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Published August 4, 2021
Geoffrey Morrison
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As the entertainment industry shifts its distribution strategy to let people buy or rent movies closer to—or simultaneously with—their release in theaters, you may find yourself amassing a larger digital library than you’ve had in the past. But when you buy a movie from a digital service like Amazon Prime Video or Vudu, does it really belong to you? What if you buy a song on iTunes or download one to your phone from Spotify? Are these files yours forever? If you cancel the service or, as unlikely as it may seem, one of these huge companies goes out of business, what then?

The answer is a little complex, but the short version is, no, you don’t actually own the digital media files that you purchase. This doesn’t mean you’re imminently at risk of losing every digital movie and TV show you’ve ever bought at the whim of a megacorp, but it is possible. Here’s what you need to know.
What do we mean, exactly, when we talk about owning something digital? Everybody knows—or hopefully everybody knows—that it doesn’t mean you can turn around and sell that digital item to someone else, broadcast it, or otherwise distribute it en masse. You don’t need to dig far into any terms-of-service agreement to find such actions expressly forbidden.
For this discussion, to own a digital file is to be able to watch or listen to that content anytime you want, with no further payments, in perpetuity—or at least as long as you can get a device to convert that ancient 4K video file into something that your brand-new holodeck on your space yacht can read.
By that definition, well, you still don’t own anything. Not really. What you’re purchasing in most cases is a license to watch that video or listen to that song. Effectively that license is good for as long as it really matters. I mean, let’s be honest: If an 8K sensurround remaster of The Lord of the Rings comes out in 2030, are you going to care about the 1080p version you bought on Vudu?
Let's take a look at the FandangoNow/Vudu terms of service, which are fairly typical. I’ve bolded the important parts.
When you order or view Content and pay any applicable fees, you will be granted a non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-commercial, limited license to access, use and/or view the Content in accordance with any usage rights contained herein and additional terms that may be provided with your devices and/or with such Content (“Usage Rights”).
Pretty standard stuff. You can watch the item as often as you want, but the terms specify that you can’t “sell, rent, lease, distribute, publicly perform or display, broadcast, sublicense or otherwise assign any right to the Content to any third party.” You probably already know this: Just because you purchased and downloaded a movie doesn’t mean you can burn it to a DVD and sell the DVD—among other reasons, because you would have to crack the digital rights management on the file, which is also expressly forbidden. Digital rights management, or DRM, allows a company to restrict what you can do with a digital file, such as preventing copying or permitting you to watch it only a certain number of times.
In the FandangoNow/Vudu terms of service, there is one additional section worth looking at, under “Viewing Periods”:
Fandango's authority to provide Content to you is subject to restrictions imposed by the movie studios and other distributors and providers that make Content available to Fandango (“Content Providers”). These Content Providers may designate periods of time when Fandango is prohibited from renting, selling, enabling downloading and/or streaming certain Content to you, including Fandango/Vudu Purchased Content, and you agree that these limitations can limit your Content access.
The “including Fandango/Vudu Purchased Content” part is the big one. What this means is that if Disney, for example, decides it doesn’t want to allow Vudu to sell its movies anymore, the company can have Vudu turn off Disney movies. Unlikely as that may be, theoretically the service could block access to movies you’ve already purchased—as the terms state, “[Y]our ability to stream or download Content may terminate if our licenses terminate, change or expire.”
Here’s how Amazon says the same thing. Again, the bold emphasis is mine:
“Availability of Purchased Digital Content. Purchased Digital Content will generally continue to be available to you for download or streaming from the Service, as applicable, but may become unavailable due to potential content provider licensing restrictions or for other reasons, and Amazon will not be liable to you if Purchased Digital Content becomes unavailable for further download or streaming.
A case about this is working its way through California courts.
And here is Google’s version, for media content sold through its Play store:
Content that you purchase or install will be available to you through Google Play for the period selected by you, in the case of a purchase for a rental period, and in other cases as long as Google has the right to make such Content available to you. In certain cases (for example if Google loses the relevant rights, a service or Content is discontinued, there are critical security issues, or there are breaches of applicable terms or the law), Google may remove from your Device or cease providing you with access to certain Content that you have purchased. For Content sold by Google LLC, you may be given notice of any such removal or cessation, when possible. If you are not able to download a copy of the Content before such removal or cessation, Google may offer you either (a) a replacement of the Content if possible or (b) a full or partial refund of the price of the Content. If Google issues you a refund, the refund shall be your sole remedy.
Interestingly, Google says that it may offer you a refund if it deletes your content without asking.
How likely is any of this to happen? Not very, which we’ll discuss in a moment.
There is some media content that you are absolutely, flat-out renting. On the music side, Spotify is a good example. If you cancel your subscription, you no longer have access to any files you’ve downloaded to your phone. Your subscription lets you lease these files, with no option to buy. The music industry loves this arrangement, by the way, as you’re continually paying to listen to the same songs, albeit a fraction of a penny each time. I’ve singled out Spotify, but all streaming music services are like this—in contrast to download services such as iTunes or Amazon Music (see below).
Streaming video, obviously, is another category in which you don’t own anything, even if you download content to watch on your mobile device or computer. For example, if you cancel your Netflix service, anything you’ve downloaded gets locked out, just as with Spotify. The same with Disney+’s Premier Access. Even though you’re paying a price that’s closer to a purchase fee (usually $30), it’s still more like a rental that’s accessible only as long as you keep your Disney+ subscription.
Going one step further, if you go to a different country, even if you’re just on vacation, you might get locked out of content you could watch in your original country. A VPN might help with that by geoshifting your location; then again, it might not.
It’s unlikely that any corporation would willingly nuke the presumed assets of millions of customers, despite how much these companies might love for you to buy all your movies yet again. The backlash would be substantial, and the resulting lawsuits would likely take years and millions of dollars to resolve. Corporations, for the most part, would be reluctant to alienate and anger such a huge customer base.
That’s not to say it couldn’t happen. Just take the squabbles between Roku and Warner, or Roku and Google, as two of many examples in which consumers are forced to deal with the fallout between bickering companies.
A more likely scenario is that a media company goes out of business. In this case the most probable course is that some other corporation buys up the digital-media portion of the business and carries over your right to watch the content you bought. This already happened with Vudu, which was owned by Walmart for over a decade and is now owned by Fandango Media, a corporation itself owned by NBCUniversal and WarnerMedia … which are owned by Comcast and AT&T, respectively.
But if you’re still worried about losing access to your purchased content, the solution is to go physical. It’s a lot harder for companies to stop you from watching a physical disc, though that has been tried in the past. Although digital rights management is built into Blu-ray and DVD players and receives periodic updates via the web, if you don’t connect the player to the web, it should be able to continue playing any compatible disc format. Some discs even come with a code that unlocks a digital copy, which is certainly convenient—though as we’ve discussed, you can’t expect those copies to last forever (most discs even have a date by which you need to activate the code).
Audio is even easier. Shocking as it may seem, you can still buy CDs. Rip them to a hard drive, and you have digital copies for as long as your hard drive lasts (and presumably, the CD will last even longer). Alternatively, you can buy and download DRM-free music and convert it to whatever file format you like or trust. iTunes and Amazon Music files are DRM-free, as are the downloads from many smaller music sites, many of which offer even higher-quality audio files. For older music downloads that have DRM, you can typically convert them to a DRM-free format such as FLAC or WAV.
So, no, you don’t own your digital files, and theoretically you could at some point be prevented from watching or listening to them. In reality, your digital collection is probably safe for the foreseeable future—but if the very idea of a company locking you out of your movies and music makes you angry, we suggest embracing physical media such as 4K Blu-rays and CDs, which will likely survive any digital-media apocalypse.
Further reading
by Chris Heinonen
by Chris Heinonen and Lauren Dragan
by Adrienne Maxwell
by Chris Heinonen and Daniel Varghese
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Good e-Reader
July 19, 2019 By Markus Reily 5 Comments

