Lending model?

The quick answer is THEY DON’T particularly if they’re just starting out in the business. Traditional authors, who are established in the marketplace and their ebooks are a byproduct of the hardcover publishing process, will do JUST OK with this, if it does indeed lead to more sales.

The newbie author who has to do their own marketing, fight for reviews and work hard at social networking to get word-of-mouth recommendations, are fighting an uphill battle. They need exposure and the lending process seems like the perfect opportunity.

You know when ebook self-publishing stars like Amanda Hocking, David Baldacci and John Locke have a hard time getting by the gatekeepers into the library ebook catalog, something is wrong with the system.

Send in the Champion

So from the self-publishing, ebook author’s and the libraries’ point of view, what is the best alternative to the current model? We need a champion. We need a leader to design and implement a system outside of the current model. One who would compete with the traditional publishers and Amazon. A Gutenberg-type system, filed with current ebook authors and titles. You know a system where libraries can access titles for free or at a reasonable fee.

So what would the ideal system look like?

I have nicknamed this system:

CSPILL or The Champion for Self-Publishers and Independents Library Lending program.

Here is a summary of the attributes of this hypothetical system.

1.      A catalog of ebooks would be established and available to all libraries for lending.

2.      All ebook authors would be eligible to submit their ebooks for inclusion into the CSPILL catalog. (Probably some restriction on sexual connect and such should be determined)

3.      Authors and publishers would be responsible for providing the ebook formatted files.

4.      The system would be Cloud-based and each ebook would always be available.

5.      The collection would have fee-structure like:

A.    Some authors would provide FREE access to their ebooks. (usually early titles)

B.     Other authors would provide their ebooks for a one-time fee for their ebooks with no limit to the life.

C.     Established authors would provide for a yearly fee their ebooks with a library opt-out option.

6.      Privacy Control: No collection of information like borrowing habits will be attempted.

7.      A Dust Cover Description will be provided for readers to search and select a title to borrow. This would also be furnished by the author/publisher.

8.      Access to buy page links will be included in the Dust Cover Summary.

9.      Provide an opportunity for readers to submit reviews and opinions for each title.

So What Does this Buy the Self-publisher and the eBook Author?

1.      Reader’s exposure to the author’s ebooks otherwise denied by publisher controls.

2.      Reader’s reviews and opinions that are so difficult to get by the independent author.

3.      Borrowing gives the reader a free trail of an author’s works rather than a small sample.

4.      A Dust Cover Description concept which would provide the reader with information to help make the decision on which title to borrow.

5.      Assist the ebook author with marketing and branding their style of writing.

A Champion needs to step up to the plate. I think it is a huge opportunity for an organization to provide the self-publisher and independent author a voice in the exploding ebook industry.

Ron Frisch, author of the Promised Valley Rebellion, summed up the thought on this. “Would it take much for a small group of people to set up a website performing the service you describe, to which every independent writer would soon flock? Could SPR or the Association of Independent Authors do it?”

What would happen if a consortium of ebook authors and self-publishers united, offered libraries FREE copies of their ebook for a limited number of copies so they could gain access and exposure to the vast library system?

With all the factors involved, the avid reader is going to be looking for ebooks they can read right now.

References and Good Reading on the Topic

Library eBooks: Is the eBook Ecosystem affected by theAmazon Library Lending Process?

eBook Authors: Is the New KindleLibrary Lending Program a New Opportunity for Self-publishers?

New Questions,Concerns About Kindle’s Lending Library—What About Authors? By Laura Hazard Owen

Amazon will lend Kindlebooks for free, but authors will get paid from Book Making by Michael N. Marcus

Kindle lending library for self-publishers by Henry Baum

Internet Librarian 2011: Keynote – Lee Raine From Librarian In Black by Sarah Houghton

Public Library eBooks on the AmazonKindle – We Got Screwed 

from Librarian by Day by Bobbi Newman

Libraries Got Screwed by Amazon andOverdrive

from Librarian in Black by Sarah Houghton

View my website: HBSystems Publications
Specializing in the ebook experience

Or EMAIL at: jrm@hbspub.com
Or go to my blog: The eBook Author's Corner

LinkedIn Profile: James Moushon
Author: Call Off The Dogs, a rendered eBook

CIA Agent Jonathon Stone
discovers another shooter in
the Kennedy Assassination

Library eBooks: Is the eBook Ecosystem affected by the Amazon Library Lending Process?

