Surprise #1: People (I care about) aren’t yet convinced by eBooks.
Professionals in my field (editors and the like) seem to be doing a whole bunch of thoughtful nodding when I let drop I’m going to publish some of my work as eBooks. I’m not yet sure what the nodding means, but I suspect it means, “That sounds suspiciously homespun, I think you’re crazy”. I could be wrong. It could mean, “Wow, you’re an innovator ahead of the bell curve, and I wish you all the best.” I am hoping it’s the latter. When I need to reassure myself it’s not the former, I remember the recent move by TEDTalks into Kindle Singles.
Surprise #2: No-one has the first clue how to get started.
So here’s how:
First, write a book. Duh. Sounds dumb, but it’s easy to say and hard to do. Journalists and authors hear this all the time. “I’d love to be a writer.” The answer is, write something. Preferably, write something good. I’ve yet to discover what ‘good’ means in terms of subject (Do people buy more eBooks about travel than health? – this is something that needs to be explored). Given the lack of guidance on this topic, I’m currently allowing myself to be guided by two key rules:
Rule #1 when writing an eBook: Write good content. Bad content is bad content, whether it’s in a newspaper, on a website, or in an eBook. So write well, wherever you write. (If you don’t know what that means, do an online course at the Sydney Writers’ Centre and they’ll teach you.)
Rule #2 when writing an eBook: Keep it short. My eBooks will be under 20,000. Most will hover around 10,000, which is the length of 7 typical feature articles. Some will be even shorter (like the World Yoga Festivals Guide, which is only 3500w, but I’m only selling it for 99c). I’ve basically developed this rule for two reasons. First, we’re not used to reading on screens yet for long periods of time. If an eBook can be enjoyed on the bus ride to and from work over a few days, maybe it’s a nice little niche. Second, I’m a features writer, not a novelist. This means I’m really good at writing stories that are 1000 words, 2000 words, or even 3000 words. I’m less experienced at writing something (like a novel) that carries a story for 40,000 words. I’m building most of my eBooks in 1000-2000 word chapters, each chapter being a complete story within itself. I figure that abiding by Rule #2, Keeping it short, should help me follow Rule #1, Writing good content.
Second, publish your writing on Amazon (easy) and Smashwords (slightly less easy). Here’s why:
Amazon is the name in e-publishing. It’s easy to remember, it’s not too finicky to put together a book for them, and the results are up within a few days. Smashwords is an online platform that will ‘mash’ your eBook and distribute it to a bunch of different forums – including Apple for iPads and iPhones, Sony, Barnes and Noble and Kobo (another place where eBook lovers buy books). It’s quick to get your book onto Smashwords, but slower to get it via Smashwords out to Apple etc (think 6 weeks not 6 hours.) Much more on the in’s and out’s of Smashwords later.
If you’re wondering what eBooks look like on these platforms, check it out for yourself:
Amazon.com – select “Kindle store”. Search on Sue White if you want to find my books, or just poke around to see what’s out there. Find my books on Smashwords. Or just poke around and see what Smashwords is all about.
Professionals in my field (editors and the like) seem to be doing a whole bunch of thoughtful nodding when I let drop I’m going to publish some of my work as eBooks. I’m not yet sure what the nodding means, but I suspect it means, “That sounds suspiciously homespun, I think you’re crazy”. I could be wrong. It could mean, “Wow, you’re an innovator ahead of the bell curve, and I wish you all the best.” I am hoping it’s the latter. When I need to reassure myself it’s not the former, I remember the recent move by TEDTalks into Kindle Singles.
Surprise #2: No-one has the first clue how to get started.
So here’s how:
First, write a book. Duh. Sounds dumb, but it’s easy to say and hard to do. Journalists and authors hear this all the time. “I’d love to be a writer.” The answer is, write something. Preferably, write something good. I’ve yet to discover what ‘good’ means in terms of subject (Do people buy more eBooks about travel than health? – this is something that needs to be explored). Given the lack of guidance on this topic, I’m currently allowing myself to be guided by two key rules:
Rule #1 when writing an eBook: Write good content. Bad content is bad content, whether it’s in a newspaper, on a website, or in an eBook. So write well, wherever you write. (If you don’t know what that means, do an online course at the Sydney Writers’ Centre and they’ll teach you.)
Rule #2 when writing an eBook: Keep it short. My eBooks will be under 20,000. Most will hover around 10,000, which is the length of 7 typical feature articles. Some will be even shorter (like the World Yoga Festivals Guide, which is only 3500w, but I’m only selling it for 99c). I’ve basically developed this rule for two reasons. First, we’re not used to reading on screens yet for long periods of time. If an eBook can be enjoyed on the bus ride to and from work over a few days, maybe it’s a nice little niche. Second, I’m a features writer, not a novelist. This means I’m really good at writing stories that are 1000 words, 2000 words, or even 3000 words. I’m less experienced at writing something (like a novel) that carries a story for 40,000 words. I’m building most of my eBooks in 1000-2000 word chapters, each chapter being a complete story within itself. I figure that abiding by Rule #2, Keeping it short, should help me follow Rule #1, Writing good content.
Second, publish your writing on Amazon (easy) and Smashwords (slightly less easy). Here’s why:
Amazon is the name in e-publishing. It’s easy to remember, it’s not too finicky to put together a book for them, and the results are up within a few days. Smashwords is an online platform that will ‘mash’ your eBook and distribute it to a bunch of different forums – including Apple for iPads and iPhones, Sony, Barnes and Noble and Kobo (another place where eBook lovers buy books). It’s quick to get your book onto Smashwords, but slower to get it via Smashwords out to Apple etc (think 6 weeks not 6 hours.) Much more on the in’s and out’s of Smashwords later.
If you’re wondering what eBooks look like on these platforms, check it out for yourself:
Amazon.com – select “Kindle store”. Search on Sue White if you want to find my books, or just poke around to see what’s out there. Find my books on Smashwords. Or just poke around and see what Smashwords is all about.
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