The eBook Author's Corner

Real eBooks: Are We Still in the Stone Age?

2012-02-01T20:04:00.000-08:00

So when will we start to see REAL ebooks appear on the market? You know the ebooks that take advantage of their digital environment. Ebooks that have been rendered to improve the reader’s ebook experience. As the number of ebook devices explodes into the book reader’s world, the readers are going to expect more. This statement is especially true with the younger generation whose world seems to center around instant access.

I just completed a study of twenty newly released ebooks just to see how far the art of ebook publishing has advanced in the last year. I choose ebooks from well-known authors, from self-publishing authors, some novels, some technical books. I wanted a variety for my study. I would like to share my observations and suggestions for their improvement.

My contention is that REAL ebooks should be a different product than their paper counterparts. They should be formatted differently; sections arranged differently and in some cases they should have different covers. In short, to be a REAL ebook, they should not be just a copy of the traditional book version.

The following is a list of certain areas that I feel need improvement; areas that you must consider when you create your ebook.

REAL ebooks Links

Rendering your ebook with links is a major step in the right direction in creating a REAL book. What items MUST have links?

1.      The Table of Contents must have links to the chapter headings. Most are doing this now.

2.      Author’s References – the ebook must include links to the author’s website, email address, blogs, online profiles and social networking connections (Facebook/Twitter). You need this to get your reader/audience involved.

3.      Author’s Other Books – there should be links to the buy pages for other books created by the author. Why miss this marketing opportunity.

      For example, in my study two of the ebooks were written by top 10 authors and published by traditional publishers. Both had a list of their other titles, provided credits for the book creation and the usual publisher information. Neither used links to assist the reader in buying other titles or helping their co-developers secure new business. One did have a link to the publisher’s web site. There was no links to the author’s website, blog, email address or social network information.

4.      In book Links – the REAL ebook should have links in the content to footnotes (held in appendix), to word and term definitions and to references. For example, one project I recently worked on was a pictorial about Omaha Beach with over 50 original pictures inserted in the content. With the picture, its title and the picture credits, the content became very difficult to read. The solution was to have a link from the picture title to the picture’s credits in the back of the ebook. If the reader wanted to check out the source they could follow the link and then hit the back key on the ebook device. If the reader didn’t, they could ignore the link and continue without interrupting the reading experience.

Another example in my survey was a technical book about the publishing industry. It was a well written book with lots of good information and references. But there were no links. None! It contained lots of hard coded website addresses and email contact information. All I had to do was re-enter the URL into my web browser and I could find the source.

Actually this is a missed opportunity. One of the problems that traditional books have that REAL ebooks can solve is the maintenance of links in the books. As we know we live in an ever changing world. Web and email addresses change on a daily basis, it seems. So there I am with a link to some interesting information and the link is no good. A broken link, if you will

If the REAL ebook is managed properly, you can avoid or limit this problem. You can create an online directory of links for your ebook. Then you setup a link monitoring process and a link maintenance routine and maintain a valid list of links in the directory. I call this the Goodlinks concept. Just include a link to the online directory in your ebook and you won’t lose your audience.

In fact you can draw the reader to your site and market other products and services. Of course, the beauty of the REAL ebook is you can republish it at any time with the updated links and information.

I believe the REAL ebook can help solve the read-back problems that all readers are faced with at one time or another. I watched a reader the other day try to deal with a novel that was riddled with acronyms and abbreviations. It was getting to be such a problem that half way through the ebook, she actually started writing them down on a separate piece of paper to reference later. Here is an example. “He called USAMRIID for advice.” I give up.

Other Considerations to Ponder

Covers

Sometimes the traditional book cover doesn’t work for the ebook. In this case, size does matter. That great book cover that you had designed is going to go small. On-line distributors try to catch the eye of would-be readers with thumbnail covers. The problem is that sometimes colors get in the way, the type size and face doesn’t look good small and the art gets distorted. A professional designer can solve this problem. You need one that can make the cover work in both environments. Check with our host for this site, Joel Friedlander.

One of the other cover issues is with the effort to get the prospective reader to view a sample of the ebook; some distributors will put a label over the right hand corner of the thumbnail which obscures that portion of the cover. A good designed cover will keep important information viewable like the author’s name or even the title of the book. I saw that in my study.

Copyright

REAL ebooks should include, with their copyright notice, the page number source document for the ebook, especially if the book has various editions. This is relatively a new process but it helps readers coordinate content between the paper version and ebook. This is increasingly important in the educational environment. Students using both hardbound and the ebook versions need a reference point sometimes.

Samples

One of the current ebook marketing strategies is to allow the prospective reader to read a sample of the ebook before buying. All distributors seem to go at this sample process differently but at the end of the day they want to provide the prospective buyer with something that can help with the buying decision. Most of them use a percentage basis.

The REAL ebook concept can help with this process but there has to be a rearranging of the book’s sections if the process is automated like most of them are.

Let me start with an example. I reviewed the buy page on Amazon for each book in my study. I choose one ebook in my study and downloaded the sample, comparing it to the full length version. Here’s what I found.

The ebook sample was in the same section sequence as the paper version. I know there is a traditional way to setup a book. This sample was no exception. It started with the cover followed by the title page, the table of contents, the dedication, the copyright page and a list of the writer’s other works.

So you ask what’s wrong with this. If this sample was going to help sell my ebook, it probably failed. The sample was 80 device pages long but the viewer had to page through 24 pages before they could start reading the book to make a decision.

I believe if you are going to use the sample as a sales tool, there are some slight changes you can make. I would include the cover and the title page with an abbreviated TOC up front along with the author’s other books with buy links. Also I would include upfront the author’s website and contact information. Move the copyright page, dedications and credits to the end of the ebook.

If you get to setup your own sample, keep this in mind. REAL ebooks and their samples should give the prospect what they need to make a decision and only that. A sample doesn’t need a complete table of content. This ebook had 80 chapters which took up four complete device pages and the kicker was; the links to the last 76 chapters were no good. Make the sample simple. Get the reader to your content as quickly as possible.

Bring on the REAL ebook

In most cases, ebooks are still just copies of the paper version but there is a huge opportunity to improve the ebook reading experience. Creative book design and digital links can help us move the ebook experience forward in acceptance.

Currently we have a problem. Let’s face it. Until traditional publishers start to treat ebooks as separate products with different properties and requirements, we have not taken advantage of the digital product. Their approach is simple but self-serving. Get it out the door. Get the copy into an ebook format, charge a higher price than needed and watch the money fall to their bottom line.

The advantage should go to the self-publisher because they control the process. They have the ability to correct the problems easily and make something really special.

Seek a professional to help you through the process if you’re really serious about marketing your ebook.

What do you think about the REAL ebook concept? Is adding links to an already completed product just too much work or would it move your book to the leading edge of ebook world and improve the readers enjoyment?

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

This blog was first published at the The Book Designer by Joel Friedlander.

Joel Friedlander is a self-published author and book designer who blogs about book design, self-publishing and the indie publishing life at TheBookDesigner.com. He's also the proprietor of Marin Bookworks, where he helps publishers and authors who decide to publish get to market on time and on budget with books that are both properly constructed and beautiful to read.

It was posted again on the Passive Voice blog hosted by the Passive Guy.

Together the two blogs have generated over 100 comments.

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

2011-12-01T07:31:00.000-08:00

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?

2011-10-28T08:00:00.000-07:00

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 Newman

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

2011-10-21T09:08:00.000-07:00

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?

2011-10-11T08:09:00.000-07:00

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.

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

2011-09-07T08:12:00.000-07:00

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.

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

LinkedIn Profile: James Moushon

eBook Authors: Self-Publishing is Like Playing Baseball

2011-07-14T08:15:00.000-07:00

Recently I read a great article by Patricia Fry called ‘50 Reasons Why You Should Write That Book’. It is a FREE 24-page Booklet filled with great ideas and information for self-publishing authors.

I was struck by the similarity between the problems eBook authors have when they get started and baseball players starting off on their journey to the big leagues. The question is how do authors and players keep from failing?

Less than 1% of all players drafted make it the big leagues. There are 750 choice positions in the majors. Of the thousands of players that have that dream, only a handful ever get drafted.

I am sure that of all the people who want to write a book, only a handful do. And of the writers who finally produce a book, only a handful reach the goal of being published. Of those, only a very small percent of those ever make it to the top.

Then along came ebook self-publishing and the ebook authors’ odds seem to change for the better. You see a home run in your next at bat and success is just around the corner. You have no umpire or gatekeeper to call you out. You can just start running the bases.

Now with self-publishing, anyone can make it to the first level. The minors if you will.

But there is a formula for failure

You know, three strikes and you’re out. Even with ebook self-publishing, you will not make it to the ‘bigs’ if you have:

1. Poor content or a poorly created ebook

2. A Poor marketing effort

3. No fan base development

The minor leaguers make little money but they work hard and look for a break and so do the ebook authors when they first get started.

Preparation is like spring training

To keep from getting called out, you must touch all the bases.

1. Goals – You need to set goals. More than just ‘I want to be published’. You know monetary goals with time frames. You must do them in a written form so you can judge your own progress as you travel around the bases. It is just like keeping score of your own game.

2. Planning – Plan the steps you need to take to reach your goal. Things like time management and your marketing plan.

3. Research – Do your homework. Patricia makes this a major point in her article

4. Observation – Check out your competition. Watch how others are doing things.

5. Mentors – Seek out experts in your deficient areas. You can get good advice from books and blogs in the industry.

Talent

Like baseball players, you must have talent. Here is a simple checklist.

1. Do you have that killer idea? Something others would be interested in.

2. Are you willing to put the effort into your ebook project to make it a success?

3. Do you have the knowledge to backup what you’re writing about?

4. Do you know the mechanics to pull this off? Learn how to create an ebook. The editing part can be a daunting task.

Game time

It’s time to put your training and practice to use. You are going to have to address all the parts of ebook publishing. Like ballplayers, it is HOW you play the game that counts?

Are you ready to do book research and setup an outline of your book? Let’s get up to bat.

Be prepared to write and rewrite. Proof read and proof read again. Edit and edit again. Part of your game plan should be deciding on who will do your cover and the title and the subtitle are important as well as the first two chapters. It is the EFFORT that really counts.

Some say you have to be lucky. My response: make your own luck.

Self-publishing is a team sport

Unless you’re an expert in a lot of different areas, you will need help to get into the starting lineup. Things like writing, publishing, design, editing, marketing, ebook creation and on and on.

It is like being a free agent without a player agent. You can’t do everything unless you only want to play one game or write one book. The bad news is you will find that there is not enough time in the day. The good news is there are many experts and coaches that can help you play the game.

How can I strike out?

Here is list of things that if you do or don’t do them, they will differently lead to failure.

1. You have positioned your ebook in a weak sales genre or in the wrong genre.

2. You have poor or no marketing. Your ebook is not going to just be a winner on its own. Using an online publisher’s information only to market your ebook is not good enough.

3. You are not involved in social networking. This is becoming more and more important. The readers want to know as much about you as they can.

4. You have a poor website or no website. You must have an Internet presence to play this game.

5. You have not created a blog or audience contact point.

6. You are unable to get reviews posted on your online sites. They should not be phony ones. Seek reviews from third parties not just relatives and friends.

7. You get off to a poor start with no targets or goals to meet. You need to know where you’re going. Go back to home plate and start over.

It is a business

One thing baseball players learn first after making it to the top is it is a business. You’re in it to make money. You can only control what you can control. A self-publisher controls most of the game.

You may have the talent and you may have a written a killer ebook but if you’re in it to make money, the game has only just begun.

Unless you keep up the effort you won’t be in the majors long.

Your long-term income depends on your fans

Once you are not a rookie anymore, things get a little easier. The more ebooks you put into the sales pipe, the better things can be. You must keep up the quality and fan base or you will be off to the minors.

That includes being active in Social networks like Facebook and Twitter. It is a good idea to get involved with Linkedin and join an organization like SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network). These areas take a lot of time and effort to keep up with. You must build the time into your plan. At the end of the season you should be able to see the results.

Most important! Don’t let your fan base down.

This is an extra-inning game

Are you self-publishing to make money or is it just a vanity thing? Don’t take a wild swing at it.

Unlike Baseball there are NO free passes. You either get a hit or you’re out. How big a hit depends on how you play the game? It could be a small infield hit or it could be a home run.

The old baseball adage ‘It is not whether you win or lose, it is how you play the game?’ does not apply here. It is all about winning. Let’s play ball.

How do ebook self-publishing authors fail and why? Let me know what you think and check out Patricia Fry’s great article.

To sign up for Patricia Fry booklet ‘50 Reasons Why You Should Write That Book’, click here.

Some of Patricia Fry’s Books:

The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book

Over 75 Good Ideas For Promoting Your Book

View her website: Matilija Press

Or goto her blog: Patricia Fry’s Blog

View my website: HBSystems Publications

Or EMAIL at: jrm@hbspub.com
Or goto my blog: The eBook Author’s Corner
Author: Call Off The Dogs, a rendered eBook
LinkedIn Profile: James Moushon

The Mystery of the Missing Amazon Public Notes

2011-06-30T13:36:00.000-07:00

Prime Suspect: The New Amazon Upgrade Program

Amazon Public Notes look like they are taking a turn that only a detective can figure out.

