If you’re lucky enough to have a Kindle or a Kindle 2, there is no need to go spending good money to put your own content on there.

If you have PDFs, HTML docs, word processor documents that you’d like to carry around on your Kindle, you can either pay 10c a doc to have Amazon convert and email them to your Kindle OR you can use this handy, free method.

[UPDATE 1/3/12 - Amazon has announced the latest Kindle format will move away from the Mobi format. Find out more at the Amazon Digital Publishing site]

STEP 1
Download the free Mobipocket eBook Creator software. Install it and fire it up. (Update 1: Txvoodoo, in the comments, suggests downloading the Publisher version rather than the Home Version. That’s the one I used. It gives you more options, and of course a little more complexity, but it’s still simple to use. Update 2: Just discovered calibre for ebook conversion and library management. I like it. Read my thoughts on Calibre).

STEP 2

Select the file type of your original document (Word, PDF etc.) from the top right group ["Import File Type"].

Browse to the file on your computer, then click on ‘Import’,

Mobipocket imports the file but you’re not quite done yet.

STEP3

After importing, you should arrive at a screen like this:

Your publication’s title appears in the main pane. In the left sidebar are links to things you can change about the ebook: you can add a cover image, table of contents, and metadata (that is, information that is not printed in the book, but will show up in libraries and on readers, such as publisher, author, publication date, etc). You should modify as much or as little as this as you need. If yours is a document for your own use, and this is your first time through, just make sure it has the right title and author in the ‘metadata’ settings and move on.

STEP 4

On the same screen as Step 3, click on “Build” in the top tool bar. The program will give you this screen:

You can choose more or less compression and you can choose to encrypt or password protect your book if you want. First timers/Personal users: just use the default settings and click “build”.

STEP 5

All going well, you should end up at a screen like this.

Make sure “Open folder containing eBook” is selected and click “OK”.

In that folder you’ll find various versions of the file. The one you need for the Kindle is the one with the PRC extension.

Make note of where this folder is (so you can find it again), plug in your Kindle and drag the PRC file from this folder over to the ‘documents’ folder on your Kindle.

NOTES

Pay attention to the formatting after you create your eBook, especially if you are creating documents from your own content that you intend to sell. Sometime formatting issues creep in, and you’ll need to check for odd line-breaks and page breaks etc.

On Tuesday, Feb 24, Amazon will release the Kindle 2, the second version of its Kindle ebook reader, and the media are already full of stories about ebooks. The time has never been better to release your content digitally and, to capitalize on the news, to release your content in a Kindle-ready format.

What Is The Kindle | Who Are Kindle Readers | How Do I Do This?

What Is The Kindle?
The Kindle is an ebook reader, a stand-alone gadget, that allows readers to download content wirelessly (via Amazon’s free Whispernet wireless network) to the gadget, and begin reading within minutes.

The important things about Kindle are that a, the screen uses eInk technology and really looks as good as paper, and b, that Amazon makes it so easy for readers to buy content. Hear about a book? Whip out your Kindle, look it up in the Amazon store, download a free sample chapter, finish the chapter and, if you liked it, click on the ‘buy the book’ button. The content is on the Kindle in minutes, and stored in the reader’s Amazon digital ‘locker’ forever, for easy access.

The novelty of the device makes this a great time to get your content into the marketplace. Amazon is converting content and adding to the catalogue, but it is still incomplete. By making your content available to a hungry audience before the store is fully stocked, you stand a greater chance than ever of being noticed.

While Amazon hasn’t disclosed how many Kindles have sold, analysts estimate that half a million Kindles sold in 2008. The launch of the Kindle 2 should see another boom, as buyers who were holding off for the next version scramble for their Kindle. So, while it’s not a huge market yet, it is high profile.

Who Are Kindle Readers And Should I Care About Them?

Amazon has said that Kindle readers tend to buy 1.76 Kindle titles for every print book they buy, with no decrease as yet in the number of print books they buy. Also, crucially, the Kindle costs $359, so Kindle owners are readers with discretionary income to spend. Shouldn’t they be spending it on your content?

How Do I Make My Content Available?

There are two ways to get your content onto a Kindle. One is through the Amazon Digital Publishing Program. You set the price and receive 35% of that price every time someone downloads a copy through the Amazon store.

If you like to keep more control over your content, and don’t mind inconveneiencing your customers a little, you can convert your files to Kindle format and offer them at your website. Kindle owners will then have to plug their Kindles into their computers and drag and drop the file onto the gadget. (You should be very sure that your content is irresistible to chose this option, because one of the things Kindle owners love is the freedom from the tyranny of their computer).