How to Create an eBook
BOOKRIX FAQ

  1. Creating a New eBook on BookRix
  2. Edit Book Content
  3. Edit Book Info
  4. Edit Cover
  5. Help with Getty Images
  6. Help with ePub Files
  7. Sell Your eBook
  8. Additional sales channels: libraries and flat rates


  • 1. Creating a New eBook on BookRix

    Creating an eBook on BookRix is easy! Log into your BookRix account and click the Create New Book button highlighted on the upper right hand side of your screen. You’ll be prompted to enter a book title. But don’t worry, this can be changed at any time. After you enter the title, click Create Book to get started.

    On the book editing page, there are three options to choose from: Edit Book Content, Edit Book Info, and Edit Cover. Completion of all three fields is required to share or publish your book, but you can decide which section to fill out first.

    Please note: There is a 2000 word minimum to publish and distribute your ebook.

    After you have filled out all the information in the 3 required fields (content, book info, and cover), please select whether you want to sell your eBook in the external shops or publish your book for free, only on BookRix.

    If you select Only on BookRix  and determine who is allowed to view your book (All Users or Friends) you can now click Publish Book. If your book is missing information, you will receive a notification directing you to the section(s) requiring your attention with a pink outline around the fields. If your book is published for free on BookRix you can edit it an any time. If you wish to remove the book from public view you can undo the publication by clicking Undo Publication when you are in the Edit Book section.

    If you select All shops, you are agreeing to sell your book in the shops that we distribute to (Amazon, Barnes & Nobel, Kobo, iTunes...). From here, click on Sell Book and then choose your price from $0.00 to $49.00.  Check the box that you have read and understood the Author Agreement and then click Sell Book.

    If you have already published your ebook on Amazon, we can still move forward. But to do this, we will need the ASIN number associated with your ebook on Amazon. Currently, Amazon is the only exception we can make. If your book was published and sold on iTunes, we would be unable to accept your ebook for publication. To move forward with BookRix, you would need to remove your ebook from iTunes completely. Once removed, you would be able to use our services.

    If you haven’t filled all of the required fields of the necessary areas (Content, Book info, Cover), you will receive a notification alert.  Then you will know which area is missing content because a pink line will appear around the Edit Book ContentEdit Book Info and/or Edit Cover button(s).

    How to Create an eBook
  • 2. Edit Book Content

    Edit Book Content will take you to the BookRix editor where you can either upload a file or add text directly.


    How to upload a file

    BookRix makes it easy for you to upload your work to our site. If you already have a file in your computer, you can use the File Upload button which inserts the text into in our BookRix Editor. Currently we support the following formats: .doc, .docx, .odt, txt, .rtf, .epub. To make things even simpler, if you use the Heading feature in Microsoft Word, the heading text will automatically be converted into chapter titles. You can also include images in the file you are uploading.

    Once you’ve uploaded your file, you can use our BookRix editor to make updates, modify your text or add new chapters to your book. Please see the section below for more information regarding our BookRix editor.

    Important: If you choose to edit an existing book and decide to upload an additional file, it will replace all the previously stored book content.

    Tip: To help you create a perfect ePub file and prevent getting your eBook rejected from sale, please carefully read through our ePub Style Guide


    How to Use Our BookRix Editor

    The best thing about our BookRix Editor is that it’s so simple to use. If you want to create your book from scratch, click the Type in Content button to begin using the BookRix Editor. This is the same page you would see after selecting file upload.

    In this section, you can Add New Chapter, Delete chapters (select the trash can icon) and even change the order of your chapters. This can be done by dragging the arrow button near the Chapter numbers up or down.

    Once text has been added to the chapter field, you can make other changes using the tool bar. Options from left to right: Alter text with Bold, Italic, and Underline; Change text alignment from left (default), center or right; Undo or redo an action; Add an image or link; Show/hide block elements (this displays each time of text inside a block). If you aren’t sure what a tool is used for, simply hover your mouse over the icon and a description will appear.

    Tip:  Always save your changes.

    How to Create an eBook
  • 3. Edit Book Info

    Edit Book Info allows you to complete the following:

    Author name(s), book title, subtitle, blurb/synopsis (minimum 140 characters, maximum 3000 characters), dedication and keywords. You can also select a book category (genre), recommended reading age, and language.

    Below this area, you will find the Copyright Information & Acknowledgements section. Here you can enter the copyright holder for any applicable text or images, along with the name of your editor, proofreader and/or translator (if applicable).

