Are you itching to get in on the social media Reels craze but don’t know how to create and upload a Reel?
You’re not alone. I had the same desire and problem… but not anymore.
In case you missed the memo… A Reel is a short video of fun stuff. The sky is the limit for content. Some are hilarious; others not so much. It’s easy to click to the next one if you’re not pleased with what you see.
Reels are a specific size (*1080 pixels wide x 1920 pixels tall). It’s short in length… from .03 seconds to a maximum 90 seconds. Mine are about 30 to 45 seconds long. I use them to give viewers a quick break and to introduce my books.
The majority of Reels are vertical clips from cellphones. But not all. Mine are created with help from a couple of apps I’ve invested in.
Here’s a Reel I recently uploaded:
How did I create it? I’ll give you the nutshell version…
Think of a pain point to address (Like getting unstuck…)
Imagine 3-5 pictures showing a viewer how to maneuver through and out of the pain point.
Collect the pictures (I use Night Café Studio to create the images) into your reels file and 2 or 3 words for each image.
Next, I open up Doodly to create the reel. (Doodly is a cloud-based video editing program that lets users create whiteboard animations and doodle videos. I highly recommend and love Doodly. It’s easy to use and fun.)
Set Doodly or your chosen animation program to the custom size of 1080 px wide x 1920 px tall. To keep the hand behind the images, I set the board to glass.
Upload the images into Doodly as props. Place them on the board in the order you want them to draw onto the board.
Add suitable music… remember to lower the volume on the music to about 12 on the scale so you don’t blast your viewer in the face.
After you’ve previewed and adjusted for perfection… Export your reel in webm (for YouTube) and also mp4 (for Facebook and Instagram)
Voila! Upload it to your social media platforms.
That’s it! Have fun!
I’ll leave you with this plethora of books to peruse, download and read. Until next time…
Do you feel your eyes glazing over and your ears muffling when Metadata and Keywords enter the picture? I do. Excuse me while I rinse my eyes and clean my ears to even write this article.
I’m back and determined to conquer the two most dreaded words in my world of publishing fun and inspirational books. Are you with me?
First and foremost, there’s attitude adjustment. They’re just words, for crying out loud. Scribbles on paper. Are they really bigger than us?
No! They are not!
Think of metadata and keywords as the magical spells that guide readers. These are the two elements that lead readers to your books in a gargantuan digital library.
But you must craft them thoughtfully. With the seeker in mind.
Choose relevant keywords to make your book discoverable in our ginormous digital jungle. Remember, you want to be the one shiny object that catches the reader’s eye amidst the sea of options.
How do you become the shiny object?
Enter metadata, keywords, and search engines.
It’s search engines like Google, Bing, Duck-Duck, etc. that dig deep to locate and present readers with on-point books they are seeking. The trick is to shrink the list.
For instance… As a reader, I type ‘Cozy Mystery with Cats’ into the search engine. I get a list of a mere 6,790,000 entries that the writer has included ‘cozy’ ‘mystery’ and ‘cats’ in their keywords when they uploaded the book. Ugh!
Oh, the joy of options that search engines give…
But don’t let that deter you… You have a tidbit of control .
Here’s how.
When I type ‘Alexie Linn’ into a search engine I get a cool 1,430,000 results for this puny little writer. Really? And I thought I was invisible… And therein lies the problem.
Cyberspace is not your corner store. It’s aiming to please over 8 billion seekers of information 24/7. How does cyberspace know what, exactly, is one reader looking for? By sorting through gazillions of metadata and keywords provided by publishers. And algorithms.
What does this mean to the indie publisher?
It means that it’s totally up to the publisher to fork out the metadata and keywords. Search engines then yank documents (books and posts) containing these words out of cyberspace and offer them to the seeker.
To simplify…
Metadata is simply a plural noun that means ‘computing information that is held as a description of stored data.’ It’s information about information. A library catalog is metadata because it describes publications. My web address, alexielinnauthor.com, is metadata because it holds the key that describes Alexie Linn’s publications.
Clear as mud? Maybe not so much anymore. According to Ingram Spark, ‘Simply put, your book metadata is any data that describes your book—including title, subtitle, price, publication date, ISBN, and any …’ Metadata is a given. Not a guessing game.
