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A2 · Getting started

Add a book

For authorsVoice-over · English subtitles

Add a book, publish its page and give readers an excerpt.

Go to written steps

Before you start

  • Set up and publish your author profile.
  • Have your book details and cover image ready.
  • Have an EPUB, a PDF or text to paste for your excerpt.

Watch the walkthrough

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English voice-over and subtitles; use the player’s captions control to adjust subtitles. The video is embedded from YouTube.

Chapters

  1. Add a book.
  2. Enter the title.
  3. Add the description, language and audience.
  4. Choose genres.
  5. Check the page address.Current chapter
  6. Add the series and release date.
  7. Content warnings.
  8. Answer the AI use question.
  9. Add a cover image.
  10. Add links.
  11. Publish the book.
  12. Answer and publish again.
  13. Add an excerpt.
  14. Publish the excerpt.
  15. View the public page.

Transcript

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  1. In this lesson, you'll add a book, publish its page and give readers an excerpt.
  2. Open Books in the sidebar, then select Add book.
  3. Your book stays a draft until you publish it.
  4. Start with the title. The preview beside the form updates as you type.
  5. Add a description: it's what readers see on the book page.
  6. Then choose the language and the audience.
  7. You need these to publish, but you can save a draft without them.
  8. Choose one to three genres.
  9. The first is your primary genre, shown on cards and in search results.
  10. Leave Page address empty to use the title.
  11. If you change it later, the old address keeps redirecting.
  12. In Series and identifiers, pick an existing series or type a new one, and add the book's number in it.
  13. Add a release date if you have one. ISBN and ASIN are optional.
  14. Content warnings has three choices.
  15. Decide later leaves it unanswered in a draft, but you'll need to choose before publishing.
  16. Let's leave it for now.
  17. Next, answer the AI use question. It's required, even for a draft.
  18. Spelling checks and research don't count.
  19. If you choose Yes, tick which parts.
  20. Your answer appears on the book page as your own declaration.
  21. Add a cover image. The hint shows the formats and the minimum size.
  22. In Links, add review pages where readers can leave a review, and stores under Where to buy.
  23. Select Publish book.
  24. The draft is saved, but publishing is blocked: we haven't answered Content warnings yet.
  25. Choose No content warnings, then select Publish book again.
  26. The page is live. Publishing doesn't share any book files.
  27. You send copies through a campaign.
  28. Now add an excerpt. Select Add an excerpt.
  29. You can import text from a file, and the file stays on your device.
  30. Choose a chapter from your EPUB, or pages from a PDF, then select Import text to fill the editor.
  31. Check the text: page numbers and headers may need tidying.
  32. Tick the rights statement, then select Publish excerpt.
  33. Back on the book, select View public page.
  34. Readers see your cover, the series, the description, content warnings and your AI use declaration, with a link to read the excerpt.
  35. You can edit the book at any time. Next, launch an ARC campaign.

Written steps (text version of this video)

This walkthrough shows how to add a book, answer the questions needed to publish its page, add an excerpt from your EPUB and see the page as readers do.

  1. Add a book.

    Open Books in the sidebar and select Add book. The book stays a draft until you publish it.

    0:11 Books →

  2. Enter the title.

    Enter the title. The preview beside the form updates as you type.

    0:21 New book →

  3. Add the description, language and audience.

    Add a description, then choose the language and the audience. Both are required before publishing.

    0:30 New book →

  4. Choose genres.

    Choose one to three genres. The first is the primary genre shown on cards and in search results.

    0:42 New book →

  5. Check the page address.

    Leave the page address empty to use the title; old addresses keep redirecting.

    0:54 New book →

  6. Add the series and release date.

    Add the series, the number in the series and the release date. ISBN and ASIN are optional.

    1:02 New book →

  7. Content warnings.

    Choose an option for content warnings. Decide later keeps the draft but blocks publishing.

    1:15 New book →

  8. Answer the AI use question.

    Answer the AI use question. It's required, and it's shown on your book page as your declaration.

    1:27 New book →

  9. Add a cover image.

    Add a cover image. The hint shows the formats and the minimum size.

    1:43 New book →

  10. Add links.

    In Links, add review pages where readers can leave a review, and stores under Where to buy.

    1:49 New book →

  11. Publish the book.

    Select Publish book. If a required detail is missing, the draft is saved and Hamsterra lists what to add before publishing.

    2:05 New book →

  12. Answer and publish again.

    Choose an option for content warnings and select Publish book again.

    2:16 Books →

  13. Add an excerpt.

    Import text from an EPUB or PDF, or paste it. The file stays on your device.

    2:31 Books →

  14. Publish the excerpt.

    Check the text, tick the rights statement and select Publish excerpt.

    2:47 Books →

  15. View the public page.

    Select View public page to see the book as readers do.

    2:59 Books →

Check you’re done

  • Your book page is published.
  • Your book details, content warnings and AI use declaration are saved.
  • Your excerpt is published and can be opened from the book page.

Common questions

What happens if I try to publish before the book is ready?

If the draft can be saved but required publication details are missing, Hamsterra keeps the draft and lists what you need to add.

Does importing an excerpt upload my book file?

No. The file stays on your device. The extracted text fills the editor for you to check before publishing.

Can I hide the excerpt later?

Yes. Select Unpublish in the excerpt editor. The excerpt becomes a draft again.

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