eBook Trends

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Many authors are choosing to publish their own books. 

With the advent of computerized processing that digitizes content, books can be read on specific devices that have compatible software.  

These books are more than PDF's they are eBooks.

Today I am offering you a lot of information on the topic of eBooks. It may take more than one read to chew through the information, but this post is sure to serve as a great resource for you. 

Many companies offer software to help authors with publishing their books. For example: Indesign, by Adobe, is one software available to help authors. Scrivener is another. And there are more! 

Two processes have been created to format book material. One is the format used for Kindle and the other is the epub format used with iPad, Nook, Cobo (a device used by many international readers). If you choose to publish your book as an eBook and want to have a greater amount of sales, consider formatting you book for both formats. 

Amazon has a direct publishing program with Kindle. This do-it-yourself program offers tutorials, but has some restrictions. These books are sold through Amazon only which reaches forty percent of the reading audience. Authors using this format can receive a royalty rate of 35-70%.

Lately, I've seen several books produced by Smashwords. They do eBook conversions for free and use their own distribution system. Some users have reported quality issues, although I didn't see any in the eBooks I happened to read. Just be careful to proof--very carefully.  Authors using this format can receive a royalty rate of 65-80%.

Authors need to be careful to check the rules before also formatting a book to a second format. While the intent is to reach a wider audience, legal issues could arise.

There are basically three types of companies that help authors with formatting and producing eBooks. 

*One type charges no up front fee and takes a larger portion of the royalties
*A  second type charges a small up front fee then takes a moderate portion of the royalties. 
*The third type charges a large up front fee then all the royalties go to the author.

For example: One Source is a company that charges about $800 up front (as of this time) then gives 100% royalty to the author.

Seven Trends about eBooks (Dave Sheets presented in 2014 Write to Publish conference):

1.  52% of books are being sold on line.
2.  eBooks have the ability to live forever. It won't go out of print.
3.  There are many steps to publishing an eBook. Authors need to weigh in the time costs.
4.  Faster for an author to get their eBook to market (hours/days) than through traditional publishers (12-18 months)
5.  Fiction books sell more eBooks than non fiction. Some authors have released the next title of their series in 3-4 months rather than waiting one year for a traditional publisher.
6.  Easier to take an eBook global than traditional. Third world countries are able to download texts from books onto their cell phones.
7.  There is a stigma that eBooks have poor quality. Anyone can throw something out on the Internet. Authors need to take the responsibility to proof and insure the quality of their eBook. The more quality eBooks reach the market the greater the trust will be in the product. Self publishing is not a second class choice.


*Be sure to do your homework. 
*Talk with others who have self published. 
*See what their experience has been with the different companies and software. 
*Ask what lessons they have learned. Take notes.
*Make sure your manuscript has been edited by an experienced editor.
*Give it a go.
*Take notes as you go through the process and be willing to share what you have learned with others. 

Information from this post is used with permission and taken from a class taught by

Dave Sheets, a book industry veteran with experience with some of the top publishers and distributors in the industry, including Tyndale House Publishers, Multnomah Publishers, STL Distribution and Harvest House. In 2008, David was named as one of Christian Retailing Magazine’s ‘Top 40 under 40,' in which CRM identified 40 individuals under the age of 40 “who are widely considered to be influential figures for the days ahead in the Christian product industry.”

From traditional publishing, Dave transitioned to independent publishing, first serving authors through a revolutionary digital print solutions company called Snowfall Press, which later led to a new printer called BookPrintOnDemand.com, a full service print-on-demand company. In September 2013, Dave became President of Christian Writers Guild, co-owned with Jerry B. Jenkins, and merged this organization with Believers Press, an eleven-year-old indie-publishing company.

Thank you, Dave.

YOUR TURN: Do you have any experiences you can share with us about self publishing. What did you think? Was it easy to learn? How has it been going?

For those who have not self-published do you have questions?

