Kindle 3

[BlackSnake]

Anyone here publishing to kindle?

 

[PennLady]

Anyone here publishing to kindle?

Me. Do you have question about it? Be happy to answer, either on here or via PM.

 

[D_Lynn]

Anyone here publishing to kindle?

I have a book on Amazon at the moment. Doing very well - top 100 in Erotica.

http://www.dakotalynn.com/images/protegee1.jpg

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0051BU0A8

Need help?

- Dakota

 

[D_Lynn]

Me. Do you have question about it? Be happy to answer, either on here or via PM.

I have a question, actually. How the heck do you predict sales for tax purposes? Is there some documented model that shows the curve of sales throughout the lifetime of a novel, by chance? Something? Anything?

- D

 

[BlackSnake]

I have a book on Amazon at the moment. Doing very well - top 100 in Erotica.

http://www.dakotalynn.com/images/protegee1.jpg

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0051BU0A8

Need help?

- Dakota

What size is your cover image? I read about several sizes (522px by 622px) (1800x1200 300dpi 6"x9")

additionally, I read that there is automatic indents with the paragraph tag. I'm about to do some tests, but I would like as much info as I can on the formatting before I begin.

 

[D_Lynn]

What size is your cover image? I read about several sizes (522px by 622px) (1800x1200 300dpi 6"x9")

additionally, I read that there is automatic indents with the paragraph tag. I'm about to do some tests, but I would like as much info as I can on the formatting before I begin.

My cover image is 683x1024. Minimum is 500 pixels, horizontally. Max 1280, vertically.

Formatting can be a real trick if you don't use MobiPocket Creator. I did this one without and spent, oh, I don't know, probably 8 straight hours or more fussing and cussing. Afterward, I downloaded MobiPocket Creator and did a run through with it and it was very easy, I thought.

But to answer your question...yes, there are automatic indents. However, I thought they were too slight, so I added a couple spaces on my own in Word, using a style master with indents in it.

Using the previewer is a good idea and don't just eyeball the first few paragraphs. If you import directly from Word, there can be problems with the spacing between paragraphs but it isn't consistent. Mine looked great on the first page and then went wonky (technical term) after that.

What application did you use to write it? MS Word?

-D

 

[sr71plt]

I have a question, actually. How the heck do you predict sales for tax purposes? Is there some documented model that shows the curve of sales throughout the lifetime of a novel, by chance? Something? Anything?

- D

After a while you settle down to a ball park pattern and you guesstimate and adjust later--or so my accountant says. For instance, by feeding in about two a month of the e-books I take a fee on, once I hit thirty for-pay titles, I've remained pretty steady at $500/month (the new titles make up for the aging titles). That's what we've projected. It can be adjusted up or down later.

(I have more not-for-my-profit titles, but from the sales figures I see on those, they seem to follow the same per-unit pattern.)

And, sorry, Blacksnake, although I have some 80 titles in Kindle under various pen names, I can't help you on such technical questions. I go through e-publishers. If you have questions others can't answer, PM me and I'll try to connect you with one of my publishers for help.

 

[D_Lynn]

And, sorry, Blacksnake, although I have some 80 titles in Kindle under various pen names, I can't help you on such technical questions. I go through e-publishers. If you have questions others can't answer, PM me and I'll try to connect you with one of my publishers for help.

Good point, I forgot to ask. Mine is self-published.

 

[BlackSnake]

My cover image is 683x1024. Minimum is 500 pixels, horizontally. Max 1280, vertically.

Formatting can be a real trick if you don't use MobiPocket Creator. I did this one without and spent, oh, I don't know, probably 8 straight hours or more fussing and cussing. Afterward, I downloaded MobiPocket Creator and did a run through with it and it was very easy, I thought.

But to answer your question...yes, there are automatic indents. However, I thought they were too slight, so I added a couple spaces on my own in Word, using a style master with indents in it.

Using the previewer is a good idea and don't just eyeball the first few paragraphs. If you import directly from Word, there can be problems with the spacing between paragraphs but it isn't consistent. Mine looked great on the first page and then went wonky (technical term) after that.

What application did you use to write it? MS Word?

-D

Yes I used MSWord to write, but then I dropped it into my html editor to fully understand the details of the formatting. I never liked Word's conversion to html...styling is wacked (technical term) and too much to clean up. I'm about to do a test. Cover 6x9 300dpi 8bit and paragraph tags without additional styling to see what happens.

I read that I need only to zip the assets (i.e., html page and images) and then upload to Kindle converter on amazon.