I blogged in February about the Great News of Amazon adding a new feature to their eBooks called Public Notes in which readers could share highlights and notes with other readers. In that blog, I detailed some areas I thought were potential high benefit areas.

Public Notes have caught on with Kindle 3 users as more and more readers add their ideas and thoughts. If I follow the instructions, I can add my own notes as well as view other reader’s public notes.

I decided to go investigate the Public Notes process to see if there were any surprises or changes to the initial release. I not only found some surprises but I can see Amazon moving along in a whole new direction. One that I didn’t see coming.

The Process is Very Elementary

For the purposes of this blog, I selected the eBook with the most Public Notes to date. The leader was “THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES” with over 200 people adding notes and highlights. Since I share no expense in researching for my blogs, I downloaded the FREE version of the eBook.

Let me share with you the simple process.

1. After I downloaded the eBook, I went to my “Your Books” section for my account and turned on the settings for: MAKE READING STATUS & RATING PUBLIC and the PUBLIC NOTES: MAKE YOURS PUBLIC for this eBook.

2. Next I clicked on the “ADVENTURES…” title to view the books summary page. It showed that my status for this eBook, “PUBLIC”, had been unlocked. The page also showed me that 223 Customers had Public Notes for this eBook. To view other reader’s notes, you must setup a connection between yourself and the other reader called ‘Following’.

TIP: I could preview other reader’s posts and highlights on the books summary page but I couldn’t view Public Notes on my Kindle 3 until I ‘followed’ an individual reader to view their notes. Preview is the clue here. Only a portion of a reader’s notes can be viewed from the books summary page.

3. I clicked on the number ‘223’ and a dropdown list called “Customers with Public Notes for this Book” appeared with the names of readers that had added public notes to this eBook.

4. I selected one of the reader’s names and their profile appeared. Just under the name was a button named “Follow”. I clicked on the button and I was automatically following this reader. Now their notes for this eBook were going to appear on my Kindle 3. Very elementary.

IDEA: It would have been so much easier to have a ‘SELECT ALL’ button rather than going through all 223 readers to see their notes.

POTENTIAL PROBLEM: it seems there is no control over who follows you and who can view your note.

Back in the day even Watson could keep up with Holmes if he had a Kindle and they could sync their notes. I can visualize Dr. Watson taking notes for Holmes and maybe for once, Watson and Holmes would finally be on the same page.

The Plot Thickens

It was time to check the current Public Notes features against my blog in February 2011. There was indeed Good News. The Kindle 3 and Amazon connection was working great. My notes were present with little tags in the content. I had set my notes to be synced with all my devices so they would appear on my Kindle and in my Kindle for PC app.

Other reader’s public notes and highlights were there. Amazon even had included a note of who had created the annotation.

The eBook’s Popular Highlights for all readers of the eBook were underlined with dots and the number of people that highlighted the passage was noted.

TIP: on your Amazon site under “Manage your Device”, you must have the Whispersync Device Synchronization turned on.

Next I reviewed some of the opportunities I had addressed in my blog in the Educational area. They involved the coordination of Public Notes between a Kindle 3 device and Kindle for PC/Mac Apps.

I had discussed the use of teachers and students sharing notes in their etextbooks along with the authors being able to add additional ideas or updates after the eBook was published.

I had known that Kindle 2’s would not include Public Notes but I did not realize until this research that the Kindle Apps do not include Public Notes either. Maybe in the future?

A Red Herring?

As Sherlock Holmes would say “Watson, I have come across a three pipe problem.” While doing my research I came across what may be a clue for the missing public notes in the apps. Amazon has a new program called the Amazon Upgrade which focuses on the use of Public Notes and I believe the future of eBook viewing. As close as I can tell, the program is designed to help authors and publishers get more revenue from the increased use and popularity of Public Notes.

Evidence of foul play for the Reader

The Upgrade program allows a reader to view an online version of an eBook which is accessed from any Internet-connected computer using a browser.

The reader will be able to read, search and annotate every page online along with highlights, bookmarks, copy text and print pages using the Amazon Online Reader from inside a browser. This is not a Kindle for App. The Amazon Online Reader is the same program used to view the Search Inside! purchasing feature for the samples of an eBook.

You can access Amazon.com directly and the eBook will be stored in your media library. The reader can view public notes of other Amazon Upgrade customers.

Can anyone see where the trail is leading us?

Publishers and Authors have a motive

Let’s investigate deeper into the problem or should I say mystery.

1. Amazon has created the Upgrade process to generate incremental revenue and increase our costs.

2. The content will be kept on the Amazon servers, in a cloud no doubt.

3. You only have access to books purchased through Amazon.

4. You can only read the eBook using the Amazon Online Reader not on a Kindle or using Kindle for Apps.

Amazon Upgrade Process

If my evidence is correct, this is a crime of the highest order. Here is how the process works.

1. First to have access to the Upgrade process, you must buy the physical version of the book. No other vendors or personal uploads can be used.

2. Next you must pay an additional charge for the online version of the same book.

3. The book must be a part of the Amazon Upgrade program. Not all are.

4. Not all publishers and authors will participate. In other words, not all books will be in the Upgrade Program.

So do we have a clue what is going to happen?

1. The process is simple, elementary for starters.

2. This is not an eBook only program. The author must have a physical book in inventory and it must have a digital version.

3. You can view the Upgrade notes online but not on your Kindle.

4. This has to be a Tablet venture with the use of a browser to view the notes.

5. The process is controlled by publishers and maybe self-publishers but Amazon controls what eBooks they make available for the Upgrade program.

6. One good thing is a real name is associated with each public note. At least when ‘the kids’ start playing with the notes, we will know who they are or at least where to find them.

WARNING: I see no gatekeeper here or a way to monitor the notes, so that could be a problem.

So where is Amazon going with this? Are they changing the way we use public notes by connecting them to the purchase of the physical book? Are simple ereaders like the Kindle still in Amazon’s plans or are they moving the eBook to online viewing with the use of tablets? Maybe we need Sherlock around to figure this one out?

View my website: HBSystems Publications

Or EMAIL at: jrm@hbspub.com

Or goto my blog: The eBook Author’s Corner

Author: Call Off The Dogs, a rendered eBook

LinkedIn Profile: James Moushon

Holmes and Watson picture by Sidney Pagnet

Picture Image via Wikipedia

Ebook Publishing: Are Traditional Publishers Sitting on a Pot of Gold?

2011-06-23T08:00:00.000-07:00

The prospects for an explosion in the ebook market are growing every day. Once traditional publishers realize the ebook-only market is a huge opportunity, they will embrace it and they will realize that they had a pot of gold right in front of them all the time.

Current Publishing – Are things panning out with ebooks?

Traditional book publishing is built on speculation and profit predictions. They control the system and the popular authors. They have been sitting at the end of the rainbow for a very long time.

Then along comes this ebook thing with a slick delivery system and their way of life is being threatened. The old guard is holding everything back, trying to protect their investment. They know one way and that way has been successful. Even though no one is admitting it, they have to see the additional income reaching their bottom line.

They realize ebooks do solve some of the traditional book problems. Ebooks have an unlimited shelf life. They are convenient to purchase and to read. There is no physical warehousing or distribution unless you want to count an unmanned server disbursing the ebook and collecting the money. There are no page number or book size limits, etc.

And there is the fading bookstore distribution channel problem which is a major part of their system. They must resolve this to be able to reach out to their customers.

They do have a stable of authors but the authors still have to pass the test of being published in hardcover first. And they are leaving the marketing up to the author unless they are a superstar to cut back on costs.

So how do they Strike gold?

Why do traditional publishers have a golden opportunity? They have most of the good players – you know the well know authors, the cover designers, editors, illustrators, layout staff, story/genre experts, marketing, etc. and there is a huge potential in their backlists inventories.

What do they need to do to dig into this opportunity?

1. Rejections become products. They have a built-in process of prospecting and evaluating already in place. For example, if they just take the top ten percent of their rejections and move them directly to ebooks, like the movies do with their direct to video releases, the potential is huge.

2.      A big question for them is “Where will the next wave of super authors come from?” They     need to setup a farm system of potential super authors? For a relatively low cost, they can tryout authors and their titles through ebook offerings and then move them up-stream if they are successful.

3.      Establish a new author category in a genre specific area. If the ebook/author becomes successful, move them to paper. Work the traditional system in reverse.

4.      Work with bookstores to become more than just a shelf of books. If the traditionals don’t try to protect this channel, everyone will go on-line to purchase their books. That in turn directs the reader right into the lap of their competition.

5.      Once they get over just producing a digital copy of the original and start looking at rendered and enhanced ebooks, the more profit potential they’ll realize. The reader’s prospective is changing rapidly with color, the tablet market and the software advances like pub3.

6.      They must look at the royalty structure to be competitive with the on-line publishers/retailers.

Looking down stream

So the question is “Do traditional publishers keep damming the river or do they look down stream for the gold?”

The current stream of events should put most of the gold in their pile. They have the experts, the superstars and the inventory of unpublished material. There is indeed a high profit potential for the ebook-only market but they will have to change their ways and adapt.

There are some lessons for the self-publisher in this rainbow. If you create good content and are successful marketing, you have the keys to being recognized by traditional publishers. These publishers must make a move to protect their interests and the ebook author must be ready.

Do you think that traditional publishers will change their system and adopt real ebooks? Will they ever give the self-publishers/ebook authors a chance to break into the system?

View my website: HBSystems Publications

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

Related Blog

Surefire Book Publishing Interview

Prospector image via Wikipedia

eBook Self-Publishing: A Simple Guideline and Some Tips on Taking Those First Steps

2011-06-16T15:08:00.000-07:00

Baby Steps First

Starting to self-publish your ebook or even thinking about it can be a daunting task. A little help before you start will save you time and help you in publishing your ebook in all the right places.

When I published my first book, I had no idea where to go or what to look for. I thought I would walk you through some of the steps you will need to take to get self-published.

This is a major topic and could easily fill a large book and there are many good books on this topic already out there. I have compiled a simple outline of links and some tips to help you on your way.

My basic assumption for this blog is that you are ‘self-publishing for profit’. I have used MS-Word as my word processor along with various other tools for this example.

Now One Step At A Time

The content and its formatting are major tasks for the self-publisher. Here is a simple checklist to help you in preparing your content for publication.

1. Write good content and edit it thoroughly or don’t go on this journey. It’s not worth the effort.

TIP: It is best to review and edit each version of your ebook because the conversion software process is not a perfect science.

2. Study the style books for each style and format for each retailer you are publishing with. The more complex your ebook, the more you need to study the style sheets.

TIP: Do this in advance before finalizing your content for each format. It will save you a lot of time in the long run.

3. MS-Word file format: use the DOC (.doc) format not the newer version (.docx).

TIP: Don’t use tabs. Use the MS-Word indent formatting function.

TIP: Only use carriage returns at the end of a paragraph not after each line. Multiple carriage returns between paragraphs to insert extra space will be ignored in the creation process.

4. Render your web address into your ebook at the minimum.

TIP: I recommend including sales page links to other books you have written at the front of your ebook or links to sales pages on your web site. Be sure to verify the links.

5. Create a manual TOC using bookmarks on chapter headings with links from your TOC.

6. Get an ISBN number from Bowker or another source.

TIP: Only buy one ISBN for your ebook. There is no advantage to having multiple ISBN numbers per format until someone starts accumulating sales stats on ebooks. Most Retailers require the ISBN but they use their own SKU code to sell your ebook on their site.

7. Apply for your copyright as soon as you can after the ebook is complete and you get your ISBN. You should include the ISBN on the copyright page. You can upload a DOC file copy of your ebook to the U.S.Copyright Office rather than sending them a hard copy. To get you started, click this link.

TIP: Mail yourself a registered copy of a printed version or a CD with a digital version and don’t open the package. This time stamps your work.

Be Prepared to Publish

Here is some pre-publishing information you need before you start to publish your ebook to the retailers. It’s best if you keep this information in a handy word document so you can copy and paste the information into the retailer’s publishing questions.

1. Prepare a book description in advance.

TIP: Most of the retailers have a size limit so if you want to be long winded, check their site for any character limit.

2. Get your cover image ready in a JPEG format. This is the prospect’s first impression of your ebook.

Tip: Have a thumbnail cover image available in the correct size and format. You may have to have several versions in different sizes to accommodate all the retailers.

3. Prepare a good Author Bio. Do some work on this one? Your ebook buying prospect may use this to make the buying decision.

4. Keep the ISBN number at your fingertips. Each retailer will ask for this at some point.

5. Have a list of Tags or Labels available that best points your buying prospect to your ebook. You should also have made the decision which category or genre your ebook should be placed.

TIP: If you want someone to find your ebook through an Internet search you should spend some time on this one. Look at your competition for ideas.

