tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post3233811118711209937..comments2024-03-26T23:41:10.319+00:00Comments on Authors Electric: A bookseller's view? - Julia JonesKatherine Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17196712319655603442noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-36057953016312437082011-10-14T23:54:55.341+01:002011-10-14T23:54:55.341+01:00Very interesting post Julia, thanks. I'm going...Very interesting post Julia, thanks. I'm going to have to look into Waterstones and Hive, thanks.Hywela Lynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13789711554354184386noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-2914828664805549232011-10-10T19:23:00.108+01:002011-10-10T19:23:00.108+01:00Probably unnecessary to say BUT if you are putting...Probably unnecessary to say BUT if you are putting your book out in ePUB as well as Mobi (Kindle) you do need a different ISBN. Just as in the Old Days you had different ISBNs for hardback and paperback editions. These can be supplied by a company like ebook partnership.julia joneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09773900100240758504noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-915967008590466162011-10-10T16:31:16.070+01:002011-10-10T16:31:16.070+01:00Debbie's right about Smashwords, they will con...Debbie's right about Smashwords, they will convert your text into ePub, among others, and you can then download it and send it off elsewhere. There are some problems with that, like Smashwords wanting its own special copyright page, which would look a bit strange appearing on a separate version on a different site. Perhaps you could upload to Smashwords without such a copyright page, grab the ePub then immediately withdraw it from Smashwords again.<br /><br />Other options are using Apple Pages, if you have a Mac, which will export to ePub. I've never tried this, just know it exists. The most complicated way, but the one that gives you most control over the appearance of your ePub is Adobe InDesign, which I've used for Julia's.<br /><br />To simply convert from one format to another, use <a href="http://calibre-ebook.com/>Calibre</a>. It can change your kindle format into an ePub or vice-versa.Matti Gardnernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-21333597094924010652011-10-10T16:28:52.346+01:002011-10-10T16:28:52.346+01:00This comment has been removed by the author.Matti Gardnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17632785104605951946noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-5353743439995903352011-10-09T19:22:56.604+01:002011-10-09T19:22:56.604+01:00Smashwords will convert your upload to an epub for...Smashwords will convert your upload to an epub format. Don't suppose there's anything to stop you downloading that and sending it on elsewhere.Debbie Bennetthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06761474820689143835noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-60456227911551416502011-10-09T15:14:47.909+01:002011-10-09T15:14:47.909+01:00Julia, this is a very interesting piece. I knew th...Julia, this is a very interesting piece. I knew things in the e-world were moving fast, just not quite how fast!<br /><br />Is is as easy to make an ePUB version of your book, as it is to make a Kindle version? If so, then I think I have quite a bit more work to do...Katherine Robertshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17196712319655603442noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-67941832724727958662011-10-09T12:29:57.056+01:002011-10-09T12:29:57.056+01:00Such is the speed on Out Exciting Times my blog wa...Such is the speed on Out Exciting Times my blog was out of date almost as soon as I'd written it. The Google Bookstore went live on Thursday and the Hive initiative appears to be moving up a gear. Presumably because the deal struck with Google could be key to their success or otherwise. Here's a link http://www.hive.co.uk/about-us?utm_source=taomail&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Campaign-115573<br /><br />What I like about Google is that it appears to be open access - direct to authors as well as publishers. And for print as well as ebooks. My fear is that they are promising so much, can they possibly perform? But I'm certainly going to try to get involved.julia joneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09773900100240758504noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-29461962811171693312011-10-09T12:11:14.269+01:002011-10-09T12:11:14.269+01:00Dear Jan - yes, your lovely and talented son is in...Dear Jan - yes, your lovely and talented son is indeed l & t. One of the things I especially like about him is that when something doesn't go quite right he just says "Oh bugger!" and gets on and fixes it - even after a hard evening at the pub. Now where could that attitude have come from, I wonder?julia joneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09773900100240758504noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-12649972953487473222011-10-09T11:30:45.972+01:002011-10-09T11:30:45.972+01:00welcome on board, julia (as we norticle types say)...welcome on board, julia (as we norticle types say)and thanks for the ref to my lovely and talented son matti gardner. you're obviously a better pupil than i am, because your blog contains things i've got no idea about. it's his birthday next week, so i'll withhold all presents until he gets me up to speed. anybody else interested, he'll set it all up for you a very little cost. he has a masters degree in computers, but the big society has no job for him yet! (he's called matti after a brecht character, by the way. nowt wrong with romantics, is there?)Jan Needlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15823078224282953782noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-75167324705155223882011-10-09T10:10:38.223+01:002011-10-09T10:10:38.223+01:00Wow, major 80s computer nostalgia!
Hive sounds re...Wow, major 80s computer nostalgia!<br /><br />Hive sounds really fascinating. I'll be interested to see how it develops. If it serves all those outlets, it doesn't sound as though it will serve indies very well - its function will be purely reactive - once you're in an indie store it will stop you leaving to get your ebooks, but it won't replicate or enhance the things that got you there in the first place. What it needs for that is a browsing algorithm that allows stores to reproduce their real life flavour online. It needs store-specific not customer-specific browsing - for example, The Albion Beatnik, my local store, specialises in US fiction & poetry books you can't get in other stores (not even particularly obscure - a few weeks ago I was looking for Jay McInerny's Bright Lights, Big City and neither Blackwell's nor Waterstone's had it). Whilst you can get almost all ebooks from almost all places, the ebook experience at The Albion Beatnik needs to be able to match the paper book one. Otherwise the danger is that ebooks will be an at-the-counter purchase like chocolate at WH Smith. And the danger for independents in going for something that isn't really right is that they think they've got ebooks sorted and stop working on something that isDan Hollowayhttp://danholloway.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-49983728350568505142011-10-09T07:22:41.519+01:002011-10-09T07:22:41.519+01:00All this makes me realise I have an enormous amoun...All this makes me realise I have an enormous amount to learn. I have not yet laid eyes on an e-book. I have only seen a Kindle from a distance. Our local indie recently changed hands and is, I think, struggling. There are no signs of any e-books in there yet.<br />Even our local library has not mentioned the word e-book - yet.<br />It has to come. <br />Thankyou for getting me started!catdownunderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06959328192182156574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-24592977749373189602011-10-09T07:12:26.000+01:002011-10-09T07:12:26.000+01:00Julia, that is REALLY interesting - thank you. I&#...Julia, that is REALLY interesting - thank you. I'm particularly interested in your last two paragraphs ( though your own story is interesting, too!) I'd heard of Hive but didn't know it was already going. I'm now off to investigate it and ebook partnerships. thank you!Nicola Morganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12189894289540344094noreply@blogger.com