eBook Conversion Services

Authors and publishers are typically too busy writing and publishing books to become proficient in eBook creation and optimization. With so many formats available, knowing what to do and how to do it becomes just that much harder. At eBook Architects, we specialize in handling the eBook creation and formatting process for you, so that you can focus on what you do best.

After formatting eBooks for many years, one thing we have learned is that there is little or no consistency between the files we get from clients. Some publishers use InDesign, some use Quark, and some use other programs. Authors typically use a word processing program like Microsoft Word, Apple Pages, or Corel WordPerfect. The variation in file types and quality, even from one publisher or author, can be extensive.

In addition to that, the complexity of a book can have a substantial impact on the difficulty of converting it into eBook formats. Fiction books usually take much less time than non-fiction, but some fiction books are more complex due to formatting irregularities or images.

Our conversion processes take all of these issues into account. We accept Word and PDF files since those are the most common source files our clients have available, and we have tiered pricing for non-fiction titles that can adapt to the added time and effort that more complex books require. We also include the Mobipocket/Kindle and ePub formats in our base prices because they are the eBook formats used in most of the eBook devices and software options on the market.

What You Get

Before we talk about rates, it is important that you understand what you receive when you choose eBook Architects as your eBook conversion provider.

Quality: We are not the typical eBook conversion company you might find in India or elsewhere. We are known throughout the publishing industry as one of the most proficient eBook conversion companies around. We specialize in complex eBook projects, and we regularly consult with companies that have had issues with files converted at the big conversion houses. Joshua literally wrote the book on the Kindle format, and he regularly speaks at conferences and webinars, teaching authors and publishers about Kindle, ePub, and other eBook formats and topics. All of our eBooks exceed the highest standards in the industry for quality and validity.

Personal Service and Integrity: We pride ourselves in being available and responsive to the needs and concerns of our clients. Joshua is happy to talk with you on the phone any time (call 512-939-3466), and we respond to e-mails promptly. If your book has complexities or you have concerns about how it will look in the different eBook formats, we are happy to help you and take your concerns to heart. Our Texas warmth and our personal integrity are essential company assets we work hard to protect.

Design Excellence: Our eBooks are not just flat text versions of your book. We ensure that your eBooks are easy to read and fully functional. Every eBook we create includes:

• Conversion into foundational HTML designed specifically for the eBook formats chosen
• Formatting paragraph indents and alignments the same way they are in the print book
• Lists, outlines, poetry, and other non-standard paragraph types
• Creation and linking of an active table of contents in the text of the eBook
• Creation of a structural table of contents used in many reading systems for navigation, such as the TOC in ePub files and the waypoint navigation system on the Kindle (using right- or left-click on the 5-way controller)
• Properly sized and embedded cover image
• Optimization of images and other internal graphical elements
• Tables and charts inserted as images
• Footnotes formatted as endnotes and linked both directions
• Embedded fonts when needed. Sometimes, books with foreign languages include characters that are not supported in the default fonts in Adobe Digital Editions, the Sony Reader, the B&N nook, and other devices using the Adobe software. In these cases, we will embed one of four public domain fonts into the ePub file so that your content displays properly in those readers.
• Deliverables:
  • Fully compliant ePub file that passes both ePubCheck and ePubPreflight, and is optimized for display in the most popular eBook devices and apps.
  • Valid Kindle/Mobipocket book that displays properly on all Kindle devices and apps (other formats are available for an additional fee)
• Any necessary minor edits or adjustments to the final files (extensive editorial changes may require an additional charge)

In addition to these standard features, we can easily add less common features like linked indexes and complex tables to your eBooks for additional fees (see below).

Warranty: We warrant our eBook conversion work 100% for life. If you find an error in your eBook, even 5 years after it is done, we will happily and quickly fix it at no cost to you. We are even happy to make minor editorial changes in your eBooks if you find them after publication.

Formats: We provide conversions into all of the most popular eBook formats, including Kindle/Mobipocket, ePub, eReader, LIT, and Smashwords. We do not use automated conversion software like calibre to do our conversions, either. We build our eBooks from the ground up, focusing on quality and design integrity all along the way.