My usual blogging direction is toward the ebook author and the self-publishing world. With this blog I take a left turn and explore the Amazon Library Lending Process and how it affects the ebook ecosystem.

The Jungle

The Inhabitants

In the ebook jungle, the traditional publishers are indeed the king of beasts. They control the prices and the access to the ebooks. Even the authors who create the content have little say. If publishers don’t want you to borrow one of their titles, you can’t. If they want you to wait for a title, you wait.

The next level of control is Amazon. They play the leopard’s role in this habitat. No matter how you look at the lending program, all paths out lead to their sales pages. I don’t see them changing their spots, ever.

Then there is Overdrive. They are the facilitator in this process. They feed you directly into the lion’s den.

The hunters in this jungle are the readers. They get to borrow what is put on the table. It is not their choice what is available. The decisions are made by the control groups.

The Problems

For something that was highly sought, library ebook lending has some major problems. I guess we thought that the ebook library process would mirror the decades-old tradition of libraries and their lending practices. You know the days when the library purchased a book from any source and placed it on the shelf.

For sure, problems with the new process are swirling around the blogosphere like a down pour in the rain forest. Let’s check in on a couple of the more popular discussions.

Privacy of Information

There is a lot of discussion about Amazon using the library lending process to more accurately profile our wants and habits and using that information to sell more products. I think it is the penalty we have to pay to get a free copy to read. Amazon’s incentive is to get you to buy something but this concept is everywhere? If I am not going to buy a $14.99 ebook, all the marketing in the world is not going to change my mind. There are some great discussions on this topic and I see merit in both sides of the argument. (Check references listed below.)

Of all the bantering and opinions about how to solve the privacy problem, the most absurd is to just pirate the ebook file, put it on the Internet and let everybody share in the free copy. Didn’t this happen in the music business? I wonder if those folks are out of jail yet?

Or I could pay cash for a hardcover book and avoid security cameras.

All I know is when I go to the grocery store and start shopping, I have a list of needs but I am also looking for discounted items I can buy with my shopper’s card. Today I found some hotdogs on sale. Because I am a hotdog kind of guy, I purchased a couple extra packages.

Then I headed to the checkout. I have several alternatives. I can give the checker my shopper’s card, get my discount but give up my personal information and buying habits. Or I can have the checker process my order without my card, lose the discount and save my privacy.

And I have another alternative. I could use the pirates’ method and walk straight out the door, saving my privacy and getting my groceries free.

Checkout limits

This is an old business concept called a ‘click charge’. That is the payment for incremental usage of an item. In the Libraries’ version, the ‘clicks’ or checkouts are paid for in advance.

The ‘click charge’ concept in the digital world was tried in the 1990’s when businesses started converting their paper forms to electronic forms. Several software development companies created e-forms design software to assist companies in the conversion.

Once the process started and the software companies saw how popular digital forms were going to be and how much money businesses were saving on the e-forms, they decided they wanted more than just the money for the design software. They wanted a fee for each form designed. This was called a ‘click charge’. They sold a license for blocks of forms (usually 50 or 100 at a time). Once a company surpassed their block, they had to pay for a new batch.

Companies didn’t go for this very long. They looked for other alternatives. Eventually application software companies added e-forms to their systems. Now e-forms design software, with no extra fee, is everywhere.

By the way, the original e-form design companies are no longer in business. New ideas and competition drove them somewhere else.

Expansion of the Audience

With the low price point of the new Kindles there is a potential of three times as many patrons demanding to checkout ebooks. And it will get worse. In November, there will be a ‘Kindle Fire’ in the jungle. Because of the expanded audience and the way copy access is handled, Nook will take a direct hit on this one. Once free to roam the collections, Nook users will now compete with the Kindle users. This should deeply impact the library budgets, their collections and availability.

