Daniel Mega's Blog

As most of you know I am lazy and refuse to do things I don't have to, like html.  The problem was every time I uploaded books to KDP, the books would output as left justified.  This just doesn't cut it for a book on the Kindle or any device.  So I hit the forums and they kept saying, "put paragraph tags (

) around each paragraph and KDP's Kindle converter will make sure it is justified".

This is fine and dandy, but I'm a writer not a web developer, so I don't want to go back through a full length novel, and type

and

around every single darned paragraph.  So of course, I found the lazy man's solution.

Here is how to make your text fully justified on the Amazon Kindle.

Using Word or OpenOffice open your file
Go to "File > Save As"
Type the name of your file
In the "Save as type:" drop down box choose "HTML Document" or something similar depending on the program you use
Click Save

Now go to Jutoh.  If you haven't downloaded Jutoh, do it.  Yeah, it costs a little bit, but the time it saves you is worth it.

Go To File New Project
Insert book information.
Click Next
Click Next Again
Click Next Again
On Import Method page Choose "From An Existing File Containing All Sectors"
Click Next
On Single File Import Choose Split By Pattern
Choose Split By Pattern - Choose Chapter *

Note!: If your document isn't split by chapter, go back to the word .doc and make a pattern between any section breaks.  The pattern can be as simple as a "#" or similar.  You can remove them later.  Doing that now, will save you time later.

Click Next
Create a Cover design or upload your own.
Click Finish

Now, on the left side of Jutoh there is the Organizer.  It should have a Content folder, with a bunch of different pages split up that represent the different chapters or sections.

Depending upon how you split the book, you may have to insert some more pages for example for your copyright page, prologue or epilogue, etc.  This can be done, by right clicking on the content folder > New Document...

Choose Book Document, give it name and click OK.

In the organizer there will be a new document.  Drag it to the appropriate location in the file, and cut>paste the appropriate text into that section.

Once you have your document finished and perttied up, go to File>Export>Mobipocket.

It will chug along and make your correctly formatted, fully justified text document for perfect reading on the Kindle.

UPDATE: 1/2012 - things have changed a little bit.   It's easier than before, and in many cases it is up to the user to choose fully justified in their settings on their kindle.

The easiest way using Jutoh is to set it up correctly when you first import your document.  Unless you need a specific stylesheet, you should use Jutoh's default stylesheet.  It will strip your document of your styles and add in Jutoh's.  There are pros and cons, but for simple books that are not enhanced I have found Jutoh to work great.

On the single import file page do the following:

uncheck "Imported Styles override default Jutoh styles"
check "Discard imported styles, and apply Jutoh styles"

This is a great solution, but not a cure all.  You may need to run through your doc and make sure that all styles are correctly applied.  Your results may vary, but I have had great success with this.

I'm starting a new series covering all that is awesome with old science fiction, fantasy, and pulp book covers.  In this series I won't do a lot of talking.  I'll let these beautiful covers from the past do the talking.

First up we have The Borribles by Michael de Lerrabeiti.  The quotes on the front read, "Try The Borribles, warts and all, before they become a legend", and "A Modern Epic".  That's a mighty quote to call it an epic, but I figured it must be if the quote says so, so I sat down to read it.

I became even more excited when I discovered the author was across the pond in the UK, because they write in a quirky style I find rather amusing and fun.  I was not disappointed in this aspect.  The Borribles are a bunch of quarreling human children with pointy ears.  The amazing thing is they change from normal children into Borribles when nobody is looking.  It is a slow change that not even the child realizes it happens.  But once you are a Borrible you don't look back.  Roughhousing, fighting, and worrying about your Borrible name is what one can expect in the London Underground.

And Oh! The dangers in Borrible Land.  There are large rats(called Rumblers) with needles for swords and an assortment of other beasties.  Often the story is put on hold for many pages as our gracious narrator tells us an oral history of what a Borrible is.  Despite this one drawback it is delicious.