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If you found any typos in today's post...Mary Vee, (that's me sheepishly grinning), is waving her hand as the guilty party. 

If you have questions or would like this topic discussed in greater detail, let me know in the comment section. I'll gladly do the research and write a post...just for you :)

Mary has moved to Michigan with her husband, closer to her three college kids. She misses the mountains of Montana, but loves seeing family more often. She writes contemporary and romance Christian fiction, is honing marketing and writing skills, and loves to pen missionary and Bible adventure stories on her ministry blog, God Loves Kids.

Visit Mary at her website and her ministry blog to families: God Loves Kids. Or chat on Facebook or Twitter

Five Ways Committing to a Career in Writing Will Change Your Life

In honor of her debut e-book The Disappearing Key, we have the lovely Wendy Paine Miller back on the Alley this week for a sneak peek into her new book, and her dazzling mind.

Here's Wendy:

Ah, the life of a writer. The best job in the world. But did you know the second you align yourself with a writing career you’re signing up for life transformation? How you say? I’m about to tell you.

Humble Pie

You’ll taste it, you’ll swallow it. Heck, you’ll probably even roll in humble pie a time or two if you remain with your BIC (butt in chair) long enough. And although it will feel like it, this is never a bad thing. Because you’ll remember the days of rolling in humble pie when you’re making millions on all twelve of your books. It’ll protect you from getting an Oz-head.

Devotion Meter

There’ll be moments you’ll pound the keyboard out of frustration, moments tears will stream down your face as you challenge yourself to come up with a single answer for why you give homage to the craft. Nothing measures your level of investment better than being tested. If it were easy everyone would do it. But not everyone is called. The called stand out from those who dabble when words begin to hide, rejections stack up, and online reviews keep shining a faint solo star. The called don’t quit.

Clarity of Intentions

As a writer, you’ll think more. About words. About how you spend your time. And then you’ll have to make some decisions. Commitment to the craft of writing has a way of sharpening your outlook. Ask anyone who has gone through their manuscript over seven times and they’ll tell you. Whether it’s word selection, discernment learning to say no, carving out midnight hours to plot, or a grueling editing session, allegiance to this vocation forces you to clarify your goals, your words, your time. . .

Spike in Resourcefulness

You’ll begin to scratch your head in wonder at the realization story ideas can spring from anywhere. A doctor’s visit. People-watching at the park. Witnessing an exchange at the zoo. You’ll grow scrappy and eager. No interaction is wasted. No relationship is safe from your writer brain massaging it into malleable material. Oh, and you’ll ask more questions. Don’t ask me, it’s just part of it. Trust me, if it you haven’t begun to pepper strangers with questions yet, you will.

Perspective 

Writers get something. Not even going to try to guess chicken or egg on this one? Do writers write because they see beneath the surface 24/7 or because writers spend copious hours crafting stories are they more prone to notice small nuances?

Either way, you’ll begin to see a story in every person. Experiences will be imbued with greater meaning.

Who knows, you might even begin to judge less and empathize more.

Ah, the life of a writer. The best job in the world.

Have you noticed any specific (perhaps unexpected) ways your life has changed since becoming a writer?

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Check out Wendy's book!

Gabrielle Bivane never expected parenting a teenager would be this hard, but she never expected stillborn Oriana to live to see fourteen, either. The night of Oriana's birth, Gabrielle and her husband Roy fused their genetic and engineering geniuses to bring back all that was lost to them—at a cost.

The secret must be kept.

Oriana Bivane senses she’s not like the other girls her age, but the time has come for her to change all that. She’s tired of secrets, but does she confide in the wrong person?

The life-giving key, suddenly missing, must be found.

Wendy is a native New Englander who feels most alive when she’s laughing, reading, writing or taking risks. She’s authored nine novels and is currently writing what she hopes will be your future book club pick. Her work has been published in numerous anthologies and online sites. Wendy lives with her husband and their three girls in a home bursting with imagination and hilarity.

