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eBook Publishing
Electronic books (eBooks) first appeared in 1971 but have only recently grown massively in popularity. Amazon reported in July 2010 that sales of Kindle books exceeded those of hardcover books for the first time, and those of paperback books six months later (see news article).
An Opportunity for Authors
There is a growing trend in authors self-publishing eBooks (see Writers' Guild Books Coop). Royalties are significantly greater, and worldwide distribution via the web is cheaper and easier. Increasingly, books are available in both print and eBook form.
If you own the rights to a book, send us the script in electronic form and we'll create an eBook in various formats for you to sell on the web. Or if you prefer to try this yourself and you have some technical knowledge and some spare time, we can point you in the direction of a number of conversion and distribution websites, or give you a hand with it if you need it. For example, Amazon gives its own guidelines for how to prepare your Word document for conversion to its Kindle format, for distribution via its Amazon websites around the world. Smashwords also provides formatting guidelines for conversion, and distributes to the most significant suppliers.
If your book is in print, ask your publisher to make an eBook version available to your prospective readers.
eBook Publishing Services
If you decide you'd like us to create an eBook for you, send us your script in digital form (preferably as a Word doc). Also send us your printed book, if available, so that we can match layout and styles where possible - although it's important to note that eBook layout and formatting tends to be much simpler.
We can prepare both ePub and Kindle versions of your book.
Prices vary depending on the quality of digital script and the complexity of layout (pictures, tabular data, sidebars etc). Contact us for a quotation.
A quick introduction to eBooks
Why use an eReader?
- Slim. light, portable device
- Books delivered wirelessly in moments, or via your computer
- Millions of free books - start here with 250 classics
- Search the text for words and phrases
- Change size of text
- Built-in dictionary
- Let it read to you (text-to-speech)
- Store thousands of books
- Reduce costs
- Save trees
The 2 most popular eBook Formats & the 4 most popular eReaders
The ePub format is an open standard for eBooks which can be read by most eReaders such as the Sony Reader, Barnes & Noble Nook, and the iBooks app for the iPad. Amazon has its own format for the Kindle.
Free eReader software
If you want to explore eBooks for the first time, and you already have a device capable of reading them (such as a computer, tablet or smartphone), here is a selection of free software which will enable you to view eBooks, without having to buy a dedicated eReader:
For ePub format
- iBooks, an app for your iPad
- Adobe Digital Editions for Windows and Mac
- Sony Reader Library for PC or Mac
For Kindle format
- Free Amazon Kindle Reading apps for your PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Blackberry, Android etc
- Another free Kindle app for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch (requires iTunes)
Next, you could explore Project Gutenberg, the oldest digital library with 36,000 free downloadable eBooks in various formats!
Further Reading
For general information and discussion about eReaders and eBooks, see the following articles:
- Why use an E-Reader? by Jackie Reyno, eZine Articles
- Best EReader Features - Why Use EReaders? by Doug Felteau, eZine Articles
- The Kindle Adds to, But Doesn't Replace, Your Book Collection by Gina Trapani, Smarterware