What It Costs

Fiction

Fiction titles are all charged in a flat-fee system. We convert standard fiction titles into the Kindle and ePub formats for only $150. This price is the same for a title that is 100 pages or 500 pages, as long as there are no complexities in the formatting. Short stories and novelettes, because of their smaller size, are charged a flat fee of only $100. To determine whether a title falls into this lower tier, we use the standard word counts set by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America for their Nebula Awards: A novelette or short story is any title with less than 17,500 words.

Images: Some authors have images in between each chapter of their novel, or they include maps or other graphics at the beginning or end. In an effort to make our rates simple, we will include up to 10 images in your eBook conversion at no additional cost. Titles with 11-30 images will be charged an additional $30 fee. Titles with more than 30 images will require a quote for the conversion and may be charged at a different rate or scale altogether. Cover images are not included in these counts.

Exceptions: As with most things in life, there will always be exceptions to these standards. If your book is extremely large or has complexities that make the eBook conversion process more difficult, we reserve the right to charge a higher rate than what is quoted above or even to switch to a per-page rate as described below. However, that is very unlikely to be an issue for the vast majority of titles. These rates also do not apply to titles that are scanned or require the use of Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to extract the text. Those titles are always charged at the per-page rates described below with the added OCR fee.

Non-Fiction

Non-fiction titles are charged in a tiered per-page system. After testing hourly rates for a few years, we have found that a per-page rate is not only more accurate, it is easier for everyone to understand. The three tiers below reflect the broadest range of non-fiction titles we have encountered over the years, from easy to complex, from small to large. Kindle and ePub formats are included for every title.

• Level 1: Basic titles without footnotes, lists, sidebars, pull quotes, tables or other major complexities. Includes images. $1 per page. Common examples include memoirs and histories.
• Level 2: Standard titles with a mix of footnotes, lists, unique paragraph formatting, images, tables, sidebars, pull quotes, and other complexities spread throughout. $1.15-$1.40 per page. Common examples include standard non-fiction, business, theology titles, and titles that require OCR conversion (see more below)..
• Level 3: Extraordinary titles with complex formatting on every page, two-column formatting, extensive foreign languages or symbols, and other complexities. $1.50+ per page. Common examples include chess and poker manuals, dictionaries, Bible commentaries, and complex titles that require OCR conversion (see more below).

Please Note:

• The minimum charge for any non-fiction title is $150 regardless of the number of pages or the complexity.
• Titles with more than 400 pages may qualify for a reduced per-page rate.
• The book type examples given for each level above are for reference only. We reserve the right to quote any title at a higher level if we determine it to be too complex.

Children’s Books

Children’s books and other books made up almost exclusively with images can require a lot more work than other books. eBook formats like Mobipocket/Kindle and ePub do not allow interactive content like you see in children’s iPhone apps, so the eBooks are limited to flat images and text. Also, since these formats are read on screens of varying sizes, the usual print process of overlaying text on the images is not the best practice for eBooks. I usually suggest that all text be inserted between the images so that it can be resized by the user.

If you are able to provide us with the images sized to our requirements and a Word document that has the text and image names inserted in the proper order, then we can convert the title for only $100 to $150, depending on the size of the book. If we have to extract the images and format everything from a PDF or another source, then we will have to charge more because of the increased time involved. Send us your file for a quote.

Index Linking

Many non-fiction books include subject indexes. Most conversion houses will ignore these indexes or just insert them into the eBook without making the page numbers into active links. The misconception most people have is that since eBooks are searchable you do not need an actual subject index. However, subject indexes are much more than just nicely formatted search results. They are informative lists of detailed data found in the book, with topics and subtopics, related areas of interest, and other helpful information. (For an extensive explanation of the value of indexes in eBooks, see our Subject Index services page.)

Linking an index in an eBook requires putting markers in the text where each page starts in the print book, as well as formatting and linking the index and checking it for errors. Due to the additional time investment involved in this process we charge a flat fee of $30 to link the indexes in any eBook project.

