One of the key obstacles to digital publishing, especially for the indie author but also for publishers of graphics-intensive content, is the need to format their work correctly for the various devices on the market. Adjusting for file type and for screen size has led authors and publishers to favor one device, such as iStoryTime’s need to step away from Android and focus on iOS products, essentially because there were so many screen sizes to factor in when developing content for Android devices.
This is especially true for indie authors who self-publish their works to ebook. An incorrectly formatted book can wreak havoc on book reviews and ratings, causing sales to fall. Ebook distributor Graphicly announced its cross-platform capability in a recent press release:
“Graphicly’s platform offers a one-of-a-kind opportunity for authors and publishers to distribute their books across a variety of digital channels. Utilizing Graphicly allows authors to upload their book, publish it to one or many platforms, and promote it via the channels they choose, while retaining full ownership of their revenue stream. With a brandable and embeddable reader, an author will now be able to provide its consumers the ability to buy and enjoy content from wherever the author chooses.
Content distributed via the Graphicly platform is available across multiple channels, including the Apple iPhone, iPad, and iOS Newsstand; eBook stores including Amazon Kindle, Kobo and Apple iBooks as eBooks and enhanced eBooks; Android devices, including the Barnes & Noble NOOK Tablet and NOOK Color and the Amazon Kindle Fire; and an industry-leading HTML5 web app allowing for publishing to any website or blog. Graphicly is also the only distribution service offering books on Facebook, with more than 90% of its publishers using this channel.
Graphicly’s expanded distribution platform also delivers custom analytics which help authors and publishers tailor their content to how their audience is reading. This seamless experience allows control over how content is consumed, as well as insight into consumers’ behaviors, including how often they read a book, how far they read into a book, and more. For the first time, publishers and authors are able to utilize data, metrics and social media – empowering them to market their books in exciting ways and better connect with their readers.”
One thing working against Graphicly, however, is its status as a late-to-the-game newcomer. There is no shortage of ebook distribution platforms, both free and for fees or royalties, that will help authors get their works into the hands of readers across different device preferences. In order to compete with some tried-and-true digital publishing options out there, it offera authors unique user-friendly formatting tools, hopefully with an unsurpassed ease of use for those less tech-savvy authors. The platform is open to key authors and publishers right now and will be coming into full launch in the next few weeks.
Mercy Pilkington is a Senior Editor for Good e-Reader. She is also the CEO and founder of a hybrid publishing and consulting company.
