KINDLE & NOOK E-PUBLISHING
By Karen Elizabeth Rigley

I tried to resist. I really did. For awhile I avoided the onslaught of fellow authors saying come on over and join us. Seeing their wares displayed online and hearing their sales accomplishments, tempted and lured me. Eventually, I bundled up award-winning books and stories and began the process.

The first step is reformatting your manuscript. I don’t claim to be an expert in this - since I still can’t figure out how to indent a paragraph on Kindle no matter what I try. I usually write in Word Perfect, but now switch to MS Word for e-formatting. There are software programs available exclusively for e-publishing - but I prefer not to pay for it and struggle to convert manuscripts myself. That speaks to both my stubbornness and my budget. Make the choice that’s best for you.

Creating book covers prove a fun challenge. Also frustrating. I’ve discovered a great (and free) app for revamping photos or images. Plus a treasure chest of free images and photographs exist online. I’ve also found some excellent software to create great looking titles. Unfortunately, the text & font superstars are different programs and not compatible with my pix app. Still, it’s an adventure. Most of us want a cover image that whispers professional - not screams homemade. Though I strive for the pro whisper - mine limbo in the soft voice range.

Pricing is also a challenge. After all, we want to make money. Price it too high and it won’t sell. Price too low and you earn zilch. Nook has a set royalty they pay authors. Kindle gives you two options. But both expect you to set your own book price - within a certain range. Don’t be afraid to play with your price point. You want to achieve something close to similar books for e-sale. So research other e-book pricing before you set yours.

Kindle has an author page where you can include your bio, your pix & a link to your blog - if you have one. That’s a nice feature.

When I first decided to e-pub I did the Barnes & Noble Nookbooks first and found myself lagging behind because more readers seem to have Kindles over Nooks. So now I’ve added most of my titles onto Kindle. I can’t tell you which is best - or simpler. They each appear to have their own kinks. Make sure that your cover for Nook is the right size & format. It took me awhile to get that right, but once I did they worked well for Kindle, too.

So far my sales appear to be better with Kindle, but both offer free apps to download onto smartphones, notepads, Blackberries, computers, etc.

I hope you find e-publishing a door opening to a new world - full of success!

Karen Elizabeth Rigley is an internationally published multi-award winning author/poet/designer. Karen is recognized for her ability to touch readers with her myriad of stories, articles, scripts and poetry. She ’s a member of Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, Red River Writers and Sisters in Crime. She’s the former editor/director of Writer's Rainbow.

Her work’s appeared in: Chicken Soup for the Soul: Love Stories, Underwired Magazine, On the SingleSide, Magic, The Magic Within, Grit, Science Fiction Review, ComputerEdge, Andre Norton’s TALES OF THE WITCHWORLD (Volume Three), CATFANTASTIC Edited by Andre Norton & Martin H. Greenberg, CATFANTASTIC II and CATFANTASTIC III, Romance Writers Report, RhymeTime, SouthWest Writers Workshop, Science Fiction & Fantasy Workshop, Inkling, Keystrokes,Tuscan Accent, MysteryTime, Housewife Writers Forum, Strange Wonderland, Today’s Woman, Stuff My Ear Magazine, WritersReign, Today’s Writing Community, Warrior Wisewoman 2, etc.

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Source: http://productsearch.barnesandnoble.com/Karen+Rigley