6. You should make the decisions whether you want your ebook to be protected by DRM and what size of a sample you will permit of your works. Both questions will be asked.

7. Last but the most important pre-publishing decision. What will the PRICE of your ebook be? Again check the competition.

TIP: If you’re going to self-publish your ebook, don’t price it between $10.00 and $23.00 unless you want to give your royalty to the retailer or you’re trying to protect the price of the hardcover version of your book like traditional publishers.

Like a Pair of Shoes, eBook Formats Come in All Styles

How you have made the basic decisions and you have the additional information ready, your ebook is ready to be published to the world. Not so fast. Each of the major players requires their ebooks in different file formats and you will have to adjust your content.

Amazon Kindle Version - MOBI/AZW Format

1. Setup an account with Amazon and then create a free DTP account. (publisher)

2. Get the information about the Kindle Publishing Program from their website. You can upload your DOC file and let Amazon do the conversion for you, if you wish. This process takes several days. For the Kindle Publishing Guidelines Manual (PDF format), click here.

3. I am one of those that likes to check what my ebook is going to look like before it is published to the world. So I use some extra tools to check my work. It requires a two-step process. First open the DOC file in Word and save (save as) it as a HTML file. Then use the Kindlegen software tool from Amazon to convert your HTML file to a MOBI ebook. There is other software available to check your work but I prefer Kindlegen.

4. Next download the Kindle for PC software to check your work. (Mac version also works) Just click on the MOBI file name and you can view your ebook in the Kindle format.

TIP: I don’t know how many times I did this until I got it right but it saved days of waiting to find out from Amazon how good I had done in the creation process.

5. If you have a Kindle, transfer the MOBI file via a USB cable to the Kindle and gave it a real-time test. I did this several times until I was completely satisfied.

MAJOR TIP. Don’t leave money on the table. Setup an Amazon Associate Account. Then on your website put a link to your Amazon sales page using the Associate html code for your ebook. Each sale that you get originating from your site will add affiliate income to your revenue. (Some states don’t allow this.)

Barnes and Noble Nook Version - EPUB Format

1. Setup a ‘Pubit’ account with Barnes and Noble. To create a new account, click here.

2. Read their formatting guideline. There are several formatting guides online by various third parties but you need to be techie to use them. I recommend Barnes and Noble’s own on-line information.

3. BN like Amazon has an ‘Add a Title’ process. They will convert your DOC file to the EPUB format free. Like the Kindle version, I wanted to check my work before my ebook is published. My DOC file had to be changed slightly but the corrections I made for MOBI version were about 99% golden.

4. I needed to convert my ebook to an EPUB format to check my work so I selected the Calibre software package. It does a good job of converting MOBI files directly to the EPUB file format. Again BN will do this for you but using them is a time consuming process. Calibre gives you instant feedback on the formatting.

5. Check the ebook on the Nook for PC software or better yet copy the ebook to a Nook for review. After some minor adjustment you should be ready to publish your ebook to Barnes and Noble.

Smashwords – All Formats

Smashwords is another retailer you should consider. They publish to almost all retailers and in a variety of formats. I choose to publish separately to Amazon and BN to be able to control the process more effectively.

1. Setup an account with Smashwords.

2. Read their Style Guide and Instructions.

TIP: The only major change to your content here is to follow their specific example for the copyright page. It must conform exactly to the Smashwords Publishing Guide or they will not publish your ebook.

Then SW runs your DOC file through their Meatgrinder software (not a mistake on the name) which produces a variety of formats for distribution.

The Smashwords Marketing Guide is a must read. Mark Coker has done a great job with this tool.

TIP: You need to be published in their Premium catalog which reaches most major retailers. They have other levels of catalogs but the Premium is the way to go. You can deselect a retailer like Amazon or Barnes and Noble if you have already published your ebook with them.

Your ebook will reach the Apple, Sony, Kobo and Diesel retailers among others. They are also starting to distribute ebooks as single-book apps for the mobile app market.

TIP: Make sure you check the Smashword’s file size limit. I know they are increasing this but if you have a lot of images in your ebook, you could exceed their file size limit.

Google Books Partner Program – PDF Format
Last. A new opportunity. This is not a sales opportunity but a marketing and Internet opportunity. Post your ebook in a PDF format (save your DOC file as a PDF file) through their Partner program and your ebook text will become a part of their Internet search database.

For example, if your ebook is about large spruce trees in the Midwest, Internet surfers can locate your ebook through the Google search engine because every word of your content is in their database not just some pre-selected keywords.

1. Setup an account with Google.

2. Access the Partner Program page and login to your account.

3. Click ‘Add Book’, fill out the information and upload your PDF file. This process takes a while.

TIP: You should remove any in-book links from your PDF copy before unloading. The links don’t work and could throw off search engines.

Google does have a bookstore which is not covered in this blog.

Let’s Lace Up Our Shoes and Get Started

At the end of the day, you could possible end up with 4 different version of your DOC file plus an EPUB file, a MOBI file and a PDF file.

TIP: Use separate file directories for each publisher with a separate copy of your DOC file in each. If you keep changing the original, you are stuck with the latest version.

I hope this information will help. At least it can be a startup guideline of where to go first. If the tasks seem to be overwhelming get some help from professionals. There are many good sources. Here is a short list of a few that I am familiar with.

Author’s Source: Indie Author - April L. Hamilton

Book Design and Covers: The Book Designer - Joel Friedlander
Marketing: Marketing Tips For Authors - Tony Eldridge
Publishing: A Book Inside - How to Write and Publish a Book - Carol Denbow
Publishing: Self-Publishing Resources – Sue Collier

Let’s build a list of good sources to help ebook authors on their self-publishing venture. Let me know what you think? Like I said up front, you could write a large book on this topic.

View my website: HBSystems Publications

Or EMAIL at: jrm@hbspub.com

Or goto my blog: The eBook Author’s Corner

Author: Call Off The Dogs, a rendered ebook

LinkedIn Profile: James Moushon

eBook Authors: Render Thy eBook or Miss The Boat

2011-06-02T14:14:00.000-07:00

I am a non-fiction and technical book reader at heart. Lately I have become addicted to ebooks. I like the ability to get the ebook anytime and anywhere and read it anytime I want. Recently a historical fiction hardcover book was passed to me. A book about Elizabeth 1 of England and the period in history called the Tudor dynasty.

Sometimes I like to read a good historical fiction novel and this turned out to be a good one. After I was about half way through the novel, the analytical part of me took over. This hardcover book was the ideal candidate for an ebook.

It was large and heavy. It was over 670 pages and weighed in at almost two and a half pounds.

I put down the book. I needed to see how this book appeared as an ebook. Online I went and seconds later the same book was on my Kindle. No expense spared for my blogs.

As a side note the Kindle version was $14.99. Ouch!

I started a comparison of the hardcover and the ebook. I wanted to find out what the publisher had done in the way of creating the ebook. They had made it digital okay. They did add a linked table of contents and they did put a link to their website. That was it.

The potential for so much more was there. What could they have done to make this a real ebook not just a copy of a hardcover book?

Rendering

Right up front they missed the opportunity when they listed the author’s credits. They listed several of the author’s books with no links to a buy page. I guess they wanted me to go to the Internet and search for the other books, if I was interested. There I had the purchasing device in my hands and they missed the opportunity.

Next there was no mention of a website for the author or even better a link to that site to get the reader hooked on the author’s books. Now mind you this was not an older book that the publisher was just getting around to digitizing. This was a brand new release. I went back to the hardcover and that information was missing there also. Finally they got it right on the dust cover. There it was. A web address for the author.

The cover was not included in the ebook, just a title page. I don’t understand that one.

There were many historical characters referenced whose names I recognized like Sir Walter Raleigh, Sir Francis Drake and Shakespeare. Some I had never heard of like Robert Dudley, one of the main characters in the story and in English history. This was a great opportunity to have some information in the appendix about him and many of the other fringe characters. Not done.

I am one of those readers that always is looking back in the book to try to keep up with the story. In-book links added in the rendering process can help the reader with this problem especially with a book of this size. Sorry no effort here.

How about a family tree of the Tudor dynasty? Or some background on the Spanish Armanda? Or some pictures of some of the characters? Wikipedia has some great pictures of Elizabeth and her followers. I can think of lots of things I could do to make this a real ebook.

This book is a great read but there is little or no effort made to make it a real good ebook. If you’re going to read this book while you are traveling, you definitely want the ebook version. It is not a book that you want to read on your cell phone or blackberry. So why not go further than just a copy?

By the way for you ebook reading buffs, I am 54% done with the hardcover version. eBook Authors, you are taking notes aren’t you?

Good Examples of Rendering

First I would like to highlight a good example of how an author can use the power of in-book links during the rendering process. Bloody Omaha by biographer Garry M. Graves is a rendered ebook. His ebook had 39 pictures and illustrations in which he needed to give credit to the sources. Instead of interrupting the reading process, he linked the picture’s titles to a credit note in the appendix of the ebook. If the reader wanted to know the source of the picture, the information was just a click away.

Another example is my novel, Call Off the Dogs, a story about the Assassination of President Kennedy. This is a rendered ebook with in-book links to various terms, location descriptions and color pictures to assist the reader in enjoying and understanding the content. That additional information is also held in the appendix of the ebook so it doesn’t interrupt the reading flow.

Another example of rendering to improve the ebook experience is the use of links in Travel Guide ebooks. So many times the ebook Guides don’t have quality links to important information. Again most of the Guides I have read are just copies of the hardcover version.

Missing the Boat

I think we are missing the boat here. Not only traditional publishers but self-publishers are falling into the same trap. Let’s get the printed version out there and follow up with a copy in an ebook format. No wonder the indie authors/publishers are getting a bad rap. And the traditional publishers must feel like that with little or no effort they can add to their bottom line.

We need to do something here. What are your ideas? Do you think new ebook author can take advantage of the ebook technology? Is a copy of the original hardcover version good enough?

Related blogs:

eBook Authors: Render Your eBooks

eBook Authors: Use The Power of Links

A Bloody eBook Conversion Project

Ebook Authors: Travel Guides are the Ultimate eBooks

View my website: HBSystems Publications

Or EMAIL at: jrm@hbspub.com

Or goto my blog: The eBook Author Corner

Author: Call Off The Dogs, a rendered ebook

LinkedIn Profile: James Moushon

Ebook Authors: Travel Guides are the Ultimate eBooks

2011-05-26T11:11:00.000-07:00

Do you want to create a travel guide that is the centerpiece of your reader’s travel experience? You know an ebook that is the foundation of their travel decisions. A travel package that they have at their fingertips. One that will help them with every part of their journey.

You can do this but you need to look at your ebook differently. You cannot create just a copy of your bound version.

Last week I got involved in a discussion on Linkedin which was started by Nola Lee Kelsey of ‘The Voluntary Traveler’ about creating travel guides as eBooks.

This brought back a memory of an experience I had last November. At the time I thought that ebook authors were missing the boat on the opportunity to create a living, breathing guide that took advantage of a digital book. It has linking ability. It is convenient and portable. You can add notes and highlights.

I think travel books could be the ultimate ebook. The information in paper travel guides become inaccurate over time and the Internet links become quickly out of date.

Ultimate eBook

So what is the ultimate ebook? Right up front I suggest it should not be just a reproduction of the paper book. For starters, it must contain a live link back to the author, publisher and even the cover designer, editor and so on. I shouldn’t even have to mention that one.

But we are discussing the ultimate ebook here.

It should include links to the Internet for special references. The rendering process should create real links here not just the written URL for the site. This is a problem in many ebooks today.

It should allow a path to the Internet for the reader to find an updated link when one goes bad and as they always do.

In-book links should be inserted pointing the reader to extra material to assist them in defining special terms.

The ebook should have color pictures that fit on a small device screen. Eventually all devices will have color. Video clips will be common place.

It should be created so that it is easy for the author to update and change information.

The ultimate ebook should allow notes and highlights that can be copied to other applications like copying a paragraph to a Word document.

Keywords should be inserted at the appropriate place to allow easy searching.

The content should be written in snapshots, or chunks of information rather than a long dissertation.

So where does the Travel Guide fit into this and why do I claim it can be the ultimate ebook? Because it can be the complete deal. It can not only present valuable information but it can be the center point for your travel experience using the digital world. Let me explain.

Trouble in Paradise

I am a frequent traveler either by car, by bus or by plane. I am not picky. Just say let’s go and I am ready. Hawaii was calling so I started planning for my 10 days in paradise. This should be easy. I went online to purchase a Travel Guide about beautiful Hawaii. I thought an ebook version would be my best alternative, being portable and all. I downloaded a sample and I stopped right there.

As with many ebooks today, this was a very poor reproduction of the paper version. The table of content was one of the very worst I have seen. The book’s price ($12.95) was completely out of the question for what I was getting. So reluctantly I purchased the paper version. ($14.95)

Now I was stuck with over 750 pages of very good information that I could highlight and use to make my plans. As you can see from my picture at the start of this blog, I had no room to pack the guide in my luggage so I had to take a lot of notes.

