The Starting Line

Once my decision was made to self-publish I immediately took advice from my kids who always answer my questions with "GTS" -- Google That Shit. A ton of links popped up, but the one I found really useful was a Facebook Group called Indie Author Group. I stalked for a while before I requested to join.

After reading the documents on the side of the page I jumped right in and peppered the group with questions. I immediately felt welcomed. Many of the authors recommended using Smashwords to create an eBook. After reading about it I think that's the way I am going to go too.

Since formatting an eBook is different than formatting for print, once I finish revising, I'll "save as" a full copy of the book and reformat that. I'll still have the original Word Doc version, and another version w/headers. At first glance it seems daunting, but luckily there is an eBook available, Smashwords Style Guide that should walk me through the process. It's a free download and that brings me to the next step of my journey -- breaking down and buying an eReader.

I swore I never would. I love my real books too much. I felt buying an eReader was a direct slap in the face of all those worn-out dog-eared tomes I have lining walls in practically every room of my house. But is it really? Just because I buy an eReader it doesn't mean I'm going to get rid of, or stop collecting actual books. Frankly, I don't buy brand new books, unless it's to support an author I personally know. I read all the latest ones thanks to my library, and many of the books I own I bought used from my local library. Some of the eBooks I would like to read would not be carried by my local library. Instead of checking out the book, I would have to purchase it at a much lower cost than that of a hard copy. That's good news to the author who wouldn't have seen a penny from me if the book was only available on a shelf. Better news is that the royalty rate is so much higher than a traditional publisher offers, that even offering the book at a much cheaper price, garners more author income. So really I'm helping authors by adding an eReader to my library.

Still, I hate reading on a computer screen. My edited work comes back to me a couple of pages at a time, with pencil markings, post-it notes and the random soda stain. That's my preference. I enjoy the hands-on feel of actual paper, I don't enjoy straining my eyes scanning a computer screen. And I think that's the difference for me between a book on a lap vs. a book on a computer screen. The one on my lap I read...the one on the screen I scan. After putting out an eReader personal preference request, it seems most people who had the same fears as I regarding the screen, recommend the Kindle 3G with Wifi.

I checked it out on-line and read as many reviews as I could and it sounds like the one. But I need to see it, feel it, turn it on, and read that screen before I buy it. To the mall...