    Tip: Always save your changes

    How to Create an eBook
  • 4. Edit Cover

    Edit Cover will give you three cover options:


    (1) BookRix Stock Covers

    BookRix provides some free stock images that can be used as temporary book covers. We do not recommend using these images on books placed for sale. From this option you can adjust your text location, font, and size to best customize your title, subtitle and author name placement on your cover.


    (2) Getty Images

    If you are planning on publishing a book for sale, it's very important to have a higher quality cover to prevent your book from being rejected. BookRix has partnered up with Getty Images to supply you with over 1 million images for cover art that you can use for your BookRix books (free or sale books).

    There is a cost associated with these images that covers the cost of the license for commercial use, however we encourage you to browse these images as the cost is minimal.

    Click HERE for more details.


    (3) Your Own Images

    If you created a book cover image and saved it to your computer, you can upload it using the My Own Cover option and then click the Upload Images button. By selecting Adjust Image to Cover you image will be fit to our eBook cover dimensions.

    If your image does not include your book title, please select  Image and Text Only option.  By selecting Adjust Image to Cover you image will be fit to our eBook cover dimensions. From this option you can adjust your text location, font, and size to best customize your title, subtitle and author name placement on your cover.

    Tip: Our exact cover measurements are 450 x 550 pixels, so if your image is too small it will appear pixelated, if it’s too thin it will appear stretched, etc. Books for sale are required to have higher quality images of a minimum of 1100 pixels wide.

    Tip: Always save your changes.

    How to Create an eBook
  • 5. Help with Getty Images

    Let’s face it. We all know books are judged by their covers,  so to help you make your eBook as attractive as possible (especially when it’s for sale in the massive eBook market)  BookRix partnered up with Getty Images to bring you more choices for your eBook covers.

    With this feature you have access to over 1 million images with thousands subject options. A simple keyword search will get you exactly what you are looking for. From a serene landscape to sci-fi spaceship, you will be able to find the best image for your creative needs.

    To start your search, simply enter your keyword in the field, “Search your item”, and then click “Search”.  For example, if your book is a thriller you can search with words like “mystery”, “murder”, “mysterious", etc. You can also complete keyword searches for multiple words (separated by a coma and a space). For example, you can search “woman running on a beach” or “man, glasses, dark hair, middle-aged”.  It’s best to try various keyword searches to make sure that you find exactly what you are looking for.

    Tip: If you are looking for a cartoon feel for your image (commonly used in Chick Lit), you can insert the word “Vector” as one of your key words.

    Once you have found an image that you like, simply click on it to see a larger view in your cover display preview. Keep in mind that the quality of the image is delivered in a higher resolution after the image license is purchased. You can fit the image to scale so that it fills the proportions of the cover size. You can also choose to have a grey text background behind your text to make it easier to see your book title in a very illustrated image. Choose your title font and color and then “Proceed to check out”.  You must have a PayPal account to process the payment. Once your payment is complete, you can always reference your purchased image in “My saved images” or “Your own images”.

    Choosing a Getty image will allow you to upload the graphic for commercial use in a high resolution quality which is required by the external shops. Once you have purchased the image (for only $9.99), which includes the license usage, you’re free to use the image again and again, indefinitely, for any book on BookRix. This is great news if you have a book that is part of a series and can use the same cover art. Unfortunately, the license is for BookRix eBooks only and can’t be used for print books.

    In the near future, you will be able to tailor your title placement to better suit your cover graphic. This will make customizing your cover to make it unique and attractive as possible to attract those readers to your eBook!

    How to Create an eBook
  • 6. Help with ePub Files

    Upload an ePub file

    If you’ve already created your eBook as a finished epub file, you can now easily and conveniently upload and publish your eBook on BookRix just the same as a MS Word docx file. Epubs are commonly supported by most eBook readers however, if you don’t have an epub, you can convert your file to an ePub for uploading. We recommend using Calibre http://calibre-ebook.com/ Not all files may be supported for conversion therefore, if you have any difficulty with converting your file to an ePub, we recommend contacting Calibre support.

    NOTE:  ePub files that are DRM protected, cannot be uploaded on BookRix.

    When you upload your ePub file you can choose between two options:


    The original ePub file will be used to create the eBook

    With this option, you will not lose any formatting you have created in your text. However, if there are required edits to your book, you will not be able to make these changes in the BookRix editor. You will have to make your corrections in your file and re-upload the ePub file. In addition, your eBook will not be able to be read online (only downloaded as an ePub) nor will there be a reading sample offered on BookRix (only in the shops, if your book is for sale).Keep in mind that your ePub will be checked to make sure that it’s a valid ePub file. If your ePub is not a valid file, you will be notified and directed to a page explaining to you the things you need to consider when creating an ePub file so that it is perfect and ready for publication.