How could a Travel Guide ebook and an ereader or tablet solve my problems? I started brainstorming how this experience could be improved and this is what I came up with.

The Travel Guide

Let’s start by saying the Travel Guide needs to be a package of information that will guide me through the planning and the sightseeing and leisure time with my being able to control the costs as much as I can.

A travel package, unlike a lot of Google searches, puts all the information and references I need under one roof so to speak or at least on my tablet. I recommend a tablet for convenience and portable and the extra apps benefit.

The author needs to use color pictures to sell his ideas. There is nothing like a gorgeous photo to spur interest in a location.

He should bundle apps with his ebook. Make apps available for the convenience of the reader. The free ones get the most interest.

The Travel Guide should be turned on for Kindle public notes. The author can use this vehicle to update information until the guide can be republished with updated information. Besides it is a good opportunity to hear what reader’s think about the content. In the past I sought used travel guides because former users would usually highlight things they were interested in. Sometimes you could catch a gem like a unique restaurant or night club. Others experiences speak volumes.

Another opportunity is to reference other books in the guide that are about the destination. Throw in a link to a travel game as an incentive to buy.

Paper travel guides have some problems that can be overcome with a well done Travel Guide package. The paper version’s biggest problem of course is the information is cast in concrete. The ebook can solve this problem big time.

Planning the Trip

So the ultimate Travel Guide armed with great descriptive content and color pictures starts the planning process. Now the traveler’s big money decisions need help from the author.

Budgeting and expenses/costs

Displaying a range of prices to assist in the budgeting is a big help. A spreadsheet or a template for tracking the budget is a good giveaway plus you have the opportunity to capture the reader’s name and a communication avenue like the email address.

Planning and Itinerary

The format for a digital plan could be incorporated like the budgeting above.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Now that I am here, how do I get around? Transportation information links can be invaluable for a tourist including subways and trolley data, where needed.

Hotels and Accommodation

A digital matrix of possible selections can help the traveler better organize the trip.

Appointments and Tours

A schedule app can help the reader organize their stay more efficiently. Bundle it in the complete travel package.

Paradise Cove Beach

So I am off to Honolulu armed with the ultimate travel package and a library of ebooks for my reading pleasure. I like the tourist traps so they are highlighted in my Travel Guide and I have added extra notes to jog my memory.

I have all the tools loaded on my tablet that I need to survive the island. But I have more in my package. I have a calendar with the special events I have scheduled like my luau at Paradise Cove, my Island tour and my visit to Pearl Harbor.

I have photo gallery software to keep my pictures organized. I use the tablet camera and note the location and time as I take them. I have software to keep track of the current weather and the forecast. I even have a currency calculator and a language guide loaded which I hope I don’t need.

And for those who enjoy the night life too much and need to ask the question. ‘Where in the world am I?’ I have Google Earth and Maps installed and a GPS locator to help me get back to the hotel.

Back Home at Last

All good things must come to an end. Back home I now have a record of my trip. I can compare my budget to the expenses I have been tracking as well as checking my credit card charges when the bill arrives.

I have a permanent record of the great time I had, all thanks to the Travel Guide package.

So What Makes the Travel Guide the Ultimate eBook?

1. It is a digital package and can be stored on an electronic device for easy carrying.
2. It is convenient and easy to update and add information.
3. If the authors rendering process is complete, the links will be there to access current prices, phone numbers, street addresses and web sites.
4. Turning on public notes can help in the planning as well as a record of the experience.
5. The Travel Guide ebook becomes part of the travel experience. It makes the content unique.

It makes the ebook a total experience not just a reference book.

Other Opportunities

Other opportunities for authors are publishing the Travel Guide in parts, being more specific to a location. I was headed to Oahu and information on the other islands was overkill. A smaller edition about Honolulu would have been just fine.

A frequent traveler may want a special version created for them or maybe a paid serial publication for travel destinations with updated information.

You may even want to include ads specials to various locations and link into affiliate sales to increase revenue.

The author must try to drive the reader to his home website. Updating the information must be an ongoing process. A path for the reader to access updated ebook links is a large opportunity.

We should take lessons from what you can do with a Travel ebook and carry it over to other kinds of ebooks.

You say this is all on the Internet. It is all about time and convenience. A complete package can save the reader hours of surfing and put dollars in his pocket. It would be the ultimate choice.

What do you think about my choice for the ultimate ebook? Can you think of any other candidate for the ultimate award?

Related blogs:

Rendering Your Ebook
Use the Power of Links

View my website: HBSystems Publications

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

Ebook Industry: Where Is Microsoft?

2011-05-11T06:40:00.000-07:00

As the ebook industry progresses and the major players compete, it seems we are headed in several directions at once. Self-publishing authors are confused where to start with all the various formats and devices and platforms to publish on.

The major players are bent on keeping control of their domain as they clash with each other for control of the industry. You have Amazon and Barnes and Noble in a struggle for control of the online distribution business and the sale of low end ereaders.

Then you have Apple and the ipad and ibooks positioned a notch-up in price.

Following is Google with their great exposure and Adobe with their brand in the PDF format. As these major players battle it out, one question begs to be asked. Where is Microsoft?

A lesson from the past

We have been through this same type of industry fragmentation. The PC industry in the early 1980’s was in just as much disarray as the ebook industry today with major companies fighting for control.

I know. I was at ground zero on this one. When the PC industry started, the Phoenix area was a hot bed of PC development. Motorola was building the 68000 processor for Apple/MAC and Microage was franchising computer stores across the country. DEC (Digital Equipment Corporation) was entrenched in the minicomputer industry and had a large presence in the valley.

In 1980, I started a custom software development company in Phoenix to try to jump on the bandwagon. But like the ebook industry of today, the PC startup industry lacked standards. There were lots of different microcomputers. Each one had a different programming language and operating system. It wasn’t anything to be working on three custom projects with three different makes of microcomputers and three different programming languages.

At that time Digital Research was the leader in operating systems (CP/M) for the PC industry and Apple and Radio Shack (TRS-80) had begun their PC hardware adventure.

In 1980, IBM entered the PC industry and everything changed. They needed an operating system so they contacted the leader, Digital Research. They promptly refused because they wanted to control the process. Sound familiar.

Microsoft to the rescue. Microsoft agreed to IBM’s terms plus they added a Basic Programming language. Now software developers had something to hang their hat on. That one decision made Microsoft the leader in the software industry. MS-DOS made it a standard playing field for all the players.

IBMs next move was to try to control the startup of the PC industry. They licensed Computerland and Sears Computer Stores to sell the IBM PC exclusively. They put together MS-DOS(really PC-DOS), Lotus 1-2-3, and their PC and sold them through the stores. The PC wars had begun. This is similar to the confusion in the ebook industry today.

The PC needed software to make it useful. Lotus 1-2-3 started the ball rolling with the first spreadsheet written especially for the IBM PC. Following right behind 1-2-3 was the WordStar word processor and the dBase database system. These were the “big three” as someone once said. These were indeed killer apps.

These were great tools but users wanted them to work together. The parts were greater than the total product in this case.

Lotus Symphony was the first attempt at combining the three functions together with mild success. Again users were accustomed to the killer apps and the Lotus database and the word processor fell way short. It was not really designed for joint tasks.

Again Microsoft to the rescue. In 1989 they introduced Microsoft Office. It combined Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft PowerPoint with Visual Basic for Applications scripting language. Later they added Microsoft Access. Now users had the interrelationship they were looking for. Ebook users are looking for the same interrelationship. They want to do more with the information than just read it once.

Back then, the marketing was done by computer store. Prospects could easily touch and feel the products and the sales soared.

I will only mention COMDEX briefly because of the major part it played and as a segue into my ‘needs’ takeaways on this blog. It was a computer trade show held in Las Vegas every November. It started in 1979 and continued for over twenty years. This is where major product announcements and releases were made. It had been a “must attend” event in the industry.

For the last few years of existence of COMDEX, Microsoft kept the show going taking up a considerable amount of the convention floor. It was a place where small companies could display their wares and hope to catch on with dealers across the country.

Microsoft and the eBook

Being entrenched in the digital conversation world since 1994, I started changing my focus to ebooks in 2003. One of my clients wanted to put together a system using a PDA. So off to the computer store I went to buy a Palm Pilot V with its syncing ability. At the same time I purchased my first ebook reader, a RCA REB1100.

I thought I would put their technical manuals on one to help them with the information overload they had developed. Immediately a problem arose that still plagues the industry. The REB1100 had a proprietary format which did not allow documents to be created in-house. Calibre has solved this problem now.

Ebooks were not new. The Project Gutenberg had been going on for years and most computer technical manuals included a CD with text, html or PDF files but no one had tackled any main stream novels or anything like that.

I started working with Adobe Acrobat eBook Reader (now called Adobe Digital Editions) and the Microsoft eBook Reader. I had been using the Adobe’s PDF files for a while but the free Microsoft ebook software seemed to be the best choose.

Most ereaders had screen problems, especially in bright light, but Microsoft’s Cleartype display technology solved the on-screen reading problem. Also, they had an add-in program that let you take a document in MS-Word and create an ebook automatically. (LIT format) A very simple process.

Their software included bookmarks, notes, a library function, online ordering and the ability to create free-form drawings or margin notes. You could zoom in on pictures and highlight text. It ran on any Windows platform including Windows Mobile.

It seemed like the best choice because Microsoft was entrenched in the computer industry. It seemed to be where the expansion was going in the new ebook industry. Wrong. Microsoft dropped the ball for some reason.

Now the ebook industry is fragmented with numerous formats and proprietary ereader operating systems with no path upward to the next level of devices. For example, you cannot insert notes and highlights on an ereader and do anything with that information on a PC without a lot of work.

What do we need?

We need standardization. Not necessarily one format but devices that can read the most popular formats. A tablet like the ipad can read the popular formats but the cost rules out many readers from ever going digital.

We need a place for a hands on experience like a computer store or a bookstore. Recently I visited an Apple store and I could not believe the activity the store was experiencing. Of course they are limited to the Apple offerings. Bookstores are positioned to push this concept forward because they are not tied to one solution.

The ebook industry needs a ‘SHOW’ presence. You know. A must attend show for readers and authors and device manufacturers with product displays and workshops. Maybe the computer electronics show held in Las Vegas every January would be a good start. At the CES show this year, ereaders were ‘the thing’ at the show but ereaders were a small fraction of the total activity.

We need a device with an upward capability to be able to do more than just read the ebook but use its content in other meaningful ways. Tablets will be the key here but the need for the low-cost device that just allows a good read will not go away.

We need an even lower cost color device to appear that is aimed at the children’s market. You know the kind that is made out of hard plastic that can be dropped and the content can be controlled by the parents. No need for WIFI or 3G here. A USB or Simm card will work just fine.

So where is Microsoft?

We know they are up in the clouds. Will this be our answer? In the future, will all ebooks be up in the clouds, ready for us to snag, read and go on our way? Maybe we are talking about paying a small charge to view an ebook but not necessarily downloading it to a device like the Netflix model.

We need a company to smooth out the process. It is going to be fun watching how all this shakes out. At the end of the day, new software and digital devices will lead the way.

To read a related article, ‘Lessons For the eBook Industry – Study the E-Forms Industry Beginning’, click here.

Another blog came across my desk, forwarded by Dominique Raccah via Linkedin, about Booki.sh, a cloud eBook distributor, that is good reading on the cloud distribution topic.

Let me know what you think about where the ebook industry is going? What else do we need to do to push the process forward? Who out there wants to start an ebook only oriented convention?

View my website: HBSystems Publications

Or EMAIL at: jrm@hbspub.com

Or goto my blog: The eBook Author Corner

Author: Call Off The Dogs, a rendered ebook

Ebook Authors: Do You Really Want To Be An Old Time Author?

2011-04-28T08:53:00.000-07:00

Do you really want to be an old time author and publish your book traditionally or do you want to be an eBook author and self-publish your content on-line? That’s the question.

An old time author! Are you one of them? You know the traditional author that has beat his head against publisher’s front doors for a long time and hasn’t gotten in. Or the writer that creates good content but has to do all his own marketing and his book is just not flying off the shelves. Or the one who has heard about ebooks but is not tech-savvy and doesn’t know where to start. Or the author that has a garage full of POD books that are good but things just didn’t work out for him.

Self-Publishing Story

Self-publishing is a major step to take. It is much more than writing good content. There is no gatekeeper to stop you but there is no guidance to assist you. All the tasks they perform are left to your control. You either learn now to do it yourself or you get outside help.

I have been down this road. I have done the whole nine yards with a little help in the editing department. Actually a lot of help in this area.

I was fortunate to have over thirty years’ experience in the computer part of the conversion. Call Off the Dogs was written for ebook publication only, so a conversion service was not required. It included in-book links and external links along with color pictures and term definitions. I even did the cover thanks to Photoshop and Google Earth.

I just followed the guidelines from Amazon guidelines - Kindle, Barnes and Noble Publisher and Author Guidelines for the Nook and Smashwords Style Guide. Sounds simple.

