KENYA · GUIDE 0550 · EDITION 4.2
Ebook formatting in Kenya: Marketing and Finding Buyers
Reach a buyer who can accept the offer
Authors publishing an authorized manuscript.
Offer a sample-chapter conversion using the authors approved material.
Begin with the problem and specification rather than promising a return on investment you cannot establish. The proposed output is: Format a supplied manuscript for an agreed ebook platform.
Make the first message specific
Explain what you will deliver, what is excluded and what the prospect needs to confirm before a quotation. Use this scope when preparing a sample, demonstration or introduction:
Format an approved manuscript for its intended reading platforms, defining heading structure, navigation, image treatment, linked notes, and what editorial corrections remain the author's responsibility before release.
Ask who approves purchases, who accepts the output and how payment is arranged. These can be different people. An informal recommendation is useful for an introduction but does not replace the buyer's approval.
Use proof that matches the promise
Test the ebook on representative reading applications, varying text size and orientation while checking the contents links, image captions, chapter starts, notes, and special characters throughout.
Keep approved examples, inspection records or handover evidence that demonstrate this result. Obtain permission before using a customer's name, photograph, premises or work. Do not invent reviews, imply an endorsement or display private contact details as marketing proof.
Follow the lead through to collection
| Stage | What to record |
|---|---|
| Contact | Source of the introduction and permission to follow up. |
| Qualified enquiry | Required specification, buying authority and timing. |
| Quotation | Scope, exclusions, price, delivery and payment stages. |
| Accepted result | Test the ebook on representative reading applications, varying text size and orientation while checking the contents links, image captions, chapter starts, notes, and special characters throughout. |
| Repeat decision | Record manuscript version, structural edits, image handling choices, reader-app tests, broken links, conversion warnings, author corrections, and the final file approved for each intended distribution format. |
Format a sample chapter and test navigation on target readers.
Review what it cost to obtain and fulfil a paying order, including travel and follow-up. High enquiry counts do not compensate for a route or delivery arrangement that loses money. Keep cancellations, complaints and refusals visible when evaluating a channel.
An ebook fails when readers enlarge text and tables become unreadable, chapter navigation breaks, or formatting choices imitate fixed print pages rather than supporting actual reading needs.
Expand outreach only when the promised scope can be delivered reliably. Use permission-based follow-up and an achievable response time instead of bulk unsolicited messages.
A scope-led outreach draft
The supplied draft below is ready to adapt, not a message already sent:
Hi [author], I can convert your ten-chapter text into a reflowable EPUB with linked contents and checked footnotes. Please send a sample chapter and notes first. The handover will name the readers/settings tested and any remaining warnings before you choose where to publish.
Replace claims with proof of this offer
| Sales claim to substantiate | Evidence before repeating the promise |
|---|---|
| Required result | Check all chapter starts and notes; record actual tested readers and unresolved warnings without claiming universal approval. |
| Input suitability | Resolve duplicate chapter labels and missing note text before conversion. |
| Failure to address honestly | Paragraphs overlap at larger type |
Remove placeholders and replace assumed prices with an approved scope and actual cost estimate. Do not advertise technical certification, current stock, guaranteed income or results you cannot substantiate. Record enquiries, accepted quotes, declined quotes, delivered orders and collected balances separately; a sent message is not a sale.