Dispelling the Myths of eBooks
eBooks are becoming more and more popular. They are convenient, green, and have the same impact that paper books have as far as the content is concerned. Even so, many people don’t understand their true value. Let’s dispel the myths.
Myths come about because of ignorance. Some of the more popular myths will be discussed here and hopefully, you will start to appreciate the value and usefulness of eBooks after the myths have been dispelled.
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There are not a lot of eBooks available online: There are over a million eBooks that are available without any cost at all. They are available through many websites, such as Feedbooks, Manybooks.net, Google Book Search and Internet Archive. There are also millions of other eBooks that are available for purchase on any topic that you can think of or want.
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You need a special electronic device to be able to read an eBook: This is totally false. You can read eBooks on your desktop or laptop computer and you can read them through the Internet or on a mobile device. In other words, you can read eBooks on any device that you have access to.
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Buying eBooks is not any greener than buying paper books: What a ridiculous concept. Of course eBooks are greener for the environment than paper books. eBooks don’t fill up landfills, they save energy, costs for transportation, and reduce pollution that is connected to driving and flying books throughout the United States and the rest of the world. With paper books, if there are copies that are not sold, they need to be stored somewhere or shredded. That is not the case with eBooks. So many trees are saved by not using paper.
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eBooks have a short lifespan: False. You can store your eBooks indefinitely. In fact, you have a greater chance of destroying your paper books than you do of destroying your eBooks. eBooks can’t be burned, they can’t crumble, rot, fall apart, mildew or age. They can go on forever and many people can enjoy them.
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If you publish an eBook, it has a good chance of being stolen: You have exactly the same chance of getting your eBook stolen as getting your paper book stolen. The risk is identical.
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If your book isn’t good enough to be published as a paper book, it can be published as an eBook: This is absolutely a myth. Publishing your book as an eBook is just another method of publishing. It is by no means an inferior method of publishing. In fact, there are many publishing companies that are publishing both forms (paper and electronic). There are other publishing companies that have converted to only publishing electronic books. Also, many authors are choosing to self-publish their work as eBooks. This has absolutely nothing to do with the quality of the writing. It is just that the authors don’t see any great advantage to publishing paper books and they don’t want to get such a small percentage of the money from the sales of their books.
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eBooks are a thing of the future: Even though eBook publishing is much newer than paper book publishing, the sales from eBooks have made a great deal of money in a very short amount of time. Even though the eBook sales are a small percentage of the entire publishing industry, the gap is getting smaller and smaller.
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People will never agree to pay more than a few cents for an eBook: Not true. If people are interested and enticed by the subject of the eBook, they will be willing to pay for it. Because your ability to market your eBook online allows you to reach a large number of people for very little cost, you can make a much higher profit on what you are selling.
Conclusion
eBooks are here to stay. It makes a great deal of sense for eBooks to be available to the general public considering how much technology has contributed to everyone’s life and how many people are taking full advantage of that technology. eBooks are another important part of that revolution. Having eBooks at our fingertips does not mean that paper books have become any less valuable than they always were. They just use a different method of communication.
We are pleased to provide you with the insightful comments contained herein. For a complimentary assessment of your online presence, let’s have coffee.
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Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: Books and Writers
Discussion: Dispelling the Myths of eBooks
Thanks for sharing this valuable information.The timing is interesting.I just submitted a similar topic to another group.
You comments concerning being more green leave out the environmental impact of the reading devices themselves. However,on balance, an Ebook is much greener than a conventional book
Hopefully there are ways to back up eReaders. I know my IPad is backed up in several different locations.
Posted by Hank Shrier
I really enjoyed reading your post. I am an avid reader and I read all types of books and magazines. Carrying an e-book reader is as important to me as my cell phone. I love the convenience of e-books. Your comment about the e-book being stolen is an interesting comment because I always thought that an e-book would be much easier to steal than an actual book. I am interested in knowing if the risk is the same because of copywriting?
I have written and published several e-books over the past few years. They are not only easy to build but are a great way to build your list. Please collect customer data in exchange for your e-book and the more your list grows the more opportunity you have to earn his trust, credibility and respect with your audience. Make sure your e-book contains value so that the reader starts to buy into what it is you're all about. In my courses I always try to get people to see that the money is in the list and e-books are great way to create that list.