Publishing & eBooks...what's ahead?

Photo by adamr at freedigitalphotos.net

I just read an article in the Huffington Post about eBooks and their effect on publishing. (You can read the article HERE.) I guess I didn't realize publishers were expanding their eBook lines, but take a look at some of these statistics from the article:

• 4 out of 5 publishers now produce eBooks 
• A majority of publishers produce 1/2 of their titles as eBooks
• Nearly 1/2 of publishers produce more than 75% as eBooks

Are you as surprised as I was? I was shocked, really. I guess I shouldn't be, because many of the review sites that I belong to now offer titles in digital form. Just about every book I look at on Amazon is offered in Kindle format. 

And here is a statistic from the article about Amazon:

• For every 100 print book Amazon sells, they sell 114 eBooks.

I read another article at The Guardian (HERE) that talked about 4 self-published books making the NYT eBook Bestseller's list the first week in August 2012. Four of them were self-published! Wow, huh? That's rather encouraging.

eBooks are here to stay, folks!

So do these kinds of statistics make you wonder if you could ever self-publish? If you could get a crazy good cover and get your book edited by a professional, do you think you would ever take the plunge and self-publish? 

Or are you going to stay the course and get published the traditional way? I know for me, I think that this is probably the safer route. Less work, for sure, in the area of marketing! While you have to journey through the mounds of rejections, once you get a contract, the publishing house has their own marketing. Yes, I know they want you to generate buzz, but face it....we don't have the marketing ability that a big publisher does. 

Since I've never been published, and I don't reckon I will any time soon, I may be talking jibberish, but I do find the news on eBooks and self-publishing a bit tantalizing. 

So how about you? What are your thought about self-publishing?

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This post is brought to you by

 Sherrinda Ketchersid

Sherrinda is wife to "Pastor John" and mother to three giant sons and one gorgeous daughter. A born and bred Texan, she writes historical romance filled with fun, faith, and forever love.

Special Guest Saturday: Shawna K. Williams

There seems to be an epidemic of e-publishing lately. : ) At least here on the alley, but it seems to be popular and many new authors are entering the scene this way, so check out this new author, Shawna K. Williams and the words of wisdom she has to impart from her first publishing experience.

My experience with an e-press has been really positive. I knew from the beginning that I'd be seeking publication through a small press. If you read No Other you'll understand why. It's most definitely Christian fiction, but somewhat atypical for the genre. Some call it edgy, I prefer Grace-Inspired because that's the focus of the story. Anyhow, given that, and also that I was a first time author, I knew that the story's best chance was with a small press.
I think one of the biggest advantages with a small press is that they are far more willing to take a risk with a new author, and a good story that might not fit the standard mold.
For me, it's been really interesting to see the changes taking place in the industry because of electronic publishing. It's telling that every major book chain has an ebook division and their own version of a reader available now. I love the convenience, efficiency and economy that ebooks/epublishing bring to the table. I also see it bringing reading back to young people. My 12 y/o recently purchased a Nook with her own money and reads about six to eight books per month. She'd borrowed my Kindle before buying it. I'm so glad to have it back! Before we had an ereader in our home she read around two books per month. I've heard other parents who own ereaders make similar comments. Two of my friends recently bought Kindles for their kids.
As far as disadvantages go, it's still a small market and sales reflect that. The idea is to be aware of this so your expectations are in line with reality. Lol!

Also, there's still a lot of educating to do. I hear all of the time, "I don't like reading from a computer screen." Many people are unaware of all the ways ebooks can be read, and also that an ereader resembles a print book and not a computer screen. It even uses ink. With the soft covers they feel like a book in your hands, and it's quite cozy to read from while sitting by a fire.

