Steps to Creating and Publishing Your eBook

You may have read a recent blog post about Caroline Street Press, our e-publishing division here at AGPR. We started the division for two reasons:

1. As writers, we love ebooks (and Print On Demand books) as well as working with creative people.

2. We keep getting calls and email from aspiring indie writers asking us to coffee to “pick our brain” about ebooks and print-on-demand publishing.

So, as much as we like a free cup of coffee (and a picked brain), we figured it would be better for everyone involved if we offered a professional service package rather than just caffeine-fueled, off-the-cuff advice. Whether it’s a mystery novel or a guide to appliance repair, we can help.

That in mind, we’re offering a few free (though you can mail us coffee or a Starbucks card if you care to) tips on what it takes to publish a quality ebook right here on the blog every day for the next few days. Bear in mind, this is merely the tip(s) of the proverbial iceberg, so if you’re interested in a one-on-one consultation about getting your book from your computer to Amazon.com (or Barnes & Noble, etc.) then please contact us. We’re here to help!

eBooks are one of the fastest-growing segments of the publishing industry–and the vast majority of eBooks are independently produced. Where once-mighty publishing houses controlled virtually every aspect of editing, production, and marketing of a book, today authors can go it alone–often with spectacular results. This post (and the next few after it) covers the basic tasks required to publish a quality eBook.

1. Write a Good Book. Though this may seemingly be understood, many writers–intoxicated by the relative ease of getting their book from their computer to market–don’t put enough time and effort into writing a quality book. We suggest writing the first draft, putting it aside for a few weeks, then revisiting the manuscript for a rewrite.  After the rewrite, share it with a few “beta readers.” Ideally, these are people who will “give it to you straight” about parts of the books that need work. They shouldn’t take the place of an editor, but they can be immensely helpful if they will read your work and give you an honest critique.

2. Hire an Editor. This is some of the best money you will ever invest (trust us, we know from firsthand experience). After you make any necessary changes, ship your manuscript off to an experienced editor. They will find things you and your beta readers missed such as typos, inconsistencies, rough sentence structure, etc. Once the editor returns the marked draft, it’s up to the author (you) to accept the recommended changes. After any changes are made and a final polish of the manuscript is complete, then you’re ready to go to the next step.

3. Get A Good Cover. How many wonderful books are ignored because of a below-average cover? You need a cover that screams credibility–and one that will attract attention even when it’s a tiny thumbnail on a computer screen.

Tune in for more tomorrow: formatting, ISBNs and more!