Practicalities of Publishing Your Book

[BobM]

I have just had one book of fiction published on Amazon and I am in the process of finalising another on the Via Francigena. I used Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP)

KDP make it pretty easy in an administrative sense (eg royalties, rules in different publishing jurisdictions) and with some aspects of design (eg covers). There is also a very active Community of KDP publishers to call on for help.

It is a steep learning curve for novice publishers! For what they are worth, coming from a newbie publisher, here are a few things I have learned.

The creative part of writing the book is the easy part! There is a lot of work involved in formatting the text and making sure it looks good on all the many devices eBook readers use - actual Kindles, Kindle apps for android and Apple devices, Kindle apps for PCs. They come in all sizes and with their own formatting peculiarities. That can make it a nightmare for getting illustrations to display well on all devices. KDP have very good emulators for various devices so you can see how your book will look before publication; but the emulators are not perfect.

If possible, have someone else proof-read the finished book. I proof-read my books many times, but always found errors, sometimes trivial, like two spaces following a full-stop. While on that subject, writers might be good at English (or French, or whatever), but not necessarily good at all the many publishing conventions affecting layout of sentences, paragraphs. They can make the difference between a book that looks professional and one that looks amateurish. Very important when the Nobel Prize committee is evaluating your work.

Another big deal is copyright. I wanted to use a particular map, but ran into a dead-end tracking down copyright, so I could not use that map. The AIVF kindly gave me permission to use one of theirs, but it has to be correctly attributed - and not altered in Photoshop. Quoting other published work can also be fraught, even when it is correctly attributed. How much quoting is "fair use"? Using your own work that has already appeared on blogs and the like can also cause problems. That is currently holding up my VF book, because a lot of the material was originally published here on Ivar's website. I know it is obvious, but authors can't just pluck stuff off the web and use it, even with attribution.

Anyway, I hope this is useful. Maybe I shouldn't have posted it. I won't be able to re-use the text in my next book on "How to Publish".

Regards

Bob M

 

[BobM]

Is there any way I can delete some of my old post in bulk, without having to delete one post at a time?

Regards

Bob M

 

[wayfarer]

Hi Bob, a countryman of yours published a book last year about his Camino experience and also had several posts on this forum about his Camino but he didn't remove any posts as far as I know in order to publish. It may have been the case of what they don't know won't worry them. Another point of removing all your posts is that any replies you may have got will now seem out of context. The only way as far as I can see to remove your posts is to click on your avatar, when your profile comes up, click on the number of posts and go through them one by one and remove what you want or have your entire profile removed altogether as if you were a spammer. Ivar, as administrator, may be able to do something different. Personally I wouldn't worry about posts in the forum too much as I doubt Amazon will be checking forums for copyright infringement.

 

[Al the optimist]

Why would you want to?

 

[BobM]

Why would you want to?

I have written a book to be published on Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). KDP do a search to see if the text has already been published, and they found that text in my book is "freely available on the web." The only place I write about pilgrimages is here, so that is the problem - unless someone else has ripped off my content. I have asked KDP to give me a specific reference so I can check for plagiarism.

So, I may have to take down all the 'offending' content here to get my book published. Hopefully not, but I want to be prepared n case it is necessary.

It is a useful point for intending writers to remember.

Bob M

 

[BobM]

Thanks, wayfarer for the useful advice. The problem is that KDP have done some sort of automated search and told me that text in my book is "freely available on the web" They can only have found my text here - unless someone has ripped off my content and used it in an actual publication of their own. In the latter case, the horse has bolted and all I could do is get Amazon to give me the relevant web link so I can chase it down. I am still waiting to hear back from them on that matter.

The whole thing is a total pain. I don't want to have to take down my posts one by one, or have Ivar totally remove my whole profile, but I need to be prepared in case it is necessary to get my book published.

Regards

Bob M

 

[MichaelSG]

Dang. If I wrote here the same way I would write in a book, I would recommend that no one read my book!

 

[Al the optimist]

Maybe Pm Ivar to ask for advice?

 

[bystander]

What a kerfuffle and hassle for you!

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Administrators, and probably Moderators, can make such a deletion. I suspect that they would want a direct request in place of an inquiry in a post.

 

[Tincatinker]

Nothing is ever simple on the Web. Ivar can delete @BobM's past postings. My reading of our Mod manual suggests that that is an Administrator only role. It will also have the effect of wiping Bob from the forum, I can't see how even an Administrator can select history for deletion. Of course Governments do this all the time but they do have special powers.

@BobM your other problem is that your stuffs existence won't be confined to this forum. It will also be wherever it has been quoted, plagiarised and stored by that plague of Bots that wander the web at will. I would suggest you point out to KDC that the 'content' of the Rough Guide to Paris is also 'freely available on the web' but that doesn't seem to impact its #,000 sales a year.

 

[ivar]

There is no easy way of doing this... I assume you would like to delete some posts, but not all? Could you PM me a list of posts and I can do it for you... would that work?

 

[smj6]

...always found errors, sometimes trivial, like two spaces following a full-stop. ...

And I was taught - many moons ago - that after a full stop one always has two spaces!!
Suzanne )))

 

[BobM]

And I was taught - many moons ago - that after a full stop one always has two spaces!!
Suzanne )))

That's what I was taught too. But I learned my stuff in the typewriter age. Things are different now, with word processors that can tweak kerning and line layout. Apparently the current publishing convention is one space. It's progress. We also should not use a space to separate paras; we should indent the first line. I find that hard to accept, but there it is.