A quick look at my libraries’ James Patterson’s collection shows 718 access copies with only 36 copies available or 5 percent. Only one title is available that was published since 2009. With these stats many people move on to something else. They either select something else in the library catalog or because they have their Kindle in their hands, they just buy it. Amazon’s motive, I am sure.

Survival

As long as we have unlimited checkouts, the library must encourage early RETURNS.

The Principle of Maximizing Library Returns states that in the library lending process, returning one book earlier than the  loan expiration date, while keeping the titles available constant and with no checkout limit, will at some point yield a monetary return to the library.

Of course, all ebooks will never be checked out at one time but popular ebook titles will almost always create a waiting list. On hold, if you will.

So does the library buy access to more copies of the popular title or do they let their patrons wait for the title to be available? Trust me the wait can be very long.

So what happens when the reader is done with the title and returns it early? The next reader in the hold line has the opportunity to check the ebook out. If this happens often enough, the need for the library to purchase access to another copy of the ebook diminishes.

Let’s take a quick look at one title to illustrate the point.

Don’t Blink x James Patterson

There are Only 4 ebook access copies in my library’s collection.

There are 71 patrons on the waiting list. At the rate of a full 14 day checkout, it will take 248.5 days to meet the demand. If the ebook was returned early, let’s say 5 days, the wait decreases to 88.75 days. (Still a three month wait.)

A better scenario would be to purchase 6 more copies (about $60.00) and encourage early returns. A 5 day return would bring the demand down to a 35 day wait.                                                       

Click Charge Strategy

If the publishers elect to impose a checkout limit, then the libraries must modify their strategy. In a way it makes the process simpler. Just buy short and adjust up.

Maybe you could test this now with HarperCollins. Only buy one copy of a title. If you see a hold list developing, buy another. With this strategy at least you won’t get caught holding 10 copies of a title with no activity.

Managing your digital collection will be the key to handling ‘click charges’ and reordering.

I wouldn’t boycott but I would not embrace the limit system either. Just adjust your buying model and limit the bad apples. Libraries do have the final say on which ebooks they purchase access too.

Living in Harmony

So what does this mean to the ebook ecosystem? I do know the natives are getting restless. As new technology and software enter the ecosystem, the pressure on libraries to keep up will grow dramatically.

I believe that ‘Returns’ are a key for libraries to maximize their investment in their collections. The less days an ebook is on loan, the greater the opportunity for the library to not buy access to an additional copy. The patrons need an incentive to return the ebooks early.

In the end we need a new animal in the ecosystem. Competition could solve some of the problems. Whether it comes from Google or 3M or another player we need more choices. Maybe we are looking at Smashwords entering the lending business or Amazon themselves. They have access to the content and their selection should be much greater.

Library access to a source of self-published authors and their works at discounted pricing could help patrons get exposure to new writers and relieve some of the pressure from the Overdrive lending system we are seeing currently.

What are your thoughts?

What can we do to encourage patrons to return ebooks early?

Will libraries have to change the way they manage their collections?
Is the ebook lending privacy issue a major problem or our current way of life?
Will libraries ever be able to purchase a copy of an ebook, place it on their server and have unlimited distribution to their patrons, like they do hardcovers?

References

eBook Authors: Is the New Kindle Library Lending Program a New Opportunity for Self-Publishers? by James Moushon

Publishing Industry Forces OverDrive and Other Library eBook Vendors to Take a Giant Step Back from the blog Librarian by Day by Bobbi NewmanBottom of Form

Libraries Got Screwed by Amazon and Overdrive from the blog Librarian in Black by Sarah Houghton

Lessons For the eBook Industry – Study the E-Forms Industry Beginning by James Moushon

A Helping Hand

I need to thank Brenda Brown from the Chandler, Arizona Public Library. She helped me to be able to ‘see the forest for the trees’. Sometimes I get involved in the details and I don’t see the whole picture.

View my website: HBSystems Publications
Specializing in the ebook experience

Or EMAIL at: jrm@hbspub.com

LinkedIn Profile: James Moushon

Author: Call Off The Dogs, a rendered eBook

CIA Agent Jonathon Stone
discovers another shooter in
the Kennedy Assassination

eBook Marketing: What Goes Around Comes Around

To eBook authors, marketing can be a daunting task. Whether you’re an indie publisher or you are using a traditional publisher, the marketing is usually left up to you.

