Self-Publishing

Smashwords vs Draft2Digital review for new authors. I have been a (very) long-time user of Smashwords. I have to say that without Mark Coker, there would never have been an alternative to Amazon for self-published authors and small press. But now, I’m using Draft2Digital for distribution to ebook retailers other than Amazon. Why am I changing…

Self-publishing has the reputation of being free or at least a cheap way to publish a book. In a sense, it is true. Free self-publishing for an ebook is extremely easy with Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). You can also find ample free book promotion opportunities online and on social media. You can create an ebook…

There are many reasons why an author might choose to publish under a pen name or pseudonym. Often, it is because of a complete change of genre. Or perhaps the topic matter is too far removed from what their loyal readers expect from authors they have read. If an author is well known for children’s…

Draft2Digital and Smashwords are aggregators that offer advantages in open publishing for Indie authors. But when it comes time to delete an ebook, take care. Draft2Digital shines with its interface and automatic end-matter, and Smashwords has a far wider distribution network and an online ebook store. For self-publishers, it’s a matter of choosing the best…

All self-publishing authors, publishers, and small press publishers face this decision. How do you choose between Smashwords and Draft2Digital, and Amazon KDP Select? Which ebook sales platform do you choose and why? There are no easy answers because all of them offer advantages and disadvantages. The simple solution would be for Amazon to drop its demand…

What are the KDP Select pros and cons? Enrolling in Amazon KDP Select means you must grant exclusive selling rights to Amazon for your Kindle ebook version. Before I start my Kindle Direct Publishing review (KDP), you need to know that you have two options when you self-publish with Amazon. You can use the standard Amazon…

There is no escaping the fact that great book covers or ebook covers will give a book the best chance of being noticed by potential readers. The opposite can be said of a terrible ebook cover, as it is a surefire way of telling book buyers to stay away. People do judge a book by…

Getting a few great book reviews is thrilling for all new self-published authors. But they are shocked if or when they see some Amazon reviews deleted. “Why were my Amazon book reviews deleted?” The reason why Amazon deletes reviews is not easy to understand from its guidelines, which you can read here in full. However, two…

Is crowdfunding, using sites such as Kickstarter a viable alternative for self-publishers? Crowdfunding is not top of mind for most self-publishing authors, who generally concentrate on Amazon KDP, Createspace, Lulu, Smashwords and Draft2Digital distribution to generate ebook and book sales.

If you publish with Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), do you know the royalty structure for Kindle ebooks? A KDP downloads charge is always deducted from your royalty. When a reader buys one of your Kindle ebooks, Amazon deducts a small amount from your royalties for delivery. You probably never noticed, but there is a royalty…