Ebook Publishing Primer for Consultants (Bay Area Consultants Network January 27 2012)

My Backstory

Ever since I can remember, I dreamed of writing a book

After 15 years running an award-winning Silicon Valley PR firm, I was ready

I’d share my PR secrets My book would help everyone harness the powerful magic of PR

Fate had other plans

I wrote a novel about daytime television soap operas. Yes, soap operas (!!)

Publishers Said “No”
Every major publisher said NO (TWICE!)

The experience opened my eyes to Big Publishing
Business practices unchanged in 50 years
Backward looking
They can’t predict which books will become commercial successes
Unable to take a risk on every author
Hundreds of thousands of talented writers denied access to readers
Could there be a better way?

My Answer: Smashwords
Ebooks (!!!)
Provide writers free tools so they can become their own ebook publishers
Open up the printing press to all
Open up distribution to major ebook stores

How Smashwords Works
UPLOAD
Author uploads Microsoft Word file, formatted to our Style Guide
Free ebook conversion to multiple formats
Sell today to a worldwide audience
DISTRIBUTE
Distribution to major retailers
GET PAID
Authors receive 85% of net

Indie ebooks published at Smashwords 140 6,000 28,800 92,000 +

How’s the ebook market doing?

Ebooks as a percentage of US trade market Source: Association of American Publishers, publishers.org

Why ebooks are hot
Ebooks becoming preferred reading method
Changeable font size A A A A
Portable and compact
Screens will get better/faster/cheaper
Satisfy 3 most important consumer desires
Lower price than print
Convenient sampling and purchasing
Huge selection

Technology is colliding with the traditional book publishing industry

ooh, pretty! Big Publishers Not Equipped to Deal with Change

UNTIL RECENTLY, BIG PUBLISHERS HAD MONOPOLISTIC CONTROL OVER THE PRINTING PRESS AND DISTRIBUTION TO BOOKSTORES

IT WAS A SWEET RACKET Readers wanted books Publishers controlled the supply $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $

Publishers were the deciders
Publishers controlled:
Who got published
Who got distributed
What readers could read

Publishers were the bouncers at the pearly gates
Writers taught to bow subservient and believe publishing gods would provide:
blessing
validation
entry into the afterlife of fame, fortune, readers and credibility
“ published author” on the tomb stone

BUT THEN THE INTERNET HAPPENED

Today, the tools for publishing and distribution are open to all
Free publishing tools empower experts like you to become publishers
Free printing press in the cloud
Distribution to all major online bookstores

You Can Out-Publish Big Publishers
Asymmetric competition
field tilted in indie’s favor
Smaller indie authors
democratized distribution
instant access to global market
lower expenses
faster time to market
never go out of print
earn more per book

Indie ebook economics favor indies
Higher profits than traditional
Earn 60-100% list price for indie ebooks vs. 5-17% from traditional publishers
Indies earn more at lower prices
Earn $6.00+ selling a $9.99 ebook vs $3.00 selling a $25 hardcover
Lower price = reach more readers = more sales at higher profits per sale
Or, give away free ebooks, for free

Q: What do ebooks and consultants have in common?

A: Both are mediums for knowledge transfer

… though ebooks are easier to clone than consultants

Six reasons every consultant should publish ebooks
Package, promote and sell your smarts
Scalable knowledge distribution
Engage senses of current and prospective clients
Market to (and prequalify) clients without “selling”
Enhances reach
Adds value to consulting engagements

What should you write?
Write what you know best
Ask: Will this represent a lasting, proud legacy for my name?
Actionable, useful, transformative knowledge
Write a complete, high quality book
No teasers
No overt marketing
Length: As long as it’s complete, length doesn’t matter

How to Publish and Distribute an Ebook

Simplified Ebook Publishing Checklist
Write a great book
Format the book prior to conversion
Prepare cover image
Ebook conversion to multiple formats
ISBNs
Copyright
Choose distribution methods
Discovery and marketing

Write a great book
Ebook publishing tools make publishing fast, free, easy, but they don’t make it easy to write a great book
You’re the publisher, act like one
Honor the reader
Edit, edit, edit, revise, revise, revise
Involve beta readers (then revise again)
Hire professional editor if necessary

Ebook Formatting

Formatting is the process of preparing your book for conversion to an ebook

Formatting for Smashwords Over 140,000 Downloads!

