Product Description

The e-book revolution is beginning—and with the information in this book, you’ll be one step ahead of the rest. Electronic publishing is an exploding field with plenty of opportunities for authors, self-publishers, entrepreneurs, and other professionals.

But how do you get started? And once you have your content in e-book format, how do you promote it and sell it? With this book, you’ll learn every phase of the e-book writing and publishing process—from creating manuscripts and e-book files to marketing and distributing online.

You’ll get the essential information that you need to know, including: *What makes a good e-book. You’ll find out what sells, what doesn’t, and why. *How to choose e-book formats. We’re a long way from a single e-book format that every e-book reader device and program can read. You’ll become familiar with the different formats that are available and the pros and cons of each. *How to create e-book documents. Once you’ve selected a format, you’ll need to know about the tools available for conversion and how to make your book looks as it should. *Where to find services for start-up e-publishers. Many people make a business of helping other people start and run their e-publishing businesses. You’ll discover how to reach and benefit from them. *Where to distribute your e-books and how to market them. *What to look for in e-book publishing contracts and what you need to know about digital rights and copy protection.

E-publishing offers many advantages over traditional publishing, including: *The freedom to do your own thing your own way. *The ability to start small and grow. You don’t have to start with dozens of books to be a successful e-publisher or e-author. *Easy entry. All you need is the desire, the information in this book, and perhaps a Web site. *No printing bills, no shipping, no storage—a publisher’s dream! *Easy access to online booksellers and distributors. You don’t have to go through a master distributor to enter the market. *Better author royalties, friendlier contracts. The economic benefits that publishers enjoy with e-book publishing are often passed along to the authors. *More control over how your work is published. With e-books you can participate in the editing, layout, and cover design of your book. *The ability to work from just about anywhere. You can sell your e-books from any location, including a secluded beach without a post office in sight (as long as you have an Internet connection, of course!).

With all these advantages, why wouldn’t you get involved in the e-publishing revolution? Maybe you think the technology behind e-books is too intimidating? Well, it doesn’t have to be. This book explains in geek-free, easy-to-follow language the e-book software and hardware devices—which ones offer what features, their pros and cons, who the major players are, and the file format particulars.

You’ll discover that the Internet, e-book technology, and the information in this book make it possible for anyone (even the most technophobic) to self-publish remarkably cheaply and have a chance to reach just as many people as Stephen King’s first e-book.

You will also be motivated and inspired by success stories from some of the leaders in the business. And the Appendices, with sample contracts, a list of e-publishers, and loads of e-publishing resource, are particularly helpful.

The coming years will see a dramatic change in the publishing industry. Will you be leading the pack or trying to catch up?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #661839 in Books
• Published on: 2001-02-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 400 pages

Review
"...as inevitable as page two's following page one. Books are goners as far as being the dominant form of reading." -- Steven Levy, Newsweek

An extremely detailed look at how an author can create e-books using the vast amount on online resources available. -- Eva Almeida, eBooks N' Bytes Informer

E-Publishing is the next big thing and something no author or publisher shold ignore. Read this book so you don't get left behind. -- John Kremmer, Author, 1001 Ways to Market Your Books

I've been in the e-book business since the beginning, and I'd highly recommend this book. -- Maggie Cannon, VP Content, MightyWords

Tells you everything you need to know in a friendly, easy-to-read style. If you're in the e-book business, you need this book! -- Mary Westheimer, CEO, BookZone.com

There are only two types of publishers: Those in danger of missing the electronic boat and those who do not even know there is a boat to catch. -- Dan Poynter, Author, The Self-Publishing Manual

About the Author
Chris Van Buren is the author of over 15 books and is currently a literary agent with Waterside Productions. Jeff COgswell has written several books, including Simple C++ and Delphi 32-Bit Programming Secrets.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
What Are E-Books Good For?

With e-publishing, you don’t have to grovel to the print publishing establishment to get your work noticed. The Internet and e-book technology gives you the power of independence—the power to create your own e-books and sell them online. The only people you answer to are the readers themselves, your customers. And you won’t be alone out there. Plenty of online services, agents, discussion groups, and information resources can help you along the way. Indeed, many people have decided to make a business of helping other people start and run their e-publishing businesses. This book will lead you to all these resources and more.

Here are some other things that make e-publishing an attractive alternative to traditional print publishing:
The freedom to do your own thing your own way. You don’t have to adhere to the standards of the print publishing world. There’s plenty of room online to try new things.
The ability to start small and grow. You don’t have to start by opening a publishing company online with dozens of books. In fact, you can start as an author, writing for other e-publishing companies. You can choose to do certain aspects of the publishing process and hire out the rest. If you decide that e-publishing is for you, you can slowly take over more of the process.

Ease of entry. You don’t need a huge investment or lots of books. All you need is the desire, the information in this book, and perhaps a Web site to accompany your efforts online.

No printing bills, no shipping, no storage. Selling e-books is a matter of transferring electronic files over the Internet. The economics of e-publishing are much different from those of print publishing.

Easy access to online booksellers and distributors. Small e-publishers can get their books into the major online booksellers, such as Amazon.com and Borders. You don’t have to be a member of a secret society to enter the market.
Better author royalties, friendlier contracts. Generally, e-book publishers offer authors more favorable royalties than the ones print book publishers offer. The benefits that the publishers enjoy with e-book publishing are shared with the author.

More control over how your work is published. As an author, you can often participate in the editing, layout, and cover design of your book. Some publishers even let you set the price of your work.

The ability to work from just about anywhere. Most of the process of creating and publishing e-books is done online, over the Internet. As long as you have a decent Internet connection, you can work from just about anywhere.

Customer Reviews

Overwhelming
If you're looking for a book to guide you through the thicket of self-publishing in ebook and print on demand formats, this book isn't it. It's full of facts but not very much nitty gritty know-how from those who have gone through the process, learned from their mistakes and now are sharing their wisdom with others.

Reviewed for eBook Reviews Weekly
Overall, Poor Richard's Creating E-Books is an extremely detailed look at how an author can create e-books using the vast amount of online resources available. Van Buren and Cogswell begin with an excellent explanation of what an e-book actually is, followed by an overview of the different e-book file formats, software, and hardware.

The step-by-step guide on converting manuscripts into e-books for the various reading devices contains valuable tips for self-publishers. The authors stress the importance of publishing a quality product and advise on how to maintain digital rights and register for ISBNs. In addition to crucial tips on how to effectively market your finished e-book, Creating E-Books wraps up by showcasing success stories and examining future trends in the industry. I definitely recommend this book -- I believe it would be a powerful addition to any e-publisher's resource library.