The complete guide to self-publishing on Apple Books for Australian and New Zealand self-published authors!
One way to ensure that your book has every opportunity to succeed is to place it in front of as many eyes as possible. In the Australian author’s guide to self-publishing on Apple Books, we’ll look at an often-forgotten self-publishing platform, Apple Books.
If you haven’t considered Apple Books as a self-published Australian author, why not? One significant advantage Apple Books offers Australian authors is that Apple products come pre-loaded with the Apple Books app, instantly steering users towards their book platform.
The following guide, the Australian Authors Guide to Self-Publishing on Apple Books, we’ll cover in detail:
If you’re still weighing up which self-publishing platform works best for your book as an Australian or New Zealand author, read The Best Self-Publishing Platforms to Self-Publish Your Books! We discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the different self-publishing platforms, including Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), IngramSpark Publishing, and more.
What Is Apple Books? Breaking Down Apple Books Publishing for Australian and New Zealand Self-Published Authors
Apple Books, formerly Apple iBooks, is a dedicated ebook platform for downloading, reading, and purchasing ebooks on Apple products such as iPhones, iPads, and iMac Computers. With over 2.2 Billion active Apple products globally, when you self-publish your book on Apple Books, you’re tapping into a significant market of readers.
Anytime you buy a new iPhone or iPad, it will come with the Apple Books app already loaded onto the device. If you want to purchase or read an ebook, the device will steer you toward Apple Books. Any ebooks you buy on your Apple Device are automatically charged to your Apple account, so you don’t need to add any additional payment methods or leave the app to buy an ebook. Any ebooks you buy on Apple Books are stored in your library on the device, so you’ll have them wherever you are.
Along with buying books, readers can review any books they purchase from Apple Books right in the application itself. Since its launch in 2010, Apple rebranded from iBooks to Apple Books, and currently, there are over 100 million monthly users on the Apple Books platform.
The Pros and Cons of Apple Books for Australian Authors
Like any self-publishing platform, Apple Books has advantages and disadvantages, and authors must evaluate the pros and cons for themselves. However, when you launch a new book, especially if it’s your first book, it’s a good idea to spread the exposure to as many different self-publishing platforms as possible. Later on, you can always choose to focus on one platform more than the others, depending on your results.
A good example of this is Amazon KDP and IngramSpark. Amazon offers one of the biggest direct-to-customer markets with global marketplaces already in place. However, IngramSpark Publishing offers authors massive distribution to other book platforms, libraries, schools, and brick-and-mortar bookstores.
You can view a complete list of IngramSpark’s’ Distribution Channels here.
The Advantages of Self-Publishing on Apple Books
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- Broader Global Reach – With Apple Stores available in over fifty countries, your book will reach a global audience when published on Apple Books.
- Easy and Seamless Integration – When you successfully upload your ebook to Apple Books, it will be seamlessly available on all Apple products, including iPhones, iPads, and iMacs.
- Self-Published Author Friendly T&Cs: Apple Books offers Australian and New Zealand competitive terms and conditions, including fair royalties and pricing.
- Fiction and Non-Fiction Digital Genres – Apple offers various genres and categories in their digital book market.
- Increasing Market Share—Although Amazon KDP dominates the book market, Apple Books is expanding its market share. Recently, it overtook Barnes & Noble in the ebook Market to position itself in second place after Amazon.
- Ebook Boxsets—Apple Books offers authors the ability to publish Ebook Boxsets rather than one large ebook made up of several other ebooks like on Amazon. They also reward authors who choose to publish their ebook box sets exclusively on the Apple Books platform with higher royalties.
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The Disadvantages of Self-Publishing on Apple Books
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- Smaller Market Share – Although they’re improving, Apple Books is still in second place to the dominant Amazon in the ebook market. Apple Books holds around 10% of the global ebook market share.
- Apple Books Are Exclusive to Apple Users – While you’re positioning your book well to Apple users, if you don’t upload your book to other platforms, you’re limiting your book’s exposure.
