iOS app?

[onceagain]

I didn't see an iOS developer forum - so I put this here.

Anyway - I have a document that I want to deliver via iOS. On paper, it's about 30 pages or so (so far) - well developed into sections that can be consumed or referenced.

I want to charge 99 cents or whatever is appropriate for this doc. I'm wondering if it is better to try to distribute it as an app, or an iBook/ebook/pdf or whatever.

I like the way the Wikipedia app works, with its ability to open/collapse sections.

This whole thing is a 1-person operation. I'm an old school developer, but I would like to avoid trying to "develop" this for iOS if there is some other more reasonable way to do it - esp. given that I would like to make it available via Android too. For that matter, it would be nice to get it on Kindle and Nook too.

What's the best way to go about this? My content itself is almost ready - I need another month or two before I am ready to get it on devices, one way or another.

TIA,
oa

[NaOH]

If you have the document in Word format, you can

1. use Calibre (free) or Jutoh (not free, but offers more customization of your documents) to create an ePub (usable on iBookstore or Nook) and make a separate file compatible with Kindle; or
2. open the file in Pages, export as an ePub for use on iBookstore or Nook, then use Calibre or Jutoh for making the Kindle version.

I suggest getting the apps for all three ebook platforms and prepare to do some testing with the files you create. The apps for these platforms don't necessarily behave consistently. For example, I'm working on an ebook right now, and the same ePub viewed in iBooks does not dispay the same as it does in the Nook app. The more formatting and additional elements to your document (images, tables, etc.), the more variance between platforms and considerations you need to be prepared to address (e.g., old Kindle devices can't display tables, so that means either ignoring compatibility with them or having versions of the tables as images).

[onceagain]

Quote: Originally Posted by NaOH If you have the document in Word format, you can use Calibre (free) or Jutoh (not free, but offers more customization of your documents) to create an ePub (usable on iBookstore or Nook) and make a separate file compatible with Kindle; or open the file in Pages, export as an ePub for use on iBookstore or Nook, then use Calibre or Jutoh for making the Kindle version. I suggest getting the apps for all three ebook platforms and prepare to do some testing with the files you create. The apps for these platforms don't necessarily behave consistently. For example, I'm working on an ebook right now, and the same ePub viewed in iBooks does not dispay the same as it does in the Nook app. The more formatting and additional elements to your document (images, tables, etc.), the more variance between platforms and considerations you need to be prepared to address (e.g., old Kindle devices can't display tables, so that means either ignoring compatibility with them or having versions of the tables as images).

Useful post, thanks.

Do your creation methods produce output that is DRMed or whatever format that is acceptable for the app store and the stores for the other formats? Or is that something these places take care of? What about the royalty model - is it just a matter of uploading something, or do you need to contact someone special and execute an agreement, or what? Can you publish anonymously and still get paid?

Thanks for your tips.

[NaOH]

Quote: Originally Posted by onceagain Do your creation methods produce output that is DRMed or whatever format that is acceptable for the app store and the stores for the other formats? Or is that something these places take care of?

The platform vendors (Amazon, Apple, B&N) add their DRM. You just submit the file.

Quote: Originally Posted by onceagain What about the royalty model - is it just a matter of uploading something, or do you need to contact someone special and execute an agreement, or what?

Each platform vendor has a different setup.

• Apple: You get 70% of your sales price.
• Amazon: From $2.99–$9.99, you can choose to get 35% or 70% of the list price. Above $9.99 and you can only get 35% of the list price. Note that Amazon can decide to have a sale on your book at a different price, and your percentage would be based off the sales price.
• Nook: If the book is priced from $2.99–$9.99, you get 65%. If it's $10 or more, you get 40%.

Quote: Originally Posted by onceagain Can you publish anonymously and still get paid?

This is something I can't directly address, but I believe their should be ways to do this, whether with pseudonyms or if you use a "company" name for where payments should go (e.g., OnceAgain Press). The client whose ebook I'm currently preparing is a co-author of this book, but he has never given out his real name to non-employers. Even his co-authors don't know his real name. So I'm sure there's a way, but you'll want to do some reading up on the terms for each platform.

[onceagain]

Thanks again for your useful, on-topic info (:

Sounds like a book format is the way to go, rather than an app format, eh?

[NaOH]

I don't have any experience in app development, so I can't say anything about that side of the distribution world. But it does seem odd to produce an app when an ebook meets most people's expectations for documents. On top of that, the ebook apps provide a bunch of features that you (as a publisher) and your readers inherently gain, things like adjustable background colors, alternate fonts and font sizes, usability on multiple platforms (their are Nook and Kindle apps for desktop and mobile), auto-syncable notes, document bookmarks, etc.

