Books – Page 21 – Jean's Writing

As promised, here are the tools I selected for my books

Published on July 15, 2016July 14, 2016 by Jean M. Cogdell11 Comments

I use two.

IngramSpark/Lightening Source and Createspace for my print books

IngramSpark Print Distributes to brick and mortar retailers, bookstores and libraries file. If you ever hope to put a print book in a bookstore or at your local library this is where you want to be. Accepted for download is only PDF. E-Book Distribution to online e-retailers but accepted download only epub. IngramSpark does NOT provide free ISBNs. Customer service is very responsive and helpful.

Createspace has very easy to use with the step-by-step instructions. You can upload your work as a print-ready .pdf, .doc, .docx, or .rtf. Your page count will be detected and an automated print check will run once your upload is complete. You’ll be able to see any issues online using the Interior Reviewer tool. Createspace does provide free ISBN or you can use your own.

Another plus is that should you choose, you can let Createspace convert and send to KDP for ebook publication.

createspace

One note: I prefer to purchase and use my own ISBN. Yes, this does add cost but also gives me a little bit more control.

So how to you convert and publish your books? Print and e-book?

Do you do conversions using third-party tools or do you let the printer tools available on their websites?

Talk to us in the comments. Or click the “write me” tab or contact me on Twitter @jeancogdell, Facebook at jean.cogdell and Amazon.com, stop by and say hey! The lights are on and I’m waiting.

Please remember to share this post with your Twitter peeps andFacebook fans.

How to select the best ebook conversion tool

Published on July 14, 2016 by Jean M. Cogdell7 Comments

Too many choices!

But fortunately, there is one that will work for you.

And thanks to DAVID KUDLER we now have a very good breakdown of several. While not an all-inclusive list, David has reviewed the top tools used by most writers.

So if you’re ready to convert and upload that best-selling book, keep reading.

Amazon KDP

KDP accepts ePub, Word doc/docx, HTML, mobi formats. Output mobi, and HTML. In my book Tryouts for Ben, I uploaded a Word docx and had little trouble. I agree with David; it’s easy and almost fool-proof. Don’t waste your time using fancy fonts, or formatting, because KDP will not recognize most of them. However, if you are confident with HTML, and CSS format, you can edit the converted file in HTML.

Barnes and Noble Nookbook

I’ve not converted any of my books to Nookbook. But David assures us it’s fairly straightforward. But doesn’t allow for HTML editing.

KOBO

Again, I’ve not yet used KOBO. It appears to be less than user-friendly and not sure I’ll bother with it. David didn’t appear to be impressed.

DRAFT2DIGITAL (D2D)

D2D accepts ePub, Word doc/docx, RTF files, and the output is ePub, mobi, or PDF. I did consider D2D but wasn’t happy with their conversion tool.

SMASHWORDS

Smashwords accepts files in ePub, Word doc (not docx.) Note: this means you must save your manuscript in the older version of Word. Out put is impressive: ePub, mobi, PDF, PDB, lit, TXT, and many more. Again, this is one I considered but decided it wasn’t for me.

So which tool did I use?

computer-frogs 2

Check back tomorrow.

But in the meantime, head over and read David’s entire article.

The Convertible Cloud: Ebook Conversion Online

Click the “write me” tab or contact me onTwitter @jeancogdell, Facebook at jean.cogdell and Amazon.com, stop by and say hey! The lights are on and I’m waiting.

Please remember to share this post with your Twitter peeps andFacebook fans.

Do you know if you are suffering from brain-drain?

Published on July 12, 2016July 10, 2016 by Jean M. Cogdell22 Comments

But Beware of Summer Brain-drain!

An affliction that slips up on you along with the rising temperatures, humidity, thermometer-153138_640

and buzzing mosquitoes.

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You may not notice it at first. Your brain cells and ideas drain away slowly when you decide to take a few days to welcome the sun and blue skies. sun-151763_640

Next, you’ll decide to skip a day of writing or blogging. I mean one day won’t hurt, or even a couple. Right? But before long a week has passed, you’ve forgotten a much-needed password and discover your muse is missing. You’ve developed foggy brain and reached the summer danger zone.

How do you combat this affliction , and survive until fall?

The cure for brain-drain can be done as you enjoy the summer.

Read good books. Notice the plural. One won’t get the job done.
Write. Write every day, even if it’s just fifty words. The writing doesn’t have to be prize winning. Once you get started, a sentence or two will become a paragraph and stop the brain-drain.
Music. Listen to music. It feeds the soul.
Watch old movies. That’s right old movies. Because the writers didn’t rely on “special effects” as much as the newer ones.

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Do you suffer from brain-drain?

What do you do to keep the mind moving right along during hot summer days?

Let us know- leave a comment!

I’d love to hear from you! Click the “write me” tab or contact me on Twitter @jeancogdell, Facebook at jean.cogdell and Amazon.com, stop by and say hey! The lights are on and I’m waiting.

Please remember to share this post with your Twitter peeps andFacebook fans.

Do you want a creepy and disturbing book?

Published on July 8, 2016July 7, 2016 by Jean M. Cogdell3 Comments

If you are squeamish,

don’t read:

The Butterfly Garden

4,203 customer reviews

The book is written in two different POV’s, the FBI investigating the crimes and one of a surviving victim. The author hooked me from the beginning. Changing point of views made perfect sense as the story unfolds. I had no problem following what was happening. It is a dark, disturbing, methodical and well-written story. I usually can’t finish a book that deals with sexual violence because I find the subject distasteful and hard to stomach but I couldn’t put down The Butterfly Garden. I finished this book in one day, not because I didn’t know how it was going to end, but because I wanted to hear the rest of the victim’s story. So, if you are the least bit squeamish about the treatment of women, you may want to take a pass. However, if you can handle the subject, the writing is worth the journey. This is one book that will keep you up all night.

Dot Hutchinson kept me turning the pages late into the night and the story haunted me long after I turned out the light. The Butterfly Garden gets 5 Stars from me. It is available now, for FREE through KindleUnlimited.