Customer Reviews

How To Publish Anything On Amazon's Kindle

5 star:		(36)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

. . . So I thought, how good does this cheap little book really have to be? If I learn just one small thing, wouldn't that be worth it?

And I must say, in all honesty, that it did not even live up to my low expectations. I don't typically write reviews, but I feel that all the gushy, inaccurate ones about this book need a fair counterpoint.

As it says in the second paragraph of the forward: "The title of this book is misleading. Though I say, 'Publish' in the title, I'm really talking about distribution. Publish just sounds better! Publishing and distribution are two entirely different things. . . ."

Yeah. No kidding. (but at least it preps you for all the deficiencies of forethought and helpfulness that follow)

In the next section Amazon's Kindle and the DTP (one and a half slim pages) more than one third of the total content is devoted to excoriating the person who wrote the other one-star review on this site (to summarize the rant, in Benjamin's words: "What an idiot!")

As he also says here, "Virtually everything you need to know to publish a Kindle e-book can be found on the web for free . . . Having this information gathered in one place is what gives this book its value." Let me say categorically that this book neither summarizes or gathers even a minute fraction of that free information, even as it exists on the Kindle website. (Of all the content in the book, most of his vague random "advice" consists of first person anecdotes of very limited relevance or value, reflecting his own very, very limited experiences in publishing.

The rest of this chapter (like most of the forward) goes on (again) to tell you what the rest of the book is going to do for you (everything). There is virtually no actual information about the Amazon Kindle or DTP.

The next two-plus slim pages of the following chapter (Website) might be generally helpful to you if you have been living in a box for most of your life and have never heard of a)websites or b)Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

The next thirteen listless pages (Kindle DTP) are conversational as hell, but lack nutritional value (and are often grossly inaccurate, out-of-date or just plain wrong - very, very wrong). . . You get some vague history of ebook readers (like how much they currently sell for), longwinded step by step process for things like how to create a directory and save a file (???!) and the overarching importance of having a cover.

The next six pages (Working With the DTP) actually describe (in great, mostly obvious detail) how to fill out the entirely straightforward menus to publish a title on Amazon . . . "The first thing you're asked in step#1 is to enter the title of your book. Enter it here. Next you're asked if this book is part of a series. If it is, enter the series title and then the volume number. If it isn't, leave this box blank. . . . You'll be asked the language your book is written in. English will be the choice for most of us. . . ."

At least this chapter actually tells you (in specifics) HOW TO ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING. If you need to know which language your book is probably written in, then maybe you really do need this little gem.

The next section, "Rights and Pricing" should be read in the original Amazon documents, supplemented by the forums, since his singular experiences only further solidifies just how sloppy and haphazard this guy's thought process and publishing methods are (though more single topic anecdotes based on his very limited experience). To wit:

"This book is an example of how quickly something can be written, published, and 'For Sale' in the Kindle Store. I started writing the original manuscript on a Sunday afternoon . . . I finished it on Thursday afternoon. I spent about an hour designing the cover." [no kidding? that piece of art? but earlier you ramble on (and on . . . ) so convincingly about how CRUCIAL a cover is - it's some of the only actual content in one of your earlier chapters]. " . . .I figured I could improve upon it later and upload the, 'improved' version when I had more time. (sic) . . . I had gone from a blank screen to a finished ebook in less than a week...published, online, and for sale."

And it shows.

The next six pages give a very (very) brief overview of B&N's pubIt platform and mostly steps you through HOW TO FILL OUT THE FORMS on their website.

The remaining portion of the book (one third of the total page count) is devoted to telling you all about his first slapdash novel and his other books.

There is lots of information about publishing an ebook available online and in the forums. There are even a very few good books out there. This is not one of them (neither is Weber's ePublish, BTW - a snappier, snazzier version of this one.) You will have to get your hands a little dirty, suffer through a bit of simple HTML, and surmount the curve. It is not terribly difficult, but you will need some genuine information - and if you've gone so far as to actually write a good book, it's final presentation to the public will deserve much better than this.

As I said, I'm not typically motivated to write reviews like this, but the prior rah-rah commentary is grossly misleading and does not serve to sincerely help a potential reader make a good choice - to say nothing of helping an author get the job done. It also works against the confidence of future buyers of your own books, furthering the idea that self-published works are typically the product of someone's vanity untempered by any but the lowest of standards.

