- Xinxii Platform
- Tradebit Platform
- Smashwords Platform
- Selecting a Niche
- Pothi Platform
- Lulu Platform
- KDP Print and Kindle Platform
- General Info
- Files Used on Book Platforms
- Book Marketing
- Book Covers
- Author Website
- All
What Is A Mobi File
MOBI is an ebook file format originally created by Mobipocket in the early 2000s and later adopted by Amazon as the native format for Kindle devices. For years, it was the standard format authors needed to publish on Kindle.
FREE WordPress Templates Available For Selling Your eBook
If you’re building your own author website rather than using a page-builder service, these free themes are built specifically for authors and writers.
Finding Free Fonts And Typography For Your Book Covers
The right typography can make or break a book cover — it’s often the first thing a reader registers before they even process the title. Here are trusted sources for free fonts, plus one thing worth checking before you use any of them commercially.
What Is An ePub File?
EPUB is the standard file format for ebooks, used by nearly every major retailer and reading app — Apple Books, Kobo, Google Play Books, and (since 2025) Amazon KDP as well. The name comes from “electronic publication.”
Buying and Downloading Images From Depositphotos.com
Depositphotos is a paid stock photo library with a large catalog and clear licensing, making it a solid option when a free stock site doesn’t have what you need. Here’s how to find, buy, and download an image.
Platforms For Advertising Your Book
Beyond retailer ads, there are dedicated platforms built specifically to put your book in front of readers actively looking for something new. Here are established, reputable options.
Smashwords Uploading Errors
One of the most common errors when uploading to Smashwords is a corrupted image — and it’s usually not actually corrupted, just mislabeled.
ePub Error – attribute “vlink” not allowed here; expected attribute “class”, “dir”, “id”, “lang”, “style”, “title” or “xml:lang”
The error: attribute “vlink” not allowed here; expected attribute “class”, “dir”, “id”, “lang”, “style”, “title” or “xml:lang”
Breakdown Of Where Aggreggators / Retailers Ship Their eBooks
Before you publish anywhere, keep this rule in mind: don’t list the same book through two different aggregators that ship to the same retailer — most retailers won’t accept the same title twice, and it creates confusion about which listing is the “real” one. Know where each distributor actually sends your book before you sign up for more than one.
How To Edit .MOBI Format Documents
Important update: Amazon officially stopped accepting MOBI files for new Kindle eBook uploads on March 18, 2025, completing a phase-out that began in 2021. If you’re formatting a new book for KDP, you don’t need a MOBI file at all — Amazon now requires EPUB, DOCX, or KPF, and converts it internally to their current KFX format.
Print On Demand Book Sizing
Amazon KDP Print offers a fixed set of trim sizes for both paperback and hardcover. Picking the right one affects not just how your book looks on a shelf, but your printing cost and royalty margin.
Selling Your eBooks on Tradebit
Tradebit is a digital marketplace where you can sell ebooks directly, with a tiered commission structure that improves as your sales volume grows.
Selling Your eBooks On Smashwords
Smashwords remains one of the largest independent ebook storefronts, but the way you get your book there has changed. As of 2026, you no longer publish directly through Smashwords — instead, you publish through Draft2Digital, which now owns and operates Smashwords, and select the Smashwords store as one of your distribution destinations.
ePub Errors – attribute “clear” not allowed here; expected attribute “class”, “id”, “style” or “title”
The error: attribute “clear” not allowed here; expected attribute “class”, “id”, “style” or “title”
Goodreads
Goodreads is one of the largest concentrations of active readers online, and — since it’s owned by Amazon — activity there can feed directly into your book’s broader discoverability.
How Can I Read An ePub File On My Laptop Or PC?
Since EPUB files aren’t natively supported by Windows or most default PDF/document viewers, you’ll need a dedicated reader. Here are the most reliable free options.
Creating A Website For Your eBook
Once your book is published, a website gives readers one place to find everything about you and your work — something no retailer page can offer. You have two realistic paths to get there.
The Mine Field Of ePub Errors
The error: Filename contains spaces. Consider changing filename such that URI escaping is not necessary.
Selling Your Book Directly Without Using An Aggregator
Aggregators like Draft2Digital or Smashwords distribute your book to multiple retailers automatically, but they take a cut and put a layer between you and your reader. Selling directly means more control and a bigger share of each sale — at the cost of having to drive your own traffic. Here are the two main ways to do it.
How Do I Quickly Resize My Book Cover
Most ebook aggregators require a book cover of at least 1600 x 2400 pixels. If your cover file is a different size, here’s how to resize it using tools you likely already have — no downloads needed.
ePub Error – element “img” missing required attribute “alt”
The error: element “img” missing required attribute “alt”
Making Use of Flickr.com Images
Flickr hosts millions of Creative Commons-licensed photos, but not every CC-licensed image is safe to use on a book cover you’re planning to sell. Here’s how to search correctly and stay within the license terms.
Editing PDF Formats
Editing a small detail in a PDF is more annoying than it should be — PDFs aren’t built to be edited directly the way a Word document is. Here’s the fastest path, depending on what you have available.
Creating A Book Cover For Your eBook
Your book cover carries more weight than almost anything else in your listing — it’s the first thing a reader sees, often reduced to a thumbnail the size of a postage stamp on a phone screen. Here’s how to approach it.
Selling Your eBook On Pothi
Pothi.com is a self-publishing platform focused on the Indian market, letting authors sell ebooks and print-on-demand books with no upfront cost. Setting up an account and publishing is straightforward, but there’s one formatting requirement that trips people up.