The internet is a hotbed for illegal actively when it comes to ebooks. Let’s say that you want to download a royalty free title, but the concept of royalty free differs from country to country.  In the USA  the term of copyright for a particular work depends on several factors, including whether it has been published, and, if so, the date of first publication. As a general rule, for works created after January 1, 1978, copyright protection lasts for the life of the author plus an additional 70 years. Meanwhile in Canada the date the book was first published,  plus 50 years from the end of the calendar year that the creator died. In Australia, Germany and in the UK, it is all different as well. It can get quite confusing. 
If a website offers royalty free, copyright free or even free ebooks published by major publishers, it is hard to know if you are breaking the law in your own country, or even breaking it at all. Readers should not have to research various laws in order to download a book from an app, websites or forums that offer downloads and feel confident that are not breaking the law.
Normally when you download ebooks from websites you have never heard of before, it can be daunting to know what is legit and what is not. Various actors prey on readers who just want to download a few free ebooks and little do they know it can lead to their payment details or personally identifiable information being stolen. Identity theft when it comes to books, is rare, but it still happens. There are tons of shady websites out there promising royalty free or non-copyrighted books, but the reality is they are anything but.
As is the case with pirated movies and TV shows, hackers often decide to conceal malware inside free ebooks. No matter whether you download ebooks in .pdf, .epub, Kindle, .zip, or .rtf format, it is possible that you could end up accidentally downloading a virus, worm, trojan, spyware or malware.
This makes downloading free copies of ebooks extremely risky, because even a relatively small amount of malicious code could permit a hacker to later download dangerous secondary exploits to your device. These kinds of trojans could allow a cybercriminal to install a keylogger, turn on your microphone or camera, access your photos and contacts, or steal the contents of your storage.
While it may be tempting to download free ebooks from sites like pdfdrive – it is important to understand that among the 54 million books it has in its free repository – there are many dangerous files waiting to cause you harm. For privacy and security reasons we recommend that you take the following steps to ensure you protect your devices from attackers:
If you download an ebook onto a mobile device while connected to a WiFi hotspot, you could open yourself up to the risk of hacking. Public WiFi hotspots that are misconfigured can allow hackers to intercept your traffic. This can allow those cybercriminals to steal your data as it passes from your device to the internet.
Connecting to public WiFi also exposes you to the danger of “evil twin” hotspots controlled by hackers. These kinds of hotspots are placed in locations where you would expect there to be WiFi, such as in coffee shops, hotels, or airports. Connecting to these fake (but seemingly legitimate) hotspots will allow cybercriminals to intercept you traffic and steal your data.
The trouble with these public WiFi exploits, is that it could allow hackers to steal your card details when you enter them to pay for an ebook. This means that even purchasing a legitimate ebook from Amazon or another ebook retailer could cause you to have your data stolen.
The solution to this problem is to use a Virtual Private Network (VPN). A VPN completely protects all the data coming and going from your devices using robust military grade encryption. As a result, it is impossible for hackers to access your data as it passes over the WiFi network. This means you can access the internet and purchase ebooks while travelling without having to worry about hackers.

