This article is part of a series on going iPad-only.
The second book in my KESTREL action-thriller series, TOLL, will be released on 5th December. I think it’s a worthy sequel to CHANGER, and I very much hope you’ll read and enjoy it.
I’ve always offered autographed paperback copies of CHANGER, and you can now also pre-order autographed paperbacks of TOLL too, but lots of people prefer the convenience of ebooks these days — and we certainly love our Kindles here.
Since I self-publish my novels, and I work full-time on an iPad Pro with an Apple Pencil, I’m excited to announce that I can now offer the best of both worlds for those who want a personalised keepsake in digital format: autographed ebooks!
So what exactly is an autographed ebook? Simply, it’s a digital copy of a novel (in the format of your choice — mobi for Kindle devices and apps, or epub for Apple Books, Kobo, Nook, or virtually any other e-reader app or device), with a custom cover including a hand-inscribed message for you, with your name and my signature. The cover will show up on your reader device or app, and it makes for a unique and unusual e-gift for yourself or anyone else.
I inscribe each cover personally, and create a completely bespoke ebook just for you. iPad Pro makes the workflow pretty simple: I sign and inscribe a copy of the book’s cover artwork using Apple Pencil (via the Markup feature in the Photos app), and export the resulting custom cover. That cover is used with the original manuscript to generate an ebook that’s entirely yours. Delivery is via email, naturally.
The best part is that, since I’m fulfilling these myself, you can get TOLL not only personalised for you but also before the public release date — and CHANGER is available in this new format too! Here are the links:
I’m delighted with this new way to get my books to you quickly and efficiently but still with personalisation (and it’s presumably better for the environment, which might be a topic you’ll encounter in TOLL too…), using new technology to create something that I don’t think I’ve ever seen before.
One of the things I love most about my iPad is how it endlessly transforms into new tools as I discover new uses for it. This venture went from the idea stage to availability in half a day, which is stunning to me. As an independent novelist and publisher, it’s critically important to find new ways to turn my passion for writing into a sustainable business. I think that this kind of agile creativity is something that’s very much at the centre of Apple’s vision for these devices.
I hope you’ll consider getting an autographed ebook of the new novel (and/or the first one!), and I look forward to sharing more news about TOLL with you in the coming weeks as we approach the release date.
Thanks for reading.