Today we’re visiting some very basic questions about ebook, what they are and how to publish them.

Q: What is an ebook?
A: The “e” in ebook stands for “electronic” but that doesn’t mean that a book rendered in HTML or as a word document is an ebook. Traditionally an ebook has been an electronic book product that could be sold to a consumer, such as a PDF. In 2005 Amazon, the world’s biggest bookseller, acquired mobipocket and MOBI became its official ebook format. Since September 2007 the rest of the publishing industry has used a standard in the publishing industry called “ePub”. Nowadays an ebook is an electronic book that is for sale, usually in any or all of the following formats: EPUB, MOBI or PDF.

Q: How do I publish an ebook?
A: Once your manuscript or print book is ready for conversion to ebook formats you need to find a design team to carefully make the ebook formats for you. Automated software and services will not allow you to achieve optimal quality, valid files and ideal file sizes. In order to be able to test your ebook prior to publishing, use a service like Australian eBook Publisher. You can then either self-distribute or work with an aggregator to get your ebook up for sale. If you want to work directly with vendors like Apple, Amazon, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Google Play etc. you will need to review your business, tax and legal obligations. You can then create an account with the vendors and load your ebook, cover, meta-data up for sale, and manage your sales yourself. If you need help doing this or you would simply like to work with an Australian eBook Aggregator to ease the process, please contact the friendly team at Australian eBook Publisher on 07 3276 1089 or visit www.australianebookpublisher.com.au.