Got it. Metadata is required for any uploaded book. That’s logical.
But what about keywords? And hashtags? When will it end?
Keywords are for Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Period. They are a significant word or phrase that describes a document. Cat is a broad keyword. My search engine pulled up over 6 million cozies with cats. But when I added Calico Cat, it narrowed my search to only 810,000 books. It zeroed in on the choices – bypassing a bunch!
So, if my book is about a calico cat, I should make calico cat a keyword or longer phrase to get my story 6 million times closer to being found. ‘Male calico cats’ cut the options to 756,000. About another 60,000 entries closer to discovery.
Do you see what’s happening? Keywords are what sets your book apart from the hordes. Make your keywords be the only brunette in a sea of blondes. Assuming the reader is looking for a brunette in their search…
Hashtags are the same, but completely different in their use. Not for this post.
If these two words are still making your brain ooze, I have a couple of key recommendations. One is ‘Amazon Keywords for Books’ by Dale Roberts. The book dives deeper but doesn’t drown you. I also own and am affiliated with Dave Chesson’s Publisher Rocket. Publisher Rocket is an shockingly quick and easy research tool for keywords, competition, categories and more. I have found that both of these tools are paramount to success and well worth the investment.
However, if your wallet is currently financially embarrassed, type ‘keywords for authors’ into any search engine. You will find oodles and oodles of free to read posts written on the topic.
But enough said for now about keywords and metadata. Let’s move on to this week’s much more exciting featured offer for only you valued readers of my little newsletter.
WooHoo! Book 20 of the Sally the Loner series has launched and is available today! The eBook is only 99¢ if you grab it through the button below.
Here’s the cover…
What would you do if a pushy cat came scratching at your door? A rare male calico cat. Would you shoo him away? Invite him in? Or let him take over the place while you searched for his caregiver?
Better yet. What would Sally do?
Join Sally and Rodney on this wild ride of a rambunctious, bossy, cuddly stray cat that seems to know more than he’s saying. And is the source of chaotic upheaval on Sally’s compound; including sending Sally to jail.
Publishing wide is like being a social butterfly in the literary world. Instead of putting all your eggs in one basket, you spread them across different platforms like a savvy dabbler of words. It involves making your work available on various online bookstores, not just putting all your hopes on one exclusive platform.
Advantages of wide publishing
Advantages? Oh, there’s a few.
Think increased visibility and reach. You’re not limiting yourself to a single pond; you’re swimming in an ocean of readers. Plus, more control over pricing and promotions, and the sweet scent of independence.
Challenges of wide publishing
Of course, nothing great comes without its challenges.
Coordinating different platforms can feel like herding cats. Each one has its quirks, rules, and algorithms. Plus, building a loyal readership across multiple sites takes time and effort. But hey, nothing worth doing is ever easy, right?
Don’t put all your literary eggs on Amazon’s shelf. Spread them out!
Explore other platforms like Apple Books, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and more. Cast a wide net to catch a wider audience. There’s a very easy way to do that… kind of a one-stop-shop if you will. I’ll tell you about it coming up.
Royalty structures vary
Navigating the world of royalty structures across different platforms can be like decoding a secret language. But understanding how you get paid for your work is crucial in maximizing your revenue streams when publishing wide. It’s like unlocking a treasure chest of earnings potential.
Platform-specific requirements
Different platforms often come with their own set of rules. These requirements can feel like juggling multiple balls at once. But take each platform step-by-step to successfully navigate the wide publishing landscape. It’s like being a ninja, agile and adaptable in the face of challenges.
Now to the nitty gritty simplicity of what this author does…
I publish on Amazon, D2D, and Google Play. That’s it. (With one exception – Direct from me, the author)
By uploading to these three platforms, my books are available online worldwide. Readers find my books at Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple, and about 25 others; including libraries.
Amazon handles eBooks, Large Print, and Audiobooks. (Except Mama’s Morsels of Home. It’s currently available only on Amazon and only in standard print.)
Google Play has only eBooks.
