Article Title: Creating and Publishing Your Own E-Book with Amazon: HOW?
from The White Helmet
Author: Craig Lock
Category/Subject: E-books, digital books, digital publishing, Amazon, Kindle
Web sites:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=la_B005GGMAW4_sr?rh=i%3Abooks&field-author=Craig+Lock
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005GGMAW4
https://www.createspace.com/pub/simplesitesearch.search.do?sitesearch_query=%22craig+lock%22&sitesearch_type=STORE
http://www.creativekiwis.com/index.php/books and http://goo.gl/vTpjk
The submitter’s blogs (with extracts from his various writings: articles, books and new manuscripts)
are at http://craigsblogs.wordpress.com
(Other articles are ava i l a bl e 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 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 ¼even 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 (11) and type, 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 make a table of contents. (still learning). 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 ebook 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 on my blogs at Wordpress (www.wordpress.com). Most effective!
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 day job yet. Ha ha! But am dreaming on…
#Now 170 books or so (Nov 2014!
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 or Bill at
www.creativekiwis.com
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… just YET! #
# that’s also changed since I wrote this article
This article may be freely published
Author’s Bio:
About the submitter::
Craig has been writing for the past fifteen or so years. He believes in (and loves) helping others to find their passions and gifts… through encouraging people to reach out for, then accomplish their “wildest” dreams. He truly believes people can overcome obstacles, rise to any occasion, and accomplish their dreams in life with enough faith and persistence.
The various books* that Craig “felt inspired to write” are available at http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005GGMAW4
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=la_B005GGMAW4_sr?rh=i%3Abooks&field-author=Craig+Lock
https://www.createspace.com/pub/simplesitesearch.search.do?sitesearch_query=%22craig+lock%22&sitesearch_type=STORE
http://www.creativekiwis.com/index.php/books and http://goo.gl/vTpjk
All proceeds go to needy and underprivileged children –
MINE!
“True champions live the dream, the vision of who and what they can one day become ... even a long time before it happens.”
– craig
“Only when you’ve been in the deepest valley can a person know what it’s like to stand on the highest peak.”
- inspiring words from Richard Nixon, former United States President
“Life is about finding, then following the dream and one’s
dream/vision comes to reality through believing in yourself,
making the commitment and then creating it.”
– Craig Lock (1999)
All our dreams can come true…if we have the courage, passion, persistence and patience* to pursue them…long enough.”
-c
* the “three pees”
“Instead of the limits of borders (of countries and of our minds) let us and our leaders expand our sense of possibility… and together let’s look at building bridges to distant horizons, far and great. Lord, help us all lift our eyes a little higher.”
– craig
from www.craigsquotes.wordpress.com and www.sportforpeace.wordpress.com
“You think you have a limit. And so you touch this limit, something happens and you suddenly can go a little bit further. With your mind power, your determination, your instinct, and the experience as well, you can fly very high.”
Photo (great) by my old friend John (“the world’s third worst photographer”, so he calls himself), but whose photographic talents I definitely do NOT possess)!
web sites: www.jetpix.wordpress.com www.johnsphotopics.wordpress.com and www.capetownmypictures.wordpress.com
from The White Helmet
PPS
Don’t worry about the world ending today…
as it’s already tomorrow in scenic and tranquil ‘little’ New Zealand
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