# How to Create and Share Your E-Book with the Library
Are you thinking about self-publishing but don't know where to start? Have an e-book you want to share with your local library? Use free tools, available to Jacksonville Public Library cardholders, to get your story out there! Follow these steps (and read more below):
- Get your manuscript e-book or print ready with Pressbooks Public.
- Gain a wider readership by submitting your e-book to Indie Author Project.
- Use author tools and links provided by BiblioBoard Library to promote your work.
- Attend free writing and publishing workshops at the Library.
- Donate a physical copy of your book to the Local Author Collection.
CREATE Your E-Book or Print-Ready Manuscript
Bypass the high cost of hybrid/subsidy publishing channels and get your book ready to share with the world, all while maintaining complete control over your content!
Thanks to your Library, you can now create, edit, format, and export a professional-quality manuscript ready for e-book distribution or on-demand printing for free using Pressbooks Public, an online do-it-yourself book design and production platform.
To Get Started...
- Sign up for a free BiblioBoard account using your library card number
- Check out this YouTube playlist for free, on-demand training
- Bookmark the Pressbooks User Guide for future reference
You can start using Pressbooks Public no matter where you are in the writing process.
What Can You Do with Pressbooks Public?
- Upload files or copy and paste from your favorite text editor
- Use Pressbooks Public as a free alternative to word processing software
- Add a collaborator (another author or editor) to your book
- Share your manuscript (or samples) as a website (or "Webbook") with beta readers
When You're Ready to Publish
- Create professional-quality e-book and print ready files in ePUB, MOBI, and PDF formats*
- Distribute your e-book commercially or share with your Library via Indie Author Project
*All book formats are produced using templates that are optimized to look great in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. This includes Kindles, phones, and iPads for e-books, as well as the printed page.
SHARE Your E-Book with the Library to Get More Readers
Expand your readership with Indie Author Project (IAP), a publishing community that includes public libraries, authors, curators, and readers working together to connect library patrons with great indie-published books through BiblioBoard Library. Authors are able to submit e-books directly to then be vetted by industry editorial partners like Library Journal and regional library editorial boards. Being selected by these curators can lead to expanded discovery, distribution, and networking opportunities.
What Is an Indie Author?
The Indie Author Project considers "indie-published authors" to mean:
- Any author who has the rights to independently sell, market, and distribute their work(s)
- Authors who have fully self-published all of their works
- Hybrid authors who may have the rights to some of their works and be under contract on others
To Get Started...
- Go to the IAP website to read the "terms of agreement"
-
Make sure your book is...
- An ePUB (strongly recommended) or PDF file
- In the English language
- An original work to which you own the rights
- Click "Submit your work" and follow the prompts
- Or submit directly from Pressbooks Public
What to Expect:
- The submission process takes about five minutes
- There are no limits to the number of books you can submit for review*
- Once accepted, you'll receive an email letting you know your book is live
- Your work will appear in a statewide Indie Florida collection
- Readers in Jacksonville (and all over Florida) can then find and read your book
*Books in all genres are welcome and may be included in the collection but for now only adult and young adult fiction books are professionally reviewed. For more, check out the IAP "For Authors" page.
Optional: You can also...
- Share link(s) to your book(s) on social media using BiblioBoard's easy sharing features
- Add a link to your author website or Goodreads page
- Add a link for readers to purchase your book in print (on your preferred digital marketplace)
Indie Author Project Select
Once accepted, your book will be passed through a second review process. The best of these books are given the "Indie Author Project Select" award and made available to all participating libraries on BiblioBoard throughout the U.S. and Canada. You will be notified within 4–6 weeks if your book has been chosen for this distinction.
If your e-book is chosen for IAP Select, you may also opt into a non-exclusive, usage-based royalty program, where your e-book is sold in curated collections via library e-book platforms such as:
- OverDrive
- The Palace Project
- cloudLibrary
WIN Cash Awards for Your Indie-Published Book
Indie authors are also invited to participate in the Indie Author Project Annual Contest.
- Submissions are accepted from April 1 – May 31
- Winners are announced at Indie Author Day in November
- Cash prizes for the winner and two runners up in each genre, among other awards and perks
DISCOVER E-Books from Local Indie Authors
Read the works of local Jacksonville indie authors and other Indie Florida books submitted through the Indie Author Project, including When a Stranger Comes, by Karen Bell, Jacksonville author and winner of the 2019 Florida Indie Author Project Contest.
Look for titles marked "Indie Author Project Select Award" to discover the top indie books from around the country, carefully selected by Library Journal (and other publishing partners). The Indie Author Project Select collection features:
- New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors
- Numerous award winners
- Talented emerging authors
Always Available, with Unlimited Checkouts
You can start reading right away, with no holds or waitlists on the BiblioBoard website. To read on the go, download the BiblioBoard Library app on the Apple Store or Google Play. Note: If you have an Amazon Kindle Fire, follow these instructions to side load BiblioBoard Library on to your device.
For more, including how to download e-books for offline reading, visit our BiblioBoard Library page.
# You May Also Like...
Free Writing and Publishing Workshops
At the Library, you'll find the people, resources, and books you need to keep make your dream a reality. Get help writing and publishing your next book with FREE Writer's Lab workshops! We offer a variety of workshops throughout the year and at events like Jax Book Fest (Writer's Day). Please note: Attendance at some "hands-on" style Writer's Lab programs are limited to enhance the experience or because of room size.
Find upcoming writer's workshops
Writer's Lab is part of Library U, a collection of programs and classes for adults as well as free email newsletters that keep you connected, sharing ideas and learning. You can also meet and learn from published authors at Lit Chat author programs or dive into local history with History Chat.
Plus, check out our free research databases and digital resources including:
- LinkedIn Learning, which has expert-led video courses on
# Local Author Collection
Jacksonville Florida is the home of many talented writers. To make your work accessible to the entire community, Jacksonville Public Library created the Local Author Collection. Physical items in this collection are housed at the Main Library and available through the Library's catalog.
Add Your Work to the Local Author Collection
To be considered for inclusion in the physical collection, please visit:
- Submit to the Local Author Collection (if you are donating a copy of your book)
- Market Your Book to the Library (for small presses & non-local authors)
