Kindle version submitted
Today's job was creating and submitting the Kindle edition of The Eighth Succession.
This is actually a fairly straightforward process, albeit one with a lot of back-and-forth.
Unfortunately, I don't have any tools for editing a Kindle-format book directly (I don't even know if they exist). So the process goes like this:
- Edit in Pages on my MacBook Pro.
- Convert to epub format with Pages.
- Convert epub to Kindle format with Amazon's kindlegen app.
- Open in Kindle for Mac and inspect for problems.
- Open in Pages and correct the problems.
- Lather, rinse, repeat.
Most of the problems are relatively minor ones involving spacing, page breaks, and tabs.
Eventually I got all the problems cleaned up. I also created a new version of the front cover -- the book cover is a little dark for online use, so I lightened it up using the indispensable Graphic Converter app. This will serve as the cover of the Kindle version.
After that it was a matter of logging onto my Kindle account, answering all the questions, setting prices, and uploading my files.
Pricing
I set the US price at $2.99. Have you ever wondered why so many Kindle books are $2.99? No, it's not collusion between publishers.
Amazon has two levels of royalties for Kindle books. Books priced at less than $2.99 earn a 35% royalty, while those priced at $2.99 or above can earn 70%. At $2.99, it's the difference between earning $1.04 and $2.06. And small publishers aren't stupid.
(Incidentally, for non-US sales there are two pricing options: convert the US price, or use a set price in the local currency. For Canadian and UK markets, which are the bulk of my foreign sales, I set the price at $2.99 (Canadian) and £1.99 (UK). For all other markets, I use converted prices. So if you've after a (slight) bargain on my Kindle books, move to Canada.
A Secret
The official publication date of The Eighth Succession isn't until September 1, and the street date comes after our launch party at Balticon. However, when poking around today, I noticed that Amazon hasn't really paid any attention -- right at this moment, The Eighth Succession print verison is available at this link. I don't know if this will last, but for now, if you want to get a jump on everyone, you can order a copy.
(Just don't tell anybody official, okay?)
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