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Group: B2B Social Media
Discussion: Dispelling the Myths of eBooks
I heard book sales are actually the highest they've ever been because of the ebook readers. I know I read more because of my iPad than I would without it!
Posted by Amanda Blough
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Group: Bergen Area Networking Group
Discussion: Dispelling the Myths of eBooks
I am one of the people who love the feel of books in my hands, the smell of a new book and walking into an actual, physical bookstore, wandering the aisles. BUT I am also anxious to get my hands on an iPad and read e-books. I think both have their place….
Posted by Shannon Meirzon
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Group: "Write It Down"-A Website for Writers
Discussion: Dispelling the Myths of eBooks
Your thoughts on ebooks are music to my ears, Carolyn. I am revising a Social Phobia book I wrote in 2006 to an ebook. I will offer it on my site. This is my first experience with ebooks. Thank you for sharing.
Have a sunny day!
Posted by Dr. Dorothy McCoy
I'm buying eBooks on Amazon because they are often a lot cheaper than paperbacks, and there are some good new authors in the Sci – Fi area that are only available as ebooks. Once you have paid $.99 instead of $7.99 – the price of the Kindle pays for itself very quickly.
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Discussion: Dispelling the Myths of eBooks
Thanks for this article. As a publisher, I found the information very helpful!
Posted by Shoshana Hayman
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Discussion: Dispelling the Myths of eBooks
I love my e-reader… I have many traditional books and for some things still like having an actual book in my hands, but feel that time and use of e-data will change my mind.
Posted by Andrea Lily
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Group: "Write It Down"-A Website for Writers
Discussion: Dispelling the Myths of eBooks
I agree wholeheartedly with every point made here.. eBooks are definitely picking up steam faster than anyone could have anticipated, and they are definitely here to stay. Paper will always be around, but it won't be long before the majority of worldwide publication sales are digital.
Posted by Vincent B. Donadio
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Group: AssociationofWriters.com
Discussion: Dispelling the Myths of eBooks
Carolyn, dispelling the myth will take time. A lot of people still want to feel a book in their hands, not a kindle. This will take time, and actually content may well be different. Anyone can publish an ebook and there are no quality standards as such, so you could read an awesome novel electronically or you could read the equivalent of a "B" movie, it can really be pot luck. I believe the pricing of ebooks may be the biggest "shifter" in that they are significantly cheaper.
Posted by Paul Jones
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Group: CXO Community
Discussion: Dispelling the Myths of eBooks
Great points. The only downside I've experienced is that is very difficult to get the author to sign an ebook!
Posted by Mike Cassity
As a reader and writer of ebooks, I have a couple of comments:
– We do not "own" an ebook in the same way we own a book. We're limited in who we share it with and how. We have it only as long as the servers maintain it and readers are available. I just found a box of 75 year old books in an attic. 75 years from now, could you expect to find a cache of ancient and readable ebooks?
– As a writer, I'm coming up against the problem of sending review copies out, without requiring people to purchase them first. If there's an answer to this, please let me know.
– My books are full of illustrations and tables and workbook pages, and I haven't yet found a satisfactory way to include these in an ebook. Also sidebars and pull quotes and other common book formatting. I'm sure this is coming.
– On the other side, I love being able to include live links,and to do automatic updates that flow out to current owners. Someone showed me an ebook (on iPad) that included a live link to her website so that extra material was seamlessly included in the ebook.
– I'm also looking forward to being able to embed audio and video in ebooks.
Right now it seems that ebooks are aimed at the "cheap paperback" niche, where we don't expect to keep it in our library forever, rather to read it and let it go. Hopefully they will evolve beyond this.
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Group: CXO Community
Discussion: Dispelling the Myths of eBooks
Excellent points – one that is missed is the loaning of eBooks. That makes the power of eBooks greater. You did not mention the expansive power of eBooks when color, video and audio is added to make it more than a reading experience. Kindle even has a text to speech capability. As to the signature on an eBook – better than a signature is when the author gives a special discount away to purchase the book. That makes the eBook worth more to the reader than a signature in the front.