- Uploading Can Be Frustrating—Compared to some of the other self-publishing platforms, such as Amazon, the uploading process on Apple Books could be a little smoother and more user-friendly.
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A Step-By-Step Guide on How to Upload Your Book on the Apple Books Platform
Step One. Preparation and Formatting
Before you start uploading your ebook, it must be correctly formatted into a reflowable ePub format, which meets Apple Books formatting requirements. You’ll need your ebook in an ePub format, and all cover files need to be correctly sized for Apple Books. The cover needs to be a minimum of 1400 pixels along the bottom and 300 dpi in jpeg format. You can learn more about cover specifications for Apple Books here.
Step Two. Open Your Apple Books Account
Before you start the uploading process, you’ll need an Apple ID. If you don’t have one already, you can go to the Apple Books Author Website and make one. Once your ID is confirmed and active, you can sign in and complete your author account information and author bio. Your author bio is usually displayed alongside your book listing on Apple Books.
Step Three. Upload Your Ebook
The next step is to upload your ebook. Start by visiting iTunes Connect (https://itunesconnect.apple.com) and hitting the + icon to add a new book. Then, enter book information, including language, book description, other contributors, and author name. Next, you’ll be prompted to upload your formatted ePub file and add the final information, such as ISBNs, keywords, and genre.
Step Four. Setting Royalties, Pricing, and Distribution
You can set your price and distribution next, giving you a lot of flexibility if you already have distribution partners in place. Do some research in your genre first so that you don’t over or underprice your ebook compared to the competition.
Setting the currency in your local currency (AUD) will autofill other currencies and make it easy to compare.
Step Five. Final Review Before Publishing
It’s a good idea to take a few minutes and do a final review before you hit that publish button. You’ll want to check:
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- Book details include author name, title, description, and ISBN.
- Preview the book to ensure the cover is displayed optimally.
- Submit your book for review.
- Once your book passes review, do a final check and then approve.
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FAQs About Apple Books
No doubt, as you navigate a new self-publishing platform, there will be some questions. In this section, we’ll look at some of the more familiar Apple Books Publishing FAQs. If you run into any issues while you’re uploading your book to Apple Books, you can visit their comprehensive iTunes Connect Support page for additional information. Their Support Pages include a comprehensive list of beneficial resources for self-published Australian authors.
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- What File Format Does Apple Books support? – If you want to upload your book to Apple Books, it must be in an ePub format, and you’ll also need an active Apple ID.
- How Can I Validate My ePub file? – There are various free ePub Validation tools, or you can work through the process in Apple Books Author Pages.
- How Do I Get An ISBN for My Book? – In Australia, self-published authors can purchase their ISBNs from Thorpe-Bowker. Read our article, Do I Need An ISBN In Australia? We break down everything you’ll need to know when you purchase an ISBN.
- What Royalties Apple Books Offer Australian Self-Published Authors – Royalties from Apple Books are paid 45 days after the end of each month, and they offer authors a 70% royalty on ebook sales.
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Australian Authors Guide to Self-Publishing on Apple Books | Conclusion
By publishing your book on multiple self-publishing platforms, you’re taking advantage of the initial investment you made in your book to reach a broader audience. You already paid for editing, cover design, formatting, marketing, and other self-publishing services, so why wouldn’t you want your book in front of as many potential customers as possible?
If you have any questions about the self-publishing process, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
At Author Services Australia, we support Australian and New Zealand self-published authors and writers with a full range of affordable self-publishing services, including ghostwriting, copyediting, developmental editing, proofreading, ebook and paperback formatting, book cover design, children’s book illustrations, graphic design services, manuscript uploading assistance, and social media and marketing.
If you’ve had a lot of experience using Apple Books to self-publish and would like to share any tips or advice you’ve learned throughout the process, drop a comment below. We’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback. Don’t forget to subscribe to the blog to avoid missing out on any future author news and updates.