I have moments of discouragement when people ask, "When will it be a real book?" I know they what they mean, but I also know the effort that went into my book, so it smarts a little. Most people are thinking in terms of tangibility, though, and don't intend any offense. And in that regard, I'd be lying if I said that I don't long to hold my book in my hands. I love ebooks, and actually prefer reading on my Kindle, but there is something about having that physical representation of an idea that's been in your head. Just is. While Desert Breeze is currently only publishing in e-format, it is their intention to expand into print.

Shawna's casual bio:
I'm a lot of things: a Christian, wife, mother, friend, author, artist, rock hound, science geek and animal lover. The first four take priority. The rest tend to jostle for my attention. Since I'm always a dreamer, author usually wins.


Indeed, my first two books are the result of a dream -- an actual dream. It nagged me for six months as I mentally tried to fill in all of the gaps. I finally had to write it down. Since then, God has continued to bless with me inspiration at times of His choosing.


Technically, I'm an Inspirational Romance writer. But I like to think that romance includes more than the relationship between two people. It can also be about the era or place, or even a single moment in time, when an elusive whisper reaches inward and ever so gently taps the soul, saying, "This. Remember this."


It's my desire that my stories create such a moment.
Some of my methods for filling my creative reservoir are reading about the histories of small towns, pouring over old photos in antique shops and people's homes (if I'm at yours, I'll ask to see your picture albums) and asking prying questions about your best family stories. Oh! And if you ever see a lady on the side of the road, taking pictures of old, dilapidated houses and buildings, it's probably me.

Debuting in the World of E-Publishing with author K. Dawn Byrd

Good morning everyone. Pepper here, and I want to introduce you to my friend and newly published author, K. Dawn Byrd. Dawn and I became buddies about six months ago, when we found out we were only about an hour’s drive from each other. Since we both live in a very rural part of the world, it was nice to make another Christian writer discovery.


Since then, she’s suffered through phone conversations with me – in the middle of my typical (and quite chaotic) life. Btw, if you’ve ever been on the phone with a fellow author, the bill can go up rather quickly. Once we finally have the opportunity to share our story ideas with people who don’t immediately get a glazed expression, we have a tendency to get overly excited. Anyone else know what I’m talkin’ about here? ;-)

So – to welcome in Dawn, we’re going to have bagels (various kinds – from cinnamon and raisin to chocolate chip) and a special GIVEAWAY!! Dawn is offering one lucky commenter an x-large gray t-shirt with the cover of her last book, Queen of Hearts, on the front or if the winner doesn't wear an XL, a mousepad and signed poster.

Dawn’s debut book, Queen of Hearts, came out in June through Desert Breeze Publishing. Her next ebook, Killing Time, comes out in August. Besides fiction, Dawn has a few nonfiction projects in the works too, including a book for motorcyclists.

Okay, so let’s get started. Dawn, so glad to have you here today with us on The Writers Alley.

1. I’m new to ebooks, so I’m curious about your love for them. What do you find so exciting about the whole ‘ebook’ industry?

The thing I love about ebooks is that they can be read anywhere, any time. I read them on my Blackberry. If I carry a purse that's too small to hold a book, I always have my Blackberry with me. Right now, there are twenty-eight books in my Blackberry. Can you imagine carrying twenty-eight books with you everywhere you go?

I love the fact that I can adjust the font. Right now, the words on my Blackberry screen are larger than a paperback's print. Sometimes I read in bed at night and don't have to worry about disturbing my husband because my screen is backlit.

2. Lots of people have stories about publication taking years and years. Your story is bit different. Tell us a little about your journey to publication?

I've been writing for over two years. I'm very much a perfectionist and I spent a long time studying every book I could find on craft. I spent countless hours researching the internet, soaking "craft" up like a sponge. I'm a perfectionist, but I'm not saying I'm the best writer in the world, I'm just saying that I'm not happy unless I've done the best job that I can do at that moment. I want to turn out stories that I can be proud of and hope that I become a better writer with every book.