But D2D is the treasure chest. D2D distributes eBooks and standard print paperbacks to Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple, and more… including libraries.
In conclusion
Publishing wide offers readers and writers a world of opportunities. For writers, opportunities to expand their reach, connect with diverse audiences, and maximize their earning potential.
Cheers to a future filled with creativity, innovation, and wide-reaching impact.
Onward to this post’s featured escape opportunity.
Here is Book 2 of the Joan Freed Life-Changing Mystery and Adventure Series.
Two women lay sprawled in front of my truck. They are very dead. Queenie sits still like a statue on the passenger side of my vintage Chevy pick-up. She looks like the circus fat lady, which she thinks she is. But she’s not laughing. I am on sabbatical in the Kaibab National Forest. I am feeding my own free spirit with life-changing time by myself. This time is much needed and anticipated after my last exhausting coaching case.
I know none of these women. The two dead ones seem to have known me. They have magically materialized near each of my camps for a couple of seasons now. I met Queenie last evening. I was simply lending a hand, or in this case, my truck and nutritional expertise, to a woman in temporary need. Our less than 24-hour kinship was an uncomplicated ‘women helping women’ moment – I thought.
While this could be a wearisome story of murder and mayhem, it isn’t. It’s the story of how one woman’s life changing personal transformation had a ripple effect in solving a cold case and enriching personal growth.
The Personal Transformation of Queenie is on sale now for 99 cents at your favorite retailer. Or… you can download the eBook direct from the author by clicking the link below.
Have you indie published a cookbook yet? How did you get it to upload as precise, not gibberish?
This one is finally done! And it’s ready to claim its cranny on your cooking shelf!
It was a challenge!
I learned things about Word that I never thought existed. Things like what the ‘layout’ section is for. And how to use it. Phew!
And then there’s the upload as an eBook…
The biggest learning curve was getting it to upload as an eBook. We had to ensure it wouldn’t pop-up as gobbledygook on your, the reader’s, end. The problem was keeping the precise formatting through cyberspace that recipes need. But thanks to Amazon, there’s an app for that. It’s called Kindle Create (it’s free). I only had to download; install it and follow the so-called bouncing ball.
When I opened it to get this eBook finally rolling off to you, I had a decision to make. What kind of book am I creating? The correct answer is ‘print replica’. I uploaded my ‘camera ready’ PDF. And, much to my shocked glee, we were off, running, and done in no time… a ready to ship kdp file nestled into my computer.
The app is only for Amazon. Therefor, I could not successfully list Mama’s Morsels of Home on all my usual publishing sites. The great news is that it’s currently available on Amazon Kindle in both eBook and small print.
And in case you’re faced with the same predicament, I’ll share with you how I got it done. In 9 easy steps. Here they are:
Enter the recipes (with 300 dpi images) into a database like Recipe Keeper.
Download the ‘cookbook’ so you can open it in a word processing program like Word.
Open the ‘cookbook’ in your word processing program. Add your front matter, introduction, dedication, and back matter.
Format and edit the entire manuscript to your specs (page size, page breaks, layout, etc). Plan on several edits because things change and move with the formatting. You want the manuscript to be ‘camera ready’. When it’s ‘camera ready’…
Quick! Save it as a PDF to freeze everything where you want it!
Hang on! You’re on the home stretch to publish your cookbook successfully!
Create a new project in Kindle Create – it’s free on Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing.
Upload your ‘camera ready’ PDF into the app.
Check it. Save it. Export it to your cookbook file on your computer.
Voila! You now have an epub fixed format file to upload as an eBook. You also have a PDF ‘camera ready’ file to upload as a print book.
But in case you missed the caveat… Amazon is the only place that the eBook file will upload to. And Amazon is the only place that offers to print with full color images. So, Amazon it is…
Please email me here if you’ve found a better way. A better way to indie publish a cookbook with color photos to all venues.
So, in the meantime… It’s done! Ready for your perusal, cooking and dining pleasure. Here it is… sporting the cover that readers chose… I like it. I think you will, too.
Heads-up!
If you’re seeking 22 ingredient recipes, you won’t find them here. We also don’t have 22 steps to score perfection. And if you’re looking for man-cave meats, this is NOT the cookbook for you.
