This is the Golden Age for publishing books in multiple formats everywhere that pays. That includes print books, ebooks, audiobooks, and Digital Experience Editions.
This approach is for authors who want to publish themselves. Many of the reputable hybrid publishing houses will do this for you.
This article maps the process of publishing everywhere that pays if you want to do it yourself or with me.
This approach can also breathe new life into books and courses that you published yourself or with a publisher.
My Manuscript Process
My Content Creation Process includes drafting the book in Google Docs, implementing it as a Multimedia Digital Experience Edition during writing, and recording audio of each chapter when ready.
I format the book in Atticus for print and eBook publishing. Formatting can also be done in Microsoft Word, Adobe InDesign, and other formatting tools.
The audio recordings are collected as an audiobook.
The following chapters will detail the publishing process for each format.
Publishing Everywhere That Pays
Now that your book manuscript is finished and edited, here are the steps I use to publish everywhere that pays.
The traditional publishing formats are print books, eBooks, and audiobooks.
Here is how to get these formats published everywhere.
Book Formatting with Atticus
Options for book formatting include Microsoft Word, Adobe InDesign, Atticus, and Vellum.
I use Atticus for both print and eBooks.
Atticus has customizable book styles and chapter orientation, producing professional book design accepted for uploading.
It is a good writing platform too, though I prefer to write the manuscript in Google Docs, where editing and collaboration are easier.
Atticus exports as a formatted PDF for uploading print books, and ePub for eBooks.
Amazon and other platforms accept these formats.
Book Cover Design
A good book cover is essential for your book’s visibility.
Amazon and other platforms offer book cover creation, and Photoshop and Canva can produce good book designs.
You may also hire a book cover designer to create one for you.
I use Photoshop with images from Pixabay.
Getting all of the dimensions correct for the front, spine, and back cover is the most challenging part of book submission.
Amazon will generate a cover template and precise specifications based on the selected trim size, page count, and paper selection.
Uploading the Books to Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing
Amazon is by far the biggest market for books, and there are many reasons to open your own Kindle Direct Publishing account and upload there first.
It is fairly straightforward to follow the prompts and upload the files.
There are tools to preview the formatted book yourself, and Amazon does a manual review.
If accepted, you push the Publish button.
Congratulations! You are a published author.
That is just the start of the marketing process, which we will address later.
Uploading the Books to Other Places That Pay
Standard publishing on Amazon does not put your book into wholesale catalogues to make it available in bookstores, libraries, airports, and any places that sell books.
We have used IngramSpark for that. I am looking at Draft2Digital and PublishDrive as alternatives. Both platforms push your books out everywhere that pays and manages the sales revenue.
Like Amazon, you start an account and upload your files.
Preparing the Audiobook
Amazon ACX offers a service where a professional narrator reads your book in return for a fee or 50% of the sales revenue.
There are also AI services to create the audio files.
However, it may be more fun and profitable to read your book yourself.
I heard a famous inspirational coach with very high coaching fees joke that:
“I sell someone an eBook for $9.99, and they pay me
$100,000 to read it to them”
That inspired my Digital Experience Edition + Membership approach and explains why audiobooks are now around half of book sales on Amazon.
Here are ways you can record the readings yourself:
- Use Voice Memo on a SmartPhone
The new SmartPhones have excellent microphones and a bucketload of AI to reduce noise and make you sound good.
Put the phone on a pillow in a quiet room with the microphone about 6 inches from your mouth. - Recording on a Computer
Use a good microphone on your computer and record with software that came with your computer or audio programs like Audacity, Logic Pro, or Adobe Audition. - Recording Video
Recording as video and extracting the audio is also possible.
You are not restricted to just narration. The Music Lesson by bassist Victor Wooton includes music, sound effects, and multiple voice actors.
I use Logic Pro to edit and master audio recordings, including files you record and send to me.
Uploading the Audiobook to Everywhere That Pays
I learned recently that there are many more audiobook platforms than Amazon Audible.
As with books, Amazon represents the majority of total audiobook sales.
Publishing through Amazon ACX will get your audiobook to Audible, Amazon, and Apple Books.
An aggregator such as Voices (formerly Findaway Voices) will get your audiobook everywhere else that pays.
And the most money could come from including your audiobook in direct sales of your Digital Experience Edition.
Creating a Multimedia Digital Experience Edition
The Golden Publishing Sales Machine approach recommends bundling books, courses, videos, audio, and supporting materials in a Digital Experience Edition and selling directly. The Digital Experience Edition combined with group coaching can provide a Golden Resource for you and subscribers.
I use Kartra to create the membership portal, sales landing page, and email campaigns.
GoHighLevel would also work for this.
Lead Magnet Publishing
Sometimes the Gold is in giving things away.
The formatted books can be given away as downloadable PDFs or Flipbooks. I use Heyzine for Flipbooks.
The chapters of your audiobook can be syndicated as podcasts to platforms like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Amazon, and more.
Putting content on a blog post can also be a Publishing Lead Magnet.
There Will Always Be An Offer
As Dan Kennedy says, “there will always be an offer”.
Your books in all formats will have recommendations and links to buy more or your books, join memberships, or retain your services.
All books can open doors and serve as a lead magnet.
My Special Offer
I can help you publish and market everywhere that pays with my Golden Publishing Sales Machine 90-Day Launch Retainer.
Greg Dixon, Chief Enabler
Shared Visions Unlimited
Multimedia Publishing and Marketing
