Last night I got sick of my angst over this whole e-book thing.
“That’s it,” says I. “I’m going in.”
So, I sat down with the 63-page Smashwords Style Guide. I downloaded the PDF option, split the screen, brought up my word documents on the other side of the screen and started with page one of the Style Guide. A few hours later, I had formatted the whole book.
Then I made the mistake of reading various reviews about the pros and cons of Smashwords and that’s when I got stuck again. But first, if you’re not familiar with Smashwords, I’ll explain how I understand it: What they do is run my newly-formatted text through a system they affectionately refer to as the Meatgrinder. This makes my new e-book available for iPhones or Nooks or a multitude of reading platforms. This sounds good.
Except it doesn’t get my book onto Amazon.
My understanding (so far) is that in order to publish at Amazon, I have to start from scratch, reformat and do an entirely different process. I’m really hoping this isn’t the case. This doesn’t even begin to address how the whole money thing and payment stuff works, including scary looking IRS forms for Non-Residents like moi.
The other random tidbit I read said that I should purchase my own ISBN number instead of using the one Smashwords provides. The argument is that by selecting my own ISBN number, I can assign it to the book no matter where it is. Otherwise I’ll end up with a book with an Amazon ISBN and a different one from Smashwords. If it sounds confusing, that’s because it is. Sigh.
I’m just not enough of a geek to really care about all this. Certainly, I want to put this together and launch it. But I don’t want to just throw it out into some black cyberspace hole with multiple ISBNs and no way of finding out who owes me what.
All this to say…I’m stalled again. Should I just throw it on Smashwords and be done with it? Or continue to research seven million opinions on the topic?
Every two seconds this whole game changes and I’m just not sure which way to go. I need a guru.
Luckily, I have a pile of good old-fashioned books; the kind with covers and paper and text and I think it’s time to give this digital world a little rest. I’m going to try escaping between-the-covers of the printed page instead. It’s a world I understand a little better 🙂
I have heard of “these things” (smashwords, e-books, etc) but know nothing of it. You are on a tightrope I haven’t even the courage to climb up the ladder to reach! (Of course, this, too, involves, finishing “the” book…which is still in process.)
Anyway, I hope you work it out and then tell us where to find it so we can read it.
Funny how even the least association with someone makes you want to read their book;, so I get that whole social network thing about inspiring friends (virtual and real) to take a look at your stuff.
Cuz there’s already a connection.
IN the meantime, as you take a break from the digital morass, I hope you’ve latched on something rich and entertaining to read.
It’s still the middle of winter here and I can’t quite seem to find the book to read that I feel like reading. OK, that’s dangerous. I should read what I have without judging, but in a way, it’s like knowing you’re hungry for something but you just don’t know what it is…
more later…
It’s Monday and I’m back on it – sort of. Mostly I seem to be catching up on email and other pesky Monday errands, but it feels like I’m clearing the deck so I can get started.
The good news is that I did find some great ‘real’ books to read and will be writing about that in today’s post.
Thanks for letting me know that there’s at least one person out there who will want to read this Smashwords/Kindle/E-book thing when it’s done 🙂
Wow. Who knew this world of formatting and publishing was so confusing. I’m just starting to face it in the world of academia – eep! Kudos.
Anyway, on the pertinent part of my comment:
Smashwords seems really neat.
If you still want your book on Amazon, it seems pretty simple as long as you retained the original doc. If so, it seems the Amazon formatting consists of simply inserting page breaks at the ends of sections, your front and back material and then converting to HTM(L) format. I’d guess one or two hours work max. Truth be told, with the kindle being as popular as it is, I think it would be worth the effort to have it on “more mainstream” Amazon too.
While it seems annoying to have two ISBNs, as long as you promote it as such (having each with their respective sites in your ‘advertising’) I’m sure e-reader users will be able to figure it out. No idea how it work son the collecting end though.
My two cents – to be taken with lots of salt.
Toujours un grand plaisir de te lire.
– Margot
A second guru has arrived!
Margot, thank you so much for this straight-forward explanation. Could it be that it was me making it over-complicated?
Moi? This is good stuff. Next week…I am on it. Cheers, Colleen
A word from a friendly guru – simplify.
Stephen
If you’re the guru, does that make me Grasshopper? I think you are indeed a sage. I will endeavor to keep it simple.