The New Rage: Electronic Book PublishingElectronic book publishers offer the readers an opportunity to receive their books in a range of formats, such as downloading in their PC, or e-book reading device, order on diskette / CD-Rom or to receive the book by email. This is much easier than getting the books from conventional publishing houses. Books are available through the publisher's website, online booksellers such as Amazon.com and from e-book distributors. Electronic book publishing is increasingly becoming popular among writers from specific genres such as romance, erotica and so on, which are the most rapidly growing e-book markets. Electronic publishing is also fascinating to those who find it difficult to have their book published from publishing houses, or have been frustrated by not having their book published the conventional way. This is an interesting option for those who write in genres which are not interesting for most print publishers. Those who write books which are shorter than what a publishing house want it to be, could opt for electronic book publishers who are more flexible in their guidelines. An increasing number of writers are opting for electronic book publishers as they allow the authors to have a greater say in editing and packaging of their books. While it takes ages for conventional publishing houses to bring the book to the market, electronic publishers are able to publish in matter of months. E-Publishers might not pay you advances, but that should not be discouraging as the amount of royalties that they pay is higher than those paid by most publishing houses. Electronic book publishers also offer flexibility in terms of the format of the book, as well as the possibility of combing graphics, sound, and text. This is quite a fascinating to most authors. Though there are many advantages attached to electronic book publishers, you might like to consider some disadvantages as well. Admittedly, Electronic book publishers have a very limited audience. It still remains a niche market. A number of factors are responsible for this. Quite often electronic formats can get confusing for the layman. And most people do not like reading from screens as screens are at times too small and e-book devices are often too expensive. Cost is often an issue as well. Though this idea appeals to technology experts, it has still not gained ground over the majority of readers the world over. A subsequent disadvantage associated with electronic book publishing is small sales. This is pretty obvious as with small audiences involved, the sales can never be very high. Still, the sales of electronic publishers cannot match the sales of the big publishing houses. Electronic book publishers also face the problem of limited exposure and availability. So weighing the advantages and disadvantages, it's your turn now to choose between conventional publishers and electronic book publishers. |