Now the Games Began

With copyright in hand and the ever needed ISBN number registered, my ebook was ready for publication. Lookout readers. Here comes the story of what really happened the day Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas.

I already had developed a website. It was easy to update my site to market my new ebook. I was ready to go. My ebook was going to be in the two biggest on-line bookstores and on all the mobile devices. I tagged my book with all the related keywords so the search engines could fine the book easily.

I didn’t need to get printing quotes to produce a start quantity. I didn’t have to send out query letters trying to get my ebook in the pipe. It looked like I was home free. All I had to do is set back and watch my 70% royalty start being deposited in my checking account. I even leveraged my marketing by signing up for the Amazon Affiliate Program. (an extra 5% if they went through my site to purchase my ebook)

Now I could concentrate on my next ebook featuring my main character, Jonathon Stone.

Stop the Presses

I realized quickly the marketing task to sell Call Off the Dogs was going to be time-consuming. Even though my computer knowledge is extensive, my social networking was completely missing. Oh I use email all the time and I surf the Net but Facebook and Twitter were completely foreign to me. I had a brand in the digital forms area but that wasn’t going to carry over here. So I setup a Facebook account and quickly learned that this was a very time consuming venture. And the thing I wanted to do with it (selling my ebook) was lost in the vacations and pictures of my friend’s pets. I am still working on this one.

I have joined Linkedin and Goodreads and I get to communicate with other authors but where is my readers?

My ebook falls in between genres it appears. At first I had a problem figuring out whether it is in the fictional mystery or alternative history genre. I still haven’t found the niche my ebook falls into.

Attack plan

I decided to become proactive. I setup a Google Alert system which emails me every time my keywords appear on the Internet. This does free up time trying to keep up with the Internet.

Next I started researching other author’s sites and blogs to see what they were doing. Again I resorted to an automated system. I setup Google Reader to alert me of all the blog information that relates to the ebook industry and writing in general.

I setup a blog specifically for Call Off the Dogs. The jury is out on that one. I have tried to engage readers on the main theme of the book but that seems like an uphill battle.

I started a research project including a database to keep track of what was going on. I have recently blogged a list of great sources that I find helpful. (eBook Authors: 17 Great Information Sources) Maybe it can save you some time and give you some ideas to get your ball rolling.

The main takeaway here: Research is the thing if you need HELP like I do.

As you can see from this blog, I didn’t plan for the giant tasks ahead of me. I wrote my ebook first without a clue where I was going. There I was outlining my book, checking my facts, and trying to develop interesting characters with no plan of attack once I was done.

Once Call Off the Dogs was out in the marketplace, I quickly realized I needed help. So I did my homework and developed the list I referenced above to research and follow the ebook industry. I know my research is not complete but this got me started.

So do you what to be an OLD TIME AUTHOR or do you want to embrace the ebook experience. I would be interested to hear what experiences you’re having trying to tackle this shift in the playing field.

View my website: HBSystems Publications

Or EMAIL at: jrm@hbspub.com

Ebook authors: 17 Great Information Sources

2011-04-20T08:23:00.000-07:00

I have been asked several times this month what I think are the best current sources of information for the eBook author and how do I use them. I think research is a key element in an indie’s quest for success so I spend a lot of time reading blogs and books on publishing and writing.

I did a little research on my research and this is what I came up with. These are my favorites. You may not agree or I have left a good blog out but at least this list could be a starting point for the would-be author.

I have over 100 blogs queued up in Google Reader. I started with a modest list and as I saw what kinds of content they were providing, I adjusted my list. Some of the blogs I follow are related to libraries and education and or not included in the following list.

I skim the title and if it is something I am interested in, I either read it quickly, print it out for future reference or bookmark it.

You will need to prune your list to your needs. For example, some blogs that are rated highly by some list sources, I don’t follow. I am looking for information and ideas not at how good they are or how successful they have become. One successful writer was recommended and I bookmarked the blog. After a month or so I deleted that blog from my list. The writer’s sales numbers was not the type information I was looking for.

My List

The following is my list by topic of blogs and books I have found the best sources of information.

Blogging

Cats Eye Writer - Judy Dunn

Judy’s blogging advice is a must read if you’re going to market your ebook through the blogosphere.

Book Design and Covers

The Book Designer - Joel Friedlander

His Goal: “To help publishers and authors who decide to publish their own books get to market with a great looking, properly constructed book, on time and on budget.”

Book Making - Michael N. Marcus

Michael byline: “He discusses writing, editing, publishing and sometimes none of the above. Sometimes he draws attention to inept publishers and writers. It's his duty and his compulsion.”

General

Book Trends Blog - Bob Spear

Bob’s blog is always a good read. It is directed to the ebook author. He seems to touch all phases of the ebook experience.

Marketing – how to

Author Marketing Experts, Inc. - Penny Sansevieri

Her bio states “I started Author Marketing Experts, Inc because I’m an author and I wanted to give authors a company that understood them, knew the publishing industry and knew what they wanted.”

Marketing Tips For Authors - Tony Eldridge

Tony’s blog is one of the most helpful blogs in the ebook industry from the marketing point of view.

His site states: “He … shares his book marketing tips with fellow authors through his blog and through his free video marketing tips for authors.”

Writing and Publishing Assistance

A Book Inside - How to Write and Publish a Book - Carol Denbow

Her by-line: “How to Write a Fiction, Non-Fiction Book, or Novel, find a Publisher or Publishing Option, and Market Your Book for Free. Tips and Expert Advice.”

Indie Author - April L. Hamilton

April’s by-line: “I'm now offering professional services to self-publishers: editing (developmental, copyediting & proofreading), formatting for print or ebook publication (Kindle, iBook, Smashwords, epub, etc.), ebook conversion/setup, cover design, and general publishing and author platform consultation by phone or email.”

Our Little Books - Julia M. Lindsey

Julia has been nice enough to use me as a guest blogger on her blog site. Her blog features snapshots of information for the authors of small books.

Her site says: “we are dedicated to producing educational, inspirational and fun little books for pocket or purse… We're also dedicated to helping you publish your own little book.”

Self-Publishing Resources – Sue Collier

This is a great source of information for self-publishing authors.

Her blog states: “We know the challenges self-publishing authors face, and we’re experts at guiding them to success. From initial book development through winning promotion and sales, we know how to assist authors to surpass their personal and professional publishing goals.”

The Creative Penn - Joanna Penn

Joanna is an author and blogger with great ideas for the indie ebook author.

She states: “I wanted to share this information with other people who want to become authors, because I found the traditional publishing route confusing, too difficult and slow when I first started. I also made a lot of mistakes that I want to help others avoid!”

The Publishing Maven - Christy Pinheiro

Christy’s blog always has great information and ideas on publishing. She has a small press that publishes nonfiction books.

Workshop and Training

All Smart Cookies - Emily Hill

She conducts workshops and seminars in the northwest. She stresses coaching for indie authors with a section on the Self-publishing guidelines with Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Smashwords.

Helpful books I have read recently

A Self-Publisher's Companion - Joel Friedlander

Joel does a great job in discussing self-publishing, blogging and the social networking part of the book business. This is a great extension to his blogging site, http://www.thebookdesigner.com/.

Since most publishers have deserted the ebook author in the marketing task, you need the knowledge Joel presents to get started in the right direction.

All Smart Cookies Can Self-Publish - Emily Hill

This is a quick guide which discusses the step-by-step list of elements necessary to self-publisher an ebook with lots of linked references. Best advice to a new ebook author: “When your first book comes out, be prepared for nothing much to happen. That’s normal.”

Two other good books I have read recently that are directed at self-publishing authors are:

The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing – Sue Collier and Marilyn Ross

The Step-by-Step Guide to Self-Publishing for Profit! Start Your Own Home-Based Publishing Company and Publish Your Non-Fiction Book with CreateSpace and Amazon - Christy Pinheiro

All the blogs on my list I follow religiously. The books on my list I have read recently and I have taken away something from each one of them. I know my research is not complete but this got me started.

Let me know what you think of my list. I found them very helpful. Please add to the list other valuable references.

View my website: HBSystems Publications

Or EMAIL at: jrm@hbspub.com

Ebook Authors: The Kids Are Coming

2011-04-05T06:21:00.000-07:00

One of the great opportunities ahead for ebook authors is the wave of new readers entering the digital book world. These gadget centric-readers are kids and young adults. You know the ones that don’t shy away from a computer screen or the digital world. With their cell phone or ipad in hand, they are going to drive the ebook industry to new heights in the near future.

This wave of new readers is going to create a new wave of authors. These writers are going to write directly to the ebook platform, bypassing the current paper to digital conversion process. This new author will take advantage of the ebook software; adding links, sound, video and multimedia.

This young group of readers will be gamers, Internet surfers and two-thumb typist. They are ready for the ebook experience and the ebook author must deliver.

So what is going to happen?

New devices

New devices targeting young kids are starting to appear. Hard plastic, low cost ereaders will start to appear in toy departments with packaged ebooks. They may not have a wireless connection or many keys and you may have to update the content via a USB connection (may assist in parent control) but the inconvenience will be worth the trouble.

New software

New software with more powerful features will be developed. This software will drive the acceptance of ebooks. It will be software that is more than just a text display of an ebook. It will be software that lets the reader interact with the content.

You are starting to see laptop software that makes studying easier and more productive. For example, one of the new tools released recently is NookStudy from Barnes and Noble. This free software download shows great potential. NookStudy is available for your PC or Mac.

Text to speech is a great tool to help kids learn while reading ebooks. We may even want to add children’s voices to the voice characters. Kids will probably accept other kids reading to them rather than a strange adult voice.

New ebooks

Recently I have read about the problem publishers are having converting kids two page layout books. They are using the old school conversion process. Authors and publishers need to think outside the box. Kid’s flipbooks seem to fall into that same category.

One thing we do know is kids have shorter attention spans than the adult novel reader. They need to see ideas and absorb them quickly. The current children authors have the knowledge and skills to pull this off. They just need to learn the new technology and charge forward.

Comics are another great ebook opportunity in the kid’s market. With color and sound they can be a great educational and entertainment media.

Barnes and Noble has a great website for kid’s book that takes advantage of the Color Nook. It’s called NookKids. If you are looking at this market, this is a great place to start your research.

Education

Education will be transformed into a digital world. Along with a new generation of readers, a new generation of ebook authors will appear. Authors who can see the youth market needs and fill that need. I recently blogged about this opportunity, e-Textbooks: How do they stack up against traditional textbooks?

E-textbooks are a great opportunity to improve the quality of education, especially at the lower levels of education.

Ebook Author’s challenge

The children ebook author will write in small screen snapshots They will render their ebooks with colored pictures and enhanced features. The young readers are going to be looking for links like they encounter when they are surfing the net so they need to be included in the content.

One opportunity may be to create a series of short reads that the reader will be coming back for more. Although several of the experiments of serial writing in the adult category have mixed reviews, a well done kid’s series could be a hit with automatic downloads. Who knows, you could have your own Dr. Seuss series going on some day.

One thing for sure, the new ebook author must study the new technology and take advantage of it.

My Crystal Ball

There will always be novels but my crystal ball says that non-fiction will change. Ebooks will not just be a copy of a paper version but an interactive media.

Many ebooks will be written directly to the ebook platform with no paper version.

All players will need to get on board: authors – publishers – bookstores – libraries and education/teachers.

Remember. The kids are coming. You know the gadget-centric generation that will be right at home with ereaders or tablets. These devices will fall right in with their social networking and their cell phones. Just walk through a mall and watch the younger generation. They are all doing something with a digital device. The ebook author must take advantage of this opportunity.

What do you think? How can ebook authors take advantage of this opportunity? Have I left out anything in the kid’s market?

View my website: HBSystems Publications

Or EMAIL at: jrm@hbspub.com

eBook Authors: Use The POWER of Links

2011-03-25T06:46:00.000-07:00

One of the first things an eBook Author must learn to use is the power of links. Whether you’re creating your ebook, setting up your web site, writing a blog or joining a group on the Internet, hyperlinks are what make things happen. The more clicks, the more chances of your success. The synergy created by links is a powerful thing.

With that said, where should you put links? The following is a list of possible opportunities for linking.

Your eBook Author Page

Let’s start with your ebook. You should always have an author page with links to everything in your arsenal. This page is different than the title page or the copyright page. You should have links to your website, your blog, your social network and your email address. Make sure to link to your other ebooks buy-pages to help the reader go directly to your other writings.

Your In-Book Links

Another link possibility is links imbedded in your content. These links can be added in the ebook rendering process. Whether the links are to Internet sites or to information in the back of your ebook, the links can be very valuable to the reading experience.

In my ebook, Call Off The Dogs, I included brief definitions of uncommon terms and locations in the back of the ebook. For example, the reader could click on a link imbedded in the content and see a brief description of the pier in Seal Beach, California. Then they would press the BACK key and continue reading.

Link Maintenance

One of the important things to remember is that link maintenance is great an opportunity to keep in front of your reader. Links change and become invalid for one reason or another. You should maintain a current, up to date list of links you have used in your writings. Then point the reader to your site for the latest link information.

