Finding Out More…
If you’re interested in getting a no-obligation written quotation from us, then please send us a copy of your manuscript. We’ll acknowledge receipt and get back to you within two working days.
Ebooks are a growing part of the book market, and offer authors another way of publishing their work and making it available to a wide international audience. The problem is that so many ebooks are now being published that it is difficult to get noticed in the rush.
There are many routes to ebook publication, from DIY to outsourcing ebook conversion, and as a self-publisher you have a choice in how you publish. Yet to get the best ebook conversion and the widest ebook distribution, even the most dedicated self-publisher will not be able to rival the abilities of a self-publishing company like Matador.
Many ebook distributors will only take on a publisher if they have numerous ebooks to sell; many ebook retailers have strict rules on the ebook formats that they accept. Matador has ensured that our ebooks are compatible with the widest range of formats demanded by the retailers; and we’ve worked hard to establish a distribution network for our ebooks that is unparalleled.
So as a self-publisher, you could have your manuscript automatically converted by various ebook retailers, you could open accounts with all those retailers; or you could just settle to sell your ebook through one retailer only. Or, you could have your ebook published and distributed by Matador to get the best quality presentation and the widest distribution possible, including through retailers that are usually inaccessible to individual self-publishers.
You can publish your own ebook, but there are several reasons why it is better to use an established service to do it for you:
Matador offers a top quality ebook creation process, using specialist conversion houses to create industry-standard ebook files.
We also offer the most comprehensive ebook distribution network that you can find, ensuring that your ebook can be found for sale on all major book retailers’ websites.
At Matador we offer authors a choice of ebook and book publishing. You can choose to start with ebook only publishing; add a print on demand book if you feel there is a demand; or then publish and distribute a book through traditional retail channels if it takes off. Or you can publish your ebook alongside your book straight away to maximize the exposure during marketing activity. It’s your choice.
Every step of the way we offer realistic advice and expertise, while you make the decisions on publishing your ebook. We can produce and distribute your ebook for you… but more; we offer a dedicated ebook marketing service with unique access to industry-wide ebook review channels. Quality of production, distribution and marketing, as with our book publishing services.
Creating an ebook is not a simple process, and although there are ‘automatic’ ebook converters available, they only output a version of what you input. The old computing adage ‘Garbage In, Garbage Out very much applies with ebooks! If you have some knowledge of computing then you can have a stab at converting to an ebook file; if not, it’s best left to a specialist.
There are several processes to undertake prior to creating your ebook, though. Matador offers a range of services, which authors can pick and choose from, depending on their requirements. We are happy to carry out most services singly, so if you have a cover already and need formatting and conversion, that is fine; or maybe you need a cover and formatting, but wish to distribute your ebook yourself. We also offer a full ebook production and distribution service, which includes all of the necessary services.
Note that the cost of some services is naturally dependent on a book’s complexity and length, so we can only give indicative costs for some; please contact us for a bespoke quote.
This service sets up your ebook with an ISBN so that it can be distributed to those many retailers that require one. It includes:
In the rush to get an ebook published, many authors overlook the fact that they must make sure their manuscript is 100% ready to publish! Ebooks containing typos, grammar problems and other errors will quickly give your writing a bad name.
Matador offers an on-screen copy-editing service for all ebook authors, which will be carried out by one of our experienced in-house editors. (The cost will depend upon your manuscript’s length.)
The importance of a high-quality, eye-grabbing cover cannot be underestimated; it must achieve maximum impact at a glance. As with a book, cover design is important, as it is the only visual cue you are giving to a potential buyer.
Ebook cover design tends to be different to regular book cover design because of the limitations of the online sizing available with most e-retailers. Our team of in-house designers is experienced in making the most of the limited space available to give your ebook cover visual impact and attract attention. Using either your own image supplied or an image(s) bought from millions available at a discounted rate to our authors, our designers will produce a professional bespoke cover design for your ebook. .
Matador ebooks are created in-house by experienced conversion staff. This ensures our ebooks are converted to the highest standard, and guarantees that the reader experience is the best it can be.
The two most common ebook formats are ePub and Amazon’s Kindle. Different formats are created in different ways. There are two main forms of ebook: reflowable (where text reflows with a different size screen), and fixed (where the text retains its format and does not reflow as the screen changes). The reflowable format is best for novels and books with few images. Fixed format is best for books with a lot of graphical content.
The cost of ebook conversion will depend upon the complexity of the book and its length. Creation of an ebook includes:
Our authors benefit from our extensive distribution network in the UK and overseas. We make your ebook available through all the major ebook retailers, including Amazon, Apple, Nook, Kobo, Google, OverDrive and Scribd. We also offer distribution overseas through hundreds of e-retailers via our aggregators. In addition, we offer access to the huge ebook library market through our distribution links with wholesalers and specialist ebook suppliers.
Our ebook distribution service covers:
This includes pre-press and set-up, professional cover design, formatting and conversion to the latest industry-standard formats, and distribution via our worldwide network of retailers and libraries (as above).
In addition, this full service includes:
We offer an ebook marketing service designed to give your ebook the chance of being seen by journalists, bloggers and reviewers worldwide. The service includes an entry on NetGalley, the leading ebook media review service – where members worldwide can browse for ebooks by subject, publisher or keyword, and then request a review copy.
The aim of our ebook marketing service is to get reviews and feedback for your ebook, which we then encourage reviewers to leave on retailers’ sites, as the more reviews an ebook has, the earlier it appears in search results. Customers are also more likely to buy an ebook that has reviews. NetGalley members are often regular Goodreads/Amazon reviewers or have their own book blogs/bookstagram accounts, so they may also post reviews through those accounts. Feedback from NetGalley can also be used by you in your own marketing efforts.
Ebook marketing is undertaken around the time your ebook is released for sale, and is designed to work around the release of an ebook to retailers by our in-house production team, over a period of around six weeks.
If you are taking our Matador Media Marketing service for your printed book, you do not need to take our ebook marketing service.
Social media is inescapable in the modern world and authors are finding they need an online presence to reach their readers and increase visibility. For many, however, social media like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram remain something of a mystery. For this reason, we offer a flexible menu of social media options that can be taken singly or grouped together for a wide range of complementary options.
Our three different social media consultation services will help you to get up and running on the three main social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook and Instagram), by offering a one-to-one consultation with a member of the marketing team, based around your own needs and social media plans.
The marketing of an ebook is largely something that happens online, as that is where ebooks are bought by readers.
Our ebook marketing services are designed to complement your own online marketing activities. Many online e-marketing activities can be undertaken by authors themselves at virtually no cost; our marketing service is designed to supply you with the information and resource links that you need to give your ebook marketing the edge, while we undertake other e-marketing activities for you that you would find it difficult to gain access to.