Simply stated, meta-data are the information about your ebook. It tells your ebook's cover to appear as a thumbnail. It allows your ebook's buyer to sort by author, etc. on his/her ereader. It also tells the buyer your genre, ISBN, publication date, etc. Most important of all it must be inside your ebook.
Author Guido Henkel blogged about his take on the purpose of the meta-data for your ebook at Meta-data… what are they good for?
If you're interested in how to change meta-data using Calibre (You do know about Calibre, right?), watch the video tutorial How to Edit Ebook Metadata in Calibre .
Friday, July 8, 2011
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Lightning Source Books No Longer “In Stock” at Amazon
What is Amazon up to now? Just, when we start to think the tiger has settled down, something else gets bitten.
For those of you who use Lightening Source for your D(ead)T(ree) books at Amazon, you're going to want to read this: Lightning Source Books No Longer “In Stock” at Amazon
For those of you who use Lightening Source for your D(ead)T(ree) books at Amazon, you're going to want to read this: Lightning Source Books No Longer “In Stock” at Amazon
40+ Free Tools for Authors
I meant to post this yesterday for the Wednesday Writer Resources. I found this great post over at Self-Publishing Review. These 40 free tools for writers are meant to increase your writing output, help with your ebook preparation, and increase your web presence. It's a handy collection all in one spot.
Save yourself some time and money and checkout 40+ Free Tools for Authors
Enjoy!
Save yourself some time and money and checkout 40+ Free Tools for Authors
Enjoy!
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Dean Wesley Smith's Book Production Time
Dean Wesley Smith is blogging about the production process for his ebooks and POD books.
Smith gives an actual breakdown of the time it took him to do a collection of short stories.
When reading this post, be sure to read the comments section, too. Smith includes some additional information when he's answering comment questions.
So, if you're worried about how much time it will take you to get that ebook out to your readers, go to Dean Wesley Smith.
Let Panzer know if this helps you!
Smith gives an actual breakdown of the time it took him to do a collection of short stories.
When reading this post, be sure to read the comments section, too. Smith includes some additional information when he's answering comment questions.
So, if you're worried about how much time it will take you to get that ebook out to your readers, go to Dean Wesley Smith.
Let Panzer know if this helps you!
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
SUNDAY BLOG in BED: The Eye of the Reader
Vincent Zandri's Sunday blog was about the importance of good covers for your branding. Zandri discusses how authors can use their covers to help readers click that Buy Me button.
Branding is important to authors. I write in three different genres. Using my name Fiona L. Woods, I write cats involved in crime mysteries. Hence this blog: Cats and Crime. The covers for my ebooks in this series have cats on them. These are part of my branding plan. I have other branding programs for my other two genres.
Zandri uses John Locke as one of his examples. Locke uses a woman's legs on his covers as his ebook branding. That way, whenever a reader sees a cover with those legs on it, he or she knows it's a John Locke ebook.
Read Vincent Zandri's SUNDAY BLOG in BED: The Eye of the Reader to help you with your own ebook branding.
Branding is important to authors. I write in three different genres. Using my name Fiona L. Woods, I write cats involved in crime mysteries. Hence this blog: Cats and Crime. The covers for my ebooks in this series have cats on them. These are part of my branding plan. I have other branding programs for my other two genres.
Zandri uses John Locke as one of his examples. Locke uses a woman's legs on his covers as his ebook branding. That way, whenever a reader sees a cover with those legs on it, he or she knows it's a John Locke ebook.
Read Vincent Zandri's SUNDAY BLOG in BED: The Eye of the Reader to help you with your own ebook branding.
Book Review: Mean Little Kitty and Waiting Room at the Hero League
Okay, I let Panzer pick today's ebook for review, so don't blame me!
This is a small ebook by Kater Cheek that contains two short stories (and the first chapter from the author's new novel). Both short stories are full of kitty humor. If you're a cat owner, you'll identify with the characters immediately. If you're not a cat owner, you'll still find them humorous; but you'll wonder why in the world we love our cats!
The first story, Mean Little Kitty, revolves around a mother's love for her son and the lengths to which she will go to protect him from that mean little kitty named Spot.
The second story, Waiting Room At the Hero League, delves into the depths to which a man (or Tabby Girl) will sink when he's/she's looking for a job
The ebook is available from Amazon for the Kindle. Panzer gives it ten paws up.
