How to Self-publish an E-Book!!

As most of you know, MMW just published our first e-book. Can I just tell you what a fun wonderful experience this was? I had been nervous and apprehensive about self-publishing an e-book. But I watched the following power point presentation on Smashwords and suddenly it sounded like a wonderful idea that we could do.

The Seven Secrets of Ebook Publishing Success - BAIPA May   14, 2011

View more presentations from Smashwords, Inc.

Once we got everyone's stories edited and ready to go it was time to format for publishing an e-book. I was really nervous about this part. I really didn't like the word "format". To me, formatting is so technical and usually way over my head. But Smashwords really is a wonderful place! It has a free downloadable "Smashwords Style Guide" that gives step by step, easy to understand directions. I definitely recommend you publish with Smashwords first, then you can do what we did, and also publish directly with Kindle as well. The nice thing is, once you format your book for Smashwords, you can use the same document for Kindle as well!

Some of you are probably still nervous for various reasons. My biggest fear was that I would publish a book with errors. Guess what? It happened! Even after all our careful edits, there was still a glaring error in one of our stories. I felt horrible! Why didn't I just look at it one more time? But let me tell you the cool thing about publishing on e-books...You can EDIT!! That's right! I was able to upload a new edited version to both Smashwords and to Kindle. I'm not sure what that means for those that already bought a copy of the book. I think on Smashwords, once you've bought it, you can download the new version. Someone will have to let me know if I'm right on that one. Also, my biggest fear happened, yet I'm still alive and you all still love us...I hope! Perfection is definitely over-rated! Mistakes are all part of this human existence and I'm going to rejoice in being able to overcome them.

You may still be thinking that you aren't ready to publish anything on e-book yet, but I have to tell you that publishing something...ANYTHING, is a big boost to your confidence. It really helps you feel like a writer and it lights a fire under you, like nothing else, to keep writing. So make up a pen name if you need to, and publish your short story, novella, or a book of poems. You will be surprised at how good it really feels. If you still aren't ready to publish anything, well that's alright! Just buy "Totally Cliche" today and remember that you have been on this journey with us the whole way! Be confident in knowing that if MMW can do it, anyone can!!