I enjoy the spoofs thrown in the book like a spoof of Sanford and Son (based on Steptoe and Son).

If you read the story with a British accent you will find the read more easy going.

Check it out:

Borribles On Amazon.com

Or, find it right now on eBay:

Michael De Larrabeiti Borribles Trilogy 03 Across Da 2006 Used Trad

   US $2.99

If you are marketing your self published book, or any book or service for that matter, there may be other flyers you have to compete with.  Especially if you are at a convention or event where there will be many other flyers, business cards, etc.  People are going to pick a flyer for only two reasons:

The item applies directly to something they are interested in

(for example, a flyer with a dragon on the front will appeal to the fantasy genre, a space ship to the space opera genre,etc.)
The item sticks out, or something about it forces the person to find out more

Getting a potential customer to read your marketing material is only the first battle. If you don't want the item to end up in the trash within minutes or hours, or even days, the key is customer interaction through your marketing material.

The following material was from the recent LTUE convention 2011 I attended.    I would have grabbed more if I had thought of this article, but I only did after the fact.  The obvious winner for me was a dinosaur coloring book by Jess Smart Smiley.  He is an artist, not an author, which makes it even better because it applies to his field of work, not mine, but still moved me to pick it up.  People are going to keep the flyer because they want to color it, or let their kids color it, or whatever.  And it was just a few xeroxed pages, so really cheap to make, but more effective than the typical fancy full color posters and media.

 

The following example is shown because of the discount.  We all love discounts, and discounts are very effective in increasing sales.  As you can see in the image, you can purchase the Black Dragon ebook for 50% with the provided code.  What would make this even greater is if it was custom printed for a specific convention(but you have to keep costs in mind).  For example if it read something like:

For attendees only!  Get 50% off my book at Smashwords.  But hurry!  This special only lasts for a week after the convention.

The personal deal for a specific group, makes the group feel special at whatever level.  We all like to feel like we are in on a special thing available only to us.  And if you create an expiration (or a line stating a future expiration), this will often tip the potential reader into purchasing the book before they change their mind, throw away the pamphlet, or forget that your product even exists.

The importance of interactive marketing media will reinforce your brand(and yes your name as an author is a brand) in a potential reader's mind, making them more likely to at least visit your website or research your book or service.

Like I said, I didn't pick up much marketing material, only that which applied to me, but I'll give you one more excellent example of interactive marketing material.  Tracy Hickman, NYT bestseller in the dragon lance series usually written with Margaret Weiss, uses bookmarks for his main freebie offline marketing material.  This is a typical marketing ploy, so hold on when I get back to what makes his bookmark difference.  A quick side note . . .

A bookmark sounds like a good interactive marketing ploy, because the reader will put it in the book they are reading and continually see it.  Where it fails, is that their are so many bookmarks at writing conventions of all different genres.  It is a cutthroat race to win the attention of your audience.  Something has to stand out for this method to work.  And even then, a bookmark is not a guaranteed in.  Many are thrown away quickly.  And with the advent of eBooks, bookmarks will become less desirable.

Okay, back to my example of Tracy Hickman. What sets his bookmarks apart from others is he signs each one, and talks with fans and/or potential readers before giving them the bookmark. This is genius because:

It creates a sentimental item for the reader.
The item, a bookmark, has suddenly skyrocketed in value in the reader's eyes.  If it has more value they are less likely to throw it away
Where the fan or reader has to physically talk to the author to get the bookmark, you eliminate the uninterested audience, and create highly targeted customers
It reduces marketing material waste, saves money, and eliminates uninterested readers who might grab the freebie just because it is free . . .

Unfortunately I didn't have time to get a bookmark, but I hope these examples gives you ideas to make your marketing material more effective.  Remember interaction and innovation will help you stick out.  To do this take the old and change it up, make it better.

For self published authors you have to market your work, and the number one place to do that offline is at conventions. Self Publish Conventions are where other like minded people meet together to share ideas, teach, and network in their particular industry.  If you learned anything in Business Marketing 101 in school it should be that if you want to meet contacts to move your business, product, service, whatever forward, you have to go to conventions and sell yourself.

