With all the hullabaloo focused last month on Amazon’s new Kindle e-Book Reader, the new Digital Text Platform has gone almost unnoticed. I missed it altogether during my routine scan of over 130 blogs and websites, and the Newsweek cover story about the Kindle didn’t make much of it either. However, this Kindle platform opens the door for any ambitious writer to publish one’s novel, novella, short story collection, poems, monographs, research papers, memoir — any longish document, in fact — almost instantly and at no cost whatsoever.
I stumbled across this new route to publication when visiting the Amazon online bookstore this past weekend. I had drilled down through the top pages down to Karen Blomain’s recent book of poetry [she's a fan of this blog]. Tucked away inconspicuously in a little box with small print is an invitation to writers to find out how to publish a Kindle book. The notice does not show up on upper-level Amazon pages; it’s downright hard to find.
In a rather backhand endorsement, self-publishing guru Dan Poynter has published his seminal Self-Publishing Manual, 16th edition for the Kindle. The Kindle edition, by the way, is available for $6.39, less than half the price of the print version. Moreover, the Kindle edition can be instantly downloaded directly into the Kindle Reader, no additional delivery charges.
The details of the Digital Text Platform, which is described as “a fast and easy self-publishing tool,” is available in a currently obscure corner at Amazon. Available there is a downloadable nine-page PDF document, which gives all the details.
Once you have a completed text, it’s amazingly simple to “Kindle-ize” it. The author first sets up a DTP account, or simply use one’s regular Amazon.com account login name and password. Then one places details of one’s book at the My Shelf page. Author and Title are the only required fields to enter, but one is encouraged to add keywords, genre, even ISBN number if available. Next, one uploads and previews the text. The original document can be in one of several formats, but Amazon recommends first converting your text to HTML, which translates into the Kindle format most easily. And last, one enters the price to charge. The author will receive a set percentage of that price [currently 35 percent] for every sale, even if Amazon chooses the book for reduced-price specials. Once all is done, the author clicks on the Publish button — and within 24-72 hours, Amazon says, your book will be listed in the Kindle Store. You will then be a “published” author!
The simplicity of this process does raise some questions. A scan through the DTP forum did not yet yield answers. Does Amazon screen books before accepting them? Are there any standards regarding “inappropriate” content?
One can also assume that lots of “bad” writing will find its way into publication. But that does not, of course, mean that anyone will buy it. As with most self-published books, marketing and promotion are pretty much left to the author.
By the way, TechCrunch has just passed on word that the Kindle has “sold out,” with no more available before Christmas. This has apparently sparked a bidding war on e-Bay, with prices ranging up to $1500. This news must be confounding the tech pundits who declared the device not yet ready for wide consumption.
QUESTION TO READERS: Would you consider publishing your work for the Kindle? Click on the Comment link below to share your thoughts.
Technorati Tags: Amazon, Digital Text Platform, e-Books, Kindle, publishing, self-publishing
Sorry, comments are closed.
Comment by
Charles Wilkes
18 Dec 2007
I picked up on the publication possibilities immediately and ordered my Kindle about one second later. I have now had my Kindle for about two weeks, and love it. I have six publications in draft form, which I will finish one by one and publish on Kindle — a surprisingly easy thing to do, and at no cost, or apparent restrictions other than what I consider common sense.
The Kindle has enabled me to read faster than I can a regular book for a number of reasons. It is very easy on the eyes, and has a very easy to read type font which you can size adjust to meet your vision needs. Turning pages is just wonderful — happens almost immediately, with just a touch of my right thumb. It’s so fast, and requires so little action on my part, that I hardly even notice that I was interrupted at all — certainly not to my chain of thought.
But the Kindle is not just an ebook reader — it is the very best audiobook device I have ever seen. I can listen to it as I drive. And I can have thousands of audiobooks stored on my Kindle, since I have increased the 180 MB memory size by 8 GB via an inserted SDHC card of that size.
The Kindle does have music possibilities as well, but it really needs some development in this respect, as they have envisioned this capability for use as a background music source to hear while you read. How shortsighted. I want to listen to Opera and Symphonies — not “tunes”.
There are only a very few problems, and all that I have encountered I have solved with a little imagination. For example the page turning buttons are not a problem if you just leave your Kindle in the supplied Book Cover, held down by the attached flat rubber band stretched vertically along the left edge.
Also, I don’t like DRM — Digital Rights Management — a hold over from the earlier attempt to “copy protect” programs which users completely rebelled against. But I solved this by getting non-DRM content on my hard drive first, and then uploading to my Kindle.
All in all, I really love my Kindle, and take it with me everywhere. Don’t listen to the nay sayers who don’t have one, and most likely haven’t even seen one themselves.
Charles Wilkes, San Jose, Calif.
Comment by
Tom Colvin
18 Dec 2007
Charles, thanks for that detailed evaluation of the Kindle. It’s one of the best user reivews I’ve come across.
Please let us know as you upload your books to the Kindle store. There’s a good chance I’ll have a way of pointing blog readers to your work by early January.
Comment by
Barbara Rozgonyi
31 Dec 2007
Found this post via a google search for “converting your book to Kindle” and mentioned it in an answer on LinkedIn to a question about alternative publishing methods.
Will be interesting to watch this new screen’s evolutionary effect on reading and publishing.
From a new marketing/PR perspective, publishing a Kindle edition sets you apart as being edgy, with it and there for your readers – where ever they may be.
Really informative blog – will be back.
Barbara Rozgonyi, Wired PR Works
Comment by
Paul
2 Jan 2008
What about serializing your book? That’s what I’m doing over at manwithapen.com, with the science fiction story “Repubblica.”
(http://manwithapen.com/repubblica cover.htm)
Seems like a great way to go for a writer.
Comment by
kindle delivery
13 Mar 2008
Amazon’s New Wireless Reading Device: Kindle Store.”This is the future of book reading. It will be everywhere. Amazon Kindle is an electronic book (e-book) device launched in the United States by Amazon.com in November 2007. Buy Now!!!
Comment by
Sarah
19 Mar 2008
I’m a young teenager who just found this on the internet. I enjoyed it very much and it helped me to understand the Kindle. I have recently created a DTP account and plan to publish a number of my novels (I am in the process of writing two series). I was suspicious that the self-publishing on Amazon.com was not really for free. After I read this post, I’m pretty sure it is. Thanks again!
Comment by
Kathleen Caldwell
20 Apr 2009
I found the article and response to publishing and using the Kindle to be really helpful. I have been struggling with a compilation of stories for some time and I know that the idea of trying to get published as a new author was holding me back. It was daunting to me. I am now so excited that I can't wait to finish the book and launch on Kindle! It is a collection of Angel encounters and stories of divine appointments called "A Glimpse of Angels". We could all use a little hope in these times, I think.
Thank you again.