Bob M

 

[BobM]

There is no easy way of doing this... I assume you would like to delete some posts, but not all? Could you PM me a list of posts and I can do it for you... would that work?

Thanks, Ivar. I appreciate your offer and willingness to help. Your website gets a plug in my book, BTW.

Before taking the nuclear option of a total delete, I want to hear back from Amazon exactly what they object to. If their plagiarism algorithm has located offending text,surely they can give me a reference to chase up. If my content has been plagiarised and reused elsewhere, then the horse has bolted and there is no point deleting content here.

Thanks to others who have also posted helpful advice. Much obliged, as always.

Bob M

 

[Wanderer64]

The great thing about the digital revolution is that it's made self-publishing a lot more accessible.

The bad thing about the digital revolution is that it's made self-publishing a lot more accessible.

The problem with much self-published writing is that it's also self-edited. Do not ignore or underestimate the value of a good editor. If you must self-publish, find a good editor or at least a decent proofreader. There's good reason self-publishing has historically been called the "Vanity Press."

 

[GettingThere]

Before taking the nuclear option of a total delete, I want to hear back from Amazon exactly what they object to.

BobM, KDP's content guidelines include the statement "We will not accept content that is freely available on the web unless you are the copyright owner of that content." (my emphasis). As you are the copyright owner of your own posts to this Forum, you should be able to include that content in your book - it would pay to make this point to them if you haven't already. Their plagiarism-detection software won't necessarily detect that you are the author of this supposedly "freely available" content, but will have generated a report which they can check if you point it out. Many schools and universities have similar software which students are required to pass their writing through before or on submission.

 

[BobM]

BobM, KDP's content guidelines include the statement "We will not accept content that is freely available on the web unless you are the copyright owner of that content." (my emphasis). As you are the copyright owner of your own posts to this Forum, you should be able to include that content in your book - it would pay to make this point to them if you haven't already. Their plagiarism-detection software won't necessarily detect that you are the author of this supposedly "freely available" content, but will have generated a report which they can check if you point it out. Many schools and universities have similar software which students are required to pass their writing through before or on submission.

That's a perfect reply. Before I read your post, I just asked KDP what I had to do to prove ownership. BTW it took my followup email before they sent me the actual offending weblinks. It beats me why their plagiarism software can't plug that info into the automated email they sent me and save everyone a lot of time/hassle

BTW, I also assume I own copyright to my content posted in Ivar's forum. Is that definitely the case? The Terms and Conditions are silent on copyright. As a newbie publisher, I have found that copyright, 'fair use' etc is a bit of a minefield.

Anyway, everyone here has been most helpful. Thx

Regards

Bob M

 

[ivar]

BTW, I also assume I own copyright to my content posted in Ivar's forum. Is that definitely the case? The Terms and Conditions are silent on copyright. As a newbie publisher, I have found that copyright, 'fair use' etc is a bit of a minefield.

Yes you do. Let me know how I can help when Amazon has gotten back to you on this..

 

[BobM]

Thanks Ivar. See my more detailed response in another topic. In summary, Amazon released my book when I convinced them that I owned my content in this forum. BTW, I had to give Amazon my username for this forum so they could check. Their plagiarism algorithm would have had that name, not my real name used for my book.

Problem fixed.

Thanks to everyone for your help. Pretty much perfect in my opinion. No wonder the website has over 30k members and growing.

Bob M

 

[BobM]

The great thing about the digital revolution is that it's made self-publishing a lot more accessible.
The bad thing about the digital revolution is that it's made self-publishing a lot more accessible. The problem with much self-published writing is that it's also self-edited. Do not ignore or underestimate the value of a good editor.

There is certainly a lot of bad material available in Amazon's eBook library. Contributors to Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) discussion forums often lament the number of bad books (other people's) drowning out the good books (theirs) and preventing them from getting noticed. It's true, but why stress about it?

Good work will always rise to the top, and bad work will sink. All a writer can do is focus on writing well, and hope for the best.

On balance, I think electronic publishing is a good thing. More writers will be given a chance to test their work in the market. Speaking personally, no conventional publishing house would touch either of my books. Volumes of stories don't sell in high enough volumes to justify all the work the publisher would have to put into publishing the book - unless they are written by a celebrity or someone who already has a public profile. The same goes for my account of the Via Francigena. Maybe both of them will end up in the junk pile of unwanted books, but I want the chance to at least test my work in the wide world. eBooks are my only chance to try. That is what all writers want. Of course, when we win our Nobel Prizes we will have been vindicated.

The other good thing about eBooks is that they need not be static. You can change your book as often as you like. That's an exciting, little-appreciated benefit of an eBook. If readers gripe about something, or really love a character or whatever, the author can tweak the book accordingly.

I urge anyone who has ever had the urge to write, to have a go. KDP makes the mechanical and administrative aspects of publishing easy. As for the creative part, try out your work in forums like Ivar's or some other place where you can write "non-pilgrim" stories and get feedback. You will soon find out if you have the ability to touch a reader and engage their interest. If you have that gift, it is a wonderful start to a writing career.

Then there is editing and proofreading. No matter how good the creative work is, it can be tarnished by poor formatting and editing. Wanderer64 hit the nail on the head there. I must have proof-read my own books ten times, and always found errors. No doubt there are others I have missed. Getting someone else to proof-read your work is vital, especially if you plan to publish in print. Readers may be a little more tolerant of errors in eBooks, but not in print. But be very wary of taking other people's advice on the creative aspects of your work. It is your voice that is critical, so guard it tenaciously. Books written by committee are not that interesting.

Bob M