ramone_kalsaw Posted June 25, 2005 Share Posted June 25, 2005 I'm exploring the online publishing route for a book I'm writing, and was wondering if anyone here has already published an ebook. If so, what was the experience like in general? And what opinions have you formed regarding the ebook software that's available today. Thanks for sharing your experience! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D. J. Posted June 25, 2005 Share Posted June 25, 2005 I'm exploring the online publishing route for a book I'm writing, and was wondering if anyone here has already published an ebook. If so, what was the experience like in general? And what opinions have you formed regarding the ebook software that's available today. Thanks for sharing your experience! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hi Ramone, Glad to see a fellow author exploring beyond the boundaries of traditional publishing. I've got one ebook published, and several more in the holding pen, so I guess you could say I've got experience. Let me ask first, are you planning on publishing it yourself? Or are you looking into any of the many ebook publishers out there? In general, finding a reputable e-publisher is like walking through a mine field. There are good ones, and there are really bad ones that you want to avoid at all costs. Self publishing is, IMHO, the better route, but there are several steps that will also cost you. You still need ISBNs, which, when I purchased mine were $225 for a block of 10. That's the smallest number you can buy, btw. Then there's a fee whenever you register a number with R. R. Bowker, but I don't recall right off the top of my head how much it is. You still need to get a registered copyright on the book with the Library of Congress. The last I knew that was $35 or so (current fees are available on the Library's website). Then of course, there's your own website so you can market the book (THE HARD PART). But, since you're here, you've already found the best host on the planet. The advantage of self-publishing is, you have more control because everything is in your name. The disadvantage is, you have to do all the work yourself. I took it as a learning experience. Actually, I started a tutorial on my site to help others avoid some of the pitfalls out there (some of which I learned the hard way), but I still haven't finished it yet. Bad D.J.! No Cookie! Let me get together some of the tips and links I collected and get back to you. And hey, best of luck if you go this route! D. J. Sullivan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D. J. Posted June 26, 2005 Share Posted June 26, 2005 Okay, here's some general info to get you started. ISBN FAQ http://www.isbn.org/standards/home/isbn/us/isbnqa.asp Here's a link for a printable ISBN application. The fee is still $225 for 10 with standard processing. http://www.isbn.org/standards/home/isbn/us...ntable/isbn.asp A tutorial about the application http://www.isbn.org/standards/home/isbn/us/isbngloss.asp Oh, I may have misspoke about there being a fee for registering the numbers when you assign them to a book. I couldn't find anything about any such fee, so I guess you just let them know the particulars and they list it. Although I could be wrong about that too. For info on copyrighting. The fee is $30, btw http://www.copyright.gov/ If you have any more specific questions, don't hesitate to ask. I can't help much on the software question. I did mine in Adobe because that seems to be the most universally used PDF. I know there's several others that are undoubtedly cheaper though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramone_kalsaw Posted June 26, 2005 Author Share Posted June 26, 2005 Okay, here's some general info to get you started. ISBN FAQ http://www.isbn.org/standards/home/isbn/us/isbnqa.asp Here's a link for a printable ISBN application. The fee is still $225 for 10 with standard processing. http://www.isbn.org/standards/home/isbn/us...ntable/isbn.asp A tutorial about the application http://www.isbn.org/standards/home/isbn/us/isbngloss.asp Oh, I may have misspoke about there being a fee for registering the numbers when you assign them to a book. I couldn't find anything about any such fee, so I guess you just let them know the particulars and they list it. Although I could be wrong about that too. For info on copyrighting. The fee is $30, btw http://www.copyright.gov/ If you have any more specific questions, don't hesitate to ask. I can't help much on the software question. I did mine in Adobe because that seems to be the most universally used PDF. I know there's several others that are undoubtedly cheaper though. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> THANK YOU, D.J.! You really primed my pump with all of the info you provided. I'm going to take a look at what you've sent, do a bit more research on my own ... and then continue the conversation. Thanks again for being so generous with your info! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D. J. Posted June 26, 2005 Share Posted June 26, 2005 THANK YOU, D.J.! Not a problem. The very best of luck to you. It takes a bit of work, and can lead to random, major anxiety attacks, but it's completely do-able. I'll keep my eye out for further posts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D. J. Posted June 26, 2005 Share Posted June 26, 2005 I don't know how I could have forgot this place! Dave has a very comprehensive information site for writers and also offers free advertising for first timers. What a guy eh? http://www.anotherealm.com/prededitors/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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