Another example. Let’s say you have an ebook with a lot of internet links imbedded in the content or the ebook has a list of links associated with source material. As the links turn bad, and they will after time, you could add Amazon Public Notes in the ebook to assistant the reader in finding the updated link or an alternative one.

You are maintaining the value of the reading material by updating the content without republishing the ebook.

Link Power

So what does linking everything do for you?

1. It will build traffic to your ebook buy-page, to your Internet site, your Facebook page and your Blog.

2. Links are what drives Internet Search Engine Optimization. The more links you have on the net, the more chances you have for readers to find your offerings. The most prized link is one that is an incoming link from another site. This can be your site or blog or one from one of your peers.

3. Connections through Social Networking, links your friends and followers to your site and your ebook. You cannot have enough of this. The more ebooks and blogs you put into the pipe, the more action you create.

Takeaway

Think of this as a little web page with the power of communications.

A general rule: Never publish anything without a link or two. That includes your ebook, your Internet site, your blog, your email or comments on other people’s blog.

So what do think? Be sure to share with me other link opportunities that I have overlooked.

View my website: HBSystems Publications

Or EMAIL at: jrm@hbspub.com

How to create a Kindle ebook? Anyone can make this stuff up.

2011-03-12T07:16:00.000-08:00

The following is a recipe for the creation of a Kindle ebook. The results can be viewed on a Kindle ereader or by any of the ‘Kindle for’ software apps including MAC, iPhone, iPad, Blackberry or Android Phone.

Starting Ingredients

1 Windows PC

1 Microsoft Word

1 Kindlegen Software app from Amazon (Download)

1 Kindle for PC Software app from Amazon (Download)

Instructions

Write your content in a Microsoft Word document (merge text, links and pictures as needed)

Save content as a Microsoft Word DOC file format (DOC is preferred for best results)

Save content (Save As) again as an html file format using Microsoft Word (extension .htm)

The Kindlegen Creation Process (This process creates a file in a MOBI file format)

Access: Windows Start Menu

Select steps: All Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt

A Black dialogue box will appear with a > prompt

(Older versions of Windows: Start > Run > enter CMD and depress enter)

Next you’re going to switch to a new directory by entering the directory location of your html file. Then depress the enter key. There is a space between the CD and the directory location.

Example:

CD c:\blogging\posts

The prompt in the black dialogue box for the example above should look like this: >c:\blogging\posts

If you have installed Kindlegen direct from the Internet your directory should be: C:\kindlegen and the conversion program should be Kindlegen.exe. (change directory as needed)

Let’s assume for the following example your html file is named: cookbook030711.htm. You would substitute your file name for the example.

You would enter the following and depress the enter key. There is a space between the exe file and your html file name.

Example:

c:\kindlegen\kindlegen.exe cookbook030711.htm

This process should have created a MOBI file in the directory: c:\blogging\posts

Example:

c:\blogging\posts\Cookbook030711.mobi

If you have Kindle for PC installed and associated to the MOBI file format, you can access the ebook by going through Windows Explorer to the MOBI file and double clicking the file name. Kindle for PC will startup automatically with your new ebook displayed.

If you have not installed Kindle for PC, when you double click on the MOBI file name, Windows will prompt you to select the program associated with the MOBI format. Select Kindle for PC. This process will only occur the first time through the process.

Review your document format in the Kindle for PC app

Redo the process as needed

Transfer the MOBI file to your Kindle ereader via a USB cable by copying the file from your PC directory to the Kindle ebook library directory. Your Kindle has detail instructions on this process.

Review your ebook again

Add more content if you wish

Redo the process as needed

Your ebook Usage

Students: This is ideal for accumulating class notes, reference materials and excerpts so you can have information at your fingertips.

eBook Authors: This process can create a full blown ebook for ebook publication if you choose. I use it to check the progress of the ebook I am writing to make sure I am formatting the ebook properly. Then I unload the mobi file to Amazon DTP for publication. There is no emailing back and forth.

Teachers/Professors: This ebook can be used to create study guides, sample test questions, assignment outlines and extra reading material. This is a great opportunity for educators to create their own e-textbook for publication as a reference.

Business: There are many ways businesses could use ebooks like instruction and user’s manuals, contracts and business transaction logs. They have been using PDF files for a long time to do this very thing.

Libraries: They could publish library rules and special catalogs via ebook. They need to learn this process and this is a great opportunity.

Real Estate: Realtors could summarize transaction history, including pictures, contracts, agreements, comp information and all communications into simple little ebook with an index and links.

e-Site books: Web sites could merge their website content into an encapsulated format with search capabilities and in-book links.

The list could go on and on.

This procedure is not magic and mirrors. It is a simple process that anyone can master. There are many advantages to ebooking your notes and miscellaneous information. One right off the top. Once created, the ebook can’t be changed by the reader. However the reader can add notes, highlights and bookmarks.

What do you think? Can you think of any other thing we could add to our ebook recipe? Let me know. Let’s build a list of ideas.

View my website: HBSystems Publications

Or EMAIL at: jrm@hbspub.com

Or goto my blog: The eBook Author’s Corner

e-Textbooks: How do they stack up against traditional textbooks?

2011-03-02T06:38:00.000-08:00

I will start by stating that I believe e-textbooks are a great opportunity to improve the quality of education. But the players have to start thinking outside the box and stop resisting the new concept. E-textbooks should be a wakeup call to professors and students, publishers, authors and content providers.

I have been championing ebooks and ebook authors for a while how and listening to the educational community’s reasons for not adopting the new technology. Oh I know about the current pilot programs and the studies being conducted. Some schools are even being forced into using them because of their cost savings but the quality of education must be the key here.

I decided to take a look into the resistance to change from a different point of view. Instead of looking at the faults of ereaders and e-textbooks, let’s take a look at what’s wrong with current textbooks and how e-textbooks solve the problems.

Because of the many levels of education, I will focus on higher education for this discussion. Most college students have access to personal computers and to the Internet. By using e-textbooks in combination with ereaders or tablets, PC’s and software, they should be able to get the most ‘bang for their buck’.

Traditional Textbook Shortcomings

What are the shortcomings of traditional textbooks? We can start with the standard issues.

1. Textbooks are expensive.

2. Their useful life is short. They seem to change every year or so.

3. They are heavy. If I have to carry multiple books to class, I have a problem.

4. And of course, there is the bookstore experience. Oh I love those long lines and the beat up used textbooks.

But some way we manage to get by these problems because that is the way we have always done it.

E-textbooks: They cost less. Weight is not a problem. You can have lots of ebooks at our fingertips. They are portable. I can carry them anywhere. On my PC, I can even view multiple ebooks at the same time, each in a different window. Tablets are even adding this feature.

I have the convenience of on-line delivery anywhere and anytime I want to order and they will never be out of stock. Unlike traditional textbooks, ebooks are easy for publishers to update. They can adjust and grow with the changing environment and conditions.

Traditional Textbook Studying Process

1. I hand write in the margin of my books.

2. I highlight passages that I feel are important.

3. I have posits tabbed at the top of some of the pages just to help find something important later.

4. I carry a small dictionary with me and a large notebook to try to keep up.

5. I have manual references to Internet links throughout my textbooks. Hopefully when I key them into my PC the links are still valid.

If I don’t do these things to my textbook, sometimes I have a problem finding information.

I guess I am the typical student. I know this destroys the textbook but I am the one that needs to do this, so that it is easy for me to review come test or report time. I will deal with what I have done to the textbook when I try to resell it at the end of the semester.

E-textbooks: They are a live, digital media. I can key in class notes on my device or with public notes I can key in notes on my PC and view them on my device. I can highlight text and later I can remove the highlights. Using my PC, I can copy and paste information to a Word document and not have to rekey it into my computer.

I can tag or bookmark passages. On some devices I can even color the tags. I can easily search my e-textbook to find information. I have a dictionary and encyclopedia at my fingertips. If they can’t solve the problem, I can go on-line and use a search engine.

On my PC, I can interact with my e-textbook and a host of tools like databases, spreadsheets and a word processor with spellcheck.

e-Textbook Resistance

But the resistance abounds. We have the standard arguments.

1. E-textbooks are hard to read.

2. There are no page numbers or the numbers don’t match the paper textbook. (This has been resolved my Amazon.)

3. Ereader keyboards are too small.

4. Students will not be paying attention to the lecture.

5. Traditional textbooks have a look and feel that ereaders don’t possess.

I even see a history professor blogging that they have always done it that way so why change. E-textbooks will interrupt the flow of his teaching in the classroom. E-textbooks have no place in the History department. You know “If it is not broke, don’t fix it”.

If I was going to start anywhere, I would start in the history genre. This area has great potential for linking information and companion ebooks. And a history e-textbook is a growing adventure. One that is never ending. As more ebooks are written about history, they can be linked back to the original e-textbook which will enhance the experience.

Because I am an Equal opportunity blogger, I will occasionally highlight the dissenting point of view. I have included a link to the professor’s blog so you can make your own judgment. History e-textbooks: Not worth the trouble?

So what do I do now? What needs to happen?

Professors, Teachers and Administrators

The e-textbook concept must be accepted by professors, teachers and administration.

They must understand the new technology and it’s potential.

They should adapt their methods of teaching to incorporate the features of the digital textbook.

Publishers

Publishers and facilitators need to realize the potential and rise to the occasion. Printed textbooks and e-textbooks versions should be in sync, including the teacher’s edition. That should also fall into the administrator’s responsibility above. If you’re going to offer the use of e-textbooks in the classroom, they should match the paper version you’re using.

eBook Authors and Content Providers

E-textbooks present a large opportunity for eBook authors. They can write and develop companion ebooks that relate to a specific topic or a source textbook. For example, if I am studying President Lincoln in my history e-textbook and I want to know about New Salem, a place Lincoln lived in his young adult years, I might be able to get an ebook about his early years immediately on my ereader written by an eBook author.

Students

Students should start creating their own ebooks. They could put their notes, research and ideas in an ad hoc ebook and have it as a reference during their class or while they are studying for a test. The e-textbook can be right next to it on their ereader. They can create their own ebook with software like Kindlegen (mobi) and Calibre (epub).

Software

New software must be developed to take advantage of the digital format and authors must step up to plate and start creating e-textbooks directly for that platform. Group software integrated into the class environment using an ereader or PC should be a must.

For example, one of the new tools released recently is NookStudy from Barnes and Noble. This free software download shows great potential. Available on your PC or Mac, you can read e-textbooks, class material, study aids, test guides and many other items. You can create your own stuff and have it at your fingertips. And, of course, you have all the computer tools you need to manipulate the information.

We need a process that insures that digital links are still valid. For example, a good links process could be maintained by publishers or authors on their website. Actually this could be a good opportunity for both. They could have readers accessing their site to update the link information and could give them a marketing shot at a companion ebook.

Think outside of the box.

I have included a couple of recent blogs that address thinking outside of the box. Both are right on-spot.

How Kindle’s new Public Notes could change the way we read ebooks by Chris Walters

Chris addresses the large potential of new versions of ebooks using Kindle’s public notes. He sees the great potential of notes and the value they can add to the reading experience.

I think education can be the real winner with Public Notes.

Also Joe Wikert wrote a great blog, Margin notes in ebooks.

Joe discusses how important notes are. He defends the use of notes in ebooks as being an integral part of the reading experience.

Both bloggers are thinking outside of the box. How can notes help the reader to better understand the content of the book?

I even got in on the thinking by suggesting that public notes could add to a study group environment. Working with other students and the professor, the synergy could improve the communication and the thought process. Amazon Has Some REAL Good News and They Have Some Great News for e-Textbook and eBook Users

Conclusion

E-textbooks are a great opportunity to improve the quality of education. I believe the resistance to e-textbooks should be weighed against the traditional textbook shortcomings.

Remember. Here comes the kids. You know the gadget-centric generation that will be right at home with ereaders or tablets. These devices will fall right in with their social networking and their cell phones. As a side note, I am waiting for schools to start offering a class in two thumb typing.

What do you think? Can we improve the quality of education with the use of e-textbooks? Will ebook authors get involved with companion ebooks?

View my website: HBSystems Publications

Or EMAIL at: jrm@hbspub.com

Or goto my blog: The eBook Author’s Corner

eBook Publishers: Are eBook Copyright Pages Missing Information?

2011-02-16T06:55:00.000-08:00

Well the ebook community is buzzing. Amazon has provided REAL page numbering. The critics have been answered. Now the fun begins. What is the source of my ebook? Is my ebook the same edition as my paper version? Where am I at here?

Of course, there is one thing that we must have in place if we are going to coordinate a paper version with an ebook. We must know the source of the ebook and that information appears to be missing in action.

It sounds like an easy problem to solve. I just purchased an ebook on-line and the hardcover edition was right next to my ebook selection. No problem.

But ask me that question in three years when I still have that same ebook on my e-reader and the hardcover book has a new edition. There is no reference to which hardcover edition my ebook matches. None.