And . . . I can't help but wonder if Benjamin will remain true to form and make a whole meaty chapter's worth of "What-an-Idiot!" hay out of this review in his next edition.

This book should be on the shelf of every author!

Randy Benjamin has boiled down the process of submitting a book for the Digital Text Platform of Amazon. He uses plain (non technical) language to explain the process in detail. Submitting an e-book to Amazon is really not that big of a deal! Randy explains everything!

I first bought the printed version of Randy's book, as I had no Kindle then. When I got my Kindle, it was for the purpose of previewing my own book before submission. But the first e-book I bought was "How to Publish Anything on Amazon's Kindle" by Randy Benjamin.

Getting a Kindle was Randy's idea, and a good one at that! Being able to preview my own book and make any necessary adjustments, turned out to be a real benefit!

I never believed that I would have a website of my own, but thanks to Randy I now have one! Now there is a place where I can direct potential customers to a place where they can see the front cover, read the description and hopefully purchase my book! Thanks Randy!

I got the website in place before I submitted my book. Hated to wait, but I had already mentioned the website in my book, so I couldn't have readers go to an address I gave them, only to find the website didn't exist. I think it will be worth the wait! The website will be "up" for ten years and is renewable. I have high hopes! Thanks again to Randy!

Randy helped me price my book so that I am eligible to get DOUBLE royalties! The final word is Amazon's, of course, but now at least I have a shot! Before Randy's input, there was no chance!

He has also helped me to get "published" with other e-book companies, that I was previously unaware even existed!

As a result of his writings and personal assistance, I now have my book listed in the Amazon catalog, with its own web page! Thanks again, Randy!

Brad Crouch

This book does exactly what it says it will do. It steps you through the process of formatting your manuscript, getting it on-line and, 'For Sale' with as few hassles as possible. And the information on copyrights, domains, websites, etc., is something every author needs to know about. A lot bang for $2 bucks!

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I learned nothing from this book that I didn't already know from reading Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing pages.

I had hoped I was purchasing some expertise, a little insight. I'd had odd things happen converting a book and wondered why. No help here.

75% of the book is about the Kindle with a very brief mention of the Nook. 15% describes his efforts at promotion. The last 10% is ads for his other books. (I can see a little self promotion--but 10% of the book????)

His cover says the book will discuss publishing on iPod, iPhone, personal computers, Android and smartphones. There is no mention of any of these.

The author mentions paying $35 to copyright his book. He does not tell his readers copyright in the United States is automatic and free. (Unless he can hire an attorney to pursue violations, he's not buying any greater protection for $35.)

He has the unbecoming habit of attacking negative reviews in the book. Well, here's another one.

Readers want *value*. Wish I'd spent my three bucks on a hamburger instead.

I don't have plans to publish anything, but I was curious about the process. In simple, conversational language, Randy Benjamin told me everything I needed to know. Don't pay attention to the bad review above mine. The person wanted to put a Powerpoint presentation on the Kindle. Can't be done. Don't know why he or she thought the book would teach the impossible.

This isn't a $2.99 book, it should be priced at $0.99. I didn't learn anything I couldn't have easily figured out myself, but I won't ding it for that - I guess I wasn't the target audience. The information isn't bad or wrong, and I can see how it might be valuable for VERY nontechnical people. It's basically like having a computer-literate friend sit next to you as you submit your book. If you're at all computer literate (know how to zip up files, save documents in different formats, etc) then definitely give it a pass - there's nothing in here you won't be able to figure out yourself. There are a few tips here and there that might be helpful, and if even one of them gets you a couple extra sales I suppose this book would be worth the cost. But there are better ones out there.

The writing is pretty sloppy - conversational, which is fine, though it could be formatted a bit better and definitely needs a good proofreader (the author should learn when to use and not use apostrophes, for example). The title isn't misleading exactly - it does, in fact, tell you how to publish stuff on the Kindle. Maybe I'm just reading too much into it, but I expected a bit more depth. You can easily tell it was slapped together in a few days (the author admits as much).

There is also a lot of self-promotion and many pages of ads for the author's other books at the end. Not a big deal since you can just skip them, but it kind of cheapens the whole thing.

Overall, it's not horrible, and if you're seriously computer illiterate it's worth the three bucks. But those of you comfortable behind a keyboard should find a different book with more "meat".