3. Queen of Hearts was your first release. Can you give us a blurb about it?

Here's the blurb from my publisher:

Daphne Dean is proud to be serving her country stateside during WWII as a reporter and an Office of Strategic Services operative. When the photograph she takes of the crowd at a murder scene places her on the mob's hit list, she's forced into hiding in a vacant mental asylum in the middle of nowhere with terrifying secrets of its own.

Daphne believed herself to still be in love with her ex-fiancée, Kenneth, until she spends several days locked away in the asylum with Vito, the mob boss' son. Can she put the terrifying events that occurred there behind her and allow herself to pursue a relationship with Vito? Or, will she return to Kenneth who has turned his back on his country by becoming a draft dodger and a black market racketeer? One thing's for sure, it won't matter if she can't escape the mental institution alive.

4. Queen of Hearts is not your first novel, although it’s your first published one. Your first book is coming out in August, isn’t it? What’s it about?

My first book, Killing Time, will release from Desert Breeze Publishing. Here's the blurb:

Mindy McLaurin, thinks it's the end of the world when she's incarcerated on trumped-up embezzlement charges. While in jail, she investigates the death of an inmate who allegedly died of an overdose. Mindy suspects foul play when her cellmate dies and she learns that both women had ingested the same drug. Mindy trusts no one, including Drew Stone, the handsome counselor she can’t stop thinking about. She faces many challenges, including constant interrogation by the Major and emotional abuse from the other inmates. Upon release, someone is stalking her and framing her for the murder. Can she prove to Counselor Stone that she’s innocent of all charges before she loses him forever?

5. What do you love best about your hero and heroine in Queen of Hearts?

I love Daphne Dean for several reasons. She's loyal to her country and her employer. She's a Christian with high morals. Another thing that I really like about her is that she's not perfect. She tries so hard to be a good spy, but it seems like she can't do anything right. This makes her more human and more likeable in my eyes.

There are two male counterparts in the novel and the way it's set up, the reader will have a hard time figuring out who she'll end up with in the end. Daphne doesn't even know for a long time because she struggles with feelings for both of them.

Kenneth is Daphne's ex-boyfriend. They've been boyfriend/girlfriend since childhood. He was an all around good guy until becoming involved with the mob. I like Kenneth because he cares for Daphne, but I don't like the choices he makes.

Vito is the mobster's son. He's gorgeous and a Christian whose father can barely tolerate him because of his faith. He's charming, but at times Daphne doesn't trust him and doesn't know whose side he's on.

6. What do you love best about hero and heroine in Killing Time?

Mindy McLaurin is a very strong Christian who is wrongly accused and incarcerated. She's harassed in jail by a bully and her boyfriend detective refuses to bail her out because he needs her to investigate the murder of an inmate. Upon release, Mindy is stalked, held against her will, and almost murdered. Even though she becomes angry at God at times, she never loses her faith.

The hero, Drew Stone, is a jail counselor. His wife died of cancer and Mindy senses that he's suffered a tragedy that he's not fully recovered from upon meeting him when he books her into jail. He falls in love with Mindy, but is very cautious due to the fact that it could cause him to lose his job. At one point, he believes that he's being framed for the murder of the inmate.

Mindy's detective boyfriend, Mitch, is handsome, charming, and an opportunist. He's recently been hired by the murdered inmate's mother who wants to know what really happened to her daughter. The jail ruled it as suicide. She's not buying it. Mitch refuses to bail Mindy out because he needs someone on the inside to investigate.

Who will she choose in the end? The handsome counselor she can't stop thinking about or the detective that's really the first gorgeous man who's ever taken an interest in her?

Oh boy, sounds great Dawn. Thanks for sharing this info with us and introducing us to your work. Btw, did I tell everyone that Dawn is my ACFW room-mate. You all will know how to pray for her now, right?


So, what have you guys read any ebooks? Did you enjoy the easy access? What did you think? We’d love to get your opinions.