Markus lives in San Francisco, California and is the video game and audio expert on Good e-Reader! He has a huge interest in new e-readers and tablets, and gaming.
Filed Under: E-Book News

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Good e-Reader
October 30, 2021 By Michael Kozlowski Leave a Comment

Calibre is one of the best ebook management software in the world, millions of users use the program. It can do some powerful stuff, such as fetch missing metadata on ebooks that you downloaded from the internet, such as book covers. It has an ebook viewer, which can edit titles, can download magazines from the internet and import your collection of books from your PC right to the e-reader, at the click of a button. Calibre has just added support for the brand new Kindle Paperwhite and you can now manage your e-readers collection when having it plugged into your PC or MAC.
Furthermore, this release adds support for EPUB 3 landmarks in the Set Semantics tool under the Edit Book component and moves the option that allows Calibre to recognize numbers when sorting from Preferences > Tweaks to Preferences > Behavior.

Michael Kozlowski has been writing about audiobooks and e-readers for the past twelve years. His articles have been picked up by major and local news sources and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Filed Under: Kindle News

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Joe Fedewa is a Staff Writer at How-To Geek. He has been covering consumer technology for over a decade and previously worked as a News Editor at XDA Developers. Joe loves all things technology and is also an avid DIYer at heart. He has written thousands of articles, hundreds of tutorials, and dozens of reviews. Read more…
There are a lot of benefits that come with an Amazon Prime membership. Most people are familiar with the two-day shipping and Prime Video streaming, but there’s more. Did you know you also have access to a catalog of free eBooks?
Amazon’s free eBook program is called Prime Reading. You can think of it as a private library for Prime members. The catalog includes more than 1,000 rotating books and magazines, and even some free audiobooks.
Just like a real library, you’re technically borrowing the books. You’re also limited to 10 titles at a time. When you’re finished with a book, if you try to add a new one when your library is full, you’ll be prompted to return one first.
Another benefit of Prime Reading is a program called Amazon First Reads. This gives Prime members a sneak peek at books from certain authors before they’re released to the public. You get one of these each month.
You can explore the Prime Reading catalog on the Amazon website in a web browser. Make sure you’re signed in to your Amazon Prime account.

The other place you can explore Prime Reading is the Amazon Kindle app. It’s available for iPhones, iPads, Android devices, Windows PCs, and Mac. It also comes preinstalled on Fire tablets.
In the Kindle app, you’ll see the “Prime Reading” section on the home page. Tap “See All” to explore the full catalog.

As we covered above, there are a number of ways you can browse the “Prime Reading” catalog. Wherever you happen to be looking, simply select a title to see its product page.

On the product page, you’ll see the Kindle eBook listed as free for Prime members. Click or tap “Read for Free” or “Read and Listen for Free.” The latter means there’s also an audiobook.

