Selling via Direct Sale Vendors – Wrapping it Up with a Pretty Little Bow

August 17, 2012 By 2 Comments

We’ve already established that the number one reason why writers today choose self-publishing over and over again is control.  Via self-publishing, writers control book titles, book covers, book content (story and words), publishing, copyrights, and promotion.

But probably even more importantly, we have to sell our e-books.  To do this, we turn to Direct Sale Vendors.  Direct Sale Vendors sell our e-books for a percentage of the sale.

The last few weeks, we’ve discussed the top Direct Sale Vendors today:

  • Kindle Direct Publishing Platform (Amazon) – KDP
  • Barnes & Noble ePubit Platform (Nook) – ePubit
  • Apple iTunes Connect Platform (iPad) – iBookstore
  • Kobo Platform (Kobo)  – Kobo Writing Life

Now, each and every one of these Direct Sale Vendors will help authors convert their manuscripts to the appropriate format in order to sell via their platforms:

  • Amazon – Mobi files
  • Barnes & Noble – ePub files
  • iTunes – ePub files
  • Kobo – ePub files

But just because each platform helps us with the conversion process doesn’t mean we won’t run into snags here and there.  Because we want to help as many writers as we can, we’re going to share a few of the snags we’ve run into in the past.

Let’s start with the largest Direct Sale Vendor today—Amazon.  Amazon is the only of the four that we’ve discussed that uses a Mobi file for all e-books.  For the most part, this conversion was the easiest; however, don’t use the TAB button for new paragraphs in your manuscript when using Word.  Take advantage of Word’s automatic new paragraph function (the ruler looking image at the top of the page).

Next, everyone is probably thinking that once we master one ePub file, we’re good to go with Barnes & Noble, iTunes, and Kobo.  After all, they all require the same file type.  But that’s not necessarily true.  We feel it’s best to format an individual file for each Direct Sale Vendor.  And while we don’t have any “warnings” for iTunes and Kobo at this time, we do for Barnes & Noble.

It seems spacing is a common issue when uploading e-books to Barnes & Noble’s Pubit! platform.  To avoid this, don’t use the Page Break function between chapters.  Instead, use the Section Break function located on the Page Layout tab of Word (all of our conversion tips today are for the sake of Word documents).  Also, double-check all manuscripts to ensure the actual line spacing is set to single.  To verify this, click on the Paragraph symbol located at the top of the Home tab and see all of the formatting throughout the document.

These are just a few quick “fix-it” tips that we’ve run into uploading e-books to the individual Direct Sale Vendors.   But don’t let this deter anyone from conquering their self-publishing dreams.  And…

Remember—selling e-books through a personal website and through Direct Sale Vendors provides us with the best of both worlds when it comes to distribution and maximizing our revenue.

For more information on selling with direct sale vendors, please check out our free resource: Getting Started with Direct Sale Vendors.

Thanks for reading and remember if you have any questions give us a call or submit a support ticket and we’ll be there to help.

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Filed Under: Benefits to Self-Publishing, Selling Ebooks - Helpful Tips Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Selling via Direct Sale Vendors – iTunes

July 20, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Earlier this year, before moving and improving our Digital Content Center Blog, we discussed the number one reason why writers today choose self-publishing over and over again – CONTROL.  Via self-publishing, writers control book titles, book covers, book content (story and words), publishing, copyrights, and promotion.

But we also have to sell our e-books.  To do this, we turn to Direct Sale Vendors.  Direct Sale Vendors sell our e-books for a percentage of the sale.

Who are the top Direct Sale Vendors?

  • Kindle Direct Publishing Platform (Amazon) – KDP
  • Barnes & Noble ePubit Platform (Nook) – ePubit
  • Apple iTunes Connect Platform (iPad) – iBookstore

Starting in 2010, Apple announced the release of its latest creation—the iBookstore.  The iBookstore allows users with models of the iPhone and iPad to download e-books directly to their Apple devices.

Selling an e-book using the iTunes Connect platform is simple and only requires access to a MAC computer, a properly formatted e-book, and an Apple ID account.  Once the account is established, users must then submit an application to publish via the iBookstore.  The account and the application are free, but authors must determine whether or not they want a free or paid account.

Again, these accounts are free—don’t let the names mislead anyone.  A free account only means that authors can offer their e-books for free to those purchasing via the iBookstore.  A paid account means just that—authors can sell their e-books to those purchasing via the iBookstore.

