Amazon's Digital Text Platform: A new self-publishing option for e-books

[Dusk]

Details here. Full details here, including FAQ and some forums that are getting lively.

This is a new site that will allow self-publishers to publish their books in the AZW format that is used only at Amazon for its Kindle e-books. Until now, only e-books in the Mobipocket format could be sold at Amazon. There are rumors around the blogosphere that Amazon will shut down Mobipocket, because Kindle e-books are clearly intended as an alternative to Mobipocket. Since self-publishers could already work with Mobipocket, the only practical difference this change makes is that Amazon's new Digital Text Platform (that's its awkward name for self-publishing e-books at its Kindle store) is clearly modelled after Lulu.com. It's user-friendly and is aimed at self-publishers, though it could certainly be used by small presses.

As with Mobipocket, Amazon keep 35% of the profit. By contrast, Lulu asks for 20% of the profit for e-books. There are no set-up fees at either service.

As with Mobipocket and Amazon's POD self-publishing service CreateSpace, you don't need an ISBN; Amazon will assign you an Amazon-only reference number.

One nice thing I notice about the Support section is that Amazon provides detailed suggestions on formatting your e-book, prior to uploading.

Potential nastiness in the fine print:

1) You have to have a valid US bank account, and Amazon withholds taxes from your profit.

2) You can't sell the e-book for a different price elsewhere than the list price you set at Amazon.

3) They say they can sell the book at any price they want; however, they emphasize that you'll still get 35% of the list price you set.

4) They can make chapters available free online for readers to browse.

5) They say that you give them a nonexclusive irrevocable license to sell the book; however, the next clause implies that this can be terminated. Except: "All rights to Digital Books acquired by customers prior to termination shall survive termination, and Amazon shall be entitled to retain archival copies of the Licensed Digital Content after termination in order to provide re-downloads to customers who have purchase Digital Books prior to termination." Fair enough.

6) "You acknowledge that we will be entitled to utilize DRM technology in connection with the distribution of Digital Books but are not obligated to do so." In actual fact, Kindle's AZW format is DRM-protected.

7) There's no specific mention of erotic content or other controversial content in the terms of conditions (just the usual don't-upload-anything-illegal clause), but this FAQ leaves that issue open.

 

[Dusk]

I wrote earlier, "As with Mobipocket, Amazon keep 35% of the profit."

Whoops, big correction: Amazon gets 65%, you get 35%.

 

[Steve Jordan]

I wrote earlier, "As with Mobipocket, Amazon keep 35% of the profit."

Whoops, big correction: Amazon gets 65%, you get 35%.

Yeah, I thought that looked wrong!

I've been experimenting with the service myself, and have a few of my e-books uploaded there now (an example is here). The setup isn't bad, you can upload the document, covers, specify descriptions, select genres, keyword tags, name your price, etc. It's fairly open and easy to use.

The system is a bit buggy, though: Occasionally their server will not upload and convert documents. Sometimes, this means that you cannot finish an entry, but once a new item is created, it cannot be deleted, either. So you could end up with items that are unfinished or no good, but cannot be removed. I've had some luck uploading Word docs, but better luck uploading docs in Mobipocket format.

It can also be a slow process: "Publishing" a book can take from 12 up to 72 hours, as different parts of your material come online separately.

Of course, the real catch is this: Against the Big Publishers, who pay top dollar for promotion and make sure their books come up first in most searches, what kind of real exposure will indies like me get from this? I'm approaching this as an experiment, but I'm not planning to quit my day job anytime soon...

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Until now, only e-books in the Mobipocket format could be sold at Amazon. There are rumors around the blogosphere that Amazon will shut down Mobipocket, because Kindle e-books are clearly intended as an alternative to Mobipocket.

They seem to have already stopped selling books in the Mobipocket format where a Kindle version exists.

 

[Steve Jordan]

4) They can make chapters available free online for readers to browse.

Actually, I haven't seen any sign of this service available for users like myself. But as Amazon has done this with other e-books, you would expect it to be an option. Maybe further down the line.

 

[Steve Jordan]

They seem to have already stopped selling books in the Mobipocket format where a Kindle version exists.

Yeah, and that's a shame. It would be nice if people who wanted to read e-books, but didn't want to buy the Kindle, could still get them. With their new system, it's Kindle or nothing.

 

[Dusk]

"Sometimes, this means that you cannot finish an entry, but once a new item is created, it cannot be deleted, either."

Does the "unpublish" feature not work for you, then?

"Maybe further down the line."

Yes, I think it's inevitable, given how successful the Search Inside feature has been.

 

[Steve Jordan]

Does the "unpublish" feature not work for you, then?

What "unpublish" feature? I have no such button that appears on my control panel. Amazon has been asked about unpublishing, and have replied that there is presently no system for unpublishing a book or cancelling an account (on your own... presumably, you could arrange it directly with Amazon, though they haven't alluded to that ability either).