The Coming Thing: Ebooks

by Marsha Ward

I've been fascinated by, and have bought and read, ebooks for several years now. Although I don't presently have an ebook reader, one day I shall have one, or maybe I'll read on an iPhone or other device, when I have something like that.

Although I've enjoyed the convenience and lesser price of ebooks, it never occurred to me to make my backlist novels (you know, the ones I've already written, but don't actively promote right now) available as ebooks. Either the technology wasn't available through my provider when I initially published, or it cost extra to do one, so I didn't go there.

Now, however, it has come to my attention that there are avenues for publishing ebooks beyond posting them on your own website, that take somewhat less cost than you would expect.

So, with the inciting incident being a question from my daughter's boyfriend to the effect of why didn't I have ebooks available for all the Young Generation readers with iPhones and other devices that read ebooks, I thought I'd look into it.

I discovered Smashwords.com, and their innovative MeatGrinder approach to providing multiple formats of ebooks.

Effortless? Not exactly. Simpler than re-formatting for several different e-readers by yourself? Certainly.

Although it took me several weeks to properly format my Word file (I had a nasty glitch in the file that forced me to re-do it several times, but that was my fault), I was finally satisfied with the results of my initial ebook, The Man from Shenandoah. The new cover design was created by Rex Sowards.

I am currently sharing the ebook--as a Halloween Weekend Special--for free, working on the theory that the more people who read my work, the more people there will be who will want to buy hard copies of my other and future novels.

Or ebooks of my other and future etc. etc.

There is a coupon code involved, so go find it on my blog, Writer in the Pines.

If you download and read a free copy, please post a review and/or rating on the site. I think it will actually remind you to do that, which is another reason I'm loving Smashwords.