This goes for regular authors that go the traditional route as well.  If you can network at a convention, interesting opportunities could arise such as an agent who expresses interest in your current novel you are trying to sell, you meet a like minded author to collaborate on your next bestseller, or you learn that one "tidbit" of advice that is just what you needed to get your book to the next level.

For self published authors going to a convention, there may be a bit of disdain if you start professing about your brilliant novel.  At a writer's convention, those going the traditional route have more "street cred" than those going the self published route.  However, you will find people interested in your book, you'll find friends, and you can network with people that can help you in the self publishing industry such as cover artists, online marketers, small publisher or distributor interested in quality self published work, etc.

Things to do to help you in your convention marketing quest is:

Go for fun.  If you are just trying to sell yourself or your book the whole time, you will turn people off
Learn about Author Etiquette - this is dealing with panelists (ie the celebrities).  Etiquette includes things like not shoving your book in their face, pitching your million dollar idea to them while they are on the crapper, or kissing the ground they walk on.  Just treat them like a person, not a pawn in your scheme to rule the publishing industry.
Bring business cards or other marketing material.  Usually their is a freebie table where you can put bookmarks, marketing crap, etc.  Or if someone asks you about yourself or your work, this is the perfect opportunity to tell them and give them your card.
Get On A Panel - The most rewarding thing at a convention is helping others.  If you help others you help yourself.  Find future conventions, and send them your idea for a class or panel.  Give them your experience and credentials, and you may just get your timeslot

This is just a sample of what you can do at conventions.  Be creative, and treat everyone there how you want to be treated.  If you do that, you may just impress an agent, author, or reader who wants your book, without even knowing it.

This year I got a chance to go to "LIFE, THE UNIVERSE, AND EVERYTHING" (LTUE) convention held in Provo, Utah at the Marriott Convention Center.  It was a great 3 day convention on the writing and publishing industry with an emphasis in the science fiction and fantasy genre.  I have attended 4 out of the last 5 years and this was the best convention of the past 3 years.  Unfortunately, I was only able to go to 2 days of the convention but I got some good "nuggets" of info.  Here are the forums I attended:

Writing Action By Larry Correia, author of Monster Hunter International and Hard Magic
How to Scare People by Dan Wells, author of I Am Not  A Serial Killer and Mr Monster
Killer Openings, with Jessica Day George, Dene Low, Lisa Mangum, and Steve Walker
Plots, Subplots, and Foreshadowing with Larry Correia, Howard Taylor, and Dan Willis
Contemporary/Urban Fantasy with Dan Wells, Michael Young, Larry Correia, and Leslie Muir Lytle
Digital Vs Traditional Art Techniques with Isaac Stewart and some other people I forget
How To Use Free Online Tools To Avoid A Zombie Uprising by Isaac Stewart (aka: how to make  a simple map for writers)
Characters Morals And Theology Vs The Authors Morals with James Dashner, Dan Wells, Tracy Hickman, Jaleta Clegg and Brad R Torgeson
Plotstorming From Character From Paul Genesse
Rewriting To Greatness With Dave Wolverton (aka David Farland)

The Guest Author Of Honor was James Dashner, but in my mind the author's I felt made the largest contribution to this event were Dan Wells, Larry Correia, Howard Taylor, and Tracy Hickman.  I wish I had known that Tracy Hickman was their earlier so I could listen to him on more panels.  The one panel I heard him on was Character Morals, and without knowing it was Tracy Hickman I was really impressed with what he had to say, and how nice he was to everyone he talked to.

If you have never been to a writer's convention, or any sort of Scifi, Fantasy, or geek convention, it is a great place to learn about the industry, network, and become a better writer.  Highly recommended.

I videotaped and/or voice recorded all of the above panels so I will post those videos as soon as I can.  Over 8 hours of media is a lot to get to but I promise it will be up soon.

