publishing

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eBook vs Paperback? Which is better?

Ice cream with sprinkles and chocolate sauce.In some ways this is like asking to I want chocolate sauce or sprinkles on my ice cream… I want both!

Still, a question that I answer a lot is:

“Should I publish an eBook or a paperback?”

That’s a great question! Here’s the quick and easy answer:

YES!

I’m a firm believer that you should publish your book in BOTH versions! And here’s why:

eBooks:

  • Lower cost to buy – People who are price resistant are more likely to buy it
  • Instantly available – If your book solves a pain, people don’t want to wait for their solution
  • Available anywhere – Printed books though Amazon aren’t available in all countries (or its cost prohibitive to ship!) so an eBook solves that problem
  • Wave of the future – Just like postal mail, printed books are never going away but eBooks are the current technology
  • Highly portable – Big or small, your book weighs exactly the same as the eReader used to read it
  • Private – so if you’re reading something that you don’t want to announce to the world, all they see is the back of your eReader or smartphone.

(Um, I’m not actually thinking about trashy novels here, although that fits as well! I’m really thinking that you might not want your spouse to see you reading a travel guide to Italy if you’re planning a surprise vacation for him!)

Keep Reading!

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Amazon’s New Payment Plan Changes the Game

When Amazon announced their ‘Kindle Unlimited’ program, many authors, myself included, braced for impact. In a nutshell, Kindle Unlimited allows a user to borrow an unlimited number of Kindle eBooks in a month, with a 10-at-a-time limit, for the low price of $9.99 a month.

Amazon's new rules for paying authors when you borrow a book.Sounds great, right?

With everything, there’s a catch. But it’s not really on the reader’s side. There are over 800,000 titles in the program so there’s plenty of selection.

For a book to be part of Kindle Unlimited, it has to be a part of KDP Select (in a nutshell, the author is giving Amazon a 90-day exclusive to the eBook). But here’s the kicker… The author wasn’t getting paid for these downloads unless the reader got to 10% of the book or more.

(Before Kindle Unlimited, a book could be made available for borrow by Prime members (KOLL). But the author was paid the moment it was borrowed, regardless of how much was read.)

Oh Amazon… Forever changing the game for indie authors!

The way payment worked was simple:

  • Monthly pool of money
  • Divided by total number of borrows in that month
  • Multiplied by YOUR borrows
@Amazon still pays #authors better than other #ebook retailers. Click To Tweet

So I can do the math, imagine a pool of $100,000. If there were a total of 100,000 copies borrowed, that figures to $1 per borrow. If your book was borrowed seven times, you make $7.

Starting July 1, 2015, they changed the rules yet again. Bowing to author pressure that authors of shorter books were actually getting paid more than authors of longer books (not sure how that worked!) Amazon has introduced something called Kindle Edition Normalized Page, KNEP.

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Why Your Book’s ‘Finishing Details’ Make A Huge Difference

060915-PreviewEveryPageMy new office is getting [this close] to being move-in ready. I spent a very LONG hour and a half today doing the final caulking around the baseboards and door frames. So I can do the touch up painting.

And there was a not-so-small part of me who just wanted to skip it. I wanted to just put the switch plate covers back on and call it good – move in!

Then I realized that the lack of caulk (and touch up painting) would drive me nuts. It would look unfinished, unprofessional, and just… lazy.

Which made me think of the last bits of publishing projects: the previewing each and every page bits. It’s at the end and I’m usually trying to convince myself that it’s okay not to.

But you know what? When I’m previewing a book (or reviewing a proof) I look at EVERY SINGLE PAGE

Yep, every single page. Is that a huge PITA (pain in the a$$) for large manuscripts? Yep! Do I care? Nope!

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5 Tips for Launching a Book at a Live Event

When you’re publishing a book there are two ways you can do it…

  • You can quietly put it on Amazon and wait for people buy it.
  • You can put it on Amazon, promote the heck out of it, and TELL people to buy it.