The eBook will then be added to your Amazon account, and you can download it to read on your Kindle or in the Amazon Kindle app.

If a free eBook includes an audiobook, it will be added to your Audible account automatically. You can download the Audible app for iPhone, iPad, or Android, but it’s preinstalled on Fire tablets. You can also control your audiobooks with voice commands on Echo devices.

Prime Reading might not have the biggest library or the most features, but it’s a nice little perk. If you want even more eBook options, you can subscribe to Kindle Unlimited for $9.99 per month.
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Want to start a business from the comfort of your own home? There are plenty of business opportunities out there for homebodies. So if you’re looking for a way to make some money without having to be away from home most days, here are 50 ideas.

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Stay at Home Business Ideas for the Homebody

Virtual Assistant

Virtual assistants work on a contract basis with different businesses and individuals. They can handle a multitude of tasks remotely including email responses, scheduling and social media.

Blogger

If you’re a skilled writer, you can start your own blog and then make money through advertising or sponsored content opportunities.

Freelance Writer

Or you could work for other bloggers or businesses on a freelance basis.

Ebook Author

For those who are more interested in writing longer works, you can write and self-publish your own ebooks on a variety of different topics.

Online Course Creator

You can also share your expertise by creating an online course that customers can purchase and work through on their own time.

Ecommerce Seller

If you want to sell actual products, you can open an ecommerce store on eBay, Amazon or another platform.

Etsy Seller

Or you could make your own handmade creations at home and then sell them online through Etsy or a similar platform.

Subscription Box Service

Subscription boxes are becoming more and more popular. So you could source products and create your own subscription service from home.

T-Shirt Designer

Sites like Redbubble and Society 6 offer designers an easy way to upload your designs and offer them for sale on t-shirts and other printed products.

Jewelry Designer

For creative entrepreneurs, you can start your own jewelry line and sell it online or in local boutiques.

Candle Maker

Candles offer another niche for you to specialize in. You can make your own candles and sell them online or in local stores.

Graphic Designer

You can also start an online business where you offer graphic design services to businesses and individuals looking for logos and other professional looking graphics.

Web Designer

Or you can focus more on creating actual websites for business clients looking for great designs.

App Developer

For those who are skilled with mobile technology, you can start a business as an app developer making your own apps to sell or working with clients.

Social Media Manager

Social media offers plenty of opportunities for businesses. You can offer your services as a social media manager by working with business clients on a freelance basis.

Online Marketing Specialist

Or you could focus more broadly on online marketing methods ranging from content creation to online ads.

SEO Consultant

SEO is another niche you can build a business around. You can work with clients on an ongoing basis or more short-term as a consultant.

YouTube Personality

YouTube offers an opportunity for entrepreneurs to build an audience for online video content. Then you can make money through the platform’s ad sharing program.

Podcaster

Or you could instead opt for an audio format and start your own podcast where you can also make money through advertising.

Affiliate Marketer

If you create any online content like blog posts or social media content, you can build a business by working with brands as an affiliate.

Proofreader

You can also help other businesses, content creators or professionals by offering your services as a proofreader.

Business Consultant

For those with previous business experience, you can work from home as a business consultant working with other entrepreneurs as a business consultant.

Life Coach

You can also work with clients on a more general basis by offering your service as a life coach who consults with individuals about a variety of different topics.

Direct Sales

Here’s another business where you can contract with other businesses. Offer your services as a direct sales rep who communicates with clients by phone or online.

Bookkeeper

You can also work with business clients to help them keep their finances organized as a professional bookkeeper.

Domain Reseller

Any business or individual that wants to start his or her own website needs a domain. So you can build a business by offering popular domains for sale.

Product Inventor

If you’ve got an idea for a great new product, you can build a prototype from home and then license it or work with a manufacturer to produce it.

Portrait Photographer

For those who want to start a photography business, you can set up your own studio in your home and then offer portrait photography services.

Stock Photographer

You can also take photos in your home studio and offer them for sale online on stock photo websites.

Event Planner

Entrepreneurs who have strong organizational skills can set up a business as an event planner.

Interior Designer

You can also start your own interior design business where you meet with clients at your home or communicate mainly by phone or online.

Clothing Alterations

For those who are able to sew and alter clothing, you can offer alteration services to customers who visit you or send in their items for specific alterations.

Baker

If you’re looking to start a food business, you can bake cakes and other desserts in your home kitchen and then sell them to specific customers or offer them wholesale to local bakeries.

Menu Planning Consultant

You can also help customers plan out their meals for the week or month by offering your services as a menu planning consultant.

In-Home Child Care

For those looking to start a child care business, you can start your own daycare business out of your home.