It is a digital world now and self-publishers are not tied to bookstores with limited shelf space and a revolving inventory. In fact it will be on sale for a very long time. With the longevity of your eBook’s life, you have the ability to try several different marketing avenues until you find one that works.

So where do you start with this marketing thing?

Your marketing goal should be to fill the sales pipe with quality content and give your readers as many entry points to your buy pages as you can.

Synergy

One of the phenomenons in the ebook marketing world is the momentum that is created when an author catches on. Every week it seems we are hearing about an author reaching the ebook million unit sales plateau. Their secret is they know how to market and brand themselves. Yes they are in all the right places. The speed of the Internet and the reach it offers to the ebook marketer is breathtaking.

So how do they do it? Besides great content and hard work, how do they reach that prize status?

Entry Points

One of the marketing strategies they use is the creation of as many entry points as they can to get to their sales page. They never miss an opportunity to put that ebook product in front of their prospective readers. Here are some of the entry points.

1.      Ebook-links. Don’t miss the opportunity to add links in your ebook to the other titles that you have for sale. You should also link to your author’s website and blog and other reference points so readers can find their way back to you. Use the power of links.

Traditional publishers are missing this one on a regular basis. They are so anxious to make a copy of the paper version and get it online; they don’t render the buy links to the other titles in your ebook.

2.      Websites. Have multiple websites. I recommend one for each ebook plus an author site that encourages reader communication. Make sure you reference your other titles on the individual sites. There are many free opportunities to setup multiple sites and blogs. Have giveaways and conduct contests. Anything that keeps your readers coming back to your website. Having your readers help with the title of your next book or the design of your next cover is a powerful tool to use.

3.      Blog. Toss in a blog with interesting reader information and an interaction component. Don’t forget to include a blog list on your site. You know. Related blogs you like to read. They in turn will link back to your blog, creating more entry points. Encourage the cross-linking. It is win-win for both parties.

4.      Tags and Metadata. One of the most important components that must be addressed every time you do something online is the path readers will take through search engines to get to your information. Search Engines Optimization (SEO) is the key to readers finding your ebook online. Spend some time analyzing what types of tags and categories you want to include in your messages. You may want to start with Google Keywords. Then look at your competition and see what they are doing.

5.      Email Signature Line. Use your email signature line to sell your ebook. Show a thumbnail of your cover with a link to your buy page. Then start emailing a lot. Sometimes emails work better than commenting on forums and other blogs to create activity.

6.      Guest Blogs and Interviews. Try to get involved in your genre community. A guest blog or an interview is a great opportunity to get your name and your ebook in front of another audience of readers and buyers.

7.      Helpers. Connect with your helpers with links to their sites. Your helpers include your copy editor, your cover designer and your book designer. Linking to them can create a turnaround with a link back to your site.

Reader Interaction

You must develop an interaction with your reader. Here are some ideas.

1.      Direct contact to your audience through social networking is very time consuming but it can be very rewarding. Facebook and Twitter along with Linkedin and Mobileread are good venues for starters.

2.      As you go through your marketing activity, you must give your reader ‘that expert feeling’ about you and your book. Nothing turns them off more than marketing copy with typos. Talk the talk and walk the walk.

3.      Your thumbnail cover could be the difference in the buy decision. You must keep in mind an ebook cover is looked at differently than the traditional cover. The prospective reader can’t see the brilliant colors or feel the raised print. If you can’t read the thumbnail, neither can the prospective buyer. You may have two covers. One for the paper version and one for the ebook version.

4.      Amazon Public notes could be another opportunity to interact with your reader base and create synergy. If you can get them involved, your next ebook will be an easier sell.

End Game

So where are we going with this? Activity is a good thing. The more interaction you have with readers, the bigger opportunity you have for continued ebook sales. Here are several takeaways.

