Tuesday, November 16, 2010

How to Publish an eBook in Four Easy Steps

Proximity is now available as an eBook for the Amazon Kindle and Barnes and Noble Nook platforms. It is self published in both formats.

There are four simple steps to self publish an eBook.

1. Obtain an International Standard Book Number (ISBN) through Bowker via the their website myIdentifiers. Details on pricing, etc. are contained there. A separate ISBN is needed for each eBook format, so I recommend buying a block of 10 if you plan to publish more than one book or any single book in more that one format.

2. Format your book for the eBook platforms it will be distributed on/through. The two most common formats are ePub, which is used by iBooks (Apple), the Barnes and Noble Nook, the Kobo, and others. DTP is used by the Amazon Kindle.

   a. You can format from MS Word and other common formats using tools available online. I was unable to find any that produced a product that met my expectations for quality.

   b. There are many companies that will format a manuscript in MS Word or other file types into ePub/DTP. I used and thus recommend eBook Architects.

3. Establish an account with the online distributor. To date I've used Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iBooks. they can be found at:

   a. Amazon Digital Text Platform.

   b. Apple iTunes Connect. (Requires a Mac computer to download iTunes producer software).

   c. Barnes and Noble PubIt!

4. Follow the steps in each to upload and distribute your files. Make sure you note the following:

    a. Read the directions and agreement in each carefully.

    b. Ensure that you have all the necessary rights to publish the work.

    Good luck!

1 comment:

iUniverse said...

iUniverse has helped more than 35,000 authors publish their books professionally and affordably. Since 1999, we have crafted a reputation for breaking records and blazing new trails in the self-publishing industry.