iPad and Kindle/book publishing

Been a while since I owned an iPad. When I did, I didn't have a special word processor that would handle necessary Kindle formatting.

I can say that you'll need the iCab Mobile Browser app if you want to b able to upload your files.

I dug up this old guest blog post I wrote when I was still using my iPad. I actually sold my iPad a while ago...and I have a Surface Pro now, and I'm about to the do the same. I've gotten really spoiled with my laptop now and just use it for everything.

Still, the apps and workflow outlined in the article might help you out:

How I Launched 18 Sites and Wrote 3 E-books with My iPad…in Six Days

A little background…I have been writing since 2000. I recently took time off while my daughter was younger, and I decided to come back to freelance writing recently, and I wanted to start over with a new niche. I have also picked up fiction writing again.

An Ambitious Plan For Promoting Myself, Brought to You on the iPad

This led me to decide on an aggressive promotion strategy: I would launch several sites, release reports and e-books, and get back into social media to get my name out there in my new niche.
So, I wrote my business plan, and got to work.

I did it all on my iPad, and I managed to launch my sites and finish my e-books in less than a week.

Now, my sites are still new (I am adding new content every day) and my e-books are being edited, but I was able to be incredibly productive with just my iPad a handful of apps.

My iPad Site Launch and Writing Workflow


Here is my workflow for launching a site on the iPad. Note that I had already researched and planned my sites, and this is how I went from domain to content.

1. I bought my domain from my registrar’s site, and added it to my hosting account in Safari.
2. I installed WordPress and uploaded my theme using the iCab Mobile browser app. To upload something with this app, you have to download it in the app because it pulls a file you select from your download list.
3. I did the basic setup of my site.
4. I added posts with the WordPress app.
5. I promoted my sites by tweeting with the Twitter app.

Now, how do I write posts and e-books on my iPad?

1. I mind map with the Simple Mind app.
2. I do keyword research with the Keywords app.
3. I plan my posts with the Index Cards app.
4. I do research online and save necessary files with the Instapaper app.
5. I write and edit with the Pages app.

Saving Time, Improving User-Friendliness with the iPad

Once I nailed down my workflow, I organized my iPad. Here’s how I organized mine, and your mileage may vary.

* Folders. Dragging one app into another allows you to create a customizable folder. I created folders to group all my necessary workflow apps so that I could arrange them on my dock.

* Planning. I have a folder first in my dock called Planner, and it contains the Notes, Calendar, and Reminders apps. I keep contextual tasks list in Reminders, calendars for deadlines, marketing, accounting, and other business components, and use notes to quickly jot down anything before it is organized.

* Splitting the keyboard. If you hold down the keyboard button, you get an option to split it, something the daughter who necessitates the iPhone-like typing this enables showed me how to do!

* Saved passwords and bookmarks. Saving time is necessary when you use the iPad as your production machine. You probably can’t type as fast on the iPad as you could on a computer. Saving time by keeping passwords, logins, and bookmarks handy helps offset everything.

Could your iPad be your primary production machine? Maybe. If you have any questions, be sure to leave them in the comments and I will try to help you out.

Edit [in article]: In the time since I wrote this post, I ended up changing some of the work that I am doing to build my platform. This means that I worked crazy hard, and kind of have to “start over”…but now I know what I can do with my iPad!

Regarding picture editing, I'm only familiar with the Nokia tools I have on my Windows phone, and they rock.

But re typing fast on the iPad...I thought I was typing fast but I was actually at a third of my typing speed. Admittedly that's still fast, but not fast enough for me.