Poor Richard's Creating E-Books

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?