1.      Motivate the buyer at each entry point. Make it easy to buy your ebook.

2.      Get readers to read your first two chapters.

3.      Develop synergy between each entry point with reader interaction.

If the Amazon or Barnes and Noble sites are the only place readers can find out about your ebook, I advise you to go fishing and dream about what could have been.

How will they find you and your ebook? Should you seek a mentor to help you market your ebook? You will find out that there is not enough time in the day to do everything yourself.

View my website: HBSystems Publications

Or EMAIL at: jrm@hbspub.com
Author: Call Off The Dogs, a rendered eBook
LinkedIn Profile: James Moushon

This blog first was posted at the ‘Marketing Tips for Authors’ site by Tony Eldridge.

Tony is the author of the action/adventure book, The Samson Effect, that Clive Cussler calls a "first rate thriller brimming with intrigue and adventure" and the Twitter marketing book, Conducting Effective Twitter Contests which helps people find targeted Twitter followers.

His blog is frequently listed as one of the top ebook marketing blogs in the industry.

eBook Authors: Is the New Kindle Library Lending Program a New Opportunity for Self-publishers?

 

 

 

 

As new ebook authors and self-publishers continue to try to get exposure in the digital world, several new events could present an expanded opportunity to reach the ebook reader.

1.      Amazon’s new generation of Kindles plus the IPad rival ‘Kindle Fire’ will definitely expand the reading audience.

2.      Amazon allowing Kindle ebooks to be included in the public library lending process will also expand the audience.

The problem is the same old players and the same old obstacles seem to be in the way.

Process Controlled by the Usual Suspects +

With the first review, it appears that the library lending process is being controlled by the usually players, plus the addition of the facilitator, Overdrive, and public library systems across the country.

1.      Publishers Control

The traditional publishers are the first line of control. If they don’t want readers to be able to checkout an ebook, it doesn’t happen. Period. For example as of this post, MacMillan and Simon & Schuster have opted out of the lending program. That is two of the top six.

Another, HarperCollins, has set a limit of 26 checkouts before the library has to buy more access.

2.      Amazon doesn’t miss a beat

You can’t checkout a Kindle ebook unless it is for sale on the Amazon website. Of course, Amazon doesn’t miss a beat in capturing your information as you checkout their ebooks from the library.

On a Kindle buy page, the section ‘More Items to Consider’(to buy) now lists library ebooks checked out and the section ‘Related to Items You’ve viewed’ now lists related ebooks to the library ebooks checked out.

The whole process is guided and controlled by Amazon, pointing you to their buy page as often as they can. For example, when you view your ebook library on your Kindle, (includes library and purchased ebooks) the borrowed library ebooks still appear after expiration. When you click on the cover, you are directed to the buy page for that title on Amazon.

3.      Public Libraries, between a rock and a hard place

They all are faced with rising costs, space restrictions, changing customer needs and now the additional costs of maintaining a growing ebook collection. This has prompted library consortiums to try to train staff, control costs and handle the on-line nature of the ebook business.

Libraries have always been democratic in nature, developing a local collection to match their reader’s demands. These collections have always been controlled by the individual libraries. If it is written and they can buy it or get their hands on it, they will make it available to the public.

They are fighting a learning curve but the staff knowledge is light years ahead of where it was just two years ago. Back then they had to deal with old policies and traditions. They needed a change in their mindset and they have done that quite well.

Their responsibility has always been to provide a reading and learning experience to the community. With the introduction of the digital world, their mission has greatly expanded.

  
4.      Overdrive is the new player on the block

Overdrive is the 800 pound gorilla in the room. With all the other players listed above and their control, nothing happens in the library lending catalog unless they say so. They control and manage the process.

You must remember this is a profit making venture. If they don’t make money on a title, it is not available. If they don’t control the publisher, it will not be available for your catalog. Libraries will continue to hear the pitch: reduce waiting lists, add more copies. It is all about sales and not giving the farm away.

I would be willing to bet that there is a very low percentage of ebook titles priced at less than two dollars in their book depository. Yet the dominate ebook price point is below $2.00.

Self-Publishing Opportunity

Of course if you are a self-publisher, good luck even showing on the radar. Library access for ebook authors should be a great opportunity for the authors to get exposure and build their brand. They rely so much on using word of mouth to get established, the library could be the perfect vehicle to get heard.

