I promised a follow up on Ryan Casey’s blog and I always, usually, well… mostly try and keep my promises. Thank goodness I didn’t put a time limit on it!! Because, I admit, it’s taken me a few days longer than normal to get back to you.
I do have a very good reason, I promise. And one I want to share with you. I hope that by explaining my activities over these last few days, I’ll save you from making the same dumb mistakes as I did.
Here’s my story. Recently, I decided that I needed to test one of my books She’s Not You on the other platforms like Smashwords, Draft 2 Digital and even Google Play. The reason for doing so was because I will be releasing Special Agent Francesca on April 5th, and, for the first time, I wanted to make this book available to all channels and not just on Amazon.
Previously, I had cancelled She’s Not You from the KDP Select program so I was free to do with it as I wanted. I spent one very short afternoon researching D2D and then uploaded the book there. Love that site! (following blog will be on the wonders of human contact).
Next, I made up my stubborn, Polish mind to try and forget the nightmare I’d experienced years ago putting a book on Smashwords. I decided they must have updated their system by now. So, I pulled up my big-girl bloomers and spent the next three days agonizing my way through their meatgrinder and styleguide until finally, I broke down and watched the video on setting up the correct table of contents, took out all mentions of Amazon and live links to my books anywhere else and set up the copywrite page in the way they suggested. My perfectly good manuscript for D2D was now acceptable to Smashwords or so I learned when the response to probably my 20th upload said:
Congratulations! There were no AutoVetter errors! Your book is now in the queue for review by our vetting team.
Were there ever prettier words written to a woman on the edge of a killing her computer??
Strutting around the house, feeling damn satisfied, I decided to go to Google Play and figure out their system also. First, I needed to go to the Amazon KDP site and unpublish two box collections that had She’s Not You as one of the books. I hit the button and up popped my worst nightmare – even if the book is unpublished you cannot – CANNOT!!! publish any of those books anywhere else until the Select time on this collection runs out.
I would have to wait until May 30th. EEECCCKKK!!!
Then I got the bright idea to just kill the collection – cancel the set, terminate the blasted thing. Turns out – no can do! Nope! No such thing. You can only unpublish.
CUSSSIINNGGGG!!!
So… I went back to Smashwords, whining, snivelling, calling myself an idiot but in much more severe terms and… I unpublished the book. Then I went to D2D and did the same thing. Now in hindsight (a bit late) (you think??) I checked carefully and realized that with all my box collections, I had no other book unfettered that I could set up on the other sites at this time.
BIGGGGG sigh!!
Then I started to laugh. When I thought about it, I’d actually succeeded in my goal. Now I knew just how to publish the new book on the different sites, didn’t I?
I had a comment show up on my e-mail from Anonymous and so far it hasn't shown up here. Please email me if you have any problems leaving comments – mimibarbour@hotmail.com
Oh dear that is sooo dramatic.
I've published with Smashwords and never had any problems with the meatgrinder. Maybe because I was paranoid about reading their style guide a gazillion times!
If you need help with that next time, just let me know!
anna @ Deeply Shallow
Love in Penang giveaway running now!
ROTFLMBO! I thoroughly enjoyed this post! Maybe because I've been there…but I was too stubborn to watch a video, so it probably took me longer to figure it out. But evidently I did…hence, one of my books is in fact on SW. The only reason I did it, though, was because I wanted to be on iTunes, and without a MAC, that's the only way I've figured out how to get there. So….question: will you stay with KDP Select for your other books?
What a stressful experience. I'm so happy you had it go through and learned a bunch in the process. Be proud of yourself, Mimi. Good luck with the new book. (I'm so terrified of the meatgrinder that hire a formatter.)
It was by my third book that I finally made it through the meatgrinder unscathed. It can be grueling to learn but once you have it figured out it isn't so bad an experience.
Always nice to know that I am not the only one that considers computercide 😉
Mimi, you are truly courageous! That said, I'm very happy to hear–again–that d2d is the way to go, so once my Select time is done, I'll wander over. ~hugs~
Here Mimi, I'll be tacky and make you groan, then maybe snicker a little.
Your book will be a SMASH on SMASHWORDS!
I Believe. Hugs-Leandra
Okay, rub it in Anna! LOL I am terrible when it comes to reading rules and paying attention to guidelines. Every time I get bitten in the ass because of my stubbornness, I promise myself I will smarten up. It's quite amazing how MANY times I've made that promise :-)))
Hi Carmen,
I'm glad I'm not the only muleheaded author 🙂 I decided to go on Smashwords mostly because I wanted to be able to pre-sell my new book being released in April. Knowing what a nightmare I had years ago figuring out the formatting, I knew I had better iron out the creases (so to speak) before getting serious with Special Agent Francesca. Darn good thing I did. But at least now I know what to do for the next time. I decided to take all my books off select for now. I don't know whether I will put them all on the other sites or not. It'll take until the end of June to have them all free so I can try a few and see the outcome. Amazon has been super good for me so it's been a tough decision. But I will absolutely put the Vegas series everywhere with the first in the series – the short introductory story Partners as a free read. Just so you know, D2D also uploads to Apple for you.
My Dear, you are very smart. But… I also have a fantastic formatter who basically wiped his hands with SW and so I was left to do the formatting myself. He does make my books look wonderful for Amazon though 🙂
Truer words were never spoken, Jon. I have to admit that I made every mistake possible I'm sure with this book and you know – nothing scares me now. Feels good to know I conquered that blasted meatgrinder 🙂
LOLOL I loved your comment! That damn machine didn't know just how close it came to us parting ways 🙂
Mary,
I had a wonderful experience with D2D – read my next blog as I have a letter from a girl who works there called Tara that I plan to publish. It's self-explanatory 🙂 xo
***groan*** heheheheh! I do believe you got the response you expected :-))))
I've been publishing on Smashwords since 2009, so I'm familiar with the dreaded Meatgrinder. That said, last year (and this year), I've hired out formatters, and now I subcontract work out to them. It makes it so much easier and faster — so my authors and I can focus on writing and (eek) promoting.
As for Amazon… yes, they make it hard to leave. I still don't understand the lure of exclusives. Never have. Probably never will. I keep thinking of the people I am cutting myself off from reaching…
Hi Susan, I'm beginning to agree with you about exclusives – share the wealth might be a smarter way to go in the future 🙂
Anonymous, you have written comments a number of times, wonderful insightful comments and they never show up on the page. I don't know how this keeps happening? If you're getting frustrated, please e-mail me and between the two of us, we'll try and see what's happening mimibarbour66@gmail.com