This cookbook is for the chief cook and bottle-washer who is short on time, cash, and energy.
It is perfect for those who love easy, tasty meals… and more…
Whether you’re shopping for a book for yourself or someone else, word counts matter. If you are writing a book, reading time is important too.
What’s the difference? Isn’t reading or writing a book just reading or writing a book?
Well, no. If you’re shopping for a book as a gift: there are many variables to consider. Variables like:
Who’s it for? Are they young, middle age, or as old as dirt?
What are their interests? What genre yanks them in like a magnet?
How long is their attention span?
How’s their vision? Do they read itty-bitty words well or do they enjoy large print?
What is their reading device? An eBook reader or is print a need?
But if you’re a writer, certain decisions must be made while you’re in the outline stage. Decisions like:
Who’s it for? Are they young, middle age, or as old as dirt?
Are you writing a flash fiction; a short story; a novelette; a novella; or a novel?
Genre. Each genre has a general word count to begin with.
What are your interests and skills?
To make outlining your story easier, here’s a general list of word counts. Use these word counts to guide your story development.
As with any topic, opinions differ. I’ve done a roundup of several opinions to give you these examples for fiction:
Flash Fiction is from 3oo to 1,000 words (read in 1.2 to 4 minutes)
Short Story is from 1,000 to 3,000 words (read in 4 to 15 minutes)
Novelette is from 3,000 to 20,000 words (read in 4 minutes to 3 hours)
Novellas are from 20,000 to 50,000 words (read in 3 to 5 hours)
Novels range from 50,000 to 110,000 words (read in 5 to 8 hours)
But for Nonfiction, the standards are different. There’s only two general word counts to grapple with. They are:
Standard Nonfiction runs from 70,000 to 80,000 words
Memoirs are 80,000 to 100,000 words
In the general children’s category, there are:
Children’s Books and Picture Books – 300 to 800 words
Early Readers – 200 to 3,500 words
Let me share my experience in word counts and reading times. I will also explain why I write more cozy mysteries than other genres.
The majority of my books are cozy novellas. The chapters are short (about 1,000 words per chapter). The stories are fast-paced and trope loaded. I write this way because my life is fast-paced and trope loaded. The momentum is required to keep the story (and me) moving.
I also write this way because my readers are often interrupted. They need to find a fast, light escape whenever they can.
Your book needs to be as long or as short as your story demands. It should meet your needs. The numbers I’ve provided are simply a guide. A snippet to help you on your journey… because that’s where the enjoyment is… in the reading or writing journey.
On that note, I’ll finish this post with a blurb on my latest published book. I also invite you to corral it for yourself as an eBook for less than a dollar. Plus, I encourage you to shop all my series and singles on my website: https://alexielinnauthor.com
Cheers
Join Sally on a thrilling adventure as she navigates a mysterious spine-tingling shrieker; missing robots (including Rodney), and a pyromaniac.
With her trusty walking stick in hand, Sally and Cozy Mae embark on their journey. The witty robots, Rodney, Ruth Ann, and Sparkle, are by their side. They must unravel the puzzling clues to save the day.
Will the ladies be reunited with their bots? Can the unlikely team of Sally, Rodney, and Cousin Cozy Mae crack the case of the spine-chilling screech?
Find out in this gripping tale of friendship, mystery, and misadventures.
Have you ever wanted to escape to an island or mountaintop to write your memoirs? Picture it. (Hum if you’d like) You and your laptop lazing in your shanty. You are peering out at the ocean between bursts of amusing prose filling the screen.
The only sounds are the waves crashing; the wind whispering; the birds cheering you on. No mail delivery carrying bills will arrive. It won’t interrupt the purr of elation coming from the depths of your soul.
But then a voice invades your bliss. ‘Your battery is low. You must plug in very soon. Your battery is very low. This computer will shut down in 15-seconds. Save your work…’
Yep. Our world spins forth techy devices faster than we can acquaint ourselves with them. They’re great! I embrace more better ways of doing things. But they all have one thing in common… they need a source of power to function.
