Everything was so symetrical. I had three books published. Three books unpublished but completed. And three works in progess. So what did I go and do? Started another novel. This one is obviously a science fiction novel set in the far future on a spaceship. I’ll give you more details as I get further along– maybe after I finish the first chapter.
Getting a book published is tough. If you are an unknown author, it’s really tough. So ebooks seem like the answer. The whole ebook phenomenon is new and getting in on the ground floor seems like an easy way to break into the publishing world. But there are problems.
First, how do you make an ebook? There just aren’t any good ebook creation programs out there. The commercial ebook programs don’t create ebook files at all in any of the common formats. Instead they create an executable file that creates a proprietary ebook. I don’t know about you, but I don’t download executable files unless I’m absolutely sure that they come from a reputable source, and most unknown authors are… well, unknown. There are a few freeware ebook programs out there, but try figuring out how to use them when the instructions are all in Russian!
You can publish through Lulu and get an “electronic version” of your book, but it is only in pdf form. In fact, there are plenty of ways to make a good-looking pdf, but as my friends at Mobile Read Forums constantly remind me, pdf’s are not ebooks. PDFs are designed for printing. People with ebook readers don’t like them, because the text may not reflow correctly (Sony) or they won’t work at all without conversion (Kindle).
Even if you did manage to create your own, where would you sell it? There are a few file hosting sites with payment arrangements, but not ones that are freqented by ebook buyers. You can get your books out at Feedbooks and Manybooks, but not if you want to get paid for your work.
That leaves Smashwords, where you can upload your file and their program (called the meatgrinder) converts it to the various formats. Some people have had very bad luck with this conversion, getting garbage out the other end. I have worked very hard to make sure that my books follow their style guide and I check what I’m getting, and so far I think the books are acceptable though not perfect (about on par with what I get from Feedbooks). What they really need is a way to edit the final products once they have been converted.
If anyone knows of an Ebook Creation Program that actually creates ebooks in real ebook formats (epub, lrf, mobi, etc) let me know, I will buy it. Then I’ll work at getting my books in ebook stores.
Well, back in march I blogged about my intention to build my ebook library up to the level of the famed library of Alexandria– 50,000 books. I’m not there yet, but I just passed 2000 ebooks*. Coincidentally this happened on the same day that Google announced it will begin selling ebooks to be read online. They have said that they don’t see ebooks tied to a specific device. I hope this doesn’t mean they won’t be available for ereaders, because if that is the case, I think they are missing the boat. If you are a reader and you haven’t tried a Sony PRS or a similar device, you should.
* During the same period, I’ve read 18, but my “to be read” list is really growing.
I told you how happy I was that His Robot Girlfriend, in the form of a free ebook, had been downloaded 100 times. Imagine my pleasure when I saw at the end of the second week that the downloads were topping 400. Today is the 1 month anniversary of the free ebook HRG, and the current download total is…. drumroll…. 850 on Smashwords+ 384 on Feedbooks = 1234!
Princess of Amathar, previously available only as a .pdf or at the Amazon Kindle store for $3.19, is now available as a multiformat ebook for just $1.59. Just follow the link on the right hand side of the page. For the next five weeks, you can get this ebook for just 99 cents by following this link first to get a coupon code. For coupon code, click here.
In addition to the ebook version from Smashwords (Available by clicking on the image on the right), Eaglethorpe Buxton and the Elven Princess is now available at Feedbooks.com. Get it by clicking RIGHT HERE.
The digest paperback edition of “His Robot Girlfriend” has been updated, fixing a few typos that had eluded ten different editors. You can purchase it with the link to the right. It is available for $4.95, which is essentially at cost and fits in nicely with the free ebook, also available on the right side of the screen.
City of Amathar 