052615-LiveEventBookLaunchGuess what? They both really do work. However, if you’re waiting for people to start buying it – and for the word of mouth to start – you might be waiting for a while.

This past weekend, I started a 3-week long launch of a book I’ve been working on since mid-January. And let me tell you, I’m launching it with a bang!

I flew across the country to attend Geowoodstock XIII in Boonsboro, Maryland. (And thankfully was able to stay with family while I was there!) But it’s way more than just sitting in a booth with the book on display!

This was a jam-packed 2-day event with over 3,000 people in attendance – so I had to make the most of what I had. Here are 5 tips for promoting a book at a live event.

1. Perfect your book’s 10-second commercial
Seriously. You’ll say it over and over again so take some time to figure out the must-shares. Tweak as needed. Notice I said a 10-second commercial. An event is busy, crowded, and noisy. So you’ll be saying it over and over and over. Short is better.

Your #book needs a 10 second commercial that explains what it's about. Click To Tweet

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Is Exclusivity with Amazon a Good Thing for Your eBook? A Look at KDP vs. KDP Select

When you’re looking to publish your eBook it makes sense to publish with Amazon – through Kindle Direct Publishing, KDP. But then the questions comes to:

Do I enroll my eBook in KDP Select?

KDP Select means that you’re giving Amazon a 90-day exclusive to the eBook. And when they say exclusive, they MEAN exclusive – you can’t sell or make your eBook free on your own website, in any format.

For a long time, I was very anti-KDP Select. I was uncomfortable with putting all my eggs in the Amazon basket. After all, they can change the rules of publishing and any time, and you and your book are stuck until the end of the 90-days. I preferred to also publish my books on Barnes & Nobel’s Nook and Kobo’s platform.

When #publishing an #eBook should you give @Amazon an exclusive? Click To Tweet

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3 Tips To Using Your Content To Create Your eBook

If you’ve spent any time hanging around me, in person or online, you’ll know that one of the ways I help people create their books is by taking the “stuff” they already have and using it to create a book.

This stuff can be:

  • Blog posts or articles
  • Training courses
  • Audios
  • Videos
  • .pdf worksheets, freebies, or handouts

Seems simple, right? You put your content to work for you – no more lazing around.

042815-ContentWorking

But there’s more to it than just collecting the blog posts you already have, slapping a cover on it, and calling it an eBook! (Or putting it together for a printed format.)

Amazon (Kindle) has this little-known rule that says that the majority of your book needs to NOT be available elsewhere on the web. And if it IS available… they will find it and potentially take down your eBook.

While this seems harsh – it is YOUR content, after all – it’s actually a really good thing for a couple of reasons.

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Launching a Book? 5 Must-Know Launching Ideas

031015-BookLaunchAh… launching!

If you’re like a lot of people I know, launching ranks right up there with de-junking the garage. Kinda fun in its way, it can be satisfying… But also a lot of work, sweat, and sometimes it’s hard to see if you’re making any progress.

Launching a book is just like launching anything else.

It’s made easier with support.
It helps to learn from the experts.
Give yourself more time than you think you need.
And never underestimate the power of really good chocolate!

(BTW: I learned a ton about launching from my client, friend, and mentor, Maribel Jimenez. If you’re looking at launching a program, she’s your go to gal!)

And remember, launching is a process! It’s not as simple as pushing a button. It’s a series of intentional efforts to create momentum.

Part of making a book launch successful is your willingness to think outside the box. Sure, you’ll want to share it on social media and to your newsletter list but here are 5 other ways to increase exposure during your book launch.

1. Send out press releases

NEVER underestimate the power of your local press! Sure, sending a press release to a national publication or a world-wide website like PRWeb.com is something you should look at. But most local media outlets are hungry for local, positive news!

2. Schedule a launch party

Usually held a bookstore or retail location, a launch party is a combination book signing, reading, and all-around party. You’ll coordinate with the business owner about refreshments and time commitment. Come ready to mingle!

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