Quick summary and list of detailed posts on conversion of my free iami1 wordpress blog into regular book with at cost print (including paperback version with ISBN) and free electronic (ebook) versions

Last updated on 29th June 2018

Over the past three months or so (from beginning April 2018) I have spent most of my work time on converting my free iami1.wordpress.com blog into a book with at cost (no royalty to author) print and free electronic (ebook) versions. This was my first such effort to produce a proper published and sold paperback book and free ebook put up on some well known free ebook websites like Open Library and Project Gutenberg. This post has a quick summary of the process followed by a list of detailed posts related to the process.

Quick summary (QS) of conversion of free iami1.wordpress.com blog into not-for-profit (at cost) paperback Print-On-Demand book with ISBN, less expensive spiral-binding book without ISBN and free ebook PDF (ISBN applied)

QS1) Decided to use Print-On-Demand self-publishing support company to print proper (decent quality paperback) book copy. Eventually I settled on Pothi.com self-publishing support company.

QS2) Prepared NOT-FOR-PROFIT and FREE-REUSE sections of initial pages of book.

QS3) Intimated those who had contributed to posts which I planned to include in the blog book about my plan and asked if they are fine with it or have objections.

QS4) Read the fine print for sharing Wikipedia and Wiki quotes extracts in printed book which will be sold at some price (at cost but not free) and ensured that relevant posts printed in the book meet requirements of Wikipedia and Wiki quotes for such sharing, to the best of my knowledge. Also put out a public post on the matter capturing my analysis and views.

QS5) Went through a few rounds of cover front page, cover spine and cover back page pictures creation, including a full cover picture which has all the three in one picture. Learned about need for empty (coloured typically) border area around front page and back page picture & text content. Also noted that as book is a small one, the spine can be left as blank/border colour. Used Paint and Paint 3D tools to create the pictures. Finally as I got to submitting the cover page picture at Pothi.com self-publishing support company, I saw that I had to meet their specifications in terms of pixel size of picture and DPI (dots per inch). To change DPI I had to use the free gimp software.

QS6) Tried out stapled (binding) book option with a local Puttaparthi printer which did not turn out to be satisfactory. I dropped stapled (binding) book option later on.

QS7) Explored printing A5 book on A4 sheets using local Puttaparthi printer as well as Delhi online printing services. [One side of A4 sized page holds roughly two A5 sized page contents. After printing A5 page contents on A4 sheets in such a way, the A4 sheets have to be cut at the right place to form twice the number of A5 sheets.] Found that Softcover binding quality of online printing services is not great (and local Puttaparthi printers were typically not providing SoftCover binding option at all). But saw that spiral binding quality is decent. Settled on using both a local Puttaparthi printer and 1 Delhi online printer (printonweb.in) for printing spiral bound copies at somewhat reasonable price. Also noted that Delhi online printer introduces some compression of the A5 pages printed and so to offset that compression, a 108% zoomed PDF file seems to be the right cure. I also did face some printing quality issues in some orders with Delhi online printer but later orders gave decent printing quality spiral-bound books.

QS8) Was able to get A5 size book published on Pothi.com quite easily without having to pay anything at all to Pothi.com! I pay only when I order copies from them which is Rs. 159 per copy + shipping charge. This was very pleasant to experience though their website clearly explains that a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) kind of approach can be used to publish the book for free. Further, the only extra thing I had to do on the book package (inner content + cover pictures) used for printing on laser printer in QS7 above, was to convert/massage the cover picture to meet Pothi.com specifications in terms of single full cover (back + spine + front) picture of specified size in pixels and specified DPI (DotsPerInch).

QS9) Was able to publish associated ebook on archive.org, openlibrary.org, free-ebooks.net as well as pothi.com quite easily. Later Project Gutenberg too accepted the ebook a few days after submission. One issue I faced as I made the ebook submission to various free ebook sites was that the title of iami1.wordpress.com blogbook was not suitable. The title needed to better reflect the topics covered by the blogbook. This led to some rounds of titles, eventually settling down on title of "Who am I? I am I - Ultimate Existential Reality Answer; Vedanta; God and Science conversation" with sub-title of "iami1.wordpress.com blog book". Actually I faced this issue for QS8 (publishing paperback on Pothi.com) as well but had taken a quick decision of using title of "The Ultimate Existential Reality Answer; Vedanta; God and Science conversation" (for first version published on Pothi.com), without thinking too much on the matter.