Consider this:
The first manuscript I sold was typed double-spaced and error-free. My typewriter was a portable suitcase style Smith Corona.
I typed it three times before I packaged it. Then I stuffed it into a manilla envelope. Finally, I mailed it off to Gold Prospector’s Magazine with a cover letter and self-addressed-stamped envelope (SASE) enclosed as well. The process was cumbersome, expensive, and frustrating. It was even more so if the manuscript came bouncing back in that SASE. It often included a friendly ‘Thank you, butnot today’ note.
And no, I’m not as old as Methuselah, but I am well over 21.
On the plus side of the equation, no electricity or telephone was needed to start and finish the process. But life has changed dramatically, to say the least.
Today, a computer and an internet connection are unavoidable. Manuscripts are uploaded; books are downloaded; paper and ink are obsolete. Even the market for books is zooming around out there in cyberspace.
What’s a backwoods, off-grid writer to do?
Adapt and count your blessings because with technology has come freedom, sharpened resourcefulness and opportunity.
Freedomto create wherever your desires take you (as long as you have internet service).
Daily mind gymnastics to keep your tools charged up and in tip-top condition.
Opportunities to write, publish, and sell wherever the internet flows. No postal service required.
I’ve written and published over 40 books. I did this while I was perched on a mountaintop or buried in tall pines that whisper in the breeze. I also wrote alongside a babbling brook, or two. I even string words together in my tiny off-grid abode in the Sonoran Desert.
How do I do it?
Because this is a short blog, I’ll limit my sharing to what I do today. Yesterday’s generators and giant solar systems are history in my world.
Four handy little techy inventions power-up my writing world. One could almost fit them inside a backpack.
When you peer inside my writing world, here is what you see:
2-300 – watt portable power centers. One is charging while the other is being a power source. (I choose Jackery or Litheli brands as the best—so far.)
1-100 – watt lightweight portable solar charging panel (or a 900-watt gas generator if you live where the sun rarely shines).
1 laptop computer to write, upload, and download. Rewrites and editing are done in a flash. No paper or ink is needed.
1 – smart phone with hot-spot capabilities to upload, download, and communicate with readers wherever they enjoy your creations.
And there you have it. I call it empowerment. And it’s how I spell freedom.
This is the system I use to ask you: Which title piques your curiosity more?
Too Many Bodies and a Burro OR Quest for Forester’s Landing
Sally, an energetic 87-year-old woman, faces this exact dilemma. Intrigued by the animals, she decides to investigate why they keep returning to her property. What she discovers shocks her to the core – their water trough is contaminated with a body. But whose body is it? And how did it end up in the water trough?
With no one else around but a goat, chickens and a pup, Sally is alone. Is the body their missing caregiver? As the mystery deepens, she must grapple with the fate of both the animals and the unknown person in the trough.
Join Sally on her thrilling and perplexing journey as she unravels the truth behind this mysterious misadventure.
Prepare to be captivated by the twists and turns in “The Secrets of the Tainted Trough”. A tale filled with suspense, intrigue, and unexpected revelations.
And share a recent review for the same story.
Secrets of the Tainted Trough Audiobook Review:
Book Rating: 5 out of 5
Narrator Rating: 5 out of 5
Review:
An entertaining and fun adventure for the amazing Sally, with a lot of twists and plenty of humour. Schann Stewart’s narration is excellent, I loved Sally’s voice.
And now that I’ve bared the simplicity of my off-grid techy laden world with you, I will get back to my work-in-progress. I encourage you to do the same.
Yes, you can. The important stuff, anyway. You can tell it things like:
You have my attention!
You look intriguing…
What are you about?
I want to snuggle up with you in front of a cozy fire – or in front of a cooling AC as the case may be.
If you can’t tell a book those things by its cover, the cover has missed the mark.
The cover to your book is the full-page ad you’ve signed up for. Why not make it pay?
Here’s how:
Whether you’re farming the job out or doing it yourself, you will need to have a picture in your head to convey to the artist. Here’s what the artist needs to know:
Size
Colors
Subject Matter
Font
Size
Canva (my goto) digital book covers are 1410 pixels by 2250 pixels. This works perfect for 6” x 9” books.
