| The Internet or Worldwide Web is a collection of | | | | sacrificing trees! |
| electronic (digital) documents that are read on a | | | | "If book publishers can't see the writing on the |
| computer screen or electronic device. To obtain a | | | | wall, it's because the writing is not on the wall. It's |
| physical copy, it is necessary to print the required | | | | on a computer screen." -- Dan Poynter |
| document on your printer. These digital | | | | Once your eBook is complete, it may be uploaded |
| publications are generally called eBooks. | | | | (sent electronically via the Internet as a file) to |
| Being published on the Internet makes it possible | | | | the websites of online booksellers with whom you |
| for your writing to become accessible to the | | | | have an agreement, to your own website, or |
| world, without great expense on your part. The | | | | some other website so it becomes available for |
| only limit is your ability to market your work and | | | | downloading by readers. Online booksellers handle |
| bring it to the attention of the millions of people | | | | all the financial aspects and pay very generous |
| "surfing the web" every hour of the day. | | | | royalties. |
| The advantage of paperback or hardcover books | | | | In your search for a regular Publisher, you will be |
| are that people like to take a "real book to bed | | | | able to send the eBook to literary agents and |
| with them for a good read, although it must be | | | | publishers and offer to sell the electronic, print, |
| said that the latest eBook Readers (like the | | | | translation, movie and other subsidiary rights. |
| Kindle) come close to the real thing. Nearly half | | | | Your eBook may also be copied to a CD or |
| the publications sold Amazon in December 2009 | | | | emailed as an attachment and distributed globally. |
| were electronic. | | | | It can be read on IPods and other electronic |
| "Eyeballs are moving from print to online. eBooks | | | | devices - even modern cellphones. It is a very |
| are the future." -- Dan Poynter | | | | versatile product in our electronic age. |
| The disadvantages of ordinary books are that | | | | All you need to access an eBook is an electronic |
| they are expensive to print, market, distribute | | | | screen. It may also be printed out via your printer |
| and post - especially to overseas buyers. It is also | | | | for bedtime reading! |
| very difficult to have them included in the | | | | "Books are going electronic. Some bound books |
| catalogues of online booksellers if they are not | | | | will soon be as dead as the trees they are printed |
| readily available for distribution overseas. | | | | on." -- Dan Poynter |
| Electronic publishing allows you to write, store, sell | | | | "The breakthroughs are leading authors to bypass |
| and read your book without printing it. Instead of | | | | publishers, retailers to become publishers and |
| investing money in physical print runs, books may | | | | publishers to become bookstores." -- Don Clark, |
| now be written and delivered electronically to a | | | | Wall Street Journal. |
| computer near you. | | | | Consider that there are online readers around the |
| Readers see the advertisement on the web, pay | | | | world who do not have access to libraries or |
| online, and receive a private web address in their | | | | bookstores. Why not make your book available to |
| email that allows them to download the eBook to | | | | them? |
| their computer within minutes of purchasing it. As | | | | We are not just in the "information age" - we are |
| easy as that! | | | | in the "electronic information age" or, better yet, |
| There is an increasing demand for instant | | | | the "communication age." The world of |
| information and electronic or digital books are | | | | knowledge is going from a paper culture to an |
| becoming very popular. They may be downloaded | | | | electronic culture. |
| from the Internet instantly and are searchable | | | | If you have already written a book - or are busy |
| and less expensive than regular books. Online | | | | writing one - why not consider publishing your |
| readers need just click on an address in the | | | | book electronically as well? There are millions of |
| eBook to instantly go to the referenced web site. | | | | online readers who would love the opportunity to |
| They cost nothing to write and publish in full | | | | read it. |
| colour and can be distributed electronically without | | | | |