We know something is up when the top ebook authors are missing from the library catalogs: Amanda Hocking, John Locke, and Louise Voss, all top ebook authors. My library does offer some of J. A. Konrath’s titles. Probable because it is good stuff and they are available in hardcover.

The Checkout Process

Checkout is a simple process; Your Library to the Amazon site via Overdrive software. I thought I would give you a brief check list.

What is required?

1.      Valid Library Card and a PIN number.

2.      Instructions on how to access your library site and it’s ebook lending program.

3.      An Amazon Account. (It is Free to sign up. If you already purchase through Amazon you have one.)

4.      A Kindle device and/or a Kindle software app registered at Amazon.

The Process

1.      Sign In to Your Account.

2.      Search your library catalog for an ebook of your choose that is available in the Kindle format.

3.      Select an ebook and click on the ‘Add to Book Bag’ link.

4.      Click on the ‘Proceed to Checkout’ link when you’re done.

5.      Select the lending period and click the ‘Confirm Check Out’ link.

6.      Click the ‘Get for Kindle’ button. You are transferred to Amazon website.

7.      Click ‘Get library book’ button.

8.      Amazon will present a ‘Thanks’ page with instructions to proceed.

At this point you have two options:

             Delivering the ebook to a WIFI device or your computer
             OR download and transfer the ebook via USB (3G devices).

9. WIFI delivery

a.       Click on the ‘Manage Your Kindle’ link on the ‘Thanks’ page.

b.      Find the ebook you are downloading and click on the ‘Action’ button.

c.       Click on the ‘Deliver to my…’ option – the ebook title page will appear.

d.      Before delivering, make sure the ‘Deliver to:’ device in the dropdown is correct.

e.       Click on the ‘Deliver’ button – your ebook should now appear in the device or software library.

10. 3G devices – Download and Transfer

a.       The ‘Thanks’ message will inform you the device selected is not WIFI compatible and you must transfer the file via USB cable. (Kindle power cable without wall plug.)

b.      Click on the ‘Download now’ button on the ‘Thanks’ page.

c.       You will be prompted to ‘Open’ or ‘Save’.

d.      Click on ‘Save’. (Use ‘Save As’ if you want to put the ebook in a different folder)

e.       Find the ebook you are transferring via USB in its folder and depress CTRL-C to copy the file to clipboard.

f.       Locate the Kindle device folder in the computer file directory and its sub folder ‘Documents’.

g.      Paste (CTRL-P) the ebook into the sub folder and you should be good to go.

This process can also be accomplished my using the Action ‘download & transfer via USB’ in the Manage your Kindle section on Amazon.

Click here to view the KINDLE LIBRARY CHECKOUT AND RETURN PROCESS, a COMPLETE list of steps (with tips and examples) for delivering a borrowed Kindle ebook to your Kindle device or ebook reading app and returning the ebook.

Also you can email us: checkoutprocess@hbspub.com and we will send you a MS-Word copy (DOC) OR a PDF copy of the instructions. Please instruct us on which version you want.

Where is Amazon going with this?

They are driving potential customers to their website to check out an ebook. And they don’t miss a beat on offering the reader the opportunity to buy that title and others. But usually there are other reasons for Amazon to give something away.

Currently you search for a title on your library site, pick one and then the system transfers you to Amazon to download it to your Kindle. Unfortunately most of the information you need to make the decision is seen after you check the ebook out.

Actually the best practice is to browse the Amazon site and review the information on a title and then return to your library site and check out the ebook from the library.

I feel Amazon could actually provide the public libraries with better services and a much larger ebook selection than Overdrive because of the wealth of information and reviews it has on each title. All the library would have to do is add a link to the ‘new Amazon library’ site rather than going through Overdrive.

More questions than answers

Right now the Library Lending Process is a one way street. I have so many questions that I didn’t have enough space in this blog to ask them all.

The future can be quite hard to predict. When I started compiling this list of questions, I felt like a weatherman in the mid-west.

Will self-publishers and individual ebook authors be able to take advantage if this new exposure opportunity?