    The original ePub file will be converted into the BookRix editor

    With this option, your file will convert into the BookRix editor and therefore be editable if you need to make changes. You also have the advantage of your book being available to be read online and a reading sample offered, if your book is for sale.

    How to Create an eBook
  • 7. Sell Your eBook

    Ok, so you’ve made all the necessary edits and spell checks. You’ve uploaded a high quality cover, and you’ve completed all the items within our Rejection Prevention section. Now you're ready to sell your eBook!

    Once you have filled out all the required information in the Book Content, Book Info and Book Cover sections, please select All Shops* and then click Sell Book. Choose your sale price, check the box that you have read our Author Agreement, and then click Sell Book.You can also change which currency your book is sold in.

    If any information is missing within the required fields, you will receive an alert indicating which sections require your attention. A pink line surrounding the Edit Book Content, Edit Book Info and/or Edit Cover buttons will direct you to the appropriate area.

    *Remember - If you have already sold your eBook on Amazon, we will need the ASIN number associated with your ebook on their site in order to proceed.

    Important: Your personal information within My Account Details must be complete in order for BookRix to successfully send your royalty payment.

    Tip: If you are having any difficulty with your book formatting, please read through our ePub Style Guide

    Tip: For tips on how to market your eBook, please visit our Marketing Guide.

    How to Create an eBook
  • 8. Additional sales channels: libraries and flat rates

    If you wish, your eBook can also be sold through several flat rate and library services.

    In detail, these are currently the following services: DiViBib (digital virtual library), Overdrive, Skoobe, 24Symbols, Scribd and Legimi and others.

     

    When will my eBook be offered in these sales channels?

    When creating the book, under the field “Where would you like to publish your book?”  You have the corresponding checkboxes for the selection of library services and / or flat rate providers.

    Note: By selecting this checkbox, you accept an additional passage in the author's contract that relates to the conditions of these flat rate and library services. This states, among other things, that - as with sales - you will also receive 70% of the net proceeds from the respective service.

     

    Library services

    By checking this checkbox, you opt in to have your books delivered to several library services. At this time (December 2016), these services include Divibib (Onleihe) and Overdrive

    • Divibib (Onleihe): Your book can be bought by public libraries using Onleihe service. If they decide to buy your book, they can offer their customers to rent the book. You receive the usual royalties for book sales. Any book bought by libraries can only be rented by one user at a time. So, if Berlin Public Library buys six copies of your book, up to six customers of this library can read it at the same time.
    • Overdrive: Your book can be bought by public libraries using Overdrive service. If they decide to buy your book, they can offer their customers to rent the book. You receive the usual royalties for book sales. Any book bought by libraries can only be rented by one user at a time. So, if Berlin Public Library buys six copies of your book, up to six customers of this library can read it at the same time.

     

    Flatrate services

    By checking this checkbox, you opt in to have your books delivered to several flatrate services. At this time (December 2016), these services include Skoobe, 24Symbols, EBSCO eBooks, Overdrive, Scribd and Schweitzer.

    In particular, this means:

    • Skoobe: The book will be listed with flatrate service skoobe.de. Skoobe users can read your book. You get a share of any revenue we receive.
    • 24symbols: Your book is offered in the reading flatrate of 24symbols.com. Any customer can read your book. You get a share of any revenue we receive.
    • EBSCO eBooks and Schweitzer: Your book is listed in the catalogues of these information services. If a customer of these services wants to use the book, it will be licensed. Royalties depend on the kind of licence bought to make the book available to EBSCO or Schweitzer users.
    • Overdrive: Your book can be bought by public libraries using Overdrive service. If they decide to buy your book, they can offer their customers to rent the book. You receive the usual royalties for book sales. Any book bought by libraries can only be rented by one user at a time. So, if Berlin Public Library buys six copies of your book, up to six customers of this library can read it at the same time.
    • Scribd: Your book can be read at scribd.com. If at least 20% of the book are read, this counts as a sale.

    Your share is always 70% of the net margin, which refers to the proceeds BookRix receives from the Distribution Partner less sales tax, other domestic or foreign taxes, and the cost of delivery.

    How to Create an eBook
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