In-Home Tutoring

You can also work with individual students in your home as a tutor specializing in a specific subject or area of expertise.

Electronics Refurbisher

Consumers are always looking for ways to save money on their electronics purchases. So if you have the skill set, you can refurbish old electronics at home and sell them to customers online.

Mobile Phone Repair Service

Or you could have customers send in their mobile phones that have cracked screens or other damage so you can repair them and send them back.

Furniture Maker

For skilled builders, you can make or refurbish furniture in your home workshop and then sell your creations.

Produce Seller

Or if you prefer working outside, you can start a garden in your yard where you grow vegetables, herbs or other items to sell.
Fitness savvy entrepreneurs, you can work as a personal trainer from home if you have the resources to set up a home gym.

Yoga Instructor

You can also offer classes for multiple students in areas like yoga, pilates or barre.

Massage Therapist

Or you can set up a home massage therapy space where clients can visit for your massage services.

Hair Stylist

You can also set up a home studio where you can take appointments for a hair salon business.

Makeup Artist

Or you can specialize in offering makeup artistry services instead.

Pet Groomer

For those who prefer working with pets, you can offer pet grooming services right from your home.
Or you can allow customers to bring their dogs to your home where you can offer training and obedience services.

Property Manager

If you have the resources to own multiple properties, you can rent out those properties as a business and manage the day-to-day operations from home.

Vacation Rentals

You can also rent out extra space in your own home on sites like Airbnb or even start a bed and breakfast type business.

Translator

If you know multiple languages, you can offer your services as a translator, working from home to translate specific documents for clients.
Virtual Assistant, Online Seller, Proofreader Photos via Shutterstock

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More in: Develop an Idea, Popular Articles 6 Comments ▼

