A question about publishing right

[MichaelSullivan]

is there software that allows the average joe to format to a ePub file type? In this day in age I would find it hard to believe that such software is exclusive just to publishers. But nothing would surprise me really.

Calibre (free) makes very nice .epubs - it can "start" with files of all types of formats, I personally start with .html. And its pretty simple as it is a just a "flat file format" (can be edited in notepad) with hypertext codes

<p> </p> - around paragraphs
<i> </i> - around italics
<b> </b> - around bold

You can get a bit fancier by adding graphics and hyperlinks but the above will get you 98% of the way there.

 

[sashamerideth]

I'll disagree with "ebook formatting specialists" requirements. To do an ebook "well" is a VERY simple process. Doing ebook formatting is much easier than most realize and can be done easily with some global search/replace in word and using standard notepad editor. Once you get the base .html file created a free program like Calibre can make every format imaginable.... .epub, .mobi (kindle), .lrf, .lit, in a matter of seconds.

If I were running a publishing house, I would want people working in parallel, someone to do the book formatting and someone else to do the eBook formatting. Maybe a small shop doesn't need it, but a big one, probably.

 

[MichaelSullivan]

My wife runs a small press and I've formatted many books (both ebook and print) the whole thing from start to finish takes a few hours each (about 4 hours for print....about 2 hours for ebook) so we aren't talking significant time such that you have to do them in parallel. If you were talking about something that took weeks - I would see your point but you can get both done in less than one "man-person" day.

 

[gerald.parson]

This subject matter could really work in conjunction with the other thread around self-publishing. If creating eBooks is a process with a moderate learning curve that most people could handle, then it seems like there is no need for a publisher at all. For eBooks that is.

 

[sashamerideth]

This subject matter could really work in conjunction with the other thread around self-publishing. If creating eBooks is a process with a moderate learning curve that most people could handle, then it seems like there is no need for a publisher at all. For eBooks that is.

I have already put two short works on Kindle, formatting was easy but they were just plain fiction, nothing fancy. These aren't going to a publisher. I want to send my full length novels off though, so rights and legalities I will need to look out for.

 

[gerald.parson]

But you hope also to be published in print right? Not just eBook format?

I have already put two short works on Kindle, formatting was easy but they were just plain fiction, nothing fancy. These aren't going to a publisher. I want to send my full length novels off though, so rights and legalities I will need to look out for.

 

[Yukinara]

Hi guys, thanks for all of your feedback, so basically, this is what will happen

Some publishers will flat out say no
Some publishers might allow me to retain the right to sell ebook on my own but I have to sign a kind of paper work not to compete with them for a certain time.

So in the end I guess I will go with self publishing. I found that it is very tedious to go the traditional way. I'm fully aware that ebook is made up a small amount of all book sales but there are many reasons why I want to go digital

1- I don't have to go through all the hassle to find an agent, then that agent will find me a publisher
2- It will take maybe 1 to 2 years to see my book and I can't sell them on online for another 18 months or so.
3- Even with I go through all of these steps, it is still hard to sell the book if they continue to keep the price high. Publishers have tons of books from many authors so they don't need to sell alot for each book. They have the big volume to cover for that. For a lone writer like me, I will lose readers with the way they price my book.
4- I want feedback from the readers. I have a story to tell and I want to know what people think about it. I work on this novel because of my passion so I want to send it out to the world.
5- I will promote my own work my way.

I know that the quality of professional editing is important so I already hired some editors to work for me.

 

[SeverinR]

Contract negotiation:
The Literary agent that spoke at the library said this;
Contract negotiation is a give and take.

He mentioned a person giving up a thousand dollars in money so he could get 100 free copies of his book.(cost if purchased with author discount after print:$30-40) and he could not be talked out of it.

I am leaning towards epub for at least my first book maybe a couple SS, to get known. Then look to finding an agent after that.

I don't see the benefit of self publishing at this point. You pay to have a book printed with your money, and get stuck with boxes of books no one wants, verses having a book for sale if someone wants it, if no one wants it, you haven't wasted to much.
Also spur of the moment sales online versus trying to find the book store that actually has your self pub book? And you can link to your ebook on every social site on-line you go to.