How to upload a book?

The first step is to prepare your metadata, the content files (EPUB, print, or audio) and cover files. Then select 'Upload book' on your distribution dashboard.

The next step is to select your format: ebook, print, or audio

For the details of the print book requirements, please go to this article.

For the details of the audiobook uploading, please go to this article.

The description below will detail all the main uploading steps:

Files - Creators - Metadata - Categories - Price - Rights - Distribution

Once you are on the book upload page, just drag and drop the file(s) and the cover, fill in the metadata, and save. Quite simple, isn't it? Once you have revised your files and metadata, you can send them to stores with one click. Continue reading this article for how to upload files for the book and how to fill in the metadata.

How to upload the files for an ebook?

Choose the Upload book option on the home page and select the ebook format.

You will be redirected to My Books page dashboard, where you can manage all your books.

This page is where the new book's page comes up to upload your book and to fill the metadata. It's called your book's editing form. To make any changes in the future, you can just select the title you wish to edit, and this form will open automatically. All parameters you see here can be changed anytime (except your ISBN) without withdrawing the book. Read this article on making changes to your book.

Drop or upload the content file (EPUB) and the cover file (.jpg or .png). We accept EPUB 2 and EPUB 3 formats and docx for EPUB conversion. Upon your first upload, an automatic check will run on your book and let you know of the corrections you need to make.

Once you drop your EPUB file, we read whatever metadata your EPUB file contains and automatically fill in those fields. You have the option to accept or reject the metadata we found in the book. If you don't click the "Import selected fields" button, you have to enter your metadata manually.

If you don't have an EPUB file, click "other files", and drag and drop your Word document (.docx) to the "Source files" field, but you can also drop it to the Content file field.

In this case, you will have to answer four questions about your book's content and structure, and the conversion options will be at the bottom of the page.

How to fill the metadata?

Creators

This is the field for the book's contributors: author, editor, illustrator, or translator. You can use your pen name in the contributor field, but please don’t use pen names that could be misleading for readers. The author's name on the cover should match the name you enter here, and all authors mentioned on the cover need to be listed in the metadata. If there is no author, you can select an editor instead.

Metadata

Publisher/Imprint: This only displays if you have multiple imprints. (Read about imprints here.)

Title and subtitle: Enter the title as it is to be seen on the cover, but using the title capitalization rules of your language. The subtitle should go to the subtitle field. Most stores display the subtitle using the same case as the title, separated by a colon. For example, Title: Subtitle. Our content review team uses Amazon’s metadata guidelines when checking the books. According to those, please don’t add any keyword in the title, subtitle, or series field.

If you are not sure of what your book will look like in the stores, you can check the preview at the top of the page.

Series: The accurate name of your series. Please make sure that you always enter your series name exactly the same way, for example, don’t enter A Mean Mushroom Book once and Mean Mushrooms next. If your series is indicated properly, shops will automatically organize the books in the series into series pages. If your series field is not empty, you can add the volume in the next field. Just enter a whole number.

Language: Signal the primary language of your book. You can add multiple languages. If your book is a Spanish coursebook where the instruction language is English, please select "English" as the primary language and add Spanish as the secondary language. If you select "Spanish" as the primary language, your book will be displayed to Spanish speakers, not to English-native Spanish learners. 

Number of pages: Although ebooks have a different page number depending on whether you read it on a computer screen, tablet, e-reader or phone, some stores are still asking for the number of pages. Please enter the number of pages in your print edition, or divide the total number of characters by 1500. Many stores (Amazon or Kobo) calculate their own numbers based on the length of the book. Others will use the number we send in.

ISBN: Select "Yes" to enter your ISBN. If you don’t have an ISBN for the ebook format, don't worry: we’ll automatically assign an identifier to your book. Read more about ISBN here.

Print edition: If you have a print edition, we'll send your print ISBN to the stores. That'll help them match your print and ebook listing.

Description: it should be unique and accurately describe your book. Please don’t add any references to prices and any links. It should also not contain any explicit words or phrases. The language of the description should always match the primary language of the book you selected. For bilingual books, you can add the description in two languages (in the same field).

Categories

Categories: Select up to three categories for your book. You can enter your BISAC code or select from the list. You can also just start typing the category you would like to use and it will come up. Your book will display in the stores within the category you choose. The more specific you are, the more likely it is that your potential readers find your book.

Here's the place also to mark if your book contains adult content, select your target audience (if applicable), and enter your keywords (up to 7).

Price

Simply enter the price you'd like your readers to buy your books for. You have to give a price in your main currency; additionally, you can enter your price in most currencies our stores work with.

Rights

If you own copyrights, select "I wrote this book" if you wrote the book, or "I have secured rights from the copyright holder", if you are the publisher of this book, or if you are helping your friend upload their book to PublishDrive. We don’t ask for any documentation (unless we see something fishy) but would like to know whether your book is in the public domain, you wrote it or you are the publisher. Please note that as of 2018, PublishDrive does not accept public domain books for distribution.

If you own your copyrights, select "Yes" for worldwide rights. If you are a publisher, you can check your contract for enabled territories.

Enter the publication date, or press "Yes". If you give a future date, pre-orders will automatically be allowed and your book will be available to pre-order immediately in the stores that have this option.

Distribution

Here you can set to which stores you would like to send your book. By default, all stores are enabled.

More info about imprints, enabling and disabling stores in this article.

 

Publishing

If you're ready to go, just press Publish or you can just Save your draft and close if you would like to come back later for editing.

If there is anything missing from the form or your selected imprint is inactive, you will receive an error message after clicking on the 'Publish' button. In this case, please review the information you entered or complete the required fields marked with red and try again.

One last step before we can send your book to the stores: our book review team will review it both automatically and manually. If everything is fine, PublishDrive will send your title to the stores.

Would you like to change something? Don't worry, you can update your metadata (price, description, or even an updated EPUB file) any time, and we’ll review the change(s) and send the update(s) to the stores.