Production of ebooks is fast, easy and cheap but seemingly out of control. The sheer amount of content available is staggering and, unfortunately, most is of poor quality. At best, most digital content can be compared to dime novels of the past. It is not news to anyone that there is a lot of garbage out there. David Carnoy, Executive Editor of CNET Reviews, considers the majority of self-published books to be pretty bad: “If I had to put a number on it, I’d say less than 5 percent are decent and less than 1 percent are really good.”
Even traditional publishers have difficulty formatting their books to look as good in an ebook format as they do in print. Under pressure to make their books available in so many different formats, they are failing to put the time into refining all formats that they put into the print version of their books. Like many companies, mainstream publishers are outsourcing these projects oversees to places such as India. The products they are getting back are filled with formatting errors; yet, they are still rushed into production. Imagine how much more difficult it is for the self-publisher – who has less resources – to even meet the standards of those ebooks produced by traditional publishing houses.
Access to quality ebooks is something the public is eagerly anticipating. Increasingly readers are becoming less tolerant of the poor quality content being pedaled. Even the term “book” is one that is used loosely in reference to ebooks. The new term for material published as an ebook is “content,” which runs the gamut from a 10 page PDF downloaded from the Internet to a book from a traditional publisher’s catalog formatted for a Kindle.
As a self-publisher, you need to plan your strategy carefully, so your quality book does not get lost amongst the junk in the Internet dump. Kelly James-Enger, owner of Dollars and Deadlines, a company that helps new writers get published, identified eight mistakes self-publishers need to avoid when publishing a digital work.
Don’t publish too quickly. Make sure your book has been edited sufficiently, so you are publishing your best work.
Omitting or using a poorly designed cover. The cover of a book is the first impression you will make on the reader. The money you spend hiring a graphic artist will be well spent.
Impatience. Don’t pull your book “off the shelf” if you don’t see immediate success. It takes time and aggressive marketing to build an audience.
Not doing research. Find a subject people have interest in and you have sufficient knowledge regarding to write about. Nonfiction books are an easier sell than novels.
Limiting your publishing options. Format your book for a variety of distribution channels.
Jumping on the bandwagon. Marketing trends come and go. What worked six months ago may not work today. Identify your potential readers and tailor your marketing techniques to find them.
Failing to spread the word. Market aggressively. Do not depend on readers finding you. It is you who need to place your product in front of your readers.
Going it alone. Join a community of writers on whom you can rely for advice and support.
Follow Mr. James-Enger’s advice, and you will be on your way to creating a quality product that will attract readers.
Getting Noticed in the Cloud 