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Aira Bongco
This is good news for people who love to just stay at home. There is now an opportunity to make money no matter where you are in the world.
Annie Pilon
Yes, tons of opportunities for people who want to spend most of their time at home
These days, you have no reason not to pursue your own business. The opportunities are around you. You just need to grab it.
Annie Pilon
For sure – if you want to start a business, there’s an opportunity out there for you
Victor Glasgow
I love what digital technology does for the business environment.
The only drawback is sifting to find a solid opportunity that’s right for you.
If you haven’t found one you like yet, look for a company that’s been
operating for at least 20 years. If it has in-demand products or services
and a strong compensation plan, you might be on to something.
Always do the due diligence.
Pandemic has forced people to find new work opportunities. Stay-at-home is the most popular work style these days. Still, for a newbie it is not easy to understand home business. Blogger, virtual assistant, and freelance writing is easy work from home business ideas. Thanks for sharing!
Small Business Trends is an award-winning online publication for small business owners, entrepreneurs and the people who interact with them. Our mission is to bring you “Small business success … delivered daily.”
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Loading books onto your Kindle from third-party sources can be a cumbersome process, especially when it comes to file formats. This guide will teach you the difference between EPUB vs MOBI and everything else you need to know about different e-book formats.
Amazon is by far the largest e-book retailer in the world, so it’s not surprising that it would have a proprietary Kindle format for e-books sold through its store and read on its e-book readers. If you’re buying books for your Kindle from any other e-book retailers, you’ll need to know the differences between EPUB vs MOBI files and how to convert them.
We’ll start with a quick rundown of file formats and the pros and cons of both EPUB and MOBI, but if you just want to learn how to convert them you can skip to the end. If you’re looking to convert an AZW3 file, you can check out our AZW3 to PDF format guide instead, though the steps detailed below will work for most popular document formats, including PDF books.
MOBI files are so much larger than other e-book files because of the way the format is designed for compatibility with all of Amazon’s Kindle devices. A MOBI file will contain the book itself, which is usually just an EPUB file and several converted files that are compatible with every version of the MOBI (or AZW3) format.
Kindles primarily use two file formats: MOBI and AZW3. For non-e-book files, Kindles can also read DOC and DOCX, PDF, TXT as well as HTML and HTM. They can also open certain image file types like JPG, PNG, BMP and GIF.
No, Kindle devices can’t read EPUB files. If the book was purchased through Amazon, it’ll be automatically converted to MOBI or AZW3, but if it’s from another source you’ll need to convert it before your Kindle can open the file.
A file format is essentially a standardized way to encode information so that it can be understood across devices and programs. If you’ve used any kind of computer, chances are you’ve heard of formats like JPG, PDF or MP3.
Generally, file formats are designed to carry one specific type of information, such as an image, audio, video or — as we’re about to discuss here — e-books. There are a few different ways of encoding e-books, but by far the most common e-book formats are EPUB, MOBI and MOBI’s descendant, AZW3.
Developed by the International Digital Publishing Forum, EPUB is the most widely accepted e-book format. The format is open source, features extensive typesetting and layout options, and supports highlighting, bookmarks and even multimedia files like images and videos.
EPUB files also tend to be much smaller than MOBI and PDF files and are directly compatible with services like Google Docs. Graphically intensive e-books especially benefit from the EPUB format, as these types of books can quickly balloon in size when using MOBI or AZW3 and become completely unusable as a PDF.
MOBI is mostly a legacy format at this point. Although you might still come across it on third-party download sites, it’s been replaced as Amazon’s official e-book format by AZW3. This file format is developed internally by Amazon and is essentially an upgraded MOBI with additional DRM capabilities as well as updated layouts and typesetting.
Because MOBI’s main intent is compatibility with all of Amazon’s devices, the files are usually much larger than EPUBs. As Amazon has been continuously releasing new Kindle devices, it has also been updating its proprietary file format to go along with the new hardware.
That means that in order for a MOBI file to be backwards-compatible with every Kindle device, it needs to contain multiple copies of the book that conform to each version of the MOBI or AZW3 formats.
If you’re using anything other than a Kindle or the Kindle app, then EPUB is the better format. The only real reason to use MOBI is for compatibility with Amazon’s e-reader and app, but otherwise it has no advantages over EPUB, which is a widely accepted format that is much easier to work with.
That said, if the book you want to read comes as a MOBI file already, there’s no reason to convert it to EPUB unless your device is incompatible with MOBI files. That might be the case though, since most third-party e-readers and reading apps such as Adobe Digital Editions aren’t compatible with Amazon’s in-house format.
Converting books between the EPUB and MOBI formats is incredibly easy. A simple Google search will show that there are dozens of free converter websites out there, and all you need to do is go to one of the top ones, upload your EPUB or MOBI file and click “convert.”
This kind of quick and simple browser-based solution will work for the vast majority of books. That said, if you’re trying to convert an especially large file, perhaps a 1,000-page epic or image-laden work, then you’ll probably run into the file size limits on these sites. If that’s the case, you can download Calibre, a free e-book management program.
The best way to convert large MOBI or EPUB files as well as manage your e-books in general is with Calibre. The software is a free download, and lets you convert all sorts of document and e-book files.
Go to the Calibre website and click on “download Calibre.” Run the file that downloads and follow the instructions to install the software.
Once Calibre is open, click on the button in the top-left corner that says “add books.” Select “add books from a single folder” and find the file you want to convert in the file selection window that opens.
Now that you can see the book in your library, select it and click on the button at the top of the window that says “convert books.”
This will open up the conversion settings, where you can adjust the metadata (such as the title, author, publisher and series), change the cover image and set the output format. There are a lot of advanced options located in the menu on the left, but for now all you need to do is set the output format in the top-right corner to what you want it to be and click “OK” in the bottom-right corner.
Besides EPUB, MOBI and AZW3, e-books will occasionally come as PDF files. This isn’t a great way to format an e-book as PDFs are inefficient, don’t handle larger documents well and don’t display well on mobile devices. AZW3 is also sometimes referred to as KF8, KPF or KFX, but these names simply reflect updates to the AZW3 format.
That’s it for our guide to MOBI and EPUB files as well as e-book file formats in general. Hopefully, you now have a better understanding of what these terms mean, and what kind of file types you want to be using with your e-reader or reading app.
What did you think of the guide? Did we miss anything you think we should have covered? Is there a better e-book conversion program you would recommend? Let us know in the comments below. Thank you for reading.

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eBook publishing has opened up a whole new world of possibilities for independent authors. Gone are the days where you need to have an agent and a connection to a major publishing house to create, distribute and market your book. Instead, you can publish your very own business ebook and sell your eBooks online.

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Sell Your eBooks Online

With today’s digital technology, you can easily sell your written work online using several different online platforms.
These platforms have been developed to remove the complexities of traditional publishing with a wide range of tools and options for publishing your business ebook. Depending on the service provider, you can access everything from publishing and design to marketing and sales, as well as insights and tutorials on how to publish an eBook. And you can make this happen without a huge investment.

Places to Publish Your Business eBook

So for all of you great business minds who want to share your knowledge with the world, check out these platforms to publish your business eBook on.

Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing

As one of the largest online sources for eBooks, Amazon has a large self-publishing arm with Kindle Direct Publishing. The platform allows you to publish your business eBook on the Amazon Kindle Store, which makes them available on Kindle devices and Kindle apps for iOS, Android and more. Self-publishing is free and you can earn up to 70 percent royalties on sales.