Import Anything From China is a top 100 Amazon bestseller in the Import Export Business Category.  The book by online marketing expert Daniel Stewart, reveals the secrets of importing any product from China including electronics, clothing, novelty items, and more (Anything!) directly from the manufacture of products.

With the power of the internet anyone can start a business importing from China.  The secrets held in this book reveal:

The direct online source to get wholesale products from China
Buy as little as one item from the manufacturer
Get free samples for products you are interested in selling
Get the products you want to start an online store, become an eBay powerseller, sell at conventions, brick and mortar stores, fairs and more.  The possibilities are endless
Get your own product or invention manufactured direct from the same factories the "big boys" use
Helpful tips and tricks to save you time and money while starting out

This book uses a simple approach and covers the overall basics of this exciting industry.  With the Keep It Simple method it covers technical information in a simple way that anyone can understand.  With Import Anything From China, you can be ordering products as soon as today, and getting your new import export business going immediately.

Daniel Stewart is an internet marketing expert and has successfully run online ecommerce and affiliate marketing sites online.  He loves sharing what he has learned with other people.

Import Anything From China is available for all digital ebook readers, tablets and smartphones including Kindle, Nook, Kobo, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, Blackberry, and Android powered tablets and smartphones (requires additional FREE app such as kindle, kobo, or ibooks app).  This informative book is only $2.99 and can be purchased from the following online retailers:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

iBooks(coming soon)

Infrastrata, the teen science fiction ebook by bestselling author Daniel Mega has just been released in eBook format for digital distribution worldwide.  The book is published by MEGAPULP, leading digital publishing company in the science fiction, fantasy, and horror comedy genres.

Infrastrata follows 17 year old Tyler Vise, a young man who was left on the streets by evil corporate conglomerate, Compugen.  Without memories of his past, the only clues Tyler has is a bent spine and hunch back.  When he meets a mysterious woman who only comes out at night, he discovers she has answers about who he truly is.  To discover himself he must travel deep into the underworld of Conspiracy City to unlock a series of lies built up by the Experimenters who left him the way he is.

This urban fantasy novel contains action, romance, intense fight scenes, conspiracies, and technological intrigue.

This book contains:

Mild language
Violence

Daniel Mega has been writing novels for nearly ten years, but had his first short story published when he was 11 years old.  This is his first release of fiction.

Infrastrata is available in digital format for nearly all devices including Kindle, Nook, Kobo, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, Blackberry, and all Android smartphones and tablets(requires additional app such as Kindle or Nook app).  Infrastrata is available from the following online retailers:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

iBookstore (coming soon)

Apple puts a tight gate around its app store, and the same is true about its iBookstore, where users on the iPod touch, iPhone, and iPad go to purchase their iBooks.  However, getting your eBook in is probably easier than you think.  Here are some tips to get into iBooks:

Before jumping in you need to have a few things prepared first including:
A Macintosh Computer
your book should be in the ePub format and must pass the ePub format standards (see this article for more information about creating compliant ePub format books).  I recommend Jutoh software for this process.
You need an ISBN number.  Get it at Myidentifiers.com.  If you plan to publish more than one book it is recommended you buy in bulk
You need a cover for your book
You need an iTunes Connect account (make sure you have the ISBN first)
To get the iTunes Connect account go to http://itunesconnect.apple.com
It will take a few days to get approved.  In the meantime write more books!
Once accepted Apple requires you to sign in, agree to a contract, give them payment info, blah blah blah.
What is important is after you do the blah, you need to download iTunes Producer (mac only!).  This might be a good time to read Apple's manuals including the iTunes Producer Spreadsheet Example, The iTP User Guide, The Bookstore Fixed Layout ePub Example, and the iBookstore Asset Guide
Open iTunes Producer, fill out the relevant information, and Deliver it to the iTunes store.

Here is a relevant video I created that visually shows you the delivery process to iTP.

(video forthcoming in the next few days.  It's created, just not online yet)