eBooks: The Brave New World of Publishing

Ebooks are easily distributed or downloaded online. One of the best features that have served us well is the fact that an eBook is easily updated. As an example, my 2008 eBook, Defeat Foreclosure has been updated four times in six months as the U.S. House and Senate keep changing the laws regarding foreclosure, mortgages, home ownership and taxes.

We duplicate 700 to 800 books at a time so the book is as current as the last duplication of disks. Being able to immediately download an eBook online and put the book on your hard drive saves a trip to the local bookstore or waiting for it to come in the mail. We have truly become impatient consumers.

Ebooks can be designed to be interactive. Our series of Nikon Digital Camera eBooks by best selling author Peter iNova like the D80, D300 and the new D90 utilizes a “rollover” technique in which moving the mouse over an image turns it to a before and after picture like magic, making learning a camera technique faster and easier to comprehend. These books contain numerous Internet links and when appropriate the reader can go from the eBook to online research material enhancing the learning experience. Video and mp3 audio files can also be included in an eBook further enhancing the experience, drawing your reader into the virtual world of your eBook. The potential is virtually limitless and the eBook done in PDF files is printable on any printer.

Think of your eBook as a potential ongoing serial or course. Pull out certain sections as a special report available on your website, or into audio or visual tapes using these sections to promote current or future products. Create a squeeze page or landing page in which a potential buyer can download your report or special section to encourage the purchase of your eBook. No other publishing method has this kind of flexibility for expansion.

As this new generation seems to be born with their umbilical cord attached to a computer, the new world is not opposed to reading on the Internet, including entire books on their computer, Kindle or iPods. The information explosion for sharing information, ideas, techniques, and expert knowledge is expanding faster then we can consume the data. This explosion of information was brought on not only by computers and the Internet but also by the development of the eBook. It is obvious, therefore, why electronic self-publishing has become popular so quickly.

Let us devote some attention to what makes eBooks so important, unique and appealing. Ebooks have certain capabilities and qualities that other publishing alte
atives do not offer. Ebooks are quite easy and inexpensive to produce. You don’t need an agent, a printing press, or a distributor. You just need a great concept, the ability to write or-the money to hire a writer, and the right software. I am very partial to inDesign a computer program for book layout and enjoy using Photoshop for graphics and images.

In conclusion, there are numerous ways to use eBooks to promote your business, drive traffic to your website and once posted on your site, you can turn them into online study courses, bringing your customer back to read the next chapter or use them as a free gift for making a purchase. We have placed our YouTube promotional DVD on a disk as an example of using a DVD as a business card or innovative brochure.

Using eBooks cuts the cost of producing separate promotional material. Ebooks give you the opportunity to learn your market and customer habits over a period of time, without risking a great deal of financial resources.

Research your own niche if you are planning to write an eBook. Check out Amazon and ClickBank to see what subject matter is selling. Use your research to discover what the goals and problems are in your specific subject. Then find your own unique way to solve these problems, and publish an eBook that might approach the niche from a different direction. If you plan to do an eBook on a current subject see what those authors have left out of their books. This will increase the value of your eBook and your reputation as an expert in your field.

The eBook is here to stay… so is the information explosion.