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Ebook distribution can be overwhelming. Here are some simple dos and don’ts to help you with your distribution!
Ebook Distribution Dos:
Do make sure any images you use are high enough quality to not appear grainy, but also sized down enough for ebook viewing before inserting them in your book. File size can limit your options on pricing, so you want your file to be as small as possible for ebook distribution. Check out our blog post here to learn more about resizing images for ebook.
Do use standard formatting. This means indents and no extra spacing between paragraphs. For the indents, use a first line indent set at about .25 inch rather than an actual indent character (which is much too big, plus it’s easy to miss putting one in). You can read more about block versus standard formatting in our blog post here. Be sure to check the indent size in whatever ebook program you use to make sure that it looks good (different program translate spacing differently). Just download a sample and take a peek at the indent size.
Do preview your ebook on different ereaders to make sure it’ll look good everywhere. Here we’re not just looking at indent as mentioned above, but all aspects of the formatting.
Do secure reviews for your book before actually publishing the book by sending out review copies. That way, immediately after your ebook is published, your reviewers can post reviews.
Do research the different ebook vendors and distributors and decide where you would like to distribute your book. You can read more about different ebook vendors in our blog post here.
Do take time filling out the metadata when uploading an ebook to a retailer. This is how readers find your book! Be specific and honest with the keywords you choose and make sure the synopsis is attention-grabbing and free from typos.
Do opt to sell your book in other countries when uploading to an ebook vendor; many of them allow you to sell your book in other countries (like Great Britain, Canada, and Australia).
Do set up your ebook to release on multiple vendors at the same time (unless you are in Amazon’s KDP Select, which prohibits selling on other platforms).
Do check your ebook in each vendor’s preview mode, especially Amazon’s, since even if your book looks good on an ereader, it may look terrible in the preview. This preview is the readers first exposure to your actual ebook, and you want it to look appealing. If your ebook is displaying oddly in the previewer but looks fine on an actual ereader, you may need to work with the vendor to discover why it is doing so. They will usually fix it if you email them.
Do sell your book on Amazon. Amazon accounts for 70% of all US ebook sales. It is also the largest ebook retailer in the UK, so if your book isn’t on Amazon, you’re losing a huge audience.
Do ask other authors for advice if something unexpected happens while uploading. It’s likely they’ve faced a similar situation.
Do make sure to upload a final ebook copy in time for a vendor to release a book you’ve set up for pre-order. Some vendors have deadlines and will lock a book days before a release, so you need to make sure you get your final version up before that time.
Ebook Distribution Don’ts:
Don’t use unusual formatting.
Don’t limit yourself to just one ebook vendor (unless your book is in Amazon’s KDP Select). Many authors are earning thousands a month on various platforms.
Don’t write a quick synopsis for your book without asking someone with an editing background to read over it first. If the synopsis has errors, readers will assume the book has errors has well, even if that is not the case.
Don’t overprice your ebook, especially if it’s one of your first and your name isn’t well-known. If you aren’t well-known, we recommend not going higher than $3.99. We also recommend not going over $10.00, even if you’re a well-established author. For ebooks more than $9.99, amazon will not pay independent publishers more than 35%. Pricing it between $2.99 and $9.99 will give you 70%.
Don’t stress too much! Even if you miss something, you can always fix it and upload a new file.
We hope this post helps you with your ebook distribution! If you have any questions or comments, let us know below.
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