In the hopes of reaching more readers, a lot of self-published authors sign up with a large-scale e-book marketplace linked with an e-reader device.

Yet, going down this path has a big downside: you are only able to reach potential readers who own specific e-reader devices. With multiple e-reader options, you won’t have to rely on these markets. Book formats play its major role.

Using Different E-Book Formats to Diversify Your Reach

Secure hosting, fast delivery, and automatic bill payments are just a few perks that e-book retailers have to offer. This scheme makes it difficult to sell books as not everybody owns that specific type of e-reader. Some people use their mobile phones to read, while others read on their tablets.

So you, as a new author, are actually limiting your readership way before you get your first sale. Plus in some cases, you will have to sign an exclusive sales contract that will prohibit you from retailing book files through other outlets. What can you do? What e-book formats can help you reach your audience?

First, you will need a high-end e-commerce platform and a free blog site. Second, sign up for Google Wallet or PayPal, as transactions are processed via these trusted systems. Then, you will need to make your book available in different book writing formats.

We have narrowed down the list of different formats for publishing a book, and came up with the top three most common file standards. These three are found to be the most compatible with a wider range of electronic devices.

EPUB

Electronic Publication has become the most widely accepted of all book writing formats on the market. EPUB is generally supported across many platforms, like Kobo, Apple, Google, Adobe Digital Editions, and Barnes & Noble. EPUB is an open standard which means that it is publicly available and can be used for free; however, you have to follow specific rules for its use.

EPUB is written mainly in two languages: XHTML and XML. This is the reason why it can display reflowable content, and it complements with most types of software.

PDF

PDF is perfect for selling physical copies on print-on-demand (POD) book printing. There are different types of PDF, but choose the “print-ready PDF” as it is the most compatible with printers.  Secure a file that contains your book’s layout and content in strict definitions. PDF gives you control over fonts and layout.

PDF can also be generated by GUI-based tools like Microsoft Word. MS Word has the capacity to create PDF files, and the reader software comes for free and pre-installed on most computers.

MOBI

Mobipocket, commonly known as MOBI, is a free e-book reader software owned by Amazon. MOBI has sophisticated navigation controls, has a high degree of compression, and supports indexing. For example, users can insert freehand drawings, highlight words, make corrections, and add their own pages if the electronic device supports it. If you are planning to sell your book on Amazon, you must convert your book to MOBI format.

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