Getting Started in Blogging is now available in a Kindle edition. I decided to try Amazon’s Digital Text Platform using the excellent advice in this post from George Angus. The steps are just as George outlines, making it an easy way to publish your book.
There were a couple of things I noticed in the process:
1. Although Amazon lets you upload HTML, when I tried changing my Word file to HTML I didn’t like the results – maybe it depends on the version of Word you’re using or the export tools you have installed.
2. I didn’t even attempt to upload the PDF because I’ve seen the results of Amazon’s PDF conversions and they’re not all pretty.
3. Uploading a Word file worked best for me, but when I used the preview tool (a must, as George points out), I noticed that any text that had been in white in the Word document simply didn’t show up. I had to make sure all text was black, remove unnecessary images (I’d had one at the back) and try again. Even with that, I’d done the whole thing in half an hour.
4. Amazon said it would take up to 48 hours to approve my book; it took a day.
5. It’s easy; more people should do it. I plan to provide Kindle editions of all future ebooks (and, for those who are using other readers, I will eventually publish regular editions through Smashwords.)
So now, I have a favour to ask. If you have previously downloaded and enjoyed Getting Started in Blogging and you have a couple of minutes to spare, could you go over to the Amazon product page and leave a review? I’d really appreciate it.
(And by the way, there’s also a Kindle edition of this blog, if you want it.)
Article by Sharon Hurley Hall
Sharon Hurley Hall has been mentoring writers here at Get Paid To Write Online since 2005 to help them improve and build sustainable and successful writing careers. Check me out on sharonhh.com. Feel free to connect with me online on Google+.
Sharon has written 653 awesome articles for us at Get Paid to Write Online
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{ 3 comments }
Twitter: GeorgeAngus
June 11, 2010 at 11:32
Sharon,
Thanks so much for the awesome shout out and for sharing your Kindle story. I am heading over to Amazon today and I’ll have a look for sure.
Also, I subscribe to your blog on my Kindle. It looks great and I like being able to read it when I’m on the go.
George
George Angus wants you to read Library Fun and Observations
Twitter: shurleyhall
June 11, 2010 at 12:21
No, thank *you*, George. I noted your Kindle publishing posts when it came out and remembered it when I was finally ready to publish. I kept that open in one tab while I followed the steps. Next stop, Smashwords!
Thanks also for the comments on the Kindle version of the blog. I updated the preview a couple days ago and it’s good to know it looks ok on the real thing.
Sharon Hurley Hall wants you to read Getting Started In Blogging – Now On Kindle!
I downloaded a sample and will give it a looksie.
I ended up paying someone to do the formatting on my first kindle ebook, though I did manage to get the Smashwords version up on my own (I say, strutting proudly, laugh). The table of contents did take a few tries!
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