Note—free accounts cannot be converted to paid accounts later…

So how do we get started?

First, we need an Apple ID to apply.  To create an ID, we must first download iTunes.

Next, we must apply for the iTunes Connect platform.

Once we have an account and have been approved, we then need to ensure our manuscripts are converted into the ePub format (just like with the Nook) in order to sell at the iBookstore.  Apple does include a list of approved aggregators that can help with the ePub conversion; however, we’ve found that Mobipocket Creator works and is very user-friendly.  Downloading this program is also free to the use.

Additionally, writers can learn all about ePub conversions over on this helpful website.

Note: If a writer has used an aggregator and decides later to sell his or her own work directly, he or she may encounter issues with the delisting—just a warning.

And remember, users must have access to a MAC computer to sell e-books on the iTunes Connect platform.

Come back next week when we summarize the steps in completing a writer’s journey with iTunes.  But for now…

Remember— selling e-books through a personal website and through Direct Sale Vendors provides us with the best of both worlds when it comes to distribution and maximizing our revenue.

For more information on selling with direct sale vendors, please check out our free resource, Getting Started with Direct Sale Vendor Guide – Click Here

Thanks for reading and remember if you have any questions give us a call or submit a support ticket and we’ll be there to help.

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Remember to follow us on Twitter @DCCservices, “Like” us on Facebook, and connect with us on LinkedIn.

Filed Under: Benefits to Self-Publishing, Selling Ebooks - Helpful Tips Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Converting Manuscripts to ePub Formats

November 11, 2011 By

Last week we discussed converting manuscripts to the Amazon Kindle, the leading e-reader on the market.   But this conversion is just one process for an author when self-publishing. 

Today we’re taking a look at the ePub (electronic publication) format, which can be used with the iPad through the iBooks Application and the Nook by Barnes & Noble.

Introduced in 2009, Barnes & Noble released its own brand of e-reader utilizing the Android operating system to compete with the Kindle – the Nook.  Since its inception, new and improved versions including the Nook Color and the Nook Simple Touch have hit the shelves displaying color touch screens and providing Wi-Fi access. 

Selling an e-book using the Nook platform is simple and only requires a properly formatted e-book and an account with the Barnes & Noble ePubIt Service. 

Keeping up with the Joneses, so to say, Apple Inc. introduced the iPad in 2010.  The Apple technology, like most of their devices, continues to improve and has two versions available today:  the iPad and the iPad 2.  Mirroring the popular features of the iPhone, the iPad operates via a touch screen with LCD (liquid crystal display) and has Wi-Fi compatibility.  The iPad offers more features and allows the iBooks application for the iPhone and iPod Touch as well, reaching beyond the competition. 

Selling an e-book on the iPad requires two things: a properly formatted e-book, and an iTunes Connect account.  Writers can also sell iPad converted e-books directly to the Apple iBook Store once registering their work with the Apple Certified Aggregator.

How does a writer convert his or her manuscript to the proper iPad and Nook formats to sell e-books at the Apple Store and Barnes & Noble? 

Option One:  Writers can use a do it yourself script off the Internet.  Most of these scripts are free or require very little capital to use, but remember we always get what we pay for.  Most writers find that these scripts do not convert properly because of the complexity of formatting for all types of electronic readers. 

Converting a manuscript on our own can be a very daunting task.  If we’ve attempted to convert our e-book and it’s just not working, why not explore other options? 

Option Two:  Writers can have a manuscript professionally converted by Digital Content Center.  DCC offers professional iPad and Nook conversions & formatting services. 

The Digital Content Center conversion process for the ePub formats includes:

1. Converting all of the text of the manuscript to HTML Format (Hyper Text Markup Language).  This allows the e-book to be read almost like a website.
2. Manually integrating visual items such as images, graphs, and charts with the HTML.
3. Manually applying text formatting such as italics, bolds, and indentations.
4. Reviewing the e-book on the actual device by a human, not a computer program.
5. Correcting any and all necessary adjustments to the e-book once read on an iPad and Nook.
6. Repeating Steps 4 and 5 until the e-book renders properly within the ePub devices. 

Ready to convert to ePub format for the iPad and Nook?  Want a quote to convert a manuscript to the ePub formats? Click here.  Note: DCC will need a Word and pdf version of the manuscript to perform a quote.

Thanks for reading and remember if you have any questions give us a call or submit a support ticket and we’ll be there to help. 

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Filed Under: e-Book Conversions Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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