Study

I decided to put my analytical hat on and do a study. I wanted to see whether the source document of my ebook is identified somewhere. My assumption was if we are going to identify where the ebook originated, it should appear on the copyright page.

So I started my study. I picked 30 ebooks and analyzed their copyright pages. Somebody must have missed the memo about what information is required and what format it should be presented in because we had a variety of formats and information, to say the least. Although 30 ebooks is not a very big sample, only one of them came close to what is needed to ID the source.

Amazon has seen the need to add the source information in their on-line product description to help. They have added a line: Page Number Source ISBN. But my ebooks didn’t have a clue to the original source.

Joel Friedlander

Next I used a great post by Joel Friedlander, an expert in this area, called ‘Self-Publishing Basics: The Copyright Page’ as my starting point. (Other blogs on copyright pages are listed at the end of this post.)

Results

I started the study on the premise that the eBook copyright page should not be the same as the source book. It shouldn’t be just a copy. All the eBook copyright pages that I studied had most of the basics. They had the copyright notice, publisher and publishing information, disclaimers, edition data, Library of Congress information and the ISBN.

Although this is not required, some gave credit to the basic book formatting and design people. Things like cover photograph, cover image/art, interior design and edited by information.

The ebooks did have some direct information about the ebook like one had ‘First Kindle Edition’. Another said ‘Epub edition © with a date and eISBN 978- number’. I don’t know if the ‘e’ is official but its meaning is obvious. One even had ‘Mobipocket reader format’ mentioned.

Only one of the ebooks had any information at all about the source. (“Simon & Schuster hardcover edition June 2010”)

Missing Information

But here is where the train leaves the tracks. With the missing source information, there was no indication where the book’s content originated from or how we got to the digital format.

Adding more information to the ebook copyright page goes along with the same concept we use for an accurate bibliography, footnotes and appendix.

The real need is in the Education area. They need to communicate information in the e-textbook to each other in an accurate manner. If they are going to cite information from an ebook, the reader needs to be able to go back to the source and verify the citation.

And Professors and students need to make sure they are both on the same page, so to speak. They need to be able to match the hardcover textbook to the e-textbook.

My wish list

We are missing the boat with the copyright page. It’s like seeing Original Source: Undisclosed on the copyright page. That just doesn’t work. The ebook is a different product than the paper version. We need more information.

1. We need the ISBN number and the hardcover edition on the copyright page like Amazon is providing on their ebook Product Production page. Of course, they are including this to help sync the page numbers with the hard copy but it should have been required in an ebook by publishers before Amazon added the feature.

2. We need different copyright pages for each version of an ebook. We need a unique copyright page for the Kindle, Nook and Sony etc. Smashwords has its own copyright page format which is the same with each version (epub, mobi, txt, etc.) they sell. I don’t know whether that is good enough in the long run.

3. I would like to see a reference on the copyright page about the ebook conversion process used. Is this an ebook only version? Is the source document from the original book’s source file or was it a scanned /OCR version to a digital file. This will give the reader some idea of the accuracy of the conversion.

4. I would like to see who rendered the ebook but I am probably pushing it although Garry Graves gave me credit for rendering his book, “Bloody Omaha”.

Examples

Kindle Version

Original Source: How to Create Copyright Pages Right – by Jim Satire

Hardcover Edition June 2010 (ISBN: 978-9-9999-9999-8)

Kindle Edition – 1.4.1 – Build 11/7/2010

Original Process: Direct from Digital Source File

Created by: Amazon DTP

Conversion Services by: HBSystems Publications

Rendered by: James Moushon

Nook Version

Original Source: How to Create Copyright Pages Right – by Jim Satire

Hardcover Edition June 2010 (ISBN: 978-9-9999-9999-9)

Nook Edition – 1.5.1 – Build 11/23/2010

Original Process: Direct from Digital Source File

Created by: BN Pubit

Conversion Services by: HBSystems Publications

Rendered by: James Moushon

Traditional publishers and self-publishers are responsible for this additional information. Sometimes publishers get caught up in trying to get the ebook out the door at the lowest cost rather than doing their own due-diligence.

It can’t be just a copy of the hardcover. It all starts with the definition of the sources of the ebook. Right now it appears that this is missing information.

What do you think about adding this information? Is it important to know?

Do the publishers have the responsibility to provide this information to the reader?

View my website: HBSystems Publications

Or EMAIL at: jrm@hbspub.com

A list of some good reference material on copyright pages from Joel Friedlander.

6 Copyright Page Disclaimers to Copy and Paste, and Giving Credit

by Joel Friedlander on January 16, 2010

by Joel Friedlander on January 15, 2010

Self-Publishing Basics: A 5-Minute Guide to Copyright

by Joel Friedlander on October 8, 2009

Self-Publisher’s Quick & Easy Guides—Copyright

by Joel Friedlander

Amazon Has Some REAL Good News and They Have Some Great News for e-Textbook and eBook Users

2011-02-10T06:49:00.000-08:00

What do you what to read first?

Ok. We will start with the REAL good news.

Amazon has announced changes to their Kindle software. First they are going to display page numbers. This is a feature that academic Kindle and ebook users have been asking for since e-textbooks and ebooks started to appear. It has raised a large page numbering controversy and a lot of misconceptions.

The Nook does this and the iPad does that. Both for the most part use device page numbers and not physical book page numbers but who’s keeping track. (PDF versions are an exception.)

Now that Amazon has announced the inclusion of REAL page numbers in their ebooks, the fun begins.

Study Tool

Students and teachers/professors must realize that this is just the first step toward their goal of being able to use eBooks as a study tool and to help improve the quality of their Education.

The Real Page numbers should help in class discussions and assignments. I have always thought that teacher editions should have been all over this problem but I guess the publishers have enough to do to get both versions out the door, let alone syncing the two formats.

Citations should be easier and more accurate. You should able to direct the reviewer to the exact paragraph, not just on the same page.

This could be used to increase class participation. Student may not talk but I bet they tweet a lot.

eBook Communications

Book clubs and reading groups should also benefit from this addition. Communicating with others about the content of books has been its own sport since Gutenburg got involved.

Also the new feature includes the stage of reading completion (page 100 of 250) which some readers couldn’t live without.

Now to the great news.

Amazon/Kindle has always had notes and the ability to share the notes (100 characters at a shot) on social networks but they have expanded that concept to allow you to make your notes and highlights available to others. Now you can share your thoughts and ideas with everyone. This new feature is called Public Notes.

All you have to do is turn on the Public Notes feature in your own ebook and you can view the notes of the people you follow and there comments.

If someone that you follow has written a note at a location in an e-textbook or ebook, the Kindle will display an “@” sign in the text where the note was made. All the Public Notes for this edition will appear along with your personal annotations when you select “View Notes & Marks” from your Kindle menu. The following process is documented on the Amazon website.

The audience/number of followers that can read your notes is unlimited.

So what do we do with this?

Education

My first thought for education is you can use this in a study group environment. You setup a group of your peers as followers and start adding notes and ideas and comments. Things like references to other sources and definitions of terms. Your professor may even get involved by adding his own ideas and information. This concept could be carried even farther by including more than one class in the group.

I can see a scenario where each classmate enters notes into their Kindle for PC app on their home computer and the Public Notes feature builds a library of ideas and comments. Back at the classroom each classmate has their Kindle at hand with all the backup information they need for a healthy discussion right at their fingertips. The professor adds his comments and suggestions along the way. With the Kindle for PC software being updated with the new features, the professor doesn’t need a Kindle to keep up with the notes. Soon you have your own class thread going, all linked to your e-textbook.

eBook Authors

An author’s reader base can comment on phases or ideas and share that with the whole group. The notes could turn into companion books or generate new ideas for authors. An author is going to find out what his readers are thinking which could be a good thing or a bad thing.

What, no bad news?

Come on. There is always bad news when something seems too good to be true. Well I can see a few possible problems but I need to see under the cover before I pass judgment.

Kindle 2

Right up front it appears that Kindle 2 devices are not included in the new features. I can keep up with the class with my Kindle for PC app but my Play Thing 2 sounds like it’s for fiction reading.

Next we need to see how the new features work in practice.

Size restrictions

One question that comes to mind: Will there be a size maximum to the note, like the 100 character limit in the social network sharing? Currently private notes don’t appear to have a limit but I am sure there is one. I have added notes on my PC of over 500 characters and they display fine on my Kindle 2.

Another question: With a quantity of users adding comments into an e-textbook, is there a maximum number of message per e-textbook?

Number of followers

And a follow up question: Is there a maximum number of followers? Can this be stretched to include a class, a school and all the users of that e- textbook edition across the country? Can next year’s users join in on the notes if they have the same e-textbook edition? Amazon claims its unlimited.

Gatekeeper

Management of the Public Notes could become a problem. Recently I started a study of the ereader page numbering controversy. The study led me to several threads with hundreds of comments. Just when I started to see the light at the end of the tunnel, I stopped reviewing the threads because some kids starting trading insults.

The Public Notes can be a valuable tool to well-intentioned users. This feature has no limits to who can make a comment or enter a note if they have access to the same edition of the e-textbook.

REAL Page Numbers?

Another thing I want to see is how successful Amazon was at adding real page numbers. Their claim is that the page numbers correspond directly to a matching book’s print edition and they have converted thousand to the new feature.

My Wish List

So we have real good news, great news and some things that could be a problem.

I have a personal wish list. There is no order of importance to my list.

General

1. First e-textbook and ebook authors need to study the new features and take advantage of them in writing, improving their content and communicating with their audience.

2. Professors and staffers need to start compiling the Public Notes into ebooks using KindleGen or Calibre. Amazon is not required to create an ebook for use on a Kindle or any ereader.

For Amazon

1. We need to be able to add a group of followers as well as individual followers.

2. When we copy and paste notes, the citation information should be available to use. We know now that the Kindle knows the Title, the Author, the real page number, the location on the page of the note and who created the note. It doesn’t need to be a part of the note, just made available to snag if we need it.

3. The notes need to get on the Internet as information to allow a search on Google or some other search engine. Amazon is putting the private notes on the net already under our book pages.

4. Maybe we create a serialized version of an e-textbook that only a selected group has access too. That would solve the unlimited access problem and unwanted comments.

I am sure Amazon wants to hear new ideas after solving the page numbering thing and creating the potential blockbuster Public Notes feature.

How would you use Public Notes? I am sure this list could be a long one.

How would you control the process? Maybe we just play by the rules and adapt.

How will academia respond to the new features? We will find out if the page number issue was really the problem for their resistance to the digital format.

View my website: HBSystems Publications

Or EMAIL me at: jrm@hbspub.com

What Makes the Top Selling eBook Authors Tick?

2011-02-04T15:41:00.000-08:00

Sometimes when I am Google Reading in the World of the eBook Author, I come across a post that takes me back in time. A post that brings back memories of my early business career. Oh, the world of Peter Drucker, Parkinson’s Law and the Peter Principle.

Daniel Hall did that with a blog on the Selling Books blog site: USING THE “LONG TAIL” IN WRITING AND MARKETING YOUR BOOKS. Selling Books is a great marketing blog for eBook Authors.

The essence of his post was the story of the longevity of a digital book.

First. eBook sales will be forever.
Second. If an author puts enough quality products in the pipe, they will sell their eBooks.
Third. If authors puts their ebooks in the on-line path of shopping traffic like Amazon and if it’s quality stuff, the readers will buy and return and buy again.

The Long Tail at one time was called the 80-20 Rule (“80% of your sales come from 20% of your clients”). There were no on-line sales back then. Corporations produced large quantities of products and filled the marketplace. Then they hired large direct sales staffs. Their mission was to sell to the 80% that seldom purchased anything. Their theory was that the 80% would buy in the long run. They could have concentrated on the 20% but that would have left money on the table.

Then across my screen came a guest blog by Robin Sullivan on J. A. Konrath’s site about the success of 26 eBook authors in December 2010. The blog concentrated on the analysis of the volume of ebooks sold and whether it was because they had a traditional publishing background or not. Their conclusion was that the majority of the authors did not have a published background. The pure self-publisher and eBook author.

Actually she worked with Derek Canyon to put together the list of eBook Authors and their volumes, genre and quantity of titles. His blog was called: Keys to Epublishing Success.

I thought it would be interesting to carry the study a little further to see if the Long Tail and their success had any connection. What are these successful authors doing besides writing quality books? We know that there are many authors who write good content that don’t get on the success scoreboard.

Fill the Pipe
The first thing that Sullivan’s study showed was that 7 of the 26 authors had more than 10 ebooks on Amazon to draw their numbers from. All had more than one eBook. So an author can take advantage of the Long Tail by creating quality content and having them all available on-line for purchase at any time. In the bookstore you would never find ten different books by the same author on the shelves for purchase.

It creates a synergy effect. As the author adds more products to the pipeline, the reader has more choices. If the reader likes one book, there are other ebooks on-line for their immediate purchase.

