Some quick tips on using Kindle Create and Barnes and Noble Press:
I am about to release my novella Traption and I have been preparing it in Kindle Create. So the question is: should you Kindle Create to get your books on Amazon.com?
Do I have to use Kindle Create or Barnes and Noble Press?
The answer: you don’t HAVE to use Kindle Create to prepare your manuscript for Amazon (via KDP). I have been using Kindle Create for the past couple years and I find it user-friendly. Much easier than my own word files. And I just discovered I can use the same Kindle Create document for both ebook and print versions.
Should I edit in these formatting tools?
I recommend editing your manuscript in a Word document, Scrivener or Google docs. Or whatever you use. DON’T edit in Kindle Create itself. You can’t export it as a viable text document. I strongly suggest you get everything done in an editing tool first. Kindle Create is excellent for formatting ebooks and print books. In minutes, you can have everything uploaded.
I also discovered Barnes and Noble has only two of my three released books on their website. So I used Barnes and Noble press to upload the third for both ebook (NOOK) and print. You will use a text document for your books with B&N Press. I found it easy to use.
What about ISBN numbers?
But about ISBN numbers: make sure you have the correct one listed on your copyright page. You may just not want to include an ISBN number in the body of your book. Both KDP and B&N Press will assign their own free ISBN number to your book.
If you are self-publishing, you can use both Amazon and Barnes & Noble to distribute. But do not enroll your ebooks in Kindle Unlimited if you have them as ebooks on B&N’s website.
What about covers for B&N Press ebooks?
For the covers of your B&N ebooks, the art document (JPG) needs to be 1400 x 1400 pixels. You may have to crop up your cover to the right size. I used a simple program like paint. I also used Canva to create my original covers, so making a copy of them and moving the title for the smaller B&N Press cover was easy.
These are some of the things I’ve come across the past few weeks while getting my novella ready. Let me know if you have any questions.
Andrew M. Friday 