Choosing Photography Books for Your New Kindle, Nook, or iPad

Now that you’ve received you new e-reader device as a gift this holiday – Kindle, Nook, or iPad, etc. – I’m sure you are eager to fill it with great content, including photography books.

But first be aware that sometimes these devices are not ideal for viewing image-dependent books such as most photography books. As the epub format evolves, this issue will improve, and of course the pages of a PDF formatted e-books can appear just as the pages of the actual book. Be sure to look at the preview of the book before you purchase it to see how the images and page layouts survived the conversion to e-reader format. And of course iPad apps that were intentionally designed to take advantage of the iPad’s capabilities should look great.

Some photography books and camera guides that were designed with e-reader formats in mind are my Full Stop camera guides! They will (or should) appear nearly identical on an e-reader (Nook, Kindle, iPad) as they do in their PDF format. This doesn’t allow for complex page layouts, but rather displays a continuous flow of text and example images, as seen in this example preview.

I offer several popular e-book user’s guides and tutorials for most all of the latest Canon EOS and Nikon dSLR cameras, plus an e-book on general dSLR photography, and an e-book about how to create, publish, and sell you own e-books. All are available for purchase in the bookstore section of my website. Each e-book is available in PDF format, which you can view on your computer, print, and read on the iPad, Kindle, Nook, etc., and there are also dedicated Kindle and Nook versions at Amazon and Barnes and Noble, and all are available via Apple iTunes and iBooks.

Click the titles or covers below to learn more:

Nikon Guides:

Nikon D7100 Experience
Nikon D7000 Experience
Nikon D600 Experience
Nikon D5200 Experience
Nikon D5100 Experience

Canon Guides:

Canon 5D Mark III Experience – updated for Firmware 1.2.1!
Canon 6D Experience
Canon T5i / 700D Experience
Canon 70D Experience
Canon T4i / 650D Experience
Canon 7D Experience – Updated for Firmware 2.0!
Your World 60D
Canon T3i Experience
Canon T2i Experience

Other E-Books

Ten Steps to Better dSLR Photography
and
The E-Book Handbook

Nikon Manual Viewer App

I just learned over on the Nikon Rumors website that there is an app for downloading and viewing your Nikon camera manual on your iPad or iPhone. The app, called Nikon Manual Viewer, can be downloaded for free. Once you have downloaded the manual, you can then view it offline at anytime. It does not appear that Canon has a similar app yet.

Be sure to also consider my dSLR camera guides, which can also be downloaded and carried with you on your iPad or computer, including Nikon D7000 Experience and Nikon D5100 Experience. These guides go beyond the manuals to help you learn not only how, but more importantly when and why to use the features and functions of these versatile cameras.

Independent E-Book Publisher Full Stop Celebrates Successful First Year

Online and PDF versions of this press release available here:
http://www.dojoklo.com/writing/PressReleases/2011-09-29-Press_Release.htm

Full Stop Publishing
good writing for better photography
www.dojoklo.com/Full_Stop

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Douglas Klostermann
E Mail – doug@dojoklo.com

Independent E-Book Publishing Company Celebrates Successful First Year

Independent E-Book Publisher Takes Advantage of Newly Leveled Playing Field to Successfully Compete with Traditional Publishers

September 29, 2011 – Cambridge, Mass. – Independent e-book publisher Full Stop marks its successful first year of creating, publishing, and selling digital SLR camera guides and photography e-books.

Begun in September 2010 with the publication of its first camera user’s guide Your World 60D, the independent publisher currently offers nine titles and has sold over 6,000 e-books. The majority of the titles are user’s guides aimed at Canon and Nikon digital SLR camera owners, including Amazon Kindle best-sellers Canon T3i Experience and Nikon D5100 Experience. Taking advantage of readers’ growing preference for e-books and the increasing popularity of e-reader devices and tablets, as well as the digital publishing opportunities offered by major online retailers such as Amazon and Barnes and Noble, author and photographer and head of Full Stop Douglas Klostermann is able to reach a wide audience of readers interested in learning how to use their equipment and improve their photography. As Douglas noted in a recent interview, “E-books and e-publishing have completely leveled the playing field for independent publishers, allowing us to successfully compete with major publishers and even to beat them to the market by taking advantage of the available technology and sales channels.”

