What information to include?

In a traditional book, there are usually several pages before the beginning of the story with information. I don't know the name of this portion of the book, but I am wondering how much of this type of information needs to be included in a self-published ebook.

Thanks!

 

You can include whatever you want in your self published book. It's your book. If there is anything that is deemed "mandatory" then Kindle (or whomever you're self publishing with) will make sure you are aware of it before you publish.

It's usually called "Front End" stuff. Similarly, the stuff at the end is called "Back End."
Front end usually includes a copyright notice, acknowledgements, a preface or "word from the author" if you so wish, ... it's up to you. If you look at a few, you'll notice there's usually a couple of these things as standard, because people expect them more than them being mandatory.

..but the one thing you must include is obviously ... the title of your book and who wrote it

 

That's front matter and a lot of the same stuff needs to be included, including copyright information, title pages, etc. If you intend to offer it as a paperback as well, you need all of that.

 

Unfortunately, I don't have much in the way of budget to hire any services and will be doing everything myself. I don't know if that's a bad move or not, but it's kind of the situation I'm in right now.

 

Front end and back end. Thanks for that. I usually call it front matter from when I was dealing with creating text books. Dunno how much of the textbook front end stuff applies to novels.

I'll be publishing on KDP, but I'm terrified of doing it wrong. I tried opening an Amazon store selling DIY electronics components and my account was banned instantly with no reason given. I hadn't even made my first product listing! Now I'm worried that when I try to publish with Amazon, the same thing will happen. Dunno how likely that is.

 

I would like to offer it as a paperback. It feels more like being a "real" published author with something out on paperback. Maybe that's a silly way to view it, but hopefully things go well enough on KDP that I can look into that.

 

Do you have any preferred programs? I have heard there are some programs for authoring novels, but I've not looked into it much since I have Word.

 

Amazon has a free program called Kindle Create that gives you specific front and back matter pages that you can add with a button click. You can also use this program for the paperback as well. The only change I make between ebook and paperback is removing hyperlinks.

Another free program for ebook formatting that is simply and easy is Reedsy. It will also offer options for front and back matter. I don't think it's used for paperback formatting but I'm not sure.

 

You always swoop in to save me when I'm confused.

 

I have 12 books planned now, one novel and one novella finished, several more full-length novels in various stages of completion, and a bunch of short stories and novellas just in the planning stages. Beyond this series and this setting, I'm not sure. But Reedsy sounds good (Who doesn't like free?!)

Titles can be re-edited and released as updated editions if need be. I want to have three titles published before mid-October. My firstborn is due on November 6th, and I hope to be able to earn at least a part-time income from releasing titles semi-regularly during her first two years.

At this point, my writing is clearly not up to the level of many of our colleagues, but I won't let that stop me from trying. This community and the tools you all are recommending will go a long way towards helping improve things.

 

Considering only a tiny percentage of your sales will likely come from physical media, probably. Most people have moved on to ebooks only.

 

I suppose that's true. Maybe it's just a legacy perspective on things.

 

It very much is. While print isn't quite dead, it's on serious life support.

 

I had read recently that there's supposed to be a major contraction in the ebook market.

 

I have three books I made into paperback and only one of them has sold any copies (sold 3 paperbacks or .5% of overall sales/kindle borrows) but I do love having them in my cabinet at home. I thought Kindle Create did a fine job with the formatting and the paperback cover can be as simple as you want it to be if you use the cover creator tool while publishing on KDP. I really don't consider it much extra effort if I personally want a copy but sales wise it's been a wasted "effort".