QS10) Put up menu links and pages for (Free) Download Blogbook (ebook) and for getting Printed Blogbook as either paperback copy via order on Pothi.com or less expensive spiral-bound book using laser printer and spiral-binding service shops to print inner content pdf and cover pages pics downloaded from the webpage.

QS11) Applied for ISBN for paperback version at isbn.gov.in. Did a fair amount of reading up on FAQ and parts of the user manual on this website, along with other sources of info. on ISBN. Got a decent idea of role and responsibility of author and self-publisher with respect to using ISBN. I also had to make the front cover page and front inner content pages (Title-Verso pages) of the book more in line with regular books so as to be more acceptable to isbn.gov.in. Had some issues with respect to title length and permitted characters in title field in ISBN web application form.

QS12) Prepared book promotion mail draft which I used to inform some persons about my free ebook and associated paperback book. Also offered to send some people a complimentary print copy(ies) of the paperback book. Used less expensive spiral-bound book copies as complimentary copies to distribute to some friends and junior colleagues. But provided paperback copies from Pothi.com to some seniors in Puttaparthi as well as my relatives and friends outside Puttaparthi. I found the Pothi.com online order page to be a convenient way of ordering books to be (printed and) delivered via courier/Indian govt. Speed Post to friends and relatives outside Puttaparthi (but within India). Saw that this first 'proper' printed public book authored and self-published by me (different from private technical (software) documents and manuals authored by me for private companies), and which was on an important topic of spirituality and God & science, was a good gift to give to my friends and relatives, many of whom I re-connected with after a gap of many years. As one friend remarked, the book was like a visiting card! Many of the people to whom I gifted the book (paperback or spiral-bound book), with sometimes me offering it to them saying that it was a token of my gratitude and love for them for all the good times I had with them, were quite pleased to receive it from me. That was a nice feeling! Don't know how many will read it though :-) and its fine with me if they are not so interested in the topics the book covers and so don't read it. I explicitly told some friends and relatives to read the book ONLY if they found it to be interesting.

QS13) Came to know that my self-publishing support company would need me to raise the selling price of my book on their website if I opted for selling the book via amazon.in and flipkart (extended online distribution). Opted to sell at lowest price on Pothi.com (Rs. 159 for the 123 page A5 size book with colour cover pages) without any royalty to me, and NOT sell at its partner channels of amazon.in and flipkart. Also noted the senstive issue of printing price on the book. So chose NOT to print price on the book.

QS14) Realized that it is safe for me NOT to print Pothi.com name anywhere on the book. So only had a short message on back cover stating, "For at cost printed book and free e-book visit iami1.wordpress.com". The iami1.wordpress.com Printed Blogbook page points the reader to the Pothi.com paperback sale page. So the book reader gets directed to Pothi.com indirectly via iami1.wordpress.com blog.

QS15) Was pleasantly surprised to be allotted an ISBN for the paperback version (after around 20 days of my first application to them). Finally there was only one outstanding issue in the ISBN application which was that the title name in the ISBN application (and so database) did not permit the ? character whereas the actual book title printed on the book has one ? character. Felt that this was a minor inconsitency that I could live with. Noted that the allotted ISBN showed up only in isbn.gov.in query webpage but NOT in standard global isbn search websites.

QS16) Applied for an ISBN for the ebook too.

QS17) Encountered a surprising and unpleasant coloured dots splashing on front and back cover page of printed paperback book copies for an order of 3 copies that I had made. Informed Pothi.com about the problem. Decided to use black title instead of purple title (it was purple coloured dots that got splashed around) and also had to make the ISBN barcode image size larger.