Inspired by his experiences with e-publishing as well as the rapidly expanding popularity of e-books Douglas has also written an e-book guide to help others create, publish, and sell e-books, called The E-Book Handbook. All of his guides are available for sale on the Full Stop website as well as on Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and through Apple iBooks and iTunes. As with all e-books, Full Stop guides are read on a computer, e-reader device such as the Kindle or Nook, or tablet such as the iPad.

Additional camera guides and photography books are planned, and Full Stop is looking forward to further success with independent e-book publishing and the continued growth of e-books, e-reader devices, and digital publishing. For further information contact Douglas Klostermann at doug@dojoklo.com.

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Online and PDF versions of this press release available here:
http://www.dojoklo.com/writing/PressReleases/2011-09-29-Press_Release.htm

Publish Your E-Book at Over 20 Sites and Publishers

I came across an e-book service that promises to distribute your e-book to 25 stores, all for a reasonable price of under $50. While that is a great price for that service due to the time and careful effort that must be put into the process of uploading and entering information to several sites, you should also know that you can do it yourself, in an evening, for free. My new e-book guide to creating, publishing, marketing, and selling e-books called The E-Book Handbook explains exactly how to publish yourself to all the same sites.

One doesn’t actually have to individually upload the text and info to 25 sites, but rather to just a few and then they distribute your e-book to the other sites. Once your e-book is complete and properly formatted for the various sites and e-readers like the Kindle and Nook, this publishing process merely involves typing in all your info, adding a description that you will use for all the sites, and uploading your cover and e-book document. It is a simple step-by-step process that the publishing sites all walk you through pretty well, especially Amazon’s KDP and Barnes and Noble’s ~~PubIt~~ (now Nook Press). But there are a few additional steps and some follow through, such as getting into Smashword’s Premium Catalog, that you need to be aware of. And knowing to use Amazon’s Author Central to turn your unformatted e-book description into a nicer formatted description is an example of one of the important tips you might not realize (and that you can learn about in my e-book!).

But don’t be mislead into thinking that getting into 25 stores will exponentially increase your sales and you will become an instant e-book success. Your goal may be to sell a reasonable 5 books per month at most of the sites for a total of over 100 a month, but the reality is: all your sales are likely to come from 3 sites, and most of them in the US. While Smashwords distributes your book to Diesel and Sony, plus to several sites for Kobo and Apple in multiple countries, you will likely achieve few-to-no sales on 80% of those sites. Hey look, its the 80-20 rule! The Pareto principle – 80% of your results come from 20% of your effort. This turns out to be exactly true with e-book sales, according to my experience.

I have sold over 4,500 e-book camera guides in less than 9 months so far, and the combined number of sales from Sony, Diesel, Kobo’s US and 7 international stores: ZERO. (2013 edit – Kobo sales have increased to about the same level as B&N sales each month. That being said, B&N sales have steadily dropped over the past year, as I suppose people are hesitant to invest in the Nook reader). Sales from Smashwords: not enough to make it worthwhile (4 per month) to undergo their stringent formatting rules and fickle conversion meatgrinder – except that they distribute to Apple. And due to the iPad and iPhone I believe selling through Apple is a major part of the future of e-books and thus critical. But as soon as I can distribute to Apple on my own or through someone else, it’s good-bye Smashwords. And come to think of it, it’s been months since I submitted some of the books to Smashwords and they are still nowhere to be found on Sony or Kobo. (2013 edit – You can now easily publish directly to Apple and Kobo, so I stopped publishing on Smashwords and never looked back.) Submit directly to Amazon or Barnes and Noble (2013-and now Kobo) and your e-books are up for sale in 1 to 3 days. (2013-With Apple, it takes a week or more for the book to be approved and up for sale)

So you really just need to focus on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, (2013: and Kobo, and Apple) ~~and then Smashwords for getting to Apple~~ (plus your own website and blog) to make 100% of your sales. Mostly really just Amazon and Apple. I would barely lose any sales if I just used these four sites plus my sites. Here is a handy chart from my e-book guide The E-Book Handbook to demonstrate this fact:

ebook e book sales distribution apple amazon barnes and noble smashwords nook kindle ipad e-reader
My e-book sales, in terms of percentage of “units” sold, at each of the sites where they are available. (2013-Apple sales have increased to perhaps 3x the B&N sales shown here, and Kobo sales are similar to the B&N level.)