I have been a writer and journalist for quite a while, and have started to consider eBook publishing to Kindle as a viable option for some of my writing. When searching for good advice on Kindle publishing, I found Amazon's documentation to be too sparse, so I started looking for Kindle books that might be a good primer for me.

On the high end was Joshua Talent's eBook, which I enjoyed the sample of, but which at $9.99 seemed a bit intimidating. When looking at other, less pricey alternatives (I didn't want to spend more if I didn't have to) I stumbled across Randy Benjamin's book at $2.99

Now, price isn't everything; sometimes you get what you pay for. But after reviewing the free sample on my Kindle for PC app, I decided I appreciated his practical, unpretentious voice, and decided to give this book a shot.

I can say I was not disappointed; sure, this book doesn't contain reams of information on formatting secrets like Josh Talent's book, but as I am primarily an author of religious essays and suspense/murder mysteries, I don't produce the sort of work that needs high-tech solutions like how to format pull-quotes on Kindle.

What I needed was a more verbose primer in the basics of Kindle publishing, and that's exactly what Randy Benjamin provides.

About my only major complaint is that, as a book originally published in 2008, I was afraid the information I found here would be a bit dated; it is to a degree, as there is no talk of the most recent editions of the Kindle (such as the new KindleDX) and how that affects Kindle publishing, though I trust an update will eventually be forthcoming.

I would also like to see Benjamin update this book to talk about other 2010 developments, just so I know I have the most up-to-date information available. For example, Kindle I and Kindle II apparently only had 4 levels of grayscale... are the current batch of Kindles similarly limited? Or has the level of greyscale been improved in more recent models?

That being said, Benjamin's book is an excellent starting point for the indie author/self-publisher, and while the tome is thin, it covers all the practical advice necessary to start someone off in the right direction, at a user-friendly price.

Eventually, I may want pick up a book with more formatting details; but unless someone has a complex manuscript, those pricer titles aren't really necessary, and could even prove intimidating to a newcomer.

I will say that a third book I looked at on this topic (not one of Benjamin's or Talent's) was a real turn-off because even in the sample I downloaded, he did nothing but complain in his book about the limitations of DTP and what it CAN'T do. (I won't name names...)

But that's what I appreciated about Benjamin's book, also; while acknowledging the limitations of DTP, he nevertheless maintained a generally helpful and positive, solutions-based tone. Far better job than some have done.

"How To Publish Anything On Amazon's Kindle" by Randy Benjamin is a great step-by-step guide for publishing your works on Kindle. Randy provides excellent examples and describes the process of using Amazon's DTP in such detail, anyone who can read will be able to follow his simple instructions and accomplish it. No technical skills are necessary as Randy has detailed the entire process.

The book not only contains the instructions necessary to take your book to "print" in the Kindle Store, but is written in a conversational style with a touch of humor added for good measure. In reading the book, I felt Randy was standing over my shoulder providing verbal instructions and using some good humor to make the entire experience even more enjoyable.

I cannot recommend this book higly enough. It is very short and can be read in about 30 minutes. But one will return to it over and over as a guide when uploading their project for publication.

As an added bonus, Randy updates the book from time to time, and the updated version can be downloaded from Amazon at no additonal cost. The price, just over $2.00 is well worth having all this information in one location.

After buying this book, I couldn't stop thinking that this book was actually an advertisement for this author's novel, The Anomaly. That being said, this book does live up to its promise of being a collection of information in one place for the price of a fast food burger. I do have one suggestion that would make this book even more valuable: a summary of HTML as it pertains to the Kindle and DTP. (Would be 4 stars with the HTML summary.)

This is an excellent book. I have read several "How-to" books on this topic and this is one of the best.

This book give you good detail about publishing your book on Kindle, without a lot of the generic fluff that many books on this topic contain (such as why being a writer is great, how to get inspiration, blah, blah). I like that this book gets right to the point about creating your publication for electronic publishing. It gives you great detail about submitting a polished manuscript to the Amazon Kindle book store.

This book doesn't waste time comparing e-publishing to paper publishing. Many of us are starting with e-publshing. I have never worked with a print publisher.

This book is written so clearly. I feel like I am having a cup of coffee with the author as he gives me advice. He seems to anticipate the questions I would have about authoring for a Kindle.