Good news and bad news
The good news is that the staff in Pret a Manger have finally learned to understand what I mean when I say ‘Bakewell’. They’ve been selling Bakewell tarts for over a year now, but – until today – whenever I asked for one the person serving me (in my Pret, they’re almost exclusively girls from South America) […]
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On the 19th of May, I launched the Kindle edition of Perpetual Astonishment with an apologetic message on Facebook. On the 1st of June, I celebrated the paperback launch with an embarrassed line on Facebook. Since then, I have sold seven paperback copies and sixteen Kindle copies. I’ve also had two of my five Kindle […]
Read more...Get your books here
I’ve just signed up with PayPal so that I can sell the book from my website. This means that I can send signed copies and what-not. (You also get a free bookmark with every copy – imagine.) Just click ‘Buy the book‘ at the top of the page. The book is also available from Amazon, […]
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8. Adapting your InDesign files for the Kindle
Putting out the Kindle version is much easier than the paperback – I just adapted my InDesign files. It’s important to remember that the Kindle will flow your text however it wants to, depending on the size of the Kindle, the size the user has chosen for the fonts, and the settings you specify. In […]
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7. Finishing it off
All that remains is to tell Lightning Source about your book and upload the files. To do this, log in to Lightning Source and choose “Set up a new title” from the “My Library” drop-down menu. Most of the form, and the screens that follow, is self-explanatory. However, here are some things to bear in […]
Read more...6. Designing the cover
The first thing you need to do is a get a template for your cover from Lightning Source. Log in and go to “Account at a glance” (top right-hand corner). Then, under “Tools”, choose “Cover template generator”.
Read more...5. Pagesetting
You need to lay out the text first because LS needs to know the number of pages in order to tell you how wide your spine should be – and you can’t design your cover without knowing the spine width.
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4. Getting layout software
I believe in doing everything myself, even though it would almost certainly have been cheaper, quicker and easier to pay someone else to design the cover, lay the text out and then send me the files in the correct format. If you’re like me, here’s what you need to know.
Read more...3. Buying ISBNs
The minimum number you can buy is ten, which costs £118.68. To do so, go to http://www.isbn.nielsenbook.co.uk/controller.php?page=123, download the application form by clicking on the link at the bottom of the screen and fill it in. You need to answer easy questions about your new publishing house (a breeze after Lightning Source), give them credit card […]
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