I'm not a patient person. One of the hardest things for me to do is to wait. So, once I've finished my latest books, Last Chance Lane and Five Stones, I've uploaded them to the Kindle store before I had time to create physical books. Actually, I had no plans to create physical books for either of the books when I first wrote the stories. Publishing through iUniverse was quite expensive, and I didn't want to go through that with two books simultaneously.
Now, on to marketing.... I've watched some youtube videos, and the general consensus, from my perspective, is that marketing is wasted if you don't have several books, more than three or four, written already. If a reader liked your book, you should be able to refer the reader to another book of your or another several books so that the reader will have a choice. So, if I don't want to spend money on marketing, I need to find some forms of free marketing. The simplest form is a review. If you look around, there are several websites, bloggers, etc. who review books. I even read somewhere that you should ask Amazon reviewers if they'd review your book (within the same genre).
AND that is the reason for putting in a lot of work to print physical books through Createspace.com. Getting Reviews. The process is surprisingly painless, and I'm quite happy with the covers I was able to create with the use of Pixlr.com and already existing templates. Most of the review sites, bloggers, and Amazon reviewers prefer a physical book.
And a very good secondary reason for it is the giveaways on Goodreads.com. Goodreads.com will allow only physical book giveaways. So, here I am, creating physical books.
Now, going back to patience, what I found out is that one of the by products of creating a physical book on createspace.com is I ended up with a file that's perfectly suited for the Kindle Store. So, my patience doubled the work for me, but now, I know better. I'll make sure I create my physical book first and release my digital and print book on the same day.
I know there are many book publishing websites out there, and I haven't tried any others, but so far, I'm very impressed with how easy it is to work with Createspace.com and Kindle publishing.
So, go forth and write.
Happy New Year!
Friday, January 9, 2015
Monday, December 29, 2014
"industrial standard" sizes for books
Urg! I thought I was done with my work on Createspace.com for Last Chance Lane, but there's a little hiccup. Actually, it's a pretty big hiccup because I thought I was done.
When you start a project on Createspace.com, one of the first things you have to do is to choose the size of the book or trim size. You have a lot of choices; twelve of them in fact. But when they didn't notify me was the fact that if I choose anything other than one of the "most popular trim sizes," then it limits where your book will be sold or made available.
Here are the trim sizes (in inches) you can choose from Createspace.com:
The "expanded distribution" is also free, and it includes bookstores and online retailers, libraries and academic institutions, and Createspace direct. BUT only for the trim sizes under "most popular trim sizes."
So, if you chose the "industry-standard" trim size 5.06 x 7.81 inches, then the expanded distribution channel is closed to you until you change the physical size of your book. Fortunately, there's not much difference between 5 x 8 and 5.06 x 7.81 (hopefully), so the digital transition seems good. But I can't trust good enough on my computer screen, so I have to order another set of proofs to make sure they look OK.
So, the important lesson here is... pick one of the most popular trim sizes if and when creating your book on createspace.com. Other than this minor issue, I really don't have anything to complain about createspace.com. Actually, I'm amazed at how straightforward things are on createspace.com.
So, if you've got a good book waiting to be seen in print, this is a good place to try. Did I tell you my proof was about ~$2.50 each? With paying ~$4.50 for shipping. I can't believe they can do business it like this! But I'm sure they are making enough money from the books they sell online.
Larger size is glossy cover, and smaller size is matte. I was experimenting with fonts, trim sizes, etc. I'll be going with the smaller size with the matte cover.
When you start a project on Createspace.com, one of the first things you have to do is to choose the size of the book or trim size. You have a lot of choices; twelve of them in fact. But when they didn't notify me was the fact that if I choose anything other than one of the "most popular trim sizes," then it limits where your book will be sold or made available.
Here are the trim sizes (in inches) you can choose from Createspace.com:
- Most Popular Trim Sizes - 5x8, 5.25x8, 5.5x8.5, 6x9
- More “industry-standard” choices - 5.06x7.81, 6.14x9.21, 6.69x9.61, 7x10,7.44x9.69, 7.5x9.25, 8x10, 8.5x11
The "expanded distribution" is also free, and it includes bookstores and online retailers, libraries and academic institutions, and Createspace direct. BUT only for the trim sizes under "most popular trim sizes."