Colors
Pick your colors by the genre and the attitude of your book. What emotion do you want to fire up? For example: pink and purple for cozy mysteries; black and red for horror stories; green, blue, and brown for dramas. Nothing is set in stone… but do you get the picture?
Click for details
Subject matter
The image should hint at what’s inside. Lightly. Here’s a typical size nonfiction cover that’s been clicked time and time again:
Click for details
But this cozy mystery cover misses the mark entirely and is on the make a new cover list asap:
Click for details
Here’s the cozy that’s had the most comments:
Click for details
And this is cozy mystery cover that breaks all the color rules but is a close second for grabbing attention:
Who can tell what will be the next cover magnet? Except that the subject of the cover should hint at what a reader can expect to be enthralled with on the inside.
Font
Choose your font for clear readability and emotion. Bloody drips hint at gore… but can the title and author be read?
The Perfect Cover
The perfect cover snags attention in a lineup of teeny tiny pictures. It reaches out and grabs a reader’s emotions to dig deeper.
Whether you choose a cover creator service or conjure it yourself with an AI cover image creator like Night Café Studio and Canva, you still have to tell them what you want produced.
Be ready to communicate the size, colors, subject matter, and font of the project.
Got Your Ears On? Here’s how to 1)Save Money! 2)Learn! 3)Be Entertained! All with your ears!
How often does your jet-speed commute turn into a ‘hurry-up-and-wait’ parking lot? Or an appointment flip-flop into cooling your jets in a waiting room? Then there’s the inevitable rehearsal that went overtime and yada, yada, yada.
What do you do to survive none the worse for wear?
Here’s a simple solution.
Read a book with your ears!
Schann Stewart, Alexie Linn, and Audible have partnered to bring you a brand-new audiobook that’s yours for the asking.
Have you met the players?
Schann Stewart is a voice magician. She sings. She plays all the parts in a story, including the horse and donkey. She entertains.
You’re already getting to know Alexie Linn, the author, quite well.
Sally, an energetic 87-year-old woman, faces this exact dilemma. Intrigued by the animals, she decides to investigate why they keep returning to her property. What she discovers shocks her to the core – their water trough is contaminated with a body. But whose body is it? And how did it end up in the water trough?
With no one else around but a goat, chickens and a pup, Sally wonders if the body could be their missing caregiver. As the mystery deepens, she must grapple with the fate of both the animals and the unknown person in the trough.
Join Sally on her thrilling and perplexing journey as she unravels the truth behind this mysterious misadventure.
Prepare to be captivated by the twists and turns in “The Secrets of the Tainted Trough”, a tale filled with suspense, intrigue, and unexpected revelations.
I had a Cozy Bargain Bin all set up to share with you. But, like the entire month of April, it has vanished. I can only hope it’s gathering more and more Cozy Bargains for you on its adventure.
So, while the search for that elusive bin continues, I have two works-in-progress to tell you about:
The Procrastinator’s Planning Calendar. It won’t overwhelm you with chores and includes a daily tidbit to ponder procrastination with. I am procrastinating on designing the cover and finishing it. Any cover ideas you’d like to share?
The Planet Ziggy Expedition: Will the Mystery of the Phoenix Lights be Solved? Gordy Gordon is a shapeshifting alien who lands on Sally’s igloo roof. He has a plan to get help finding the lost love of his life and retrain two of Sally’s marauders for a life outside of crime. Or does he have a different agenda?
While I scratch my head over these next two books of the Sally the Loner series, here’s some cozies and mysteries you might like to get lost in…
You’ve come so very far. You’ve chosen indie as your publication platform rather than traditional printing houses. Your manuscript is cooling for its final edits before the launch. But how and where will you launch from?
FYI: The bedroom closet is not a launchpad. Neither is the desk drawer or your granddad’s old, beat-up briefcase.
There are, once again, so many cyberspace options to display and sell your baby on that it boggles the mind. Slog through them if you like, but here are the four venues I use and why:
Launch from Amazon (of course!) – For worldwide distribution of eBooks, print, and audiobooks through Amazon. I write, upload a print-ready package, and promote. Once I push ‘publish’, they do all the printing, shipping, and bookkeeping. I get royalties and a 1099 tax statement at the end of the year.
