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