Tables

Some eBook formats, like the Kindle format, do not have very good support for text-based table layouts. There are also sometimes problems with the way tables look on smaller screens or in certain eBook software applications or devices. With this lack of consistent formatting, we typically convert all tables into images (by taking a screenshot of the table in your source file). This process ensures that your table will be viewable regardless of the format or device.

However, sometimes a table cannot be converted into an image. This is especially true of large tables with a lot of small cells. In cases like that, you have two options. Typically we suggest that you make these tables available as a PDF download on your website and provide a link to that in the eBook. Most readers will welcome the opportunity to see the table in its original state without any of the difficulties of viewing it in an eBook format or on a small screen.

We can also turn the table into a text-based table within the eBook, formatting it the best we can depending on the eBook format limitations. This process is difficult and will make any project more complex. If you decide to use this option for your tables, please let us know when you contact us for a quote on the conversion of your title.

Scanning Print Books

Many authors and publishers are looking for the ability to convert their back lists into eBooks. If you have a print book but no digital file (Word or PDF), the easiest way to handle the conversion is to scan the print book and use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to convert the scanned page images into editable text. This scanning process typically involves cutting the binding off of the print book, but if the book is rare that part of the process can be skipped. After we scan and OCR your book we create a Word document you can use to fix errors in the original book and update copyright or other out-of-date information. Then we convert that Word document into the eBook formats you order.

All scanning and OCR projects are charged an additional fee of $50, and they are all (both fiction and non-fiction) quoted at the per-page rates described above. Please note that if you send us a PDF or Word file that is the result of an OCR process performed by another company it could be charged in this same way. Most companies offering scanning and OCR conversions for PDFs do not combine paragraphs properly in their outputs, making common conversion processes useless.

Other Source Formats

Sometimes we are asked about converting files from other source formats like InDesign, Quark, and XML. Because of our established conversion processes, it is usually easiest to convert from PDF or Word, but we can sometimes make exceptions to this in special circumstances. These projects have to be quoted on a case-by-case basis, so please contact us to find out more.

Other eBook Formats

Every eBook conversion we do includes the Mobipocket/Kindle and ePub formats. We can also convert your content into eReader, .LIT, and Smashwords for only $30 per format. Non-fiction books in the Level 3 category above may be charged $60 per format.

In addition to these other formats, sometimes retailers require that your PDF files contain a linked Table of Contents, a bookmarks content list, and an embedded cover image. We can add these extra features for $30 or $60, depending on the complexity of the table of contents to be linked.

Bulk Pricing

We offer discounts to publishers and authors with 5 or more books to convert when they are scheduled at the same time. Please contact us to discuss these rates.

The Process

Ready to get started?

1. The first step in the process is to send us your files. If they total less than 10 MB, you can e-mail them directly to the address listed on our contact page. If your files total more than 10MB, please upload the files to a site like drop.io or yousendit.com, or to your own online folder, and send us the download link.
2. After we have received your files we will send you a solid quote on the conversion cost and an expected turnaround time frame.
3. Once you have approved the file we will place it in the queue and give you an expected completion date.
4. When the eBook conversion is complete, we will send you the files either over e-mail or through a secure download method.
5. You look over the eBook files and approve them or send us corrections.
6. When you declare the project complete, we e-mail you the invoice.

Don't wait! Turnaround times can be quite long, so get the process started now.

Content Exclusions

Please note, we reserve the right to turn down any project that does not fit our content standards.

Payment Methods

Our invoicing system is Intuit Payment Solutions. We accept checks (business or personal) mailed or sent electronically, cashier's checks, money orders, Visa, MasterCard, and Discover. We do not accept PayPal payments at this time. All invoices are sent after the conversion process is complete and you are happy with the results. Payments are due within 10 days and start accruing late fees after 30 days.

Other Services

In addition to conversion services, we offer eBook consultations and process development, and, through close partnerships, a variety of other services related to print and eBook creation, including index creation, proofreading, cover image design, interior layout, and PR/marketing. Please click through to see what those services cost and how they might fill your eBook and print book needs.

Also, we are always open to new opportunities. Please contact us if you have an idea that just needs to be fleshed out, or if you have a need that does not fit into the models listed above.