A step by step guide......

Firstly you will need to get the following things organised if you have not already:

An Apple ID for use on the iTunes Store with a valid credit card on file

A valid email account

A Mac computer with OS X v10.6 or later

A valid U.S. Tax ID or EIN

A valid bank account (for Apple to pay your Royalties into)

ISBN number(s)

ABN (Australian Business Number)

Assuming you already are familiar with iTunes, iBookstore and all things Apple, you probably already have a Apple Id in iTunes with a valid email account  attached. You will need a valid credit card on file as you will be unable to apply for an iTunes Connect account. Similarly if you do not have a  Mac computer with OS X v10.6 or later (or access to one), the game is over here. With all these things in place though you can move on to setting yourself up as a self publisher.

It is important to remember you are becoming a publisher and everything you do from here will involve you applying for as a Publisher. To keep things simple, I just used my own name in the hope it would be less complicated and consistent. This way all my details are the same for each registration process and there could be no discrepancies when I applied. It seemed to work though I would have liked to have used a different, more fancy Publisher name, so it appeared different from the author once up in the Bookstore. But my aim was to get my books out there without complication so, c'est la vie.

Also be reminded that I am in Australia and the process regarding taxes, ABN etc, may be a little different for those applying in other countries.

How to apply for the ISBN?

I used Bowker and the process was relatively pain free. I created an account, signed and paid up for 10 ISBN which cost around $80 AUS. When you apply you have the option of inputting your book details then and there for each ISBN. Or you can opt to go back later through their "Bowkerlink " system and input your books metadata. I chose this option as I was not organised enough. Keep in mind though, you cannot do this until you have been sent your numbers and until you have been emailed with your registration details and password.  I think I received mine the next day. However, as the email stated, it can take up to 24-48 hours after you receive this for your account to go live and before you will be able to input any information. However, if you are in a hurry, as I was, you can give them a call (number available under contact us) and a friendly staff member can speed it up for you.

How to apply for ABN?

Again, relatively pain free.

Go to:

https://abr.gov.au

Fill in your details making sure you have your tax file number handy. You will be registering as a sole trader under your own name. If you have any questions, give them a call and they will walk you through it. Though you may have to wait a little on the phone listening to very bad music, you will know you have filled it in correctly.

You should be issued with your ABN then and there.

I filled the form in without calling and had a problem because I ticked "other" in one of the boxes which confused the system, but I spoke directly to an admin staff member and they were able to go in and correct my mistake and give me my number over the phone.

It is then time to register for GST (if you wish to sell in the Australian iBookstore). You need to wait 24 -48 hours for the ABN to process and then give them a call to register for GST.

You will receive your ABN and GST notification in the post.

How to apply for EIN?

Easiest way is to call them directly on 1-800-829-4933

You just need to give them your details and tell them you want to sell eBooks in the iBookstore. They will give you your number over the phone and send you a copy in the post. Use the same name as you have with your ABN, this is your Publisher name so it is important for consistency, especially once you start filling in the iTunes forms.

And finally once all this is sorted, you are now ready to begin the application process. Let the fun begin.

How to apply to iTunes connect?

Things you will need at hand:

Your Mac computer with OS X v10.6 or later

Your Apple ID for use on the iTunes Store with a valid credit card on file

A valid email account

A valid U.S. Tax ID

A valid bank account (the one you want your royalties to be paid into)

Firstly, if you have not already done so, you need to have a credit card set up to your iTunes account or you will not be able to apply.

Then go to: https://itunesconnect.apple.com

and fill in your details step by step.

Apple provide useful PDF instructions as to how to use iTunes Connect which are useful to keep on hand if you do have any concerns or questions along the way.

These are not too bad to follow (for Apple) and quite thorough. There are two sets of instructions handy to know about - one for iTunes Connect and one for iTunes Producer, each are helpful. I would have a quick read through both, especially  the iTunes Producer guide to get an idea of exactly what you will need to know, to familiarize yourself with it and get an idea of what you will be asked for. This way you will be well prepared and there will be no little surprises, like oh, how many pages is my book?

You will receive an account activation email once your U.S. Tax ID has been verified. Give this 24 hours or so for processing. Just click on the link in the email and sign up to activate iTunes Connect account. Read the contract and if you are happy then accept the conditions. It is then a matter of working through each step and filling in the details. Before you can deliver and sell your books on the iBookstore, you must accept the contract, provide valid banking details and provide valid tax information. Once you have completed all areas you can then use iProducer to upload your book.

How to upload you eBook into iProducer?

It is not too difficult, just make sure you have everything ready to go:

ISBN number

Book cover (see here for dimensions),

Screenshots (just use a screen capture from your book in iBooks on your iPad and have 2-3 ready)

Description of your book written so you can copy and paste. I had a look at some other books in the bookstore to get an idea of what should be included.

An idea of which countries you want to publish in and an idea of pricing.

The EPub itself.

An ePub preview, you can make this a small version of your original ePub by deleting pages.

Before I did this I went into Bowerlink and updated my ISBN numbers with the information about my book. I am not sure this is necessary but it did give me some more background and useful experience in filling out the details around my book.

Do not worry if you do not want to put it in all stores at once as you can use iTunes Connect to add or remove your books from different stores and to change the pricing later down the track if you choose to.

UPLOADING...DELIVERY....

I was fortunate not to get many errors upon upload however, if you do DON'T PANIC, just work through each one and respond accordingly giving the necessary info or files. If you run into trouble remember Apple are just a phone call or email away. Usually my emails were responded to within 24 hours, so given the time difference from Australia I thought that was pretty good. You can email directly to them in the "contact us" section in iTunes Connect or via [email protected]. I found with the time difference (I'm in Australia) they would usually respond within 24 hours. If I emailed in the afternoon, by morning I would often have a response. Or you can phone them for a direct response, keeping in mind the time difference on 1300 307 504.

Once you have cleared all and no longer are receiving any error reports it will take a little while to go live in the stores. Once live, the little dot will turn green and next to it you will see how many stores it is in. I sent of a quick email soon after uploading to ask how long it would take to go live and to my surprise the next day it was up. I do not know if this was due to my email, but it sure did not hurt.

Below are some links to helpful sites. Also you can find helpful hints in Apple Support communities. You will need to sign in to use. Here's one that helped me.

https://discussions.apple.com/message/20841243?ac_cid=tw123456#20841243

Other helpful references I used along the way:

http://www.eisforbook.com/2011/10/my-first-ibook-bringing-op-picture-book.html

http://www.pigsgourdsandwikis.com/2011/11/where-should-ebook-begin.html


Phone numbers for iBookstore Support for publisher support:

Australia       1300 307 504

Note that this is a low tariff number.

France          0805 540 117

Germany      0800 664 5307

Italy    800 915 902

Netherlands  0800 0201 578

Spain  900 812 687

U.K.    0800 975 0615

U.S.    +1 (877) 206-2092

Toll-free from U.S. and Can