Maybe your goals for this project—both in terms of the product and target market—don't gain from those capabilities. And maybe there are advantages for a document-focused app that I'm not realizing. But for a book-like document, a book-type app seems logical and beneficial, not to mention you wouldn't have to concern yourself with OS updates whereas ebook apps like iBooks will presumably continue to handle previously submitted ebooks.

[acme.mail.order]

Quote: Originally Posted by NaOH T Amazon: From $2.99–$9.99, you can choose to get 35% or 70% of the list price. Above $9.99 and you can only get 35% of the list price. Note that Amazon can decide to have a sale on your book at a different price, and your percentage would be based off the sales price.

Sure that's correct? normally as price increases the dealer cut DEcreases.

By this model a 10 cent increase in price would result in a 50% drop in revenue to the vendor:
70% of $9.99 -> $7
35% of $10.01 -> $3.50

And a 65% distributor cut is on the high side of highway robbery, esp. when the distributor's direct costs for your product are basically zero.

[NaOH]

I won't try to explain the logic Amazon may be using since I haven't read enough to have an informed opinion, but you can see their List Price Requirements from which I listed the numbers here (I was using US Amazon.com numbers):

https://kdp.amazon.com/self-publishi...A301WJ6XCJ8KW0

onceagain: Note that these stores have policies whereby you can't sell a book on one platform at a lower price than it's sold on another platform. So if you charge $10 on one platform, that's going to be your price across all of them.

[onceagain]

Quote: Originally Posted by NaOH onceagain: Note that these stores have policies whereby you can't sell a book on one platform at a lower price than it's sold on another platform. So if you charge $10 on one platform, that's going to be your price across all of them.

I guess you could always give it a different title, making it a different book (:

[NaOH]

Quote: Originally Posted by onceagain I guess you could always give it a different title, making it a different book (:

If you plan to have your own ISBN, then each title would require a distinct ISBN. One ISBN costs $125, ten can be had for $250.

https://www.myidentifiers.com

[NaOH]

Unsolicited Tip: I think it's worth having someone who is exceptionally good at proofreading. A good proofreader will provide a check on consistency within your presentation (such-and-such was listed as such on page 7, but it's now different on page 23) and provides some editorial assistance.

That's in addition to correcting typos and small mistakes. Unfortunately, typos and such can hurt sales. For whatever reason(s), people like to mention them in reviews and they let such errors affect the rating they assign. On a 5-star scale, getting knocked from a 4 to a 3 is significant since that's like saying something is so-so rather than above average. That, in turn, can affect others' decision of whether or not to buy your book.

[onceagain]

Quote: Originally Posted by NaOH Unsolicited Tip: I think it's worth having someone who is exceptionally good at proofreading. A good proofreader will provide a check on consistency within your presentation (such-and-such was listed as such on page 7, but it's now different on page 23) and provides some editorial assistance. That's in addition to correcting typos and small mistakes. Unfortunately, typos and such can hurt sales. For whatever reason(s), people like to mention them in reviews and they let such errors affect the rating they assign. On a 5-star scale, getting knocked from a 4 to a 3 is significant since that's like saying something is so-so rather than above average. That, in turn, can affect others' decision of whether or not to buy your book.

As a professional technical writer, I hear you. Fortunately, at least I do have an edge on many - but nevertheless, I do have some people who can provide such services for me.

[fracai]

Quote: Originally Posted by acme.mail.order Sure that's correct? normally as price increases the dealer cut DEcreases. By this model a 10 cent increase in price would result in a 50% drop in revenue to the vendor: 70% of $9.99 -> $7 35% of $10.01 -> $3.50 And a 65% distributor cut is on the high side of highway robbery, esp. when the distributor's direct costs for your product are basically zero.

Amazon is weird and complicated in their percentages. Basically, in order to get the 70% rate:

- you're restricted to that 3-10 $ range
- you have to give Amazon the right to sell the book in any markets that you have the right to do so in
- you have to price the book 20% lower than any physical book
- you can't sell it for less anywhere else
- you pay $.15 for every megabyte of book per sale

Because of this, people develop calculators to figure out the right price and cut to sell on Amazon.

[NaOH]

Another good quality ePub editor I should have mentioned is the free Sigil.

http://code.google.com/p/sigil