brian felsen's ibpa university ebook production and distribution panel
DESCRIPTION
Session EB2 - Ebook Production and Distribution Panel: Options and Answers (Saturday, April 27, 8:00-8:55 AM) Don’t miss this chance to get up-close and personal with major players in e-book production and distribution. What’s the best alternative for turning print into e-books? Should you publish in e-book format only? Where will your book be distributed? How much will it cost? Get the answers to these questions and more in this must-attend session open to all Publishing University attendees.TRANSCRIPT
EBOOK PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION PANEL: OPTIONS
AND ANSWERS
BRIAN FELSENPRESIDENT, BOOKBABY
“I’ve heard this song before!”When CD Baby started:
Record stores going out of businessPiracy was rampantLabels consolidatingTraditional model of distribution was crumbling
(Just like publishing!)
Similarities to the music industry
Records were becoming easier to produce Bands still had to tour to promote to fans -
stores were only promoting to buyers(Just like publishing!)
Some of my friends were million-selling waiters
Gatekeepers were adding little value
Curation was failing
No loyalty to labels Most label releases flopped Slow time to market Under-served smaller niches
(Just like publishing!)
The industry radically changed My A&R friends are out of work Last 3 Grammy winner albums of year
were independent releases Some of the biggest hits were ours – and
the artists refuse major record deals CD Baby has 280K artists and 4.8MM
tracks
So what can writers learn that musicians already have experienced?
1. Anonymity is a bigger threat than piracy.
Don’t sweat the DRM – and, happily, the ease of buying experience is built into the tablets
Being in the watering holes is more important than a boutique retail store.
Distribution worldwide is increasingly important
Added libraries, e-Sentral, Scribd – now in over 200 countries
Compatibilitywith all devices
2. Doing It all Yourself is overrated.
It’s already challenging and time-consuming to write, promote, and monetize
Writers’ strengths are not always formatting, cover design, or website creation.
Even in a DIY world, don’t try to do it all yourself It’s like changing the oil in your car Many different formats and flavors of ePUB, .mobi, .azw ePUB check, unmanifest file check Accounting with multiple retailers Retailers who won’t accept individual authors
Some formatting tips
Proofread your file Read an eBook in your genre (for formatting, publisher/copyright
info, ToC) Use standard fonts and sizes Images:
Don’t use tables, inserts, or sidebars – extract as text or images Do all resizing FIRST, outside of the document, and then reinsert them Don’t wrap text around images, set them in-line with text
Don’t use tabs or space bar to format Audio and video can be more inexpensive than fixed layout
3. Stop chasing the gatekeepers
Don’t compromise or wait for The Wizard of Oz
Like the music industry, content creators chasing the old model have been easy prey for PR “packages” – we’d rather provide advice
CD Baby's Macklemore -> 50 Shades It’s not either/or for traditional/self-
publishing
4. “Old” technology is not dead.
CD Baby’s CD sales up over 25% YoY Outside of Amazon, print still outsells
eBooks – e will grow, but don’t forget print! Right size Not outsourced Guarantees G7 certified color Forest Stewardship Council certified paper
5. There are people who can help
Our mission is to empower writers, but sometimes the best way to help is to really help.
“Reach out and touch someone!” Sometimes, there’s no substitute for the phone
(877-961-6878)
Follow us for interviews, blogs, and advice:
Brian Felsen, President, BookBaby
Twitter: @bookbaby @brianfelsen
http://blog.bookbaby.com