EBooks for self-published authors

What are eBooks?

EBooks are electronic versions of books. They are available to read on dedicated eBook devices such as Kindle Readers, or even on our mobile phones, computers, and tablets. Most any book can be converted to an eBook, though there are two kinds available for different genres of books: reflowable and fixed format.

Reflowable

The words in a reflowable eBook are flexible and not locked down to a particular page, meaning the fonts and font sizes can be changed. This makes reflowable eBooks more accessible and readable for a wide range of people, including those with impaired vision and even dyslexia.

Reflowable eBooks are the preferred form of eBooks for all text-heavy books and are always used for the following:

• • Fiction novels
  • Memoirs
  • Biographies

To learn more about reflowable eBooks, head over to our article eBooks explained – a quick primer on eBooks or, if you’re ready to get started, submit your book details and we’ll be in touch!

Fixed-format

True to name, the content in a fixed-format eBook is not flexible. The font cannot be changed or resized and the content is locked in on its particular page.

Fixed-format eBooks are used for books where the layout of the book is essential to its design, such as the following kinds of books:

• • Artbooks
  • Childrens books
  • Cookbooks

Fixed-format books should never be used for text-heavy books such as discussed above in reflowable eBooks.

If you’d like to learn more about fixed-format eBooks, read our article eBooks explained – a quick primer on eBooks or, if you’re ready to get started, submit your book details!

Are eBooks really so popular?

A well-designed book influences the perceived quality and professionalism of your book. This is important for readers, retailers, and you as an author. Let’s break this down further.

A book cover is the first thing that your potential readers and retailers will see when interacting with your book. It’s really one of your first sales-people. If your book cover is well designed and can convey the genre and tone of your book succinctly and attractively, the book is more likely to be put on shelves or picked up by readers.

Typesetting doesn’t just make your content look appealing, it also effects how readers interact with and consume your book. A well-designed interior can ease and improve readability as much as a poorly designed one can do the opposite.

If your book is designed poorly, your readers are far less likely to give you good reviews, recommend you to friends or family, or even finish your book if it is too hard to read. Not only this, but bad book design reflects on your professionalism as an author, making it harder to build a dedicated readership who will follow your progress and buy your next books. Ensuring that you have a professional and appealing book design that stands its own against the market is important to your books success.

How eBook production works with Green Hill

Step 1. Design briefing and concept refinement

Briefing session with the book designer

Unlike other publishers—traditional and self-publishers alike—the first step of book design with Green Hill involves you, the author, talking directly with the designer who will be working on your book. You’ll be supplied a design brief document that will detail what was discuss and also include a moodboard of some design elements, colours, fonts, and existing books that could relate to your book for inspiration.

Book concept

From your briefing session, your designer will work on two concepts for your book cover. This will be directed by the moodboard and the conversation you had with them during the briefing session. The book concepts will be supplied to you and you can pick your favourite and provide feedback to help finalise the design.

Sample typesetting

The first step of your book’s interior design is a sample of your typesetting. This is where the designer will layout a small section of your book to show you how the book looks laid out and the design choices the designer has made. The overall design is directed by the font choices and visuals from your cover, hence why this step is after final cover has been completed.

Step 2. Final artwork files

Final cover

Once your favourite concept has been chosen, it’s time for the designer to implement your feedback and further refine the book design. You’ll also supply the author with the final blurb, bi-line, etc. if you haven’t already done so.

Typesetting and text alterations

Once the sample typesetting is approved by you, the designer will layout and typeset the rest of the book. You’ll be given back the files after this process so that you can look through the book and highlight any errors that may stand out now that the book is in a different format (most packages have up to 20 typesetting alterations included).

Print proof

As a final check of content, we order a print proof direct to your address. This is so you can see the book in it’s final format and check the print quality and make sure that the book has printed properly. It also gives you a chance to find any errors that weren’t picked up previously. 

Step 3. EBook conversion and distribution

Now that your final files are ready and there are no more changes to be made to the artwork or content, we can move into eBook conversion! You will have the chance to review the MOBI and EPUB files and supply edits to the eBook after conversion is completed. At the end of the process, you’ll be given your final eBook files which can be uploaded to their respective eBook distribution platforms.

Note: Each of our publishing packages have differing inclusions regarding book design. Be sure to check our services comparison table for more information on what your particular package includes.