So, if you chose the "industry-standard" trim size 5.06 x 7.81 inches, then the expanded distribution channel is closed to you until you change the physical size of your book. Fortunately, there's not much difference between 5 x 8 and 5.06 x 7.81 (hopefully), so the digital transition seems good. But I can't trust good enough on my computer screen, so I have to order another set of proofs to make sure they look OK.
So, the important lesson here is... pick one of the most popular trim sizes if and when creating your book on createspace.com. Other than this minor issue, I really don't have anything to complain about createspace.com. Actually, I'm amazed at how straightforward things are on createspace.com.
So, if you've got a good book waiting to be seen in print, this is a good place to try. Did I tell you my proof was about ~$2.50 each? With paying ~$4.50 for shipping. I can't believe they can do business it like this! But I'm sure they are making enough money from the books they sell online.
Monday, December 1, 2014
A free book download on Amazon
Hello everyone.
I'm running a promotion on Amazon. You can download my latest book, Last Chance Lane by Jennifer R. Kim, for free on 12/3.
I'll tell you about how things are going in my next blog.
Enjoy!
I'm running a promotion on Amazon. You can download my latest book, Last Chance Lane by Jennifer R. Kim, for free on 12/3.
I'll tell you about how things are going in my next blog.
Enjoy!
Monday, November 24, 2014
So many decisions to make...
I've uploaded my e-books on Kindle (Waiting for Appa, Last Chance Lane, and Five Stones) as well as Nookpress (Waiting for Appa and Last Chance Lane), but ultimately I've decided to only publish them on Kindle/Amazon to try out their KDP Select program.
Nookpress (Barnes and Noble) has many pluses on its side, such Read in me Store program, Lend Me program, Samples, eGifting, and Affiliates program, and check out the link for the programs.
https://www.nookpress.com/support
But I thought KDP Select program offered more intriguing options. I've cut and pasted the reasons why from Amazon's Authorcentral.com site.
Earn higher royalties (Sure. I'd like to make more money, but this is not my primary reason. However, I was intrigued by the idea of getting a cut when a customer with Kindle Unlimited option reads more than 10% of my book.)
This KDP select program is a 90-day program. I have to renew it or get invited (?) to renew it every 90 days. So, I thought I'd try this first, then go on to Nookpress/Barnes and Noble.
If you choose KDP select program, you cannot sell your e-books elsewhere on the web. There are additional limitations, so please check it out before you try it, too.
There are many KDP select videos on Youtube, and I've watched a quite a few, but to be honest, I didn't find a lot of them useful. Most were self-promotional videos, and I had fun watching them, fantasizing about seeing one of my own one day, but I didn't find them overly useful. BUT since there are so many videos available, I could have veered off at a point and completely missed videos that are quite useful and helpful.
Nookpress (Barnes and Noble) has many pluses on its side, such Read in me Store program, Lend Me program, Samples, eGifting, and Affiliates program, and check out the link for the programs.
https://www.nookpress.com/support
But I thought KDP Select program offered more intriguing options. I've cut and pasted the reasons why from Amazon's Authorcentral.com site.
Why Enroll in KDP Select?
- Earn your share of the KDP Select Global Fund amount when readers choose and read more than 10% of your book from Kindle Unlimited, or borrow your book from the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library. Plus, earn 70% royalty for sales to customers in Japan, India, Brazil and Mexico.
- Choose between two great promotional tools: Kindle Countdown Deals, time-bound promotional discounting for your book while earning royalties; or Free Book Promotion where readers worldwide can get your book free for a limited time.
- Help readers discover your books by making them available through Kindle Unlimited in the U.S, U.K., Germany, Italy, and Spain and the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library (KOLL) in the U.S, U.K., Germany, France, and Japan.
If you choose KDP select program, you cannot sell your e-books elsewhere on the web. There are additional limitations, so please check it out before you try it, too.
