Not content to let Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing be the powerhouse of the self-publishing world, Nook Media (a subsidiary of Barnes & Noble) is rolling out Nook Press, its own self-publishing platform for eBooks.

What completely sets Nook Press apart from Kindle Direct Publishing is the integrated feature of composing, editing and formatting your book within the platform instead of uploading and converting a file to an eBook format.

When self-publishing through KDP, there isn’t a way to edit your book within the platform; once you’ve uploaded it it’s set in stone as far as Amazon is concerned. Simple tweaks can require multiple uploads. Nook press is eliminating that hurdle and giving authors simpler-to-use ways to control the final version of their book.

Nook Press is also banking on integrated social capabilities; authors will be able to share their content and receive comments and feedback before publishing.

There’s no guarantee that Nook Press will lure readers away from eBook frontrunner Kindle to the experiencing-a-plummet-in-sales Nook, but authors will certainly be drawn to features made for burgeoning writers.

But just because you have more control doesn’t mean that you should consider self-publication in your immediate future. Swenson Book Development had written about this in the past; consider your needs against the cons of self-publication before you are lured to the easier-than-ever world of online publication.