Thoughts from a Newly Converted Draft2Digital User

draft2digital logoWhen I first started self-publishing, the conventional wisdom said to publish direct to Amazon and use Smashwords to distribute to other online stores, such as Apple, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo. But, shortly after I did that, I started hearing about another player in the field, Draft2Digital. Everyone who used D2D described it as wonderful, but I was still hesitant to try something new, so I didn’t.

However, after it took 23 days for Smashwords to implement a price change at one retailer, I was ready to try something new. With my most recent novel, I decided to give D2D a try. And now, I AM IN LOVE.

Not “lust.” Not “infatuation.” Not “really hot for.” But truly, deeply in love. Continue reading “Thoughts from a Newly Converted Draft2Digital User”

Choices for Publishing: eBooks, Part One

publish buttonCongrats! You’ve finished your book! Your editor and beta readers have worked their magic, you have a kickass cover and an awesome blurb, and your ARC readers are ready to post their reviews as soon as you push the “do it” button and release your book.

The question is which “do it” button to use. The good news is that you don’t have to pick just one; you can mix and match, depending on how many ways you want readers to be able to buy your books. And the choice you make now doesn’t have to be your final answer; if your book isn’t performing on a particular platform, you can bail out and try something else.

But there are a few things to keep in mind when you’re making your initial choice. I’m going to cover eBook publishing options today, because I happen to think eBooks are quicker and easier than print. (Your mileage may vary, of course.) We’ll get to the options for dead-tree books later this month. Continue reading “Choices for Publishing: eBooks, Part One”

Uploading Your Book to the Google Play Store

googleplay booksWhenever I visit various independent author forums, I’m bound to stumble across a handful of people who say they make most of their profits selling online with someone other than Amazon (Barnes & Noble, Kobo, etc.). Most recently, a person posted that they earned 50 percent of their sales from the Google Play store.

So, I decided to head on over and set up my books for Google Play. (Surely my audience is over at Google Play; that’s why they’re not buying the books via Amazon).

There is one important thing you need to know before you sign up for Google Play: they heavily discount your price. Unless you set your book at 99 cents, Google Play will change the price. This wonderful Kindle Boards post gives a chart explaining what price you need to set your book on Google Play to get it to be one of the standard U.S. prices. For example, you must set your Google Play price to $3.94 if you want it to sell for $2.99. Continue reading “Uploading Your Book to the Google Play Store”