Is there a way for the independents to get involved in the lending process?

Will ebook-only authors (no hardcover) have a chance to get into a library collection?

How about self-publishers? Will they be shutout of this opportunity?

Can libraries use the Overdrive advertised option of ‘Library Individual Collection’ to add local talent to their collection?

Could Amazon break the hold on Overdrive?

Will a competitor enter the library lending arena and steal the show?

Credit where credit is due

I want to take this opportunity to thank Dorothy Stewart, a librarian at the Tempe Az. Public Library for her help. Her insight was invaluable.

Please comment and add to the list of questions. I could go on and on with this one.

Related Blogs and Information

‘Overdrive Tour of the Lending Process’

‘Kindle Books Now in Libraries via Overdrive’  

by Henry Baum 9/21/2011

‘Kindle Library Lending: Good Deal for Everyone?’

by Brier Dudley's Blog 9/26/2011

‘Video Tutorial – How to borrow books from theLibrary with the Amazon Kindle’
by Markus Reily 10/05/2011

View my website: HBSystems Publications
Or EMAIL at: jrm@hbspub.com
LinkedIn Profile: James Moushon

Author: Call Off The Dogs, a rendered eBook

 

CIA Agent Jonathon Stone
discovers another shooter in
the Kennedy Assassination

eBook Authors: Errors and the Dreaded Stigma of Self-Publishing

Self-publishing and ebooks have carried a stigma from day one by naysayers and the traditional publishing world. They forecast the book publishing pipe filled with poor and unreadable digital content because of the self-publishing ebook author.

There has been an increase in errors and poor formatting introduced by the new digital books compared to their pbook counterparts to be sure. So what has gone wrong? And why are these mistakes happening?

Are the self-publishing newbie authors, with their lack of experience, to blame? Does the new digital creation process introduce a new level of errors? Should traditional publishers share in the ‘error’ stigma? What lessons can self-published ebook authors learn to help fix the errors?

With these questions in mind, I took on the task of trying to figure out what is going on here. To me there is more to this than meets the eye.

If done correctly there should not be a problem. If we can spell a word correctly and have the correct tense in a traditional book, we should be able to get it right in an ebook. Formatting should be just as easy. We have been structuring the content of books for a very long time. Let’s break this down and see what we have.

Categories

Generally speaking, ebooks fall into four categories.

1. Legacy: Traditionally published paper books that are converted from paper to a digital form using OCR technology or a retyping procedure to create the ebooks. In most cases there isn’t a digital version of the book available for the source of the ebook. So the book is scanned and the spelling and grammatical problems begin.

2. Modern: Traditionally published paper books that have a digital source that can be used to create the ebook. Basically these are the books that have been published since the increase in popularity of the ebook and ebook reader.

3. Self-Published: Individual authors take it on their own to produce a paper version of their book, followed up with an ebook version. There is a level of errors added here because of the lack of resources and expertise.

4. Ebook Only: Individual ebook authors are creating content and publishing directly to the ebook format, bypassing the paper version altogether. This process is a total digital process. No paper version required. This will become more of an issue when enhanced ebooks start to take off in popularity.

The Cliff

So where do we fall off the cliff with ebooks?

1. First of all the publishers of the Legacy and Modern versions have a ‘get it out the door’ mentality. They are working the system. If they can take advantage of the new ‘ebook’ phenomenon at a small cost, the results go right to their bottom line. Why not?

“Yes we have an ebook version available of that new release but it will cost you more than the paper version until the traditional book is available. We got it to you fast, didn’t we?”

You would think the traditionals would get it right.

2. Next, the self-published version has error problems because of the lack of experience and resources to produce a quality product. Most self-publishers do not seek help from outside sources to improve the quality. This is a fatal mistake.

3. The Ebook Only version has the same problems as the self-published version plus they can be published on Amazon in a heartbeat. I can sit down today, write a 100 page ebook, upload it without any editing, with a typed-faced cover, and it will be for sale in less than a week. No need for an ISBN or copyright filed here. And there is no gatekeeper to clean up the trash. Scary.

