As I noted last week, there are some definite differences between publishing for Kindle and publishing a traditional paperback book. Some things you might not catch until the paper copy is already in your hand….as I discovered after I’d already ordered a box of author’s copies. Ouch. So today is all about sharing lessons learned in the era of real-time electronic self-publishing. I share these experiences so (hopefully) you won’t have to.

First, the Good News

I’m very pleased with the overall quality of the Amazon Kindle Publishing paperback. The cover, binding, and paper are all professional grade and look no different from any book you’d find in the bookstore. And the cover design by Mars Dorian looked as I hoped it would in physical form–akin to a comic book or graphic novel. Huzzah! I was so excited to have a book with my name on it, I shared a picture of it on Facebook and Twitter.

However…

When I opened the book and started flipping through it, things looked fine until I noticed…ARRRGH! Where were the page numbers?? Apparently the bottom margin was narrower than it was supposed to be…and I thought I’d accounted for that in my formatting. I thought wrong. That ever happen to you? It happened to me.

What made it worse is that I’d already ordered a box of author’s copies–now “collector’s editions” as they all lack page numbers–so I’m out a little extra money. Arrrrgh. Reminder to self (and others): check EVERYTHING on your formatting. The issue should be fixed for any books ordered after August 21. However, if you’re one of those “lucky” folks who purchased early, received a collector’s edition, and would prefer to get some page numbers, I’ll be happy to send you a corrected, autographed version of the book once I’ve got my updated author’s copies handy. However, I will be following my old Disney habits and request that you provide proof of purchase have the numberless book in hand.

Anyhow, that little crisis addressed, I’m looking forward to the marketing phase. I’ll be talking to a friend in the promotions business about swag items I can give away in the event I get to do in-person sales events again. I’ll also be talking to a friend who speaks SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and online marketing. This will supplement my own goofy ideas for marketing and sales outlets. As always, there’s a learning curve to taking on new tasks. Another adventure awaits!