BAIPA

Bay Area Independent Publishers Association

Member Login
  • Home
  • Members
    • Member List
    • BAIPA Bookshop.org
    • Books Published by BAIPA Members
    • Member Login/Logout
    • View & Edit Profile
    • Membership Account
    • Membership Cards
    • Get the Most Out of Your BAIPA Membership
    • Volunteer with BAIPA
    • BAIPA Book Awards
      • 2018 BAIPA Book Awards Contest
      • 2016 BAIPA Book Award Winners
      • 2015 BAIPA Book Award Winners
  • Join
    • Member Benefits
    • More About BAIPA
    • BAIPA Board
    • Submit Testimonial
  • Events
    • Meeting Format
    • Morning Only Meeting Format
    • Meeting Location & Directions
    • Want to Present at a BAIPA Monthly Meeting?
  • Blog
    • Blog Guidelines
    • Author Interviews
  • Member Portal
    • Member Only Resources
  • Contact
You are here: Home / Author Platform / Could a Simple PDF Ebook be Useful to BAIPA Authors and their Audiences?

Could a Simple PDF Ebook be Useful to BAIPA Authors and their Audiences?

July 10, 2017 by Lee Foster

I recently discovered that using the simple pdf form of my newest travel ebook was a good way to distribute it under license to a client for additional income. 

The ebook in question is my SF Travel & Photo Guide: The Top 100 Travel Experiences in the San Francisco Bay Area. 

The book exists as an ebook on Amazon and as an app in Apple and Google. I knew I could generate a pdf of the ebook from the Word template used to create the ebook. 

Then I was asked to give a paid luncheon talk in San Francisco to a financial group. About 50 people would attend. I would provide a slideshow and commentary on “The Top Travel Experiences in the San Francisco Bay Area.”  The meeting planner wanted to follow-up with the group after the talk and give away a couple of my printed books or ebooks to those who attended as an announced incentive to get more people to attend. 

I had several printed books for $14.95 (see my Amazon Author Page) that could be bought in bulk at $7.50. I have ebooks for $3.99, but it was complicated to work with Amazon or Apple. Besides, which ebook format would the meeting attendee want? My new book was also out as an “app” in Apple and Google. The audience had different kinds of devices and varying levels of expertise. 

The meeting planner’s conclusion was a good solution from my perspective: “Just give us a simple pdf of your new SF Travel & Photo Guide that can be read on all devices. We’ll email it as a Thank You follow-up to all who attend the meeting.”

I charged the group $150 to give a half-hour slideshow talk to 50 people, and another $1 per email of the pdf. My total charge was $200, and presumably there was also “publicity value.” 

A pdf has both virtues and limitations. The pdf can be read on all devices. If I get a pdf via email on my iPhone, for example, I can send it to my iBooks folder and read it there. Most people can read pdfs on their devices or computers. Also, the links in pdfs are clickable.

However, a pdf is not fancy, and lacks the functionality of interactive maps, which make my app on this subject appealing. A pdf can also be shared without a proper license, so theft is a reality that an author must accept. My pdfs carry in them the viral information that a paid version is available in a more advanced ebook or app form.

“Forms” can be an interesting subject to authors who want to function successfully in the modern world. My books are available as printed books or as ebooks. One is now an app, another is an audiobook. Two of my books are translated into Chinese, and have had steady sales in China for two years.

BAIPA authors, some of you may conclude that a simple pdf of your book could be distributed under license for additional income, especially when you give a talk. 

—

My latest ebook/app is SF Travel & Photo Guide: The Top 100 Travel Experiences in the San Francisco Bay Area, available as an ebook on Amazon, and as an app on Apple  and Google.

Share this…


  • Facebook


  • Twitter


  • Linkedin

Filed Under: Author Platform, ebooks, marketing

← Book Cover Design with Joel Friedlander
An Online Option for Attractive, Affordable Covers (Part 1) →

Comments

  1. Catherine Held says

    July 10, 2017 at 5:56 pm

    Thanks, Lee-You mentioned this at the BAIPA meeting on Saturday and it’s great to learn about the logistics,, and especially how you continue to “think outside the box.”

Becky Parker Geist of Pro Audio Voices

Welcome to BAIPA

UPDATE: BAIPA will continue to meet via ZOOM ONLY until it is safe to resume in-person meetings, which we are planning to try on May 6th, 2023 (see below for some initial info). Even when we decide to resume in-person events, we will continue the Zoom option. We are implementing all the recommended precautionary measures to keep our meetings private and safe for all participants. All members and visitors who register in advance will receive a link to attend via Zoom video conferencing. On the Friday evening before the meeting, we will send the link and … More

Current BAIPA members do not need to register for our monthly meetings. The night before the meetings, they will receive the Zoom info. However, members must log in to get a discounted ticket for workshops. 

Upcoming Events

BAIPA Monthly Meetings

IMPORTANT
BAIPA is now meeting on the first Saturday of every month via Zoom only for now. In general, if the first Saturday falls on a holiday or holiday weekend, we will meet on the second Saturday.

We are also having workshops on the third Saturday of every month (also via Zoom only for now. In general, if the regular monthly meeting moves to the second Saturday, then the workshop will be two weeks later.

Future Events

  • February 4th: Chris Morris on tax advice for authors
  • February 18th: WORKSHOP—Chris Morris on crafting systems for success as a writer
  • March 4th: Shelly Adina on how to sell more books using metadata
  • April 1st: Dave Farrow, Memory & PR Expert, shares his tips for memorable marketing and business success.
  • April 15th: WORKSHOP—Dave Farrow on helping authors position themselves for success after releasing their story
  • May 6th: HYBRID EVENT (In-person in Novato, CA + Zoom, followed by MEMBERS ONLY in-person celebration party) What every author needs to know about Amazon NOW

Keep up to date with BAIPA

Member Search

Search Members

  

Looking for Something?

Copyright © 2023. Bay Area Independent Publishers Association. All Rights Reserved. Website created by MakeChico.com and managed by WPinOneClick.com.

Copyright © 2023 · BAIPA Genesis Child Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in