Errors and Poor Formatting

Many mistakes occur in the writing process. This is a manual process and you will have spelling errors, grammar errors, formatting problems, incorrect line breaks and page breaks and so on.

Many mistakes occur in the conversion process. The traditional’s lack of quality control and effort and the self-publisher’s lack of knowledge is responsible. Both seem to be getting better at this however.

Retailers like Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBooks and Smashwords do enter into the error equation. Each has their own proprietary software which produces the formats readable by our current ebook devices.

However, there is one thing to keep in mind. The retailers do not change the spelling, grammar or tense. They do not create the cover. They do not create the content. So to pass the blame or responsibility to them is a mistake. The actual publisher should take the responsibility for the quality of the ebook.

Lessons

Publishers and self-publishers need to learn lessons as their experience increases in the world of ebooks. Here is a list of lessons you should consider.

1. You need a quality control process in place. Get help if it is needed.

2. Each format you publish should be handled like it is a new product for sale.

3. There is no perfection. You must anticipate problems. For example, inserted pictures should be reviewed on a reading device. If the picture is too large, they will create an unwanted blank page on the device.

4. Proof read your ebook on a reading device and the ‘For PC’ software for each format.

5. Use the same digital file used in your pbook for the source but create a separate file for each published format. They will be slightly different for each retailer.

6. When you send/upload a file to Amazon or BN, the file should be as close to the finished product as you can get it. For example, when I published my ebook, ‘Call Off the Dogs,’ I uploaded a file in the ‘mobi’ format to Amazon and an html format to BN. Both formats required only a slight adjustment by their software to be accepted.

7. When you add value to your ebook with links, audio and video, test the add-ons on each device you will be publishing on. Trust me. Some work and some don’t.

8. Don’t forget to modify the copyright page on each edition you publish. This is a major error made by almost everyone who publishes an ebook, including the traditionals.

Food for Thought

Here are some ideas you can take away from this blog.

1. Publishers of ebooks have the advantage of correcting their mistakes after their ebooks are published. The ebook is not cast in concrete. If you find a significant error or omission, create a new version and upload the corrected copy.

2. The first two chapters (sample) must be error free. One or two title authors can get by with poor quality if their message is of interest and the marketing is superb but repeat business will drop off dramatically if the ebook is riddled with errors.

I don’t care if you have to read and re-read the first two chapters a hundred times, the sample chapters must catch the reader’s attention and they must be error free. In many cases this is the only chance you have to close the sale. Get help on this one. The more eyes the better.

3. If your fiction or non-fiction ebook just doesn’t work out structurally, it may require a complete re-write rather than ruin your reader’s opinion of you.  

4. Your ebook should not be just a copy of the paper version but should be viewed as a complete new product for each new format you publish.

5. If you can’t create a good cover, get someone that can. If you can’t spell, don’t rely on a spell checker to catch your mistakes. Seek someone with the right experience that can edit your ebook for you.

6. Create a quality ebook file. At the end of the process, the file being converted by the retailer must be properly formatted for the target ebook. There should be a different file for each retailer.

7. At the end of the day, sales will be decided by customer purchases and honest reviews. Take for example, J. A. Konrath. He must be doing something right. He has published 20+ ebooks and has been quite successful. If his editing and formatting was poor, his sales would diminish drastically on each title.

Money is made by building an audience. If your ebook’s quality is poor, you will only be a one-time Charlie.

As an ebook author, what can you do to clean up your act and create better quality ebooks? Do traditional publishers have to put more effort into their ebooks? Should you get help for someone with experience or just wing it?

I have referenced below several articles I found interesting on the ‘error’ topic along with their blog sites.

A. In the Face: eBook Errors by Rich Adin – 9/16/2010 from his blog: An American Editor

B. Error-Free E-books Will Come “When Cars Can Drive Themselves” by Olivia Snaije -

     8/23/2011 from the blog: PUBLISHING PERSPECTIVES

C. Ebook Madness: Don't Confuse Ebook Conversion With Ebook Formatting! by April L. Hamilton      - 10/20/10 from her blog: Indie Author

View my website: HBSystems Publications

Or EMAIL at: jrm@hbspub.com

Author: Call Off The Dogs, a rendered ebook

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