1) There are several self-publishing platforms that authors can use to publish ebooks and print books, such as Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing, CreateSpace, and Lulu. 2) These platforms offer different royalty rates, pricing structures, and distribution options. For example, KDP offers a 70% royalty rate for ebooks priced between $2.99-$9.99 while Lulu offers an 80% royalty rate. 3) Beyond publishing, authors also have options for designing covers, converting files, getting ISBN numbers, creating websites, and using social media and analytics to promote their work.

1. THE SELF-PUBLISHING
SCOOP
Natasa Lekic
Former Managing Editor at Atlas & Co.

2. Amazon: CreateSpace
• Free eBook publishing
• eBook distribution through Amazon.com, Kindle
• Convert to kdp file: $69
• POD option, $10 proofs

3. Kindle Direct Publishing
• Two royalty rates:
• @ 70% rate:
• price btw $2.99 - $9.99
• Amazon gets exclusive (can sell on your own website, but priced
no lower than Amazon)
• eBook price 20% less than any print version
• you support all the features (text-to-speech, book sharing, etc.)
• @ 35% royalty, Amz still has "most favored nation" status
on pricing - can't sell eBook or print versions anywhere at
a lower price

4. Lulu
• More editorial/design packages
• Higher shipping costs
• Distribution:
• Extended Reach – Free – Amazon.com
• GlobalReach - $75 - Amazon.com, iBookstore, Baker & Taylor, and
Barnes & Noble, online retailers worldwide. Brick and mortar book-
stores, the Espresso Book Machine can order
• Review licensing agreement
• Royalties: 80%
• (iBookstore, Lulu takes additional 20%)
• $99.99
Expanded Distribution = $49.95

5. BookBaby

6. BookBaby
• Better at handling graphics: first 10 graphics free, $2 for
each after that
• $99 upfront
• $59 file conversion
• 0% royalty
• Unique ISBN $19
• Distribution: Apple, Amazon, B&N, Sony

7. Blurb.com
• Highly visual, printed books
• provides BlurbNation, a list of graphic-designers-for-hire
• the platform is compatible with the Adobe's InDesign
software
• no upfront charges
• Costs start at $2.95 each for a 5" x 8", 40p, b&w
paperback, $12.95 for a 7" x 7", 40p color book
• Distribution: Book browse widget for your website

8. Smashwords
• It's free to publish on Smashwords.
• 85% royalty on net sales, 60% of the list price for sales
through major retailers
• Distribution to Apple, Barnes & Noble, Sony, Kobo, Diesel,
others

9. Smashwords
• Meatgrinder: automated
conversion platform
• To HTML, RTF, and DOC,
Epub and Kindle
• in 2012, you’ll be able to
submit your already
formatted ebook

10. PubIt! – Barnes & Noble
• No upfront fees
• Distribution: bn.com, Nook
• $2.99 - $9.99 gets 65% Royalty of the list
• =< $2.98 or => $10.00 gets 40% of the list
• B&N's marketing programs:
• Read In Store, which allows bricks & mortar B&N customers to
browse an ebook for up to an hour
• Sharing eBooks (allows eBook owners to lend
a book once for 2 wks)
• sampling 5% of an eBook

11. iTunes Connect
- Approved iBookstore aggregators:
• Ingram
• Inscribe Digital
• LibreDigital
• Lulu
• Smashwords
- Notable differences
• Only Smashwords converts Word docs
• Only Ingram & Lulu print physical books
- Royalty: 30%
- Can ‘sell’ free books

12. Wattpad
• Largest social network for writers & readers
• Writers can upload free, serialized, work-in-progress
stories
• Test readers, improve your work
• Smashwords partner

13. Creating Interactive eBooks
• Animated children’s eBooks

14. Tapja

15. POD comparison
• Book w/ specs: paperback, b&w, 6″ x 9″, 128p
• The costs are:
• CreateSpace – $2.38 (with the Pro Plan - $39)
• Lightning Source – $2.82
• Lulu – $7.06
• Note: Lightning Source has a $100 setup fee
• printing cost per paperback is $1, plus approx $0.015 per page
• to keep your book listed, $12/book/yr

16. Publisher’s self-pub platforms…
• Penguin’s Book Country
• Harper Collins Authonomy

17. Cover Design
• http://www.fontsquirrel.com/
• Outsourcing editing & book covers: eLance, oDesk
• http://99designs.com/
• Free software: http://www.gimp.org/downloads/

18. Doing your own cover, conversions…
• Create your own cover and format e-book from Word
using free software Mobipocket eBook Creator or
Calibre
• Mobipocket Creator allows you to create an e-book with a
table of contents and convert it into AZW (MOBI, the file
output by the program, is the same as AZW)
• Note: Lulu charges from $99.99 to $299 for conversion

19. Dreaded Territory: ISBN’s
• If you accept CreateSpace's free ISBN, CreateSpace
remains the registered owner of that ISBN, which means
you will not be able to list your book with catalogs like
Bowker's and Nielsen's because only the registered ISBN
owner is allowed to do so
• Bowker package deal for ISBN + barcode + Bowker
catalog listing at $150

20. Create your own website
• Wordpress – Yola – Adobe Muse

21. Social Media

22. Analytics
• Google Analytics
you can track which posts are most popular, what search
phrases bring most traffic and which countries your
visitors come from
• Tweriod
The service delivers a comprehensive analysis of your
daily Twitter activity. You’ll see what time of day and day
of week your followers are online and your tweets get
most exposure.