Formatting Secrets
Forget (some of) what you know
Don’t try to make e- look like p-
Ebooks consumed differently than print
Less = more with ebooks
Complex formatting and layout can reduce accessibility
Design for reflowability, small and large screens

E-reading Devices

Ebook devices (and customers) shape shift text
Example of Smashwords novel, All Good Things Die in L.A. by Anhoni Patel
iPhone, using the Stanza reader. User-selected options: Font: Verdana; Background pattern: Stone carving; text color: Dark Violet; Font size: larger than normal

Create a professional ebook cover image

Don’t skimp on cover image
Covers are important
First impression, make it professional
Tells your target reader, “this is for me!”
Covers are both marketing and content
Marketing: Draw reader in
Content: Adds to enjoyment of book
Should look good as thumbnail
Should look good as B&W, greyscale

Don’t be Lazy

Don’t be Dim Le Peuple de L’Etat de New York Contre Dominique Strauss-Khan

Connect with your target audience The Secrets of Consulting by Gerald M. Weinberg

Most of us design terrible covers

So I Hired a Pro for $45.00 Send email to: [email_address] for “Mark’s List”

Conversion

Conversion = Turning your formatted manuscript into an ebook file readable on multiple ebook reading devices

Ebook Conversion Options
Conversion Options
Automated (e.g. Smashwords, Amazon)
DIY conversion tools (Calibre, Sigil: Google ‘ebook conversion tools’)
Hire ebook formatter/designer/coder (Complex layouts)

What’s an ISBN?
What it is:
Unique 13-digit digital identifier
Helps supply chain communicate about book
Required for distribution to Apple, Sony, Kobo
What it is NOT:
Does not connote ownership or copyright
Does not imply “professional” or “real”
Not a common discovery method

Where to Obtain an ISBN
Go to Bowker.com
Expensive unless you purchase blocks of 10+
Lists you as “publisher” in Books in Print
Smashwords
FREE ISBNs
$9.95 (not recommended), lists you as “publisher”

Copyright

Copyright Simplified
By publishing something you created, you have copyright
Copyright entitles you to an exclusive bundle of rights
The notation of © is optional
For best legal protection, go to Copyright.gov and register copyright online

How to Reach Readers

Distribute to as many retailers as possible

Ebook retailers want indie ebooks Mobile apps

Two options for getting your book on a retailer’s virtual shelves
Use a Distributor
Upload one file, distribute to many retailers
Benefit: Centralized metadata management, sales reporting and payments, time savings
Direct to Retailers
Format for each specific retailer
Upload one by one, manage each retailer separately
Apple, Amazon, Pubit offer direct platforms
Sony, Kobo, Diesel usually require distributor, Apple easiest to reach through distributor

Architect for Virality

Architect for Virality
Books have always been a word of mouth business
Your readers determine your success
Understand the power of your “First Reader”
Reach First Readers with marketing

The Viral Dream First reader More Readers

Viral Decay, The Reality First reader Readers

Negative Virality First reader This book sucks!!!! = Last reader

How to Architect for Virality
Eliminate friction that limits
availability
accessibility
affordability
enjoyment
Additional resource: Read The Viral Loop by Adam Penenberg

Viral Catalysts
Every thing you do right increases virality
Additional resource: Read The Viral Loop by Adam Penenberg
Great cover
Professionally edited
Great title
Great book description
Great book
Great marketing
Fair price
Broad distribution
Social media enabled
Sampling enabled
Multiple formats
Good formatting
Good categorization
LUCK!

Maximize discoverability

How readers discover ebooks
Availability (distribution) precursor to discovery
MobileRead survey
See analysis at Smashwords Blog: How Ebook Buyers Discover Ebooks
Multiple touch points
Almost 50% use some method of “random” discovery

The Plan Forward

You are the future of book publishing

You are your own gatekeeper

You have something to share with the world

YOU decide when your manuscript graduates to PUBLISHED BOOK

Think Globally

Ebooks help you transcend geography

The Market for Your Smarts Outside the US will soon Dwarf the US Market Almost 50% of Smashwords Apple iBookstore Sales are Outside the US

Final Thoughts
Power of publishing is shifting to authors
You and your readers determine your success
Opportunity to reach readers with your smarts has never been greater
Go forth and publish!

Free Ebook Publishing Resources
Smashwords Book Marketing Guide (how to market any book)
Smashwords Style Guide (how to format an ebook)
More Smashwords presentations on Slideshare: Smashwords SlideShare

Thank you for listening! Q&A Connect: Web: www.smashwords.com Blog: blog.smashwords.com Twitter: @markcoker LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/markcoker HuffPo: huffingtonpost.com/mark-coker Email: first initial second initial at smashwords.com

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Ebook Publishing Primer for Consultants (Bay Area Consultants Network January 27 2012)

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Ebook Publishing Primer for Consultants (Bay Area Consultants Network January 27 2012) Presentation Transcript