Why I Chose The Kindle Format To Publish My Ebook

[quote]I purchased the Guide. It’s a quick read and provides very good insights for entrepreneurs who are considering hiring a professional virtual assistant.

Great job, Tina.

Sharon Williams of The 24 Hour Secretary & The Alliance  for Virtual Businesses

[/quote] I’ve been getting some great reviews for my e-book, The No Bullshit Guide to Virtual Assistant’s for Businesses.  I’m especially fond of the fact that one reviewer appreciated the fact that I used a touch of fun to lighten things up a bit. The really important thing is that people are finding it effective in educating themselves and others regarding what a virtual assistant is and does.  Of course, with the good you always find the bad as well. One of the biggest complaints I’ve run across concerning the e-Book is the fact that I’ve chosen to publish it strictly as a Kindle title.

I’ve been told I’m limiting my audience by not offering it in other formats, including .pdf. I’ve even had people tell me they would love to read it, but they don’t have a Kindle.  Since it’s the most frequent complaint I get, I thought it was time I explained my reasons for choosing to publish to Kindle.

1. Free Kindle apps that make reading available to everyone. Yes, even those without a Kindle device.  You can download apps for iPhone, Android, Blackberry and Windows phones, iPad, Android and Windows 8 tablets and Mac or Windows based computers.  Don’t want to download an app? Kindle has a Cloud reader that allows you to simply use your browser.  So the argument that publishing to Kindle limits reading to only people with a Kindle device is totally false.
2. The ease of publishing.  When offering an eBook in other formats, including .pdf, there are lots of things to think about.  First, you usually have to convert it to another format. In the case of a .pdf format, you need a delivery system of some sort. That generally means paying for a shopping cart service and setting it up.  Not to mention, reading a .pdf doesn’t even come close to a ‘book’ reading experience. (Something I really love about Kindle) I’ve done the .pdf delivery system in the past, and although publishing to Kindle had a small learning curve, it was much less frustrating than learning a shopping cart system, especially when I discovered Scrivener.
3. KDP Select.  When publishing with Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing you can choose to enroll your book in KDP Select.  While it limits you to only selling via Amazon, it offers benefits that can make it worth the limitation.  KDP Select offers you the choice of Kindle Countdown Deals; time-bound promotional discounting for your book while earning royalties; or Free Book Promotion where readers worldwide can get your book free for a limited time. These are both powerful promotional tools for an eBook.  You can also make your book available through the Kindle Owner’s Lending Library giving your title more exposure as well as the possibility of reaching a new audience of Amazon Prime members around the world.
4. The power of Amazon.  Let’s face it, even if you’re book ranks at #2,999 you’re probably reaching more eyes than you ever will on your own website.  Amazon gets somewhere around 153,000,000 visitors a day, even a very small percentage of those visitors finding your eBook will likely be seen by a larger audience than you’ll find on just about any other spot you may offer it.

I’m sure there are plenty of authors out there who would argue that limiting your eBook to only the Kindle format is limiting your sales. I won’t argue. I’m sure some authors find more success offering their titles in multiple formats. But for someone like me, who writes in addition to being a small business owner, the ease of one format, KDP tools and Amazon’s ability to reach audiences I never could myself, it’s the perfect match.