Fees/ Hidden Expenses for e-book authors?

[OmnislashXX]

Are there any licensing fees or expenses that I should be aware of in the Event I actually post a story on Kindle? I know that there are editor's and artists for the covers that you need to pay for.

 

[AfterDusk]

Are there any licensing fees or expenses that I should be aware of in the Event I actually post a story on Kindle? I know that there are editor's and artists for the covers that you need to pay for.

It has been a few years since I published on amazon; I’m sure someone else will have more recent insight on it but I never encountered any upfront expenses. I did my own editing and cover design though; they used to take a cut from each book sold.

 

[ElectricBlue]

ISBN fees. It depends where you get your numbers from, a bureau or a one-off publishing platform. Different formats need individual numbers, so you might need to buy a block. Other than cover art, they're the only fees that I've found, everything else (compositing) can be done through share-ware.

 

[gordo12]

I seem to recall one of the author sites like smashwords or someone provides those numbers for free. Start there then go to Amazon (assuming they still do it)

Caveat: I don't have any dealings with them and can't tell you if they're credible.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I seem to recall one of the author sites like smashwords or someone provides those numbers for free. Start there then go to Amazon (assuming they still do it)

Caveat: I don't have any dealings with them and can't tell you if they're credible.

Some publishing sites do provide a free ISBN, yes. It depends whether you want to own the ISBN and control your own distribution, or tie yourself just to the one outlet.

 

[TriadWriter]

ISBN fees. It depends where you get your numbers from, a bureau or a one-off publishing platform. Different formats need individual numbers, so you might need to buy a block. Other than cover art, they're the only fees that I've found, everything else (compositing) can be done through share-ware.

Amazon KDP offers ISBN for free.

 

[OmnislashXX]

That's good. I looked up ISBN and was like 150 dollars for one book? And 300 for 10?

 

[ElectricBlue]

That's good. I looked up ISBN and was like 150 dollars for one book? And 300 for 10?

Depends what country, I guess. Here in Oz, $80 for 10 ISBNs, which could be ten separate e-books in either mobi or epub, or five titles in mobi and epub, or three titles in mobi, epub, and paperback (with one left over) - each format gets an isbn as they are separate publication types.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

If you publish at Smashwords, the ISBN numbers are free.

The only fees would come out of the sale of the book or ebook. Kindle and Smashwords are very different but, they both explain the breakdown of who gets what.

Oh and Kindle doesn't require an ISBN number.

 

[gordo12]

So do you need a separate number for each sales outlet?

One for Amazon,. one for smash and so on?

I get the need numbers for different formats.

Also ISBN Canada says it provides the numbers for free. Would those be good in other countries or is it just for Canada?

 

[ElectricBlue]

So do you need a separate number for each sales outlet?

One for Amazon,. one for smash and so on?

I get the need numbers for different formats.

Also ISBN Canada says it provides the numbers for free. Would those be good in other countries or is it just for Canada?

Based on advice from the Oz isbn bureau (Thorpe Bowker), it's one isbn per format per title (eg: mobi, epub, pdf, paperback, hardback etc), which defines the tangible product. But no, not for each sales outlet - imagine a paperback - you can buy it from any number of bookshops, and it may have many distributors and sales outlets.

Not sure about the country stuff - I've been investigating in the context of publishing Australian registered books, as I'm resident here. I guess I'll find out about the country stuff soon enough (wrangling cover art is taking longer than it should).

 

[Zeb_Carter]

So do you need a separate number for each sales outlet?

One for Amazon,. one for smash and so on?

I get the need numbers for different formats.

Also ISBN Canada says it provides the numbers for free. Would those be good in other countries or is it just for Canada?

I get one from Smashwords and use it at Kindle, It's the same book/ebook/title why do I need another identifier?

EB, I get one number at Smashword, they publish my work in multiple formats. I don't get one for each format. Just the one title. I would think that Smashwords knows what they are doing.

From Wiki...

An ISBN is assigned to each edition and variation (except reprintings) of a book. For example, an e-book, a paperback and a hardcover edition of the same book would each have a different ISBN.

 

[OmnislashXX]

Smashword then.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I get one from Smashwords and use it at Kindle, It's the same book/ebook/title why do I need another identifier?

EB, I get one number at Smashword, they publish my work in multiple formats. I don't get one for each format. Just the one title. I would think that Smashwords knows what they are doing.

From Wiki...

The Wiki advice is the same as the Oz bureau advice (which is where the Australian National Library sends you), which is contrary to the Smashwords advice.

If you want to lock in to Smashwords or Kindle, then maybe just one isbn from each of them is enough; but as I don't want to lock into only one distributor, I'm going with the official advice. The National Library has been around a while longer than Smashwords, and it's run by librarians, and they seem to know a thing or two about books .

Every book on my bookshelf has multiple ISBNs (one for each format), so I figure publishers know what they're on about, too.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

The Wiki advice is the same as the Oz bureau advice (which is where the Australian National Library sends you), which is contrary to the Smashwords advice.

If you want to lock in to Smashwords or Kindle, then maybe just one isbn from each of them is enough; but as I don't want to lock into only one distributor, I'm going with the official advice. The National Library has been around a while longer than Smashwords, and it's run by librarians, and they seem to know a thing or two about books .

Every book on my bookshelf has multiple ISBNs (one for each format), so I figure publishers know what they're on about, too.

But you see, Smashwords is the distributor to about 10 different outlets and they only use that one ISBN. And they distribute it in about 10 different formats...all which happen to be ebook formats.

I do understand needing a different one for paperback and hardcover. I thinks as far as the world of publishing is concerned no matter the format, ie. mobi, epub, pdf, txt, etc. they are all the same thing... ebook.

 

[ElectricBlue]

But you see, Smashwords is the distributor to about 10 different outlets and they only use that one ISBN. And they distribute it in about 10 different formats...all which happen to be ebook formats.

I do understand needing a different one for paperback and hardcover. I thinks as far as the world of publishing is concerned no matter the format, ie. mobi, epub, pdf, txt, etc. they are all the same thing... ebook.

Could be - but I've seen mobi and epub listed as separate formats, with separate ISBN's, so it seems the rules are "flexible." Mind you, the folk selling ISBNs aren't going to complain if you buy and separately register multiple formats, so there's that. It would be nice to understand exactly what the implications are (of one vs many), but that's clearly asking too much. Fact remains, ISBNs are a thing, to be figured out.

It's probably a case of, "if you buy one, you won't need it; if you don't buy one, you'll need one." I can see why lots of people leave it up to someone else to figure out. But, I've got a little list of ISBNs, so I can use them exactly how I want to .

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Could be - but I've seen mobi and epub listed as separate formats, with separate ISBN's, so it seems the rules are "flexible." Mind you, the folk selling ISBNs aren't going to complain if you buy and separately register multiple formats, so there's that. It would be nice to understand exactly what the implications are (of one vs many), but that's clearly asking too much. Fact remains, ISBNs are a thing, to be figured out.

It's probably a case of, "if you buy one, you won't need it; if you don't buy one, you'll need one." I can see why lots of people leave it up to someone else to figure out. But, I've got a little list of ISBNs, so I can use them exactly how I want to .

I do know that ISBN's are their use are country specific and the ones I get are free, Smashwords buys them in mass quantities. I don't know how they are parceled out to non-US authors or if they are at all but in the US, I get one and I can use it at Smashwords and Kindle and no one says anything about that.