That finishes this quick summary of this process of converting my free blog into printed paper books including paperback book with ISBN, and also free ebook.
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List of detailed posts (DP) capturing conversion of my free iami1.wordpress.com blog into not-for-profit (at cost) paperback Print-On-Demand book with ISBN, less expensive spiral-binding book without ISBN and free ebook PDF (ISBN applied)

DP1) Planning to print self-published not-for-profit-for-author book from iami1.wordpress.com blog; Any suggestions welcome on NOT-FOR-PROFIT and FREE REUSE sections and anything else, http://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2018/04/planning-to-print-self-published-not.html, 5th April 2018

DP2) Planning to share significant amount of text extracts from wikipedia and wikiquotes in 2 articles of proposed printed book under (additional) CC-BY-SA license; Any suggestions welcome, http://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2018/04/planning-to-share-significant-amount-of.html, 6th April 2018

DP3) Latest version of my iami1 wordpress blogbook available for free download and reuse (of my content); Next step is 'laser printer' printed & bound A5 size book, http://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2018/04/latest-version-of-my-iami1-wordpress.html, 13th April 2018

DP4) iami1 blogbook colour front cover pic, http://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2018/04/iami1-blogbook-colour-front-cover-pic.html, 14th April 2018

DP5) iami1 blog book colour back (cover) page pic, spine pic and full cover pic, http://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2018/04/iami1-blog-book-colour-back-cover-page.html, 15th April 2018

DP6) Sample/trial print of iami1 blogbook shows issues related to stapled book, page margins, cover pic and font size, http://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2018/04/first-print-of-iami1-blogbook-shows.html, 18th April 2018

DP7) Modified Cover Front and Back pics for iami1 blogbook; Size calculations for these pics, http://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2018/04/modified-cover-front-and-back-pics-for.html, 20th April 2018

DP8) iami1 printed blogbook when sold at some (above-zero) price: My analysis of copyright issues with usage of Wikipedia content in it, http://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2018/04/iami1-printed-blogbook-sold-at-some-non.html, 22nd April 2018

DP9) Hopefully stable E-Book version and document for paper book version of iami1 blog book released today; Facing challenges in printing few (20) copies of book, http://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2018/04/hopefully-stable-e-book-version-and.html, 24th April 2018

DP10) iami1 blog book published with title 'The Ultimate Existential Reality Answer; Vedanta; God and Science' at Pothi.com; Printed copy (in India only) can be ordered online, http://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2018/04/iami1-blog-book-published-with-title.html, 27th April 2018

DP11) Noted Free E-book Websites/Web pages having iami1 blog book (The Ultimate Existential Reality Answer; Vedanta; God and Science conversation), http://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2018/04/noted-free-e-book-websitesweb-pages.html, 29th April 2018

DP12) Added a Printed Blogbook menu link and related 'Printed Blogbook via Online Bookshop; Less Expensive Options' page to iami1 blog, http://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2018/04/added-printed-blogbook-menu-link-and.html, 29th April 2018

DP13) Got one staple bound and one spiral bound iami1 blogbook copy from local Puttaparthi shops, http://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2018/04/got-one-staple-bound-and-one-spiral.html, 30th April 2018

DP14) Suggested re-order quantity and printer for Spiral binding and Soft Cover binding iami1 blogbook for bookshop(s); More info. about related courier charges, http://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2018/04/some-info-about-courier-charges-for.html, 30th April 2018

DP15) Got two separate Soft Cover binding iami1 blog book copies from Mumbai based big printer and Delhi online printer, http://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2018/05/got-two-separate-soft-cover-binding.html, 6th May 2018

DP16) The good quality printed book copy that I got yesterday (5th May 2018) evening seems to be my Pothi.com order!, http://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2018/05/the-good-quality-book-that-i-got.html, 6th May 2018

DP17) Received Delhi online printer's 12 spiral bound copies and 1 Soft Cover bound copy of iami1 blogbook; Spiral bound copies don't have specified cover front and back pages!, http://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2018/05/received-delhi-online-printers-12.html, 12th May 2018

DP18) National Library of Australia has listed my free ebook: Who am I? I am I - Ultimate Existential Reality Answer; Vedanta; God and Science conversation iami1.wordpress.com blog book, http://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2018/05/national-library-of-austalia-has-listed.html, 13th May 2018

