Once you've completed your eBook manuscript in a word processing format and are ready to publish it live for purchase, you need to use a website that offers ePublishing software. Amazon and Smashwords both fit your needs. Go to the sites, click agreement to terms and services, and upload the necessary software. Check formatting guidelines because you may need to alter your original formatting to fit the site's requirements. This step is necessary because eReaders only accept text from particular formats. Both Amazon and Smashwords retain partial royalties because they also publish content for sale. This is standard practice.
Another option to successfully publish your eBook is to utilize the services of an ePublisher. This is similar to traditional paper and hardback publishing; however, it's a particularly good idea if you've written a book that can be categorized as a "sub-genre" for marketing purposes. Numerous ePublishers that specialize in different sub-genres appear if you conduct an Internet search. Although this option reduces your royalty percentage, it definitely has its benefits. Marketing and advertising are offered free of charge, which can drive book sales quickly upward.
Make it easy for potential readers to find your book by building an author website. First, visit a domain name site such as directNIC or Go Daddy and verify that your desired web site name is available. The next step is to do a search for a web hosting company such as Host Gator or Fat Cow. The hosting company supplies free software to assist authors with creating multiple pages text and images. You want a host company that offers twenty-four hour customer service telephone assistance.
Once you've got your website up and running, utilize social networking media sites to promote your book. Facebook, Twitter and MySpace all offer free services and allow fans and readers to track your writing and career. You can create an account specific to one particular book or a pen name. Specialty websites such as GoodReads or Amazon's KindleBoards offer authors an opportunity to interact with other authors as well as fans in a chat type forum. Use these spaces to announce or promote new work. Always "tag" books on these sites to draw the most amount of people searching for your genre.
Tracking royalties is simple and quick due to the fact that the web sites an author publishes with completes this task for them. Both independent retail sites such as Amazon or Smashwords as well as ePublishers generate regular sales reports. These reports can be tallied monthly, quarterly or according to any other time a private ePub house determines it appropriate. Royalties are paid via PayPal or sometimes by company check.