Martha Maeda - The Complete Guide to Writing & Publishing Your First E-Book: Insider Secrets You Need to Know to Become a Successful Author

The Complete Guide to Writing & Publishing Your First E-Book

Insider Secrets You Need to Know to Become a Successful Author

Martha Maeda

This Atlantic Publishing eBook was professionally written, edited, fact checked, proofed and designed. Over the years our books have won dozens of book awards for content, cover design and interior design including the prestigious Benjamin Franklin award for excellence in publishing. We are proud of the high quality of our books and hope you will enjoy this eBook version, which is the same content as the print version.

The Complete Guide to Writing & Publishing Your First E-Book: Insider Secrets You Need to Know to Become a Successful Author

Copyright 2015 Atlantic Publishing Group, Inc.
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No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without the prior written permission of the Publisher. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be sent to Atlantic Publishing Group, Inc., 1405 SW 6th Avenue, Ocala, Florida 34471.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Maeda, Martha, 1953

The complete guide to writing & publishing your first e-book : insider secrets you need to know to become a successful author / by Martha Maeda.

pages cm

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN-13: 978-1-60138-608-3 (alk. paper)

ISBN-10: 1-60138-608-7 (alk. paper)

1. Self-publishing--United States. 2. Electronic publishing--United States. 3. Electronic books--Marketing. 4. Authorship--Marketing. I. Title.

Z285.5.M34 2012

070.573--dc23

2012018169
LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: The publisher and the author make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties, including without limitation warranties of fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales or promotional materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for every situation. This work is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services. If professional assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought. Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for damages arising herefrom. The fact that an organization or website is referred to in this work as a citation and/or a potential source of further information does not mean that the author or the publisher endorses the information the organization or website may provide or recommendations it may make. Further, readers should be aware that Internet websites listed in this work may have changed or disappeared between when this work was written and when it is read.

TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: All trademarks, trade names, or logos mentioned or used are the property of their respective owners and are used only to directly describe the products being provided. Every effort has been made to properly capitalize, punctuate, identify, and attribute trademarks and trade names to their respective owners, including the use of and wherever possible and practical. Atlantic Publishing Group, Inc. is not a partner, affiliate, or licensee with the holders of said trademarks.

Printed in the United States

A few years back we lost our beloved pet dog Bear, who was not only our best and dearest friend but also the Vice President of Sunshine here at Atlantic Publishing. He did not receive a salary but worked tirelessly 24 hours a day to please his parents.

Bear was a rescue dog who turned around and showered myself, my wife, Sherri, his grandparents Jean, Bob, and Nancy, and every person and animal he met (well, maybe not rabbits) with friendship and love. He made a lot of people smile every day.

We wanted you to know a portion of the profits of this book will be donated in Bears memory to local animal shelters, parks, conservation organizations, and other individuals and nonprofit organizations in need of assistance.

Douglas and Sherri Brown

PS: We have since adopted two more rescue dogs: first Scout, and the following year, Ginger. They were both mixed golden retrievers who needed a home.

Want to help animals and the world? Here are a dozen easy suggestions you and your family can implement today:

• Adopt and rescue a pet from a local shelter.
• Support local and no-kill animal shelters.
• Plant a tree to honor someone you love.
• Be a developer put up some birdhouses.
• Buy live, potted Christmas trees and replant them.
• Make sure you spend time with your animals each day.
• Save natural resources by recycling and buying recycled products.
• Drink tap water, or filter your own water at home.
• Whenever possible, limit your use of or do not use pesticides.
• If you eat seafood, make sustainable choices.
• Support your local farmers market.
• Get outside. Visit a park, volunteer, walk your dog, or ride your bike.

Five years ago, Atlantic Publishing signed the Green Press Initiative. These guidelines promote environmentally friendly practices, such as using recycled stock and vegetable-based inks, avoiding waste, choosing energy-efficient resources, and promoting a no-pulping policy. We now use 100-percent recycled stock on all our books. The results: in one year, switching to post-consumer recycled stock saved 24 mature trees, 5,000 gallons of water, the equivalent of the total energy used for one home in a year, and the equivalent of the greenhouse gases from one car driven for a year.

Disclaimer

The material in this book is provided for informational purposes and as a general guide to writing an e-book only. Basic definitions of laws and instructions are provided according to their status at the time of printing; be sure to check for changes or updates in laws and publishing instructions. This book should not substitute professional advice for the publishing of your e-book.

Author Dedication

Dedicated to everyone who has an imagination,
a story to tell, and a desire to share it with the world.

Introduction

Every historical trend has a moment when it is poised to take off. For e-book publishing, that moment is now. E-books have been in the news so often over the past three years, it is difficult to keep up with the latest developments almost every day there is an announcement about the newest e-reader or the latest e-book. In March 2011, the Association of American Publishers reported that in January of that year, monthly e-book sales had surpassed sales of hardcover books for the first time. In May 2011, Amazon reported that its sales of e-books officially had surpassed its combined sales of hardcover and paperback print books. In 2010, sales of e-books in the United States jumped 164 percent over the previous year to $441 million. By 2013, e-books brought in $1.3 billion in revenue. April 2014, Association of American Publishers reported that e-books now account for 27% of all adult trade sales.