Excellent Book-Length Guides
- Write. Publish. Repeat. by Sean Platt and Johnny B. Truant
- How to Market a Book by Joanna Penn
- Let’s Get Visible & Let’s Get Digital by David Gaughran
- The Naked Truth by Self-Publishing by 10 NYT bestselling authors
- How I Sold 30,000 eBooks on Amazon’s Kindle by Martin Crosbie
- Your First 1,000 Copies by Tim Grahl
- Secrets to Ebook Publishing Success by Mark Coker (free)
Getting Started &
Principles
- How to Self-Publish Your Book (Jane Friedman)
- The Basics of Ebook Publishing (David Gaughran)
- 10 Questions to Ask Before Committing to Any E-Publishing Service (Jane Friedman)
- How an Enterprising Author Sold a Million Self-Published Books (Copyblogger)
- How to Make Money on Ebooks (JA Konrath)
- 5 Observations on the Evolution of Author Business Models (Jane Friedman)
Producing a Solid
Product
- Writing Your Book’s Back Cover Copy (Jessi Rita Hoffman)
- The Importance of Categories, Keywords, and Tags (M. Louisa Locke)
- How to Improve Your Amazon Book Description and Metadata (Penny Sansevieri)
- How to Self-Publish Children’s Books Successfully (Darcy Pattison)
Sales, Marketing, and
Promotion
- Book Promotional Sites & Tools for Authors (Martin Crosbie)
- How Authors Can Find Their Ideal Reading Audience (Angela Ackerman)
- The Strategic Use of Book Giveaways (Jane Friedman)
- Should You Join KDP Select? (Lindsay Buroker)
- Hit the eBook Bestseller Lists with Preorders (Mark Coker)
- Why (Many) Publicists Don’t Work With Self-Published Authors (Dana Kaye)
- Top 5 Money Wasters in Book Publicity (Dana Kaye)
- The Perfect Book Sales Page (Tom Morkes)
- Social Media Marketing That Reaches Your Audience
- How to Sell Books With BookBub (Skipjack Publishing)
Getting Reviews
- Author Tools and Promo Sites (Martin Crosbie)
- The Ultimate Guide to Goodreads for Authors (The Creative Penn, Mayor A. Lan)
- 10 Ways to Find Reviewers for Your Self-Published Book (Empty Mirror)
- The Indie Reviewers List (The Indie View)
- 7 Strategies and 110 Tools to Help Indie Authors Find Readers and Reviewers (Digital Pubbing)
Tools for Creating
& Formatting Ebooks
- Scrivener: this writing software is not free, but it can export EPUB files
- Calibre: free formatting and conversion software for ebooks
- StreetLib: free web-based tool that can also handle distribution and sales if you want
- Jutoh: free software for creating ebooks, paid version available with more functionality
- PressBooks: free formatting tool (up until a point), WordPress-based
- Apple Pages (can export EPUB files)
- Vellum: easy-to-use software for Mac users only to produce EPUB files
- Here’s a list of educational resources and tools if you want to learn about ebook formatting and development.
Tools for Creating
Enhanced, Multimedia, or Full-Color Ebooks
- KDP Kids’ Book Creator: for creating children’s picture books
- Apple iBooks Author: will limit you to Apple iBookstore, but the software is free
- Blurb: great for producing print + digital full-color books; distributes to Apple platforms
- Book Creator: iPad app for illustrated books, great for children’s authors
- Tablo.io
- Creativist
- If you need assistance preparing your ebook files, try eBookPartnership.
Major Ebook Retailers
Note: for reviews and
insight into all of these retailers and more, read the reviews at The
Independent Publishing Magazine by Mick Rooney
- Amazon. Sells 60-80% of all ebooks, more for some authors and titles.
- Apple iBookstore. Widely considered the No. 2 ebook retailer in U.S.
- Barnes & Noble Nook Press. Considered No. 3 ebook retailer in U.S.
- Kobo. Gaining ground, international presence. Important for the Canadian market.
Major Ebook
Distributors & Services
Note: for reviews and
insight into all of these retailers and more, read the reviews at The
Independent Publishing Magazine by Mick Rooney
- Smashwords. The largest ebook distributor of self-published titles that’s been around the longest and has the widest reach.
- Draft2Digital. Similar to Smashwords, but smaller and more customer-service focused
- Pronoun. An ebook distributor that reaches the key players: Amazon, Nook, Kobo, Apple, and Google. They also offer data-based marketing insights and a variety of tools to help you better sell. You pay nothing upfront yet still earn 100% of net sales.
- BookBaby. You pay for a publishing package upfront (which includes ebook formatting), then you receive 100% of net sales.
To Find Freelance Help
Usually a referral is
best; ask successful authors in your genre who they recommend. Otherwise, here
are a few options:
- Reedsy, a vetted marketplace of publishing-focused freelancers
- Bibliocrunch, another marketplace
- Editorial Freelancers Association, where you can post your jobs on their job board for free
Authors Who Blog About
Ebook Publishing
- Joanna Penn
- Joel Friedlander
- Self-Publishing Podcast
- JA Konrath
- David Gaughran
- Kristine Rusch
- Dean Wesley Smith
- Lindsay Buroker
- Bob Mayer
News & Trends
About Ebook Publishing
- Digital Book World
- The Digital Reader
- The Independent Publishing Magazine by Mick Rooney
- Mike Shatzkin
- FutureBook
- Kindle Boards Writer’s Cafe (popular hangout for self-publishers)
- The Hot Sheet (my email newsletter for authors, subscription required)
Macmillan Book Writer stands out as a versatile and intuitive tool for aspiring authors and seasoned writers alike. Its user-friendly interface coupled with a plethora of writing and editing features makes the creative process seamless and enjoyable. The software's robust organization tools, collaborative capabilities, and comprehensive word processing functions provide a holistic writing experience. Macmillan Book Writer's integration with various publishing formats further enhances its value, catering to both traditional and digital publishing needs. With its user-centric design and powerful functionalities, Macmillan Book Writer emerges as a reliable companion for anyone looking to bring their literary vision to life.
ReplyDelete