Time Management
Another observation was now the authors handled time management. When you’re a writer and a blogger sometimes you are time bound. There are just not enough hours in the day to get the job done. Some of the regular bloggers I follow use guest bloggers to keep their message flowing and free up some extra time. Good idea if the guest keeps on target with the theme of your blog. Our initial author’s list was a combination of Robin Sullivan’s blog on the J. A. Konrath site.

Niche Market
Another item that stared out at me was the high percentage of successful authors in the genre of Paranormal, Romance and Fantasy. Over 60 percent. These authors clearly saw their target market and knew how to cultivate that market. They developed their audience and keep giving them good quality content.

These authors formed a group in their genre area. Then they got readers to visit the group site for one-stop shopping of their favorite type of ebooks.

Marketing Review
So I decided to take a look at some of the author’s marketing schemes and see if there was a smoking gun or just lots of bullets being fired hoping they hit the target. As I anticipated the original 26 authors had websites and/or blogs. Some had a blog for each book they had published. Some even had a newsletter to keep in touch with their reader base.

Most of them were quite organized with links, driving readers to their buy page and, of course, links to return to their site again. They had lots of friends and followers.

Almost all of the authors belonged to an on-line authors’ group. The most popular were Goodreads, AuthorsDen and Kindleboards. They were active in social networks like Facebook and Twitter. Some had Promo stuff and giveaways to attract readers. Others had displayed reviews of their ebooks and book samples. All good marketing ideas.

All of them had what I call the Power of Links. You know the game of Search Engine Optimization that we all try to play. If you’re marketing on the Internet, you need to be on the front page. You know if you Google your name or your book title and you’re not on the first page, you are doing something wrong.

The authors had links to everywhere it seemed. They had blog rolls. They had links to their ebooks, to other sites and other authors.

Where are the Big Dogs and Cats
Now I had completed the review of the original list of authors with impressive quantity numbers. (supplied by the authors themselves). But something was missing. One thing that I noticed was except for a handful of writers whose blogs I follow, none of the authors were any of the top authors that you read about all the time. Where were the heavy hitters?

So I went back to the Internet and my database. I tried a new angle. I picked the Amazon Kindle Store Top 100 list and started another analysis. I needed to compare them to my original list. There they were. Dan Brown, Dean Koontz, James Patterson, John Grisham, Lee Child, Stuart Woods, Tom Clancy. All my favorite authors. They were selling their traditional books and ebook versions at the same time. Here was the group of authors with traditional publishing background and high level branding that weren’t in the original list.

Of course the top author in the list was Stieg Larsson. He had 3 ebooks in the top 8. The ‘The Girl With/Who’ phenomena is something for a different blog. To know his quantities would be interesting.

My original list of authors had three ebooks in the top 100. The authors were H.P. Mallory, Victorine E. Lieske and Amanda Hocking. Now to Amanda.

Amanda Hocking
The star of the list was Amanda Hocking, a young author from Minnesota. She writes young adult urban fantasy and paranormal romance.

She is what I called on my blog recently, the New Breed of Author. She is an author who knows how to communicate in an on-line environment. She has a blog. She is connected to her readers on Twitter. (454 followers at this writing) She stays alive with her friends and fans on Facebook.

Her blog is a place where her readers can discuss her books directly with her. She shares her life with her readers by listing her favorite movies, places and people she enjoys and books she likes. Her audience is a new breed of reader. One that has grown up in the digital age. One that doesn’t think twice about reading on an electronic device. One who thinks bookstores are boring and would rather buy on-line.

Amanda is connected to on-line groups like Kindleboards and Goodreads and I bet she is comfortable with all of them. Also she belongs to the Indie Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance writers and readers group (group idea mentioned above). Its purpose is to unite fans of paranormal romance and urban fantasy fiction with indie authors. This is Amanda’s niche market. It’s probably no coincidence that the group was started by H.P. Mallory, one of the 3 original authors on the Top 100 List.

Amanda has 7 books listed in the Kindle store Top 100. What is interesting is her top ebook (No. 3), Switched, has been on the top list for 64 days. Her lowest ranking ebook of the 7, Wisdom (No. 56) has been on the top list for 37 days. It seems if she can keep filling the pipeline, she is on her way to success.

As she says in her bio, she likes to write and drink Red Bull. I don’t know how that fits into her marketing plan but things are definitely working out for her.

The irony of the ticking time-bomb
Then there is the writer who has written some pieces over the years but has never been successful enough to survive the traditional publishing war games. I call them pieces because people in the know tell me they are not books unless they are on paper and have covers. And of course they are not real books unless the authors paper-bound gems have sat on a bookstore shelf some place.

Now self-publishing comes along and the writer has an opportunity to get his piece published. He doesn’t have a clue about how to start but he knows if he tries hard enough and gets the right information and follows the right steps, he can get his ebook published somewhere on-line. No questions asked. He would control the show.

So what did the writer have? His new ebook is either bullpucky and should have stayed on his hard drive or his gem is something that didn’t make the cut because the book was in too much of a niche market or some publisher had reached his quota or whatever reason they gave for not signing him up.

Anyway he is published now. And the scary version of this is his ebook piece will be in the pipeline for all time. Unless Amazon or her cousins get into a purging mood or his ebook format no longer works, his ebook will be on-line forever, hanging onto the Long Tail.

So what do we have here?
If you want to be a Rolex and not a Timex or a grandfather clock, do what the heavy hitters do.

1. Create quality ebooks in a definable genre

2. Fill the pipeline full of your product

3. Get involved in Social networking

4. Establish a website and blog and keep it active – reach out to your readers

5. Use the Power of Links and create a synergy between you and your reader

6. Join author/reader groups and forums like Goodreads, AuthorDen and Kindleboards

7. Join groups in your genre like Amanda and H.P. Mallory did

8. If you’re not a traditional, established author, you need to try harder with on-line tools

9. You need to establish a brand in your genre to create repeat business

10. If you have a blog, use guests to free up time to write but still get your message out

So do you have time to do this? It’s a big opportunity for authors to get their ebooks to readers. What do you thing about the future of the ebook Author? Do you think you can grab a hold of the Long Tail? Please comment if you want to contribute to the blog or to add to our shopping list.

Or my website: HBSystems Publications

Visit my The eBook Author’s Corner blog

Or email at: jrm@hbspub.com

A Bloody eBook Conversion Project

2011-01-27T10:51:00.000-08:00

Recently I had the pleasure to work on a project with biographer Garry M. Graves of Character Happens!

Our goal was to format and render his book, Bloody Omaha, to the Kindle eBook format. The major challenge was the book had 39 pictures and illustrations.

I would like to share our trials and adventures. This outline should help authors that are thinking about converting their own books to a digital format.

Bloody Omaha

Garry writes a story of James Robert Copeland, an American hero, and his experience leading his men on D-Day in 1944 on Omaha Beach.

“It was a horrific day — but Ranger Copeland had a mission.” The inclusion of graphic pictures of that day speaks volumes more than the written words could ever do.

The ebook, Bloody Omaha, is a rendered ebook and can be found at Amazon Kindle store.

The Bloody Project startup
We started the project on 1/11/2011. Garry lives in Michigan and I am in Illinois so all the communications was handed via email. The separate locations didn’t seem to present a problem.

The first decision we had to make was which conversation option we should use. We could:

1.Scan the book to a PDF file.
This was our first option because of the many pictures and illustrations included in the book.

2.Scan the book using OCR technology.
This option was never considered because text and graphics usually don’t scan successfully.

3.Use the book source file and reformat it.
We choice this option because we had the original Word document file.

The Bloody Omaha Source Document
Garry emailed me the source document and we started the project. The book is probable a typical package that most authors would be faced with after they had published the original book on paper.

Here is a list of the properties of the Bloody Omaha source document:
1. It was a two sided Word document formatted for POD.
2. The text was center justified.
3. It included headers and page number throughout.
4. There were 39 pictures, mostly black and white. Because the way the book was created, Word had wrapped the pictures with text.
5. No cover was attached.
This is usually handled separately in the printing process along with the back cover.
6. There were no internet links in the documents. Inserted links not needed in the paper version.
7. The table of content was not linked to the chapters. The TOC included page numbers as references which is not needed in an ebook.
8. The picture index referenced page numbers.

The Bloody Conversion details
We controlled the conversion process by emailing drafts back and forth (four drafts in all).

1. Convert to one page text
First task was to copy and paste the original document into a one-page Word document with the format already defined, eliminating the two page design.

2. Omit headers, footers and page numbers
The next task was to delete the headers, footers and page numbers. Headers and footers are not used in ebooks. Ereaders establish their own page numbering scheme based upon the user’s selection of the font size.

3. Redo TOC – no page numbers
The table of content had to be reworked, omitting the page number references.

4. Adjust text to a simple format
The text in the book had to adjust to the simplest form using chapter headings and subtitles as a Header 1 format and the main text as a Normal setting. Later on in the blog I will list links to three formatting reference guides for the most popular formats to help you.

5. Left justify text with indent
The normal paragraph was set to .3 indent which gave a good visual result on a Kindle.

6. Omit tabs at the start of paragraph
Near the end of the process during review several tabs at the start of paragraphs were omitted. The indent in the previous step replaces the need for tabs.

7. Linked table of content to chapters
Next the TOC was linked by adding bookmarks to chapters and linking back to the TOC

8. Add Internet links in bio page to the author’s website
Books usually may include a written links to the Internet but the actually links must be inserted manually.

Most of these processing steps will be required if you don’t plan ahead when you’re writing your book. Although the process may seem overwhelming to the new author, a little planning will help when you’re ready for your digital book.

The Bloody pictures and illustrations
How the real fun began. We needed to render the ebook with links and pictures.

1. Save pictures as individual files
First the pictures were stripped from the source document to eliminate the wrapped text problem.

2. Reinsert pictures
Next step was to reinsert the pictures back into the document using the insert picture process. This process worked just fine.

3. Redo picture index
Because the picture index was setup for a printed book, the index was modified to omit the page numbers references.

Actually we wanted to establish a link between the picture titles and their references in the index. The page numbers were changed to reference numbers and bookmarks and links were added. The index was a one page entry in the back of the book. This presented a problem for readers who wanted to find the specific reference for an individual picture.

Page breaks were placed between references and included the statement ‘Depress the BACK button to return to the ebook’ was added after each reference. This solved the problem.

4. Picture formats
We converted all the pictures to a jpg format. Some pictures were in a png format which produced some funny results when we got to the creation stage.

5. Adjust picture files to page properly on Kindle 2
Some of the pictures were too large for the Kindle screen, so the images were scaled back to a smaller size. If you include a large image sometimes it creates a blank screen before the picture that the reader has to skip through. Not good.

6. A picture with image overlay
One of the pictures which worked fine in the paper version had an arrow overlaid on top of the base picture. When the ebook was created, Kindle displayed the arrow as its own image directly above the base picture. We had two choices. Doctor the original photo by inserting the arrow or omit the arrow and use the description to point out the person. We chose the latter and deleted the arrow.

Now the Bloody Book Cover
With that all done we were ready to deal with the cover. We started with the cover image that was used in the paper process. When the image was inserted into the Word document it was too small for an ebook cover. (The standard Kindle cover image is a 600 x 800 image.) When the image was stretched to fit the screen it became unreadable. Solution: reconstruct the original cover in the right size. Although the Kindle is currently in black and white, color is on its way. Our cover was in full color and displayed properly on the Kindle.

One of the unexpected things was the cover rendered differently between the Kindle 2 and Kindle 3. The Kindle 3 presented a blank page before the actual cover. We reduced the size of the cover slightly and all was fine.

Review Process
We had four drafts in all. After the first two drafts, each new version was uploaded (USB) to a Kindle for review. This is an important step. You must review your work on an actual device.

One of the things that helped the speed of the conversion process was the ability to make a change and be able to review it immediately in a Kindle format. With the combination of Kindle for PC, Kindlegen from Amazon and a home grown software program, an ebook change in a mobi format could be review with two clicks of a mouse.

Time
This project took 7 days, part-time. I estimate about 12 hours for myself. Garry took about 6 hours. The book was 106 pages printed and contained 39 pictures.

Reference Material
Links to format guidelines
Amazon guidelines - Kindle
Barnes and Noble Publisher and Author Guidelines - Nook
Smashwords Style Guide- variety of formats

Topic reference blogs
Illustrations and Text in Ebooks by Bob Spear (December 7, 2010)
The post discusses the problems that authors have with pictures and illustrations in ebooks.

Top 10 Tips for Working With A Book Designer from The Book Designer posted by Joel Friedlander
Also Joel is putting together a list of people and companies that do ebook conversions.

To read more about rendering take a look at my blog: eBook Authors: Render you Ebooks
It also can be viewed at Self-Publishing Review.

I hope this will give you some idea of the tasks ahead of you if your choice to do the conversion yourself. Of course, all of this is after you have edited, proofread, corrected the grammar and fixed the typos.

Remember getting help is not a bad thing. I know I like to write the most but I like helping others also.

Feel free to email me with any questions you have at jrm@hbspub.com
or you can visit my website for the latest for eBook Authors.

If I don’t know the answer or there is someone more qualified, I will supply you with the information.

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