Posted by Michael Siersema
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Discussion: Dispelling the Myths of eBooks
Thanks for the great article! I love my ebook and share books with friends and family all the time by just trading ebooks! For me personally, I read 3 – 4 books a week so getting them free or for a reduced price is quite a savings for me. My ebook content is on my computer so every time I back up my computer I back up my ebook material – hopefully my friends and family are doing the same (I suggested it to them). When I am traveling I download a few new books and know that I can easily get my ebook out and read whenever I want. Makes waiting in airports, on airplanes and sometimes in a traffic jam more relaxing! You just need to remember to charge them – like your cell phone, compuiter, etc.
Posted by Cora Mae Lengeman
I have been converted! I orininally was not jumping on the e-book band wagon, not ready to give up my books, however, once I bought my kindle and started trying out the e-books, I am hooked. I have read more books in the last 6 months via e-books than I ever read in a 6 month period. I find it a very easy and convenient way to keep up to date with information about my coaching industry and news magazines, as well as my entertaining magazines and bookclub books. I realize there is still something about the physical book, but keeping up with technology and moving forward is a way that I can continue to learn and grow.
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Group: Medical Education Communications and Pharmaceutical Marketing
Discussion: Dispelling the Myths of eBooks
In general I would say that those who reject ebooks are Luddites, and they have many advantages from a practical perspective — but there are other factors, emotional ones that have to be resolved. Books qualify as (George Carlin version) stuff. I have a section on my shelves of books by friends — who gets emotional about downloads, or has a personally inscribed text file? A shelf filled with books gives you a chance to establish your identity without making visitors search your medicine cabinet.
I have one book that dates to the 1700s, and several from the early 1800s — I doubt if a Kindle will be workable after a century.
I like ebooks. I'm currently finishing one of those 1000+ page history books that I would never finish reading in its original form just because of its weight, but let's not rush things until we understand all the things that books mean to us.
Posted by Sam Uretsky
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Discussion: Dispelling the Myths of eBooks
Good information. But let's not forget the libraries. "There is a war going on, and libraries are going to be collateral damage."Posted by Karen Bowden
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Discussion: Dispelling the Myths of eBooks
I would like to share the:
"The Light At the End of the Publishing Tunnel: Are We Missing the Bigger Picture?
By Rudy Shur
Looking into the light:
– Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows [English Language Edition], the seventh and mostly widely read book in the series, sold 44 million copies over three years.
– The video game Bad Company 2 sold over than 5 million units in one month, while Modern Warfare 2 sold an estimated 10 million in four months.
– With a US audience of 116 million, the average time spent on Facebook is over 7 hours each month and growing.
– And, of course, while watching videos (on the internet and TV) accounted for 9 hours per month, it was more than made up for by Americans watching TV 84 hours monthly.
In a recent discussion I had with my ace sales manager, Ken Kaiman, about the future of the publishing industry, Ken made some tremendously insightful and unfortunately frightening observations that I would like to share.
For years, I have felt that those publishers most affected by the e-book (r)evolution would be the largest seven houses that dominate the bestsellers list, and judging from the latest financial reports, it seems that while the number of their hardback sales have declined, their revenue from e-books has taken a dramatically upward jump. As an indie, I have not really been affected by the changes taking place. I do sell e-books, but the vast majority of my niche titles still sell as paper books.
Of course, having presented my views about what is going on in publishing to Ken (probably more times than I should), it was now his time to respond. He took a good long look at me with his sad basset-hound eyes and said very matter-of-factly, “That’s really not the problem.” What he pointed out over the next ten minutes truly gave me pause to reconsider the future of publishing. Ken began:
The question isn’t which format the reader will choose, but if there will be readers in the first place. In the 1950s, America was a country of readers. If you couldn’t afford a television or a night out, you could always afford a new mass paperback for twenty-five cents. For the returning vets of WW2, reading was a form of entertainment that had caught on when mass market paperbacks led the way with inexpensive, widely appealing books. For baby boomers, it wasn’t about being smart or well-educated; it was about growing up and seeing your parents, siblings, or friends sitting on the sofa reading a book. Whether it was about a town called Peyton Place or a lost soul called Eve didn’t matter. People were reading for the simple joy of it. Reading could hold your attention and take you anywhere the writer wanted you to go. Throughout the 60s, 70s, and 80s, reading continued to be a great source of pleasure for many. However, something important happened in the 90s that few of us in the publishing business noticed or perhaps wanted to acknowledge.
