All,
I wanted to relay my experience publishing my book, The Final Solution, to Amazon's Kindle eBook device (Kindle version) in the hopes that it might open an additonal avenue for sales to you as well.
I purchased a Kindle in February '08 and was fascinated with the display which looked amazingly like paper and the over-the-air delivery of content via Sprint's EVDO 3G cellular network. I had just published my first novel in 2006 via Lulu and the paperback was selling on Amazon so I decided to release a Kindle version. It certainly couldn't hurt anything.
The process was simple. You just go to Kindle's publishing site: http://dtp.amazon.com/mn/signin and register. To upload, the first step is to convert it to HTML first via MS Word's Save As feature. It would seem that when you save a manuscript in HTML form, which is formatted for final distribution to a publisher, the resultant HTML would look like the original manuscript but unfortunately, this isn't the case. It does a fair job but you'll want to go through the HTML output and "massage" the page breaks, drop-caps, etc. to make it look presentable in a web browser. Why a web browser? Because that's essentially how the Kindle presents the material on it's e-Ink display.
Once you're satisfied with the HTML version of your manuscript, upload the file to the Amazon Digital Text platform. The site will walk you through pricing. Amazon gets 60% of the total revenue, leaving you with 40% in your pocket with each sale but there's zero overhead in printing, fulfillment, and shipping -- the supply chain is shortened to one step: delivery via Sprint's cellular network right to the buyer's Kindle as they lay in their bed on a wintry night.
Depending on how you setup the method for Amazon's royalties payments, you'll receive money quarterly for all sales in the previous three months. It's wonderful to look at my bank statement and see a deposit from Amazon.com -- everything's automatic.
Regarding my experience with sales to the Kindle: I've actually seen Kindle sales increase over the past 4 months while traditional paperback sales have dropped off sharply. My personal opinion is that the $4.99 that I charge for the Kindle edition of The Final Solution is easy for a buyer to bite off vs. the $25 charge for a paperback. After all, from a buyer's psychological mindset, it's much easier to take a risk on an unknown author when the price is about on par with a Starbuck's Latte.
Another huge plus with the Kindle is that you get to decide what should be in your book's "Sample". You see, if a buyer is interested in your book but not yet willing to part with real dollars, they'll click the "Send me a Sample" link from the marketplace and instantly the sample that you, the Author and Publisher, set is sent to their Kindle. When they get to the end of the sample, there's a "Did you enjoy the sample? Buy Now" link. When they click, the purchase happens automatically and the full book is delivered to their Kindle wirelessly; you get another sale and another guaranteed royalty payment!
I honestly believe that eBooks are a wave, like it or not, that we have to learn to ride now in order to succeed as authors in the next revolution in publishing. I'm not convinced that the Kindle will be the nail in paper's coffin but these devices are removing many of the objections that readers have had in the past. If your book is only available in paper, consider publishing to Amazon's Digital Text platform. It's free and the potential sales are real.
Enjoy!