This is a small ebook by Kater Cheek that contains two short stories (and the first chapter from the author's new novel). Both short stories are full of kitty humor. If you're a cat owner, you'll identify with the characters immediately. If you're not a cat owner, you'll still find them humorous; but you'll wonder why in the world we love our cats!
The first story, Mean Little Kitty, revolves around a mother's love for her son and the lengths to which she will go to protect him from that mean little kitty named Spot.
The second story, Waiting Room At the Hero League, delves into the depths to which a man (or Tabby Girl) will sink when he's/she's looking for a job
The ebook is available from Amazon for the Kindle. Panzer gives it ten paws up.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Sunday, July 3, 2011
How to format for Smashwords
Yesterday, we looked at formatting an ebook (primarily) for Kindle. Some writers have complained that formatting for Smashwords using their Smashwords specific formatting manual is too confusing. So, today, we're going to format an ebook for Smashwords.
Author Louise Wise has written her own formatting instructions at her blog Wise Words. Personally, I find her instructions much easier to understand and follow than the Snashwords manual because she has excellent illustrations for each step.
If you've been hesitant to get your ebook uploaded to Smashwords, you don't have any more excuses. Go on over to Wise Words: How to format for Smashwords?: and get that ebook in shape. Time and money (yours) are wasting!
Author Louise Wise has written her own formatting instructions at her blog Wise Words. Personally, I find her instructions much easier to understand and follow than the Snashwords manual because she has excellent illustrations for each step.
If you've been hesitant to get your ebook uploaded to Smashwords, you don't have any more excuses. Go on over to Wise Words: How to format for Smashwords?: and get that ebook in shape. Time and money (yours) are wasting!
Saturday, July 2, 2011
The Secret of Successful E-book Formatting
Nick Daws had U.K. freelancer David Robinson as a guest blogger recently. David Robinson has written two books on formatting an ebook: E-book Formatting and Publishing on the Kindle and E-book Formatting and Publishing on Smashwords.
Robinson's blog post covers using MS Word to prepare your ebook to upload to the Kindle Store and to Smashwords. It's important to have your ebook in perfect shape before you upload it to make sure you'll pass the vetting process. Not passing vetting can add extra time to how long it will take to get your ebook into your readers' hands.
If you need help getting that ebook into shape read David Robinson's post at Nick's Writing Blog: The Secret of Successful E-book Formatting.
Robinson's blog post covers using MS Word to prepare your ebook to upload to the Kindle Store and to Smashwords. It's important to have your ebook in perfect shape before you upload it to make sure you'll pass the vetting process. Not passing vetting can add extra time to how long it will take to get your ebook into your readers' hands.
If you need help getting that ebook into shape read David Robinson's post at Nick's Writing Blog: The Secret of Successful E-book Formatting.
Friday, July 1, 2011
"But, but, Officer, I'm a writer ... ." or My Life Is A Joke
Working furiously at my computer, I was well into the last third of my police Det. Matt Stockley's newest mystery. I'd been at it for three hours and I was in the zone. That mad rush to get to the end. Characters whispering in my ear. No stopping me now.
And the phone rang. I didn't answer. It rang again when whoever it was called back.
I picked up the phone. "I can't talk right now. He's got a gun. I have to find out what he's going to do with it." I hung up and went back to writing down the whispers in my ear.
Five minutes later, I heard banging on my front door. Throwing my hands up, I went to answer the door. I opened it to two policeman on the front porch.
"Is there a problem here?" one of the officers asked, looking past me into the living room.
"Uh, um, no," I stammered. "What's wrong?"
"We got a called from a woman who said she was your mother and you were being held captive by an armed man," the office rested his hand on his gun.
Oh, no, it was my mother on the phone. I shook my head. "Come in and I'll explain everything, officers."
Nobody understands a writer's world.
© 2011 Fiona L. Woods
And the phone rang. I didn't answer. It rang again when whoever it was called back.
I picked up the phone. "I can't talk right now. He's got a gun. I have to find out what he's going to do with it." I hung up and went back to writing down the whispers in my ear.
Five minutes later, I heard banging on my front door. Throwing my hands up, I went to answer the door. I opened it to two policeman on the front porch.
"Is there a problem here?" one of the officers asked, looking past me into the living room.
"Uh, um, no," I stammered. "What's wrong?"
"We got a called from a woman who said she was your mother and you were being held captive by an armed man," the office rested his hand on his gun.
Oh, no, it was my mother on the phone. I shook my head. "Come in and I'll explain everything, officers."
Nobody understands a writer's world.
© 2011 Fiona L. Woods
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