NOOK Press

Barnes and Noble also offers no-cost self-publishing to its NOOK e-readers and BarnesAndNoble.com with NOOK Press. The platform allows you to control the price of your book, which impacts your royalty rate.

iBooks Author

If you have a Mac computer you can download the free iBooks Author app and create your book using Apple’s library of templates and other design tools. You can then publish your business eBook and offer it for purchase or free download in the iBooks store.

Google Play

To make your titles available on Android devices and Google Books, there’s the Google Play Books Partner Center. The platform allows you to upload your content, set your own prices and sell to customers around the world.

Lulu

Lulu is a platform that lets you create and publish eBooks for a variety of different platforms and stores. You can create and format your own eBook for free, or hire Lulu to edit, proofread and design. You can then publish the book on Lulu’s site, but also convert it into a file that you can make available on all ereaders and tablets.

Blurb

Blurb allows you to upload your eBook from Bookwright or Adobe InDesign and it will convert it to a fixed-layout eBook for $9.99. You can also convert your manuscript to a reflowable eBook from a text document. That service is free while in beta. You can then make them available on popular platforms like Apple and Amazon.

Smashwords

Smashwords allows you to publish your eBook to a variety of sources, including the Smashwords store, iBooks, Barnes & Noble, Kobo and Scribd. You can earn 85 percent on sales at Smashwords.com and 60 percent of list price on sales from the rest.

Kobo Writing Life

Kobo Writing Life prides itself on being easy to use. You start by adding details and uploading your manuscript, which it will automatically convert to an ePub file. Then you set your price and track sales directly on the website. Your title will then be available on the Kobo Ebookstore, which is a worldwide provider of eBooks.

Myebook

With a publishing platform and plans that work for single book authors and multi-publication distributors, Myebook can help you create and distribute your eBook to multiple popular platforms. You can self-publish or use one of Myebook’s paid full-service offerings.

BookBaby

BookBaby is unique among self-publishing services in that it doesn’t take any percentage of your sales. It does offer a number of paid services including design, formatting and distribution. And you can use the platform to reach a number of popular stores like iBooks and Amazon.

Shopify

The popular eCommerce solution allows you to easily sell and manage orders for your eBooks. Some of the Shopify features include professionally designed store templates, order processing and analytics. Pricing starts at $29 per month, and goes up depending on features.

Payhip

Payhip’s offers a simple platform for hosting your eBook and allowing your customers to buy it directly from you. Payhip processes payments using Paypal and Stripe, and delivers your eBook to customers directly, taking 5 percent of each transaction.

eBookIt

eBookIt is intended specifically for independent authors and small press outlets. The site offers eBook conversion, distribution and promotion starting at a $199 one-time fee. And the company works with distribution partners like Amazon, Google and Barnes & Noble.

Scribd

Scribd is a membership program that offers unlimited books to its members for a flat monthly fee. The company pulls titles from a handful of publishing service providers, so you need to sign up with one to get your eBook available to subscribers.

Wasteland Press

Wasteland Press is a self-publishing company that can help you get your eBook formatted and available on the most popular eBook devices, including Kindle, Nook and Apple products. There are a few different plans for the various marketplaces. But to get your eBook listed on all of them, Wasteland Press charges a fee of up to $500.

E-junkie

E-junkie charges a monthly subscription fee to sell your eBooks online, instead of taking a percentage of sales or charging fees up front. Cost depends on the number of titles you have and the amount of storage needed. The company also offers PDF stamping for security.

Selz

Selz has a free account which lets you access analytics tool, widgets, and fraud protection along with up to five listings. You can upload your ebook onto the Selz platform and create a store to sell them there. If you want to move up to the paid membership, it starts at $12.99 with unlimited listing and customization options for your page.

Gumroad

If you want flexibility on how you can set up your online shop, Gumroad has multiple options. With a monthly membership of $10 and a 3.5% on each sale, you can fully customize your page to sell your eBooks. This includes creating memberships, subscriptions, discount promotions and direct sales.

Tradebit

Tradebit allows you to quickly upload your eBook or other digital download to make available on your homepage or storefront. For sales made on your own site, Tradebit takes 25-30 percent, and more for sales in its own marketplace.

Infinity Publishing

This platform’s Author Store offers a variety of different products and services for authors ranging from full book printing to eBook conversion. Infinity Publishing also works with distribution channels like Amazon and Barnes & Noble to get your eBook in front of buyers.

PayLoadz

This digital delivery system works for eBooks and a variety of other digital products. PayLoadz allows you to upload your file, set your own price, and add the button or link for your product to your website or other online accounts.

