Ebooks

Every self-publishing author wants to know how to sell ebooks online. Very often, it seems that writing a book is the easy part. Ebooks and books are everyday retail items. Like any other retail product, people need to notice them before they can buy them. But how do you get noticed if you have published…

Ebooks are convenient but, at the same time, restrictive. The ebook will never replace a real printed book. So many people have said this over the years since the introduction of the ebook by Sony and then, shortly after, by Amazon. There has never been a topic as controversial and divisive in the book publishing…

Amazon has implemented a policy that alerts publishers and readers when the Kindle ebook quality on Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) is below standard. Authors and publishers who ignore sub-standard quality issues may face negative consequences. Hopefully, this move will lessen the number of Kindle scams that have no place in self-publishing. A range of warning…

E-reader device sales are falling rapidly. Devices such as Kindle e-readers, Nook, and Kobo are all suffering from a rapid drop-off in sales. Yet, readers are still buying and reading ebooks. So, what is going on here with ebook readers and, in particular, Kindle sales? The Kindle device is in decline First, in a report…

Amazon Kindle scams are rife because they work. Forget affiliate marketing, phishing, and blog comment spam as a way to make a few bucks. Kindle scams are the easiest way to make money on the Internet, according to an article in the Washington Post. “Making money with Kindle is by far the easiest and fastest…

The ebook revolution is over, the major battles have been fought, and the ebook format is here to stay. Yes, there are still a few skirmishes on the sidelines in trade publishing. Traditional publishing houses fought in vain, trying to protect their privileged position, profits, and champagne lunches they held as their right for so…

Typos in Kindle ebooks can happen. Perfection is difficult, no matter how carefully you prepare your book for publishing. However, some help is at hand. And it comes from a surprising source: Amazon. KDP to the rescue I was delighted to get an email from Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) pointing out that it had found…

Any author publishing with Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) knows about free Kindle ebook promotion. You can offer your ebook for free for five days during your ninety-day enrollment in KDP Select. Some may not know that free ebooks for Kindle have now become another little industry in itself. There are many, many sites on…

There is a lot of discussion about Smashwords vs. Amazon KDP Select exclusivity, especially among indie authors. A blog post by Mark Coker from Smashwords sparked a debate about the pros and cons of open publishing versus Amazon KDP Select exclusivity. It is well worth reading and especially the comments on his post. Amazon exclusivity…

Everyone wants something for nothing, so giving away free ebooks seems logical. But is it worthwhile? Many sites that offer lists of free Kindle ebooks are doing it to attract traffic for pay-per-click advertising on their website. Or they are trying to make Amazon Associate income from paid book sales and luring traffic by listing…