DP19) Received first somewhat-largish order delivery of 9 well printed & bound copies of iami1.wordpress.com blog book from Pothi.com, http://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2018/05/received-first-largish-order-of-9.html, 14th May 2018

DP20) How I was, and continue to be, obliged to make my iami1 wordpress blog book front pages content to be somewhat more in line with regular books, http://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2018/05/how-i-was-and-continue-to-be-obliged-to.html, 15th May 2018

DP21) Conveying why my Existential reality; Vedanta; God & Science conversation iami1 blog book may be of some interest to open-minded (hard science) scientists and social science researchers, http://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2018/05/conveying-why-my-existential-reality.html, 15th May 2018

DP22) Disappointing quality of latest delivery of 12 spiral bound copies of iami1 blogbook from Delhi online printer, http://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2018/05/disappointing-quality-of-latest.html, 27th May 2018

DP23) Have applied for an ISBN for printed iami1 blog book, http://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2018/06/have-applied-for-isbn-for-printed-iami1.html, 1st June 2018

DP24) Sent isbn.gov.in mail on: Clarifications and questions about my ISBN application 5413|ISBN|2018|A made on 31st May 2018, http://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2018/06/sent-isbngovin-mail-on-clarifications.html, 1st June 2018

DP25) For self-published author like me who is not interested in earning royalty nor in promotion of book for large sales, is it worth the bother to get ISBN for POD book versions?, http://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2018/06/for-self-published-author-like-me-who.html, 7th June 2018

DP26) How I tried and failed to arrive at a list price (printed price) for my Print-On-Demand iami1 blog book with low sales potential, http://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2018/06/how-i-arrived-at-list-price-printed.html, 11th June 2018

DP27) Good quality of printing and binding in latest delivery of 12 spiral bound copies of iami1 blogbook from Delhi online printer, http://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2018/06/good-quality-of-printing-and-binding-in.html, 14th June 2018

DP28) Zooming/Enlarging text content of PDF file without editing using Foxit PDF Reader, http://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2018/06/zoomingenlarging-text-content-of-pdf.html, 15th June 2018

DP29) Have released a new version of iami1 blog book (Who am I? I am I – Ultimate Existential Reality Answer ...) with more formal book cover page and Title-Verso pages but without ISBN, http://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2018/06/have-released-new-version-of-iami1-blog.html, 18th June 2018

DP30) Who am I? I am I - Ultimate Existential Reality answer ... paperback book allotted ISBN; Have applied for e-book ISBN, http://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2018/06/who-am-i-i-am-i-ultimate-existential.html, 19th June 2018

DP31) Updated Paperback book files of iami1 blog book with ISBN and submitted to Pothi.com, http://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2018/06/updated-paperback-book-files-of-iami1.html, 20th June 2018

DP32) Improved upon patchwork in back cover page for ISBN inclusion in iami1 blog book, and resubmitted it to Pothi.com, http://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2018/06/improved-upon-patchwork-in-back-cover.html, 21st June 2018

DP33) Searching for ISBN 978-93-5311-521-0 allotted to my book 'Who am I? I am I - Ultimate Existential Reality Answer...' works on isbn.gov.in but not on well known ISBN search sites, http://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2018/06/searching-for-isbn-978-93-5311-521-0.html, 22nd June 2018

DP34) 108% Zoomed pdf file of iami1 blog book printed at decent size by Delhi online printer, http://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2018/06/108-zoomed-pdf-file-of-iami1-blog-book.html, 25th June 2018

DP35) Updated paperback copies of iami1 blogbook have problem of unwanted colour dots/patches in front and back cover pages (pictures), http://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2018/06/updated-paperback-copies-of-iami1.html, 25th June 2018

DP36) Update on attempts to resolve iami1 blogbook cover page picture colour dots splashing issue, http://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2018/06/update-on-attempts-to-resolve-iami1.html, 26th June 2018

Note that there is another post having a more narrow list of posts related to this topic. That is: List of my first and successful ISBN application related posts, http://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2018/06/list-of-my-first-and-successful-isbn.html, 23rd June 2018