Slicebooks

Not your typical eBook marketplace, Slicebooks offers a platform for you to essentially sell sections of your eBooks or other content. So if your business books have some helpful chapters or snippets, you can use this platform to repurpose and sell just those parts for people who may not be interested in an entire eBook. Pricing starts at $9 per month.

Click2Sell

Click2Sell is an affiliate marketing network that offers secure servers for storing your eBooks and a checkout options to help your buyers complete their purchases. You can offer your eBook on the Click2Sell marketplace and even recruit affiliates to promote your titles online.

LifeRich Publishing

From Reader’s Digest, LifeRich Publishing is more of a full-service book publishing solution. But they also offer electronic formats, with pricing based on the various services you require.

iUniverse

iUniverse offers a range of services to help you create and sell your books in physical, electronic and audio formats. The company offers everything from design help and editing to marketing your book. So prices vary based on the services you select.

InstantPublisher.com

While this site mainly focuses on publishing hard copy books, it also has options for eBook publishing. InstantPublisher charges a base price of $159.99 for converting your eBook and assigning it an ISBN. Then it offers a $50 yearly fee or 10 percent of your royalties to list your eBook on Amazon and iTunes.

eBookPartnership

eBookPartnership is an online service that helps authors convert their books into ebook files and distribute them widely on a global scale. The company also works with independent publishers in need of assistance with ebook conversion.

Pressbooks

Pressbooks is a tool aimed at helping independent authors create professional looking editions of both print and digital books. You can then use it to connect to a variety of popular publishing platforms for distribution.

Draft2Digital

A publishing support platform, Draft2Digital allows you to upload your written content and easily transform it into an ebook file. They also offer help with distribution and don’t charge any fees upfront.
eBook Photo via Shutterstock

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Aira Bongco
For me, the easiest is CreateSpace. I love how it integrates with Amazon and have your book listed in no time. The other places are good for selling though.
Linda Aragoni
LeanPub.com another option. It allows readers to see a work in progress as well as the completed book. It’s heavily used by people in technology fields. (Disclosure: I used it for an education book I wrote.)
Annie: Which is your favorite place for self-publishing books, both hardcover and ebook?
Nee
Thanks for the list. I wonder which one has more support to writers in terms of copyright protection. I came across a blog comment that her ebook on Kindle was plagiarized but Amazon will not take part in the dispute settling, although they are getting 30% of the sales.
I guess ebooks and podcasts are getting more and more popular and in near future, will be getting bigger. These sites will play good role hence. I think writing and publishing on Amazon and Apple would be huge.
Awogor Matthew
Since I have been looking for an opportunity like this. Thanks for all. I will head up and give all of them a trial. Thanks
After each book we write my wife and I always go through this process – where are we going to sell it. We have had success with our books in the KDP Select program that allows Amazon Unlimited subscribers free access to your book. The author gets paid based on pages read and total amount in the Unlimited “fund”.
Not sure it is a great move to go with that program as you can not have your book for sale anywhere else. I think with our next book we will use a few off this list and see how it goes.
Thanks for putting this resource together.
Thanks for the topic. I think that now in 2019 many vendors stopped working
Robin McGill
I really like the list. It apoears to be very helpful. I also appreciate the conments from other writers. I look forward to finding the most suitable site for my book. The best to all in their writing and publishing endeavors!
Can you publish a book in different places? Or do they get a kind of ownership over the book?
mejore comentarios
I really like this list, this is really wonderful, Thank you for this.
Loved this and every other article here in smallbiztrends. Great website!
Thanks for sharing nice article, Its very helpful for me.
I really appreciate your post and you explain each and every point very well. Thanks for sharing this information.
Ali
Great Article Thanks for this
Great! I loved your site. I have bookmarked it.
Nisha
Thanks for sharing the article its help me alot
Good Articles Thanks for recommendations
Ashley Cheah
Another great option for ebooks and self-publishing is A&A Printing!
Here’s their website: https://www.printshopcentral.com/
Mike Ssendikwanawa
Thanks for this wonderful List, will give them a try inorder to reach out to more readers!
Mike Ssendikwanawa
Thanks Annie, for this wonderful ebook publishing list.
Hope to have a great journey with several of these platforms.
Thanks for the list. I wonder which one has more support to writers in terms of copyright protection. I came across a blog comment that her ebook on Kindle was plagiarized but Amazon will not take part in the dispute settling, although they are getting 30% of the sales.
PdfnBooks also publishes ebooks for free.
very good article, I have many articles but still confused where to publish my articles, with this tutorial I can have many choices
Jhonathan
For me, the easiest is CreateSpace. I love how it integrates with Amazon and have your book listed in no time. The other places are good for selling though.
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