There are many KDP select videos on Youtube, and I've watched a quite a few, but to be honest, I didn't find a lot of them useful. Most were self-promotional videos, and I had fun watching them, fantasizing about seeing one of my own one day, but I didn't find them overly useful. BUT since there are so many videos available, I could have veered off at a point and completely missed videos that are quite useful and helpful.
Friday, November 21, 2014
Cover
I think covers are very important in drawing the readers in, to at least pick up the book and check it out. Here are my book covers, and I'll tell you how you can create your own.
My first book cover, Waiting for Appa, was created by a family member who used Adobe Illustrator. I don't know the details of what he did, but I provided the photograph of the door used on the cover. I took it a long time ago when I was visiting Korea.
I've gotten a lot of compliments for this cover. I wanted the cover to convey a sense of loss and pain. I chose this Korean door because it's pretty. But more importantly, it anchors the story in Korea. The little girl in the shadows convey a deep sense of loss, with her doll hanging limply by her side. However, my favorite element in the cover is the tree. It just doesn't look natural, especially with all those sharp, pointy ends. The ends remind me of various medieval weapons. BUT, she's leaning against it. It is a source of despair as well as comfort.
My second book cover, Last Chance Lane, was created using a photograph I took with a DSLR. My son showed me this free online site, Pixlr.com, that allows a wide range of creative license to make the cover look pretty darn good (for doing it yourself).
Last Chance Lane is about a young Korean-American woman who feels that she must atone for a life altering event she caused some twenty years ago. One moment of impulsive action takes her to a place where the line between reality and illusion blurs. In this world where she knows nothing, not even her name, she uncovers far more than she expects.
Because of the blurring of reality and illusion, I chose these specific effects. After going into Pixlr EDITOR, I used diffuse and pastel effects listed under Filter tab (in that order). I don't know why I didn't try the other way around, but I just didn't. I can't remember exact values, but you should check it out and try different combinations.
I thought about using other effects available at Pixler O-MATIC such as using hues of blue or grey, but I didn't want it to veer too far away from reality by using unnatural colors. I also intentionally made the title more difficult to see because the world in which the main character finds herself in is a little confused and unclear.
The third book cover, Five Stones, was created using the same online site Pixler.com with a picture I took with the same camera. I haven't quite picked "the final" one, but I'm close.
Five Stones is inspired by Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, and I wanted the cover to convey a sense of distortion. Not an exaggerated distortion, but just enough to provoke some questions. The mother, Mrs. Kim, think she knows her daughters inside-out, but she doesn't realize that she doesn't see them as who they really are, but who she wants them to be. There are pockets of brightness, but they add more confusion than anything else.
I don't know why, but I like the blurring of lines. Not too much, but just enough. So, for this cover, I went into Pixlr EDITOR and used Diffuse and Pastel effects listed under Filter tab (in that order). I didn't blur the picture too much, so try different combinations.
Then I imported the altered picture into the Pixler O-MATIC. There, I ran it through different film strips named after people, then click on right arrow button to get to the next process. There, I can add different effect on the picture. The points of light on the cover is from this process. My favorite effects are Bocea, Bubble, and Rainbow for this cover, but I think I can use a lot of these effects on many more covers to come (I hope).
I am quite happy with these covers, and I think I'll continue to create my own covers. The fact that I have complete creative control over the cover is awesome.
Have a great day.
My first book cover, Waiting for Appa, was created by a family member who used Adobe Illustrator. I don't know the details of what he did, but I provided the photograph of the door used on the cover. I took it a long time ago when I was visiting Korea.
I've gotten a lot of compliments for this cover. I wanted the cover to convey a sense of loss and pain. I chose this Korean door because it's pretty. But more importantly, it anchors the story in Korea. The little girl in the shadows convey a deep sense of loss, with her doll hanging limply by her side. However, my favorite element in the cover is the tree. It just doesn't look natural, especially with all those sharp, pointy ends. The ends remind me of various medieval weapons. BUT, she's leaning against it. It is a source of despair as well as comfort.
