HOW to Create Your Own E-Book with Amazon

Article Title: HOW to Create Your Own E-Book with Amazon

Author: Craig Lock

Category/(tags/key words): E-books, digital books, digital publishing, Amazon, Kindle

Web site: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005GGMAW4

The submitter’s blogs (with extracts from his various writings:
articles, books and new manuscripts) are at http://craigsblogs.wordpress.com

(Other articles are available at: http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/user/15565 and http://www.ideamarketers.com/library/profile.cfm?writerid=981

Personal growth, self help, writing, internet
marketing, spiritual, ‘spiritual writings’ (how ‘airey-fairey’), words of inspiration and money
management, how boring now, craig)

Publishing Guidelines

We hope that the following article may be informative and helpful to your ezine
readers, or on your web site. If it helps others “out there in
cyberspace” , then we’re very happy.

This article (as with all my articles) may be freely published.

“We share what we know, so that we all may grow.”

#

CREATING AND PUBLISHING YOUR OWN E-BOOK

Here’s
how…

INTRODUCTION

Though
nobody really knows where the digital publishing model is headed, Amazon
already claim that they are selling more ebooks than traditional books. My
associate Bill and I believe e-books are the way of the future and this will
keep the “greenies” happy not having to cut down trees (see my
article ‘The Future of Electronic Publishing originally written about twelve
years ago).

*

Here
are some hints based upon my experiences as a “non-techno” in getting
my books published with Amazon (to the great consternation and surprise of my
“techno-geek” associate and good friend, Bill).

Firstly
a bit of background. Initially I was approached by Europe’s largest digital
publisher (XiiXin) to publish my books with them. I found the process so
simple, I thought, why not give the far more well-known Amazon Kindle a try.

But
HOW?

From
my experience, the Kindle publishing process is simple and way less-time
consuming than you might expect. The process is quite enjoyable and satisfying
too …even though I’m no “computer nerd”. And I hope that opening statement
encourages you to give it a try.

As
a first step, you create a your book in Microsoft Word doc. file. (Standard
font size, like New Times Roman, but Amazon use a default font anyway). (I
tried the Mobipocket Creator, free, getting my ebook ready for upload; but soon
gave up (as I have great difficulty following instructions – story of my life)
and simply uploaded “as is”. So upload your book file at
kdp.amazon.com and set your price (you get 70% of the sale proceeds). The
entire process won’t take long, even for a “non-techno”, like me. If
you’ve already published a print book, or use a PC and the internet regularly,
you’ll find the process “easy peasy”.

Amazon
will convert your Word doc automatically to a digital book format, that can be
easily read on the Kindle e-book reader.

You
can make amendments to your book at any time and republish it. I’m continually
updating my books and it’s really simple. In the meantime, the previous version
will remain available for sale on the Kindle store.

The
Kindle help files are brief and written in straight-forward English. Just
follow the instructions on the web site. Simple!

You
then upload a cover picture (it has to be at least 500 pixels quality on the
longest side).

Give
it an appealing (and short) title and also a table of contents, Then write some
“blurb” about your book.

‘What’s
it all about?” – so that readers on the web site are enticed to want to
read more of your “work of art, your unique creation”.

There’s
a Previewer to see what the text will look like being read on a Kindle, once
you’ve uploaded it (“nice and easy”).

However,
if you strike problems (as we inevitably do at times), just persevere and
you’ll find a way. “Presto!”

Then
SAVE and PUBLISH. Voila!

If
you are an unknown author, you’ll have to market your book online (and perhaps
off-line too). And that’s the hardest part, being found in the “vast realm
of cyberspace” (see my e-book on internet marketing for more
“info”). I might suggest that your e-book can be freely promoted
using Facebook, Twitter and your own web site, but there are many other
“freebie” avenues. My preference is writing articles in your chosen
area of expertise and publishing them online. Most effective!

Also join Author Central (www.authorcentral.amazon.com) and you can tell readers a bit about yourself and so market your books free.

“Cheapskate!” Having ONE website for all your books makes it far easier to market.

I’ve
been uploading my books (all 54 of them!) to Amazon over the past month and
made quite a few sales already… so that’s greatly encouraging. Though I
haven’t given up my “proper” day job yet. Ha ha! But am dreaming on…

Finally…

Good
luck * to you in publishing and promoting your digital book(s)

You
CAN do it

Craig
Lock (Eagle Productions)

‘Carpe
diem’ = “seize the moment” in this
new area of digital publishing and the “digital economy”

*
and didn’t someone once define luck as “where preparedness meets
opportunity”

PS:
If you want any help, or advice on the publishing process, please feel free to
contact me.

PPS:

Once you have published with Amazon
Kindle, you may want to try publishing a traditional paper book (soft copy)
with another Amazon associate company CreateSpace… but this
“techno-bunny” is not ready for that…YET!

“Together, one mind, one life at a time, let's see how many people we can impact, empower, uplift, encourage ... and perhaps even inspire to reach their fullest potentials.”

This article may be freely published

Don’t worry about the world ending
today…

its already tomorrow in “little scenic
and tranquil “ New Zealand

“It is not necessary , not so important to succeed, as to participate and persist… in any endeavour, any quest one may choose along the river of life.”

- craig as inspired by the words from the great South African writer, Alan Paton (author of ‘Cry the Beloved Country ‘ 1948)… and words that have sustained and greatly encouraged me over the years down “my untrodden path of writing into the light”