Launch from Draft to Digital – The one-stop warehouse of eBooks, Print, and Audiobooks for Barnes and Noble, Libraries, and your other favorite retailer like Walmart. They do the distributing and bookkeeping. I get royalties and a 1099 tax statement at year end.
Launch from Google Play – Another worldwide distributor of eBooks. It’s a learning curve that I’m just getting into. Stay tuned on this one.
Launch from Lemon Squeezy – The ‘Buy Direct from the Author’ payment processing platform for eBooks… through my website. They also offer a storefront… so, more uploading of covers and ready-to-read files to make it work. But for $2.50 whoosh into my pocket for a $3 book instead of $1.40 or 38 cents, I’ll do it!
Phew! I’m pooped just sharing all these publishing venues and platforms with you. But I’ll take a breath and grab some coffee to inspire the spilling of pertinent details for each platform.
Please email me here if I’m pouring too fast. It happens.
Here is the computer literate fast-track instructions for lift-off from these platforms:
Click on the ‘Create’ button and start at the top…
To publish an eBook, you will need:
A fully edited, read to enthrall a reader, manuscript including:
Title page
Copyright page
Dedication
Table of Contents
The story
The end matter:
About the author
Where to find more of your books
Review Call-to-Action
The description
A cover (I use Canva, but there are gazillions more)
Shelf categories – fiction, mystery, drama, etc.
Search terms for search engines and algorithms
Faith and courage
To publish a print book, you will need all the above with these exceptions:
A fully edited, ready to enthrall a reader, manuscript as above in a ready-to-print format. For a 6”x 9” book, reset the margins to 5 ½” x 8 ½” output. Scroll through to delete blank pages. Margin changes can bring surprises – like blank pages…
Back cover blurb
Patience
Amazon makes it easy to add your print book at the same time. Besides being worldwide, kdp makes large print books possible. Watch for an upcoming blogpost for print book formatting hints and tips.
Publishing your works in audiobook form is the subject for a separate blogpost to keep this post a digestible size.
Publishing on Draft to Digital (D2D or Books2Read)
You will need the same uploading packet as with Amazon. But D2D book upload forms seem faster and simpler to me.
It’s also fast and easy to add a print book after the eBook details, however, large print is not offered.
Publish on Google Play
The same procedure and packet. But so far, Google Play is keeping me at arm’s length. It’s an ongoing learning curve. I’ll share when I figure it out.
Publish and Sell Direct from Your Website and Story Origin with Lemon Squeezy
Lemon Squeezy is a new (to me) way for me to sell my eBooks directly to you. No middleman. The opportunity makes it possible for elbow-rubbing discounts that you can’t get anywhere else.
When I get the hang of it, you’ll see discount codes appearing here and there… hither and yon, so to speak. They might be through a promotional banner from Story Origin that I’ve added to a blog… or a single link in a blog… or even right on a book page of my website. The deal could be blatant or more of a treasure hunt. Only time will tell. It’s the learning curves…
But you can get right to it with Lemon Squeezy for your own website by:
Set-up your account for getting paid, etc. (They pay the sales tax, and more)
Upload your eBooks (Cover, Complete Content packet as above) into your own storefront on their site (required)
Share the link for each book to get the code for checkout from your website and ads you place.
What I really, really like about Lemon Squeezy rather than sites like Shopify (can I say that?) is the pricing structure. You pay a minimal fee for each sale. That’s it. No monthly subscription charges hitting my account.
I like it.
And that’s all I have to say about launching books for success. For today.
Book launch day is an event. I start with Amazon; then D2D; Google Play can wait; ending with alexielinnauthor.com and Lemon Squeezy. Story Origin for reviews and promotion is another event on its own.
Except this one more thing…
Here’s a freebie to introduce you to the Joan Freed Life-Changing Mystery/Adventure Series. Click on the cover for the download button to grab it while you can.
Cheers!
P.S. Results of the call for votes on the last blog post was a landslide ‘Mix it up!’ Thanks for participating. You got it!