The E-Book Handbook – Now Available!

My latest e-book, The E-Book Handbook, is now available!

The E-Book Handbook – A Thoroughly Practical Guide to Formatting, Publishing, Marketing, and Selling Your E-Book is a comprehensive guide that will help you create, publish, and market your own e-book, and sell it online through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Apple iTunes and iBooks – all easily and inexpensively.

The E-Book Handbook e book ebook how to create format publish market sell Amazon Kindle Nook iPad for dummies

It explains how to properly format and convert your text for PDF, tablet, and e-reader versions (such as the Kindle and Nook), create interactive bookmarks and table of contents, and include a book cover and images. It includes step-by-step instructions for easily uploading and selling your e-book on major retail websites including Amazon through Kindle Direct Publishing, Barnes and Noble through PubIt!, and Apple’s iBooks and iTunes through Smashwords, plus setting up the e-book’s descriptions and author pages – all at no cost. And it describes how to set up and automate sales and digital delivery from your own website and blog using reliable, low-cost services like E-Junkie and PayPal.

This instant download e-book explains multiple ways to market your e-book to increase sales, including detailed instructions for setting up a website and blog, marketing through various channels on the Internet, optimizing search engine results so that your e-book and sites are found, and monetizing your website and blog through advertising and affiliate programs. The E-Book Handbook also explains how to keep track of and evaluate sales, income, and expenses and offers a detailed spreadsheet to record and monitor this information. Throughout the text, the guide contains links to every website and retailer discussed, as well as comprehensive lists in the Appendixes.

The E-Book Handbook will provide you with the knowledge and tools to successfully create, publish, market, and sell your own e-book. It includes tips and straightforward information from the author’s experiences as a best-selling e-book writer and publisher, in order to make the process as low-cost and efficient as possible.

The E-Book Handbook is a 112 page, illustrated PDF document that can help turn you into an e-book author and publisher. This PDF e-book can be read on your computer and printed on your printer, or transferred and read on an iPad, Android, or other tablet, Kindle, Nook, or other e-reader.

Author: Douglas Klostermann
Format: PDF – Instant Download
Page Count: 112 pages, illustrated
ISBN #: 978-1-4524-0474-5
Price: $9.99 – secure payment with PayPal or Credit card (via PayPal)
(plus 6.25% sales tax for residents of Massachusetts)

Other versions of The E-Book Handbook are available:

The Kindle edition is available on Amazon.com
The Nook edition is available on BarnesandNoble.com
The iPad and iPhone version is available through iTunes or through the iBooks App

Doug Klostermann is a travel, culture, and humanitarian photographer and successful, best-selling e-book author and publisher. He has sold over 4,000 e-book camera guides which are regularly at or near the top of the Kindle and Amazon bestseller lists for Photography Equipment and Reference.

Doug has photographed for numerous organizations in Latin America and the United States, been recognized by the United Nations Development Programme for his humanitarian photography, and been published in magazines and books including Conde Nast Traveler, Sherman’s Travel, South American Explorer, and Viva Travel Guides. Doug is a member of the National Press Photographers Association. View his images at www.dojoklo.com. Learn more about e-books and photography equipment and techniques on his blog Picturing Change at http://blog.dojoklo.com/.

Your World 60D – Canon 60D User’s Guide and Tutorial

Looking for a Canon EOS 60D book or tutorial to help you learn and begin to master your new dSLR? I’ve written an eBook user’s guide for the Canon 60D, called Your World 60D – The Still Photographer’s Guide to Operation and Image Creation. Learn to use the Canon 60D quickly and competently, and improve your photography and capture better images. The 60D is an advanced tool, and this guide explains how to start to use it to its full potential. Begin to take control of your camera, the image taking process, and the photos you create.

This instant download eBook guide is for those who wish to get more out of their 60D, and go beyond Auto or Program mode and shoot in Aperture Priority (Av) mode and Shutter Priority (Tv) mode. It covers basic dSLR camera functions and exposure concepts for those new to digital SLR photography, plus it also explains more advanced camera controls and operation, such as using the various metering modes and exposure compensation for correct exposure of every image, controlling autofocus modes and focus points for sharp focus of still or moving subjects, and creating dramatic depth of field for professional looking photographs. Learning to get the most out of a dSLR can involve a steep learning curve, and I believe my book can help you speed up that process.

