Once my book is uploaded, how long before it appears in iTunes?

jamesfrombuellton wrote:

I have a follow-up to Edgar's last post. For those who have succeeded in having your ibook published, how, without knowing your name or the title, would someone browsing for books on the web find your book? This is a serious question.

This is an area where the current iBookStore is lacking. What is missing is infrastructure similar to what you find on Amazon, such as "Other people who bought this also bought…" and things such as the Listmania lists.

As is, I think that promotion of your book is largely up to yourself. You need to find your own marketing channels to direct people to your book in the store.

Michi.

Any good suggestion on this?

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You need to find your own marketing channels to direct people to your book in the store.

virtualgs wrote:

Any good suggestion on this?

I guess it depends very much on the sort of book. If it's something like "Clarinet reed replacement for beginners", you would probably try and draw attention at relevant instrument builders forums and website. Try and get reviews in magazines, etc.

For a more general title, such as a novel, I have no idea. I suspect that's an area where the current eBook model is pretty much in its infancy. With traditional books, its the publishers who do the heavy lifting of promoting a book, getting book stores to put it into the display near the front door, put up big posters, and so on. In the eBook world, there isn't an equivalent yet. Most successful eBook titles are successful because they also exist in paper, and people choose the electronic version instead.But the publicity is still generated the traditional way…

Michi.

In my case, we are doing animal/bird books for kids. So it is either kids related or nature related. We are familiar with our local region Sngapore/South East Asia, but we are not familiar with US/Europe market.

Anybody has any suggestions on where can we do marketing on?

My book, if and when it is accepted, will be in the nonfiction category, which has 1521 books listed as of the moment. No doubt the number will rise quickly. I don't believe that many people will scroll through thousands of books looking for one that catches their eye. People will have to find our books some other way. Michi makes some good suggestions.

This contrasts mightily with the way Amazon does it, especially the Kindle Singles. I have had two published that way. You submit a proposal and Amazon agrees to publish or not. If they do, and if you are lucky, they will give it a prominent place on their site, even showing its cover in one of the categories. I found that the number of copies I sold was closely related to how prominentely Amazon placed the book. Of course these are not "enhanced" books and contain only a few charts and photos.

If I go to the Kindle site today and search for the topic of one of my books, "extreme weather," the book is near the top. It costs 99 cents and is sandwiched between two books that cost $36 and $91, respectively. What a bargain!

I also have a connection to a couple of websites that gave each book a review and I could tell that had an immediate effect.

But as soon as neither Amazon nor any website was featuring the books, sales went right down.

Couldn't Apple use our keywords to make our books findable in a Google search?

Jim.

A question: how do you know whether your book will be in "Nonfiction" category? I am looking for the correct subject to choose to make my book into Children->Nonfiction category as my children's book is being placed in Nature and Music category.

Limtc:

I don't know where Apple will put mybook. It is nonfiction, science. But where do you see "Nature and Music"? When I go to the bookstore on my iPad, I see Science and Nature. Then when I go to "Enhanced Books" I can get down the alphabet to "Cookbooks" but I don't see how to go further to "Nature..." Possibly I need more coffee.

Jim.

Hi,

Maybe I am not clear what I am asking... when you upload a book, you will be asked to give a category based on BISAC scheme. Unfortunately, whatever in that scheme does not match what's eventually going to be in iBookstore.

For example, I have a kids music books that teaches Chinese via Chinese songs. I choose "Children Music", but it is being placed in Arts & Entertainment->Music category in iBookstore, not in Children category at all. I would like my books to be in Children & Teens -> Nonfiction, but which BISAC category should I choose during the upload process?

I am uploading a new series of books, so now I choose Education->Preschool & Kindergarten, I am not sure whether this will make it into the Children & Teens -> Nonfiction, or Apple will put our works in Education category (which is in Professionl & Technical)...

20 days...still nothing.

Our first free "Textbook" was just approved and it shows in iTunes Connect that it's listed in 1 Store (United States). I have not received any notifications about it's list and I cannot find it anywhere in the store. The Textbooks category only shows the 10 original books from the announcement.

Any ideas how to find the book? Search doesn't return anything.

Should appeared within a day. Just search for it (as it might not be in the Textbook category).

It is OK... most of my books waiting in the pipeline is more than 1 month old. 😠

It seems that Apple is approving/rejecting my books at the pace of 1 book per week, regardless of how many books that have been uploaded. They just take their time.

It is now searchable, but still can't find it on any category.

If anyone is interested, you can check it out at http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-road-to-civil-rights/id502858497?mt=13

It's free.

Congratulations is it your first book?

I tried the link but nothing can t download your iBook

This is a good step for you if it is your first book as it s free it is easy to make changes

Theses changes take place immediately I have tried and it's working for a free book.

Thanks Alzem...

Are you based in the U.S.? Our book is a textbook and I don't believe it's available outside the U.S.

I'm curious about your experience.

BTW, our book is now listed in the Textbooks section along with other new Textbooks, which is great.