My second book cover, Last Chance Lane, was created using a photograph I took with a DSLR. My son showed me this free online site, Pixlr.com, that allows a wide range of creative license to make the cover look pretty darn good (for doing it yourself).
 |
| Original photo |
Last Chance Lane is about a young Korean-American woman who feels that she must atone for a life altering event she caused some twenty years ago. One moment of impulsive action takes her to a place where the line between reality and illusion blurs. In this world where she knows nothing, not even her name, she uncovers far more than she expects.
Because of the blurring of reality and illusion, I chose these specific effects. After going into Pixlr EDITOR, I used diffuse and pastel effects listed under Filter tab (in that order). I don't know why I didn't try the other way around, but I just didn't. I can't remember exact values, but you should check it out and try different combinations.
I thought about using other effects available at Pixler O-MATIC such as using hues of blue or grey, but I didn't want it to veer too far away from reality by using unnatural colors. I also intentionally made the title more difficult to see because the world in which the main character finds herself in is a little confused and unclear.
The third book cover, Five Stones, was created using the same online site Pixler.com with a picture I took with the same camera. I haven't quite picked "the final" one, but I'm close.
 |
| Original Photo |
Five Stones is inspired by Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, and I wanted the cover to convey a sense of distortion. Not an exaggerated distortion, but just enough to provoke some questions. The mother, Mrs. Kim, think she knows her daughters inside-out, but she doesn't realize that she doesn't see them as who they really are, but who she wants them to be. There are pockets of brightness, but they add more confusion than anything else.
I don't know why, but I like the blurring of lines. Not too much, but just enough. So, for this cover, I went into Pixlr EDITOR and used Diffuse and Pastel effects listed under Filter tab (in that order). I didn't blur the picture too much, so try different combinations.
Then I imported the altered picture into the Pixler O-MATIC. There, I ran it through different film strips named after people, then click on right arrow button to get to the next process. There, I can add different effect on the picture. The points of light on the cover is from this process. My favorite effects are Bocea, Bubble, and Rainbow for this cover, but I think I can use a lot of these effects on many more covers to come (I hope).
I am quite happy with these covers, and I think I'll continue to create my own covers. The fact that I have complete creative control over the cover is awesome.
Have a great day.
Monday, November 17, 2014
Formatting Issues 2
I've addressed formatting process I went through in the previous blog. Here, I'll address specific site issues I've experienced.
Kobo~
Good luck with your writing!
I'm trying out different covers for Five Stones. Any preferences?
Kobo~
- Upload to it's site was easy enough, but I couldn't preview the upload. Without being able to preview, I wouldn't know how it'd look on a device, so I contacted the customer support, but customer support said there was no problem on their side. So, I uploaded a couple of times more, but I still couldn't preview.
- I'm sure there was a solution, but I didn't feel like working through it on my own. So, I abandoned this site for now. I'll definitely go back to it at a later date.
- Uploaded my manuscript several times - .doc, .epub, and .docx files, and I found that .docx file works the best for errors I have, which are formatting (specifically indentation) errors.
- For my indentation errors, I've found that I need to either tab for indentations or return/enter after a tabbed paragraph. I'm not sure it makes sense, but it wasn't a difficult fix, but rather tedious one. I had to make the corrections in .docx, then upload it again. I checked every indentation (in both .docx and once uploaded on Nookpress site), so it was really boring but essential.
- Same as Nookpress.Uploaded my manuscript several times - .doc, .epub, and .docx files, and I found that .docx file works the best for errors I have, which are formatting (specifically indentation) errors.
- Several years back, it was .epub file with some corrections (font size, bold/italic issues) done in html, but this time .docx file worked the best. This is great since I don't know html, and I was guessing as I went along. However, this may work better for others. Again, I used Calibre ebook management site to convert my files.
- Same as Nookpress. For my indentation errors, I've found that I need to either tab for indentations or return/enter after a tabbed paragraph. I'm not sure it makes sense, but it wasn't a difficult fix, but rather tedious one. I had to make the corrections in .docx, then upload it again. I checked every indentation (in both .docx and once uploaded on Nookpress site), so it was really boring but essential.