See below for how to purchase. You can preview Your World 60D at the following link. The preview shows the Table of Contents, Introduction, a sample Menu Settings page, a sample Custom Functions Settings page, and a sample text page.

Preview: http://www.dojoklo.com/writing/Your_World_60D-Preview.pdf

Your World 60D is a text-only PDF guide that builds upon the information offered by the camera’s manual and focuses on the essential functions and settings for real world 60D use. In addition to covering the various settings, functions and controls of the Canon 60D, its lessons explain when and why to use them. It also describes every Menu setting and Custom Function setting, with recommended settings, including Movie Mode menus. Note that it focuses on still photography and not video except for a brief introduction to menus and important video settings to get you started.

Sections include:

Setting Up Your 60D – All of the Menu settings and Custom Function (C.Fn) settings, including movie mode menus, with brief descriptions and recommended settings for practical, everyday use. Set up and customize the advanced features of the 60D to work best for the way you photograph.
Aperture Priority Mode (Av) and Shutter Priority Mode (Tv) – How and when to use them to create dramatic depth of field or to freeze or express motion.
Auto Focusing Modes and Drive Modes – How they differ, how and when to use them to capture sharp images of both still and moving subjects. Also how and when to use focus lock and back-button focusing.
Exposure Metering Modes – How they differ, how and when to use them for correct exposures in every situation. Also how to make use of exposure lock.
Histograms, Exposure Compensation, Bracketing, and White Balance – Understanding and using these features for adjusting to the proper exposure in challenging lighting situations.
Composition – Brief tips, techniques, and explanations, including the creative use of depth of field.
The Image Taking Process – A descriptive tutorial for using the settings and controls you just learned to take photos.
Photography Accessories – The most useful accessories for day-to-day and travel photography
Introduction to Video Settings – Some basic settings to get you started

This digital field guide to the Canon EOS 60D is a 40 page, PDF format text-only document, full of helpful information applicable to the new and intermediate dSLR photographer – to turn you into an advanced digital photographer! Begin to master your Canon 60D and start to use it to its full capabilities.

Purchase Your World 60D through PayPal here! (or click the PayPal or Credit card check-out button below)
This version is in PDF format, text-only, 8.5″x11″, which can be read on your computer screen, printed on your printer, taken with you on your laptop, and can also be read on the iPad.

Format: PDF – Instant Download
Page Count: 45
Price: $9.99
(plus 6.25% sales tax for residents of Massachusetts)
Secure payment with PayPal or Credit card

Other versions of Your World 60D e-book:

The Kindle edition is available on Amazon.com
The Nook edition is available online at Barnes and Noble
The iPad and iPhone version is available through Apple’s iTunes or through the iBooks App.

What Readers are Saying about Doug Klostermann’s dSLR User’s Guides:

This book, together with the manual that came with your camera, is all you need to start discovering all the potential of this camera.
-Max M.

It’s the first guide I’ve read which has taken me through all the settings in an understandable way. I now feel that I have control over the camera.
-Peter S.

I would recommend this to anyone who wants to get a quick start to using their camera. Manuals are nice, but this eBook highlights the important information and gives a quick easy to understand explanation of most all of the functions and controls.
-Ray M.

I found the (camera’s) manual good for understanding how to set things up but not much on the why – this book really focuses on the “why.” Prior to reading the book I was setting up my metering on Spot Metering thinking it was much better than Matrix (Evaluative) – the guide helped me understand why to use specific settings for specific needs. The Custom Settings sections helps to make firm decisions on how to apply settings by understanding the usage of each in addition to knowing how to set them up. I would like to thank you for saving me time – now I’m confident that my camera is well tuned!
-Benoit A.

This manual is a clearly written, concise and useful explanation of the rationale for the seemingly infinite and often confusing settings options. Used in conjunction with the (camera’s) manual I feel a bit more confident in understanding how to at last proceed in getting better photographs.
–WLS

Your World 60D was originally, briefly titled Real World 60D. It is the same eBook. If you use the Canon Rebel T2i/EOS 550D, or Canon Rebel T3i/EOS 600D have a look at my eBooks for those camera, T2i Experience and Canon T3i Experience.