 

[BlackSnake]

After a while you settle down to a ball park pattern and you guesstimate and adjust later--or so my accountant says. For instance, by feeding in about two a month of the e-books I take a fee on, once I hit thirty for-pay titles, I've remained pretty steady at $500/month (the new titles make up for the aging titles). That's what we've projected. It can be adjusted up or down later.

(I have more not-for-my-profit titles, but from the sales figures I see on those, they seem to follow the same per-unit pattern.)

And, sorry, Blacksnake, although I have some 80 titles in Kindle under various pen names, I can't help you on such technical questions. I go through e-publishers. If you have questions others can't answer, PM me and I'll try to connect you with one of my publishers for help.

Thanks

 

[BlackSnake]

Cover image 6x9 300dpi 8bit JPG looks fine. page breaks work fine. The viewer is a bit quirky (technical term).

Question: Is the header automatically set to show title and author?

 

[D_Lynn]

Cover image 6x9 300dpi 8bit JPG looks fine. page breaks work fine. The viewer is a bit quirky (technical term).

Question: Is the header automatically set to show title and author?

Yes. If you specified an editor, though, their name will appear in the by-line, as well. Found that out the hard way.

Good luck!

Let me know if you have any more questions. If I don't answer in the thread, PM me. I don't watch threads very closely during the week.

Dakota

 

[BlackSnake]

Yes. If you specified an editor, though, their name will appear in the by-line, as well. Found that out the hard way.

Good luck!

Let me know if you have any more questions. If I don't answer in the thread, PM me. I don't watch threads very closely during the week.

Dakota

Thanks, the preview didn't show me the title and author at the top.

Question on pen names: The byline is different from the real name. Is this handled?

 

[D_Lynn]

Thanks, the preview didn't show me the title and author at the top.

Question on pen names: The byline is different from the real name. Is this handled?

There won't be a title page unless you create one. Amazon calls it Front Matter.

Wow! I honestly can't remember when/where you specify author name. If the correct name is showing up in the by-line on KDP, you have nothing to worry about.

 

[BlackSnake]

Thanks, I don't think the preview is showing me how it looks to the reader, or is it?

 

[D_Lynn]

Thanks, I don't think the preview is showing me how it looks to the reader, or is it?

I think the reader is accurate. At least that's what I remember. You're making me realize how much I've blocked that awful experience. I wasn't exaggerating when I said I fussed with it for 8 hours straight.

 

[sr71plt]

I think the reader is accurate. At least that's what I remember. You're making me realize how much I've blocked that awful experience. I wasn't exaggerating when I said I fussed with it for 8 hours straight.

Just one good reason in trying to get an e-publisher first, I think.

 

[BlackSnake]

So, now I'd like to know about the header and footer formatting.

BTW....you guys are awesome.

 

[lovecraft68]

Just as an aside. For everyone who raves about how wonderful the kindle is and the ability to sell e-books etc... etc... then don't bother saying how sad it is that borders closed because one of the main reasons is in your hot little hands.

 

[PennLady]

Just as an aside. For everyone who raves about how wonderful the kindle is and the ability to sell e-books etc... etc... then don't bother saying how sad it is that borders closed because one of the main reasons is in your hot little hands.

Borders started failing long before the Kindle, and not because of it. We don't see Barnes & Noble filing for Ch 11, do we? (Well, not yet, and I hope they don't.) Plenty of people will continue to buy print books, even me, even though I have a Kindle.

I was in Borders yesterday as they began the liquidation sale. Their prices were simply too high. Now book prices are pretty much the same across the board. But I saw, for example, "The Princess and the Frog," for $30, which I know I could get for $20 or less at other places.

And I have to say that for all the posts I saw lamenting Borders' closing, most talked about going in for a latte and then sitting around browsing. Few mentioned buying actual books, and none mentioned ebooks.

Not to mention -- many ebooks are not available in print, so I really don't think ebooks = Borders closing. If you read the articles on Borders in various places, it appears they just made bad business decisions.

 

[Jake Marlow]

I had been using an ebook publisher, but started doing it myself in May and I have 4 titles up. Amazon tells you the prefered Kindle cover size is 600X800. I license images from istockphoto.com and a friend who is a graphic designer puts the covers together.

Amazon has Mobipocket Creator as a free download that will convert your .doc to the Kindle format. If you have some computer knowledge it's fairly easy to use. When I did a longer work with chapters, I had to go into the html files and do some minor editing, but for short stories Mobipocket Creator did just fine. There is also a Kindle emulator you can download which will show you what it will look like on a Kindle. Also, open your file using the Kindle PC reader to see how it looks in there.

Barnes & Noble has a different conversion format, which required a little more work. As for predicting sales, as long as you set aside a certain amount from your royalty checks, you should be fine. I've been getting 1099s for various jobs for 15 years and never paid quarterly taxes and never had a problem.