Good luck with your writing!
I'm trying out different covers for Five Stones. Any preferences?
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Formatting issues 1
Hello everyone. Sorry, I couldn't blog about my writing in more timely manner. For once, it was because there was too much going on with it. I've been busy with getting two works of fiction (Last Chance Lane and Five Stones) formatted and ready for e-book sales.
I've decided to sell my e-books on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo. Waiting for Appa is already on sale at Amazon (paperback and e-book) and Barnes and Noble (paperback only), so I thought I'd try to get it on Kobo.
But before I talk about uploading to these sites, I want to talk about formatting the manuscript. If you're paying someone to convert your manuscripts to e-book files for you, then this is not going to help you. You can skip this blog.
I don't want to pay someone to covert the files for me, so I've been trying to find ways to convert files myself. I've saved my documents as .doc, and when I uploaded straight onto the site, it imported all types of formatting errors. Too numerous to count.
I've used Calibre to convert .doc manuscript to .epub or many other e-book files. Calibre says it's an e-book management site, but I've been using it as a conversion software for my manuscript. It's met with limited success, but when you spot an error, you have to go back to the original document, in .doc, to correct the mistakes or figure out how to change the format to convert it seamlessly. This is how I formatted the Waiting for Appa e-book file on sale on Amazon a couple of years ago.
This time around, I've discovered that converting .doc manuscripts to .epub file then uploading it to the book sale sites didn't help with formatting errors compared to uploading .doc manuscript straight. However, I discovered that uploading .docx manuscript eliminated a lot of errors (especially font size or bold/italic errors). So, I've been uploading .docx manuscripts straight on to e-book sales sites.
Even with .docx, indent format problems persists. I think there are youtube videos on how to do this correctly for different sales sites, but I haven't looked around. So, I've had to go paragraph by paragraph to check my indents. Although it's a long and tedious process, I do it this way to make sure I catch all my errors. Of course, there are no guarantees that I'm catching all of them, but I'm trying.
I know this might be little boring and tiresome to talk about formatting the manuscript, but I wanted to share what I've done to get to a certain place. I've been searching online to find a way to help with the formatting errors, but I didn't find anything that helped with my specific problem. So, I'm trying just to get it out there.
Until next time, stay healthy during this winter season.
 |
| In progress |
 |
| Completed |
But before I talk about uploading to these sites, I want to talk about formatting the manuscript. If you're paying someone to convert your manuscripts to e-book files for you, then this is not going to help you. You can skip this blog.
I don't want to pay someone to covert the files for me, so I've been trying to find ways to convert files myself. I've saved my documents as .doc, and when I uploaded straight onto the site, it imported all types of formatting errors. Too numerous to count.
I've used Calibre to convert .doc manuscript to .epub or many other e-book files. Calibre says it's an e-book management site, but I've been using it as a conversion software for my manuscript. It's met with limited success, but when you spot an error, you have to go back to the original document, in .doc, to correct the mistakes or figure out how to change the format to convert it seamlessly. This is how I formatted the Waiting for Appa e-book file on sale on Amazon a couple of years ago.
This time around, I've discovered that converting .doc manuscripts to .epub file then uploading it to the book sale sites didn't help with formatting errors compared to uploading .doc manuscript straight. However, I discovered that uploading .docx manuscript eliminated a lot of errors (especially font size or bold/italic errors). So, I've been uploading .docx manuscripts straight on to e-book sales sites.
Even with .docx, indent format problems persists. I think there are youtube videos on how to do this correctly for different sales sites, but I haven't looked around. So, I've had to go paragraph by paragraph to check my indents. Although it's a long and tedious process, I do it this way to make sure I catch all my errors. Of course, there are no guarantees that I'm catching all of them, but I'm trying.
I know this might be little boring and tiresome to talk about formatting the manuscript, but I wanted to share what I've done to get to a certain place. I've been searching online to find a way to help with the formatting errors, but I didn't find anything that helped with my specific problem. So, I'm trying just to get it out there.
Until next time, stay healthy during this winter season.
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