Economically, through all the past decades, the revenues of book sales grew each and every year. Our population was growing and so was our reading audience—or a least, that was the obvious assumption. But what was not so obvious was that a good part of the financial increase was due not so much to an increase in the number of books sold, but to the increased price of both hardbacks and paperbacks. In 1990, the age of computers was upon us. What started out as small dot.com ventures turned into mega-corporations such as Google, AOL, and Yahoo. And while a dot.com bust occurred in the early twenty-first century, the effects of this true revolution changed the way Americans entertained themselves. …"
"…Economically, through all the past decades, the revenues of book sales grew each and every year. Our population was growing and so was our reading audience—or a least, that was the obvious assumption. But what was not so obvious was that a good part of the financial increase was due not so much to an increase in the number of books sold, but to the increased price of both hardbacks and paperbacks. In 1990, the age of computers was upon us. What started out as small dot.com ventures turned into mega-corporations such as Google, AOL, and Yahoo. And while a dot.com bust occurred in the early twenty-first century, the effects of this true revolution changed the way Americans entertained themselves.
Today, that change is all too evident: Walk down any US city street and watch half the people you pass intently involved in texting, twittering, or Facebooking (if there is such a word). As soon as a new edition of a popular electronic game becomes available, it’s hard to ignore the astronomical sales it garners. All you have to do is look at Guitar Hero or Halo or the ever-popular Grand Auto-Theft. Or just watch your children or grandkids playing for hours on a computer or DS or Smart-phones. The arguments about whether e-books will be the wave of the immediate future pale when you consider that the new and growing millennium generation no longer considers reading books as entertainment. In fact, they do not consider reading at all. Small bits of information called sound bites are becoming the norm. Instead of focusing on how our books are going to be delivered to the reading public, we ought to be concerned about who will be left to read books.
While other countries in this world focus on educating their children, we seem more concerned with amusing them. Yes, these electronic time-wasters do serve a purpose: They act as baby-sitters or simply keep children out of parents’ hair. However, the responsibility of bringing children up who value education, and hence read, in any form, is no longer the priority it once was. When President Obama spoke about the crisis of education in the United States, too few in the publishing industry seem to connect the “com.dots.” Without a vibrant and growing reading public to buy e-books or tree-books, just who are we going to sell our wares to in the future? Do we know how many homes do not have books? How many children have never been exposed to the pleasure of reading or being read to? Manufacturers of cereal, soda, bottled water, and computers certainly know how many households they are in, and are constantly reinforcing the need or pleasure of their product. The economics of our industry make such research challenging, but surely we need to do more than make the occasional foray into trying to create readers. We do know that there is a large market that wants books, as evidenced by the success of Harry Potter and all things vampire. But can such occasional readers support our industry in the future?
It was a hell of a point that keeps reverberating in my head. For all those who may think that selling our titles as e-books is the light at the end of the tunnel, I have a tip to pass on. Don’t be too surprised if the light is attached to a speeding train heading directly towards you—towards all of us."
End
Posted by Rachel Madorsky
Via LinkedIn Groups
Group: Writers World
Discussion: Dispelling the Myths of eBooks
Dear Carolyn,
I love the direct blunt way you explain things and make it easy for me to understand. I am weighing the pros and cons of self publishing my memoir. You have pushed me a little closer to doing it as an ebook.
Annie Campbell
Posted by annie campbell
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Group: Medical Education Communications and Pharmaceutical Marketing
Discussion: Dispelling the Myths of eBooks
Sam makes good points. The print book will continue to have its place, in my opinion. There are people who get headaches or migraines from reading a lit screen continuously. Students and others will want to make margin notes or highlight passages. eBooks are an adjunct to print books. I'd rather take a paperback to the beach than a Kindle.
Posted by Beverly Barton
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Group: Inbound Marketers – For Marketing Professionals
Discussion: Dispelling the Myths of eBooks
I think E-books do have an important place in business. I have gained a lot of information this way and I print them out and file them for future reference.
Posted by Barbara Gruner
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Group: Writers
Discussion: Dispelling the Myths of eBooks
Thanks, Carolyn. Went to your site and gleaned from your several ebook posts. Valuable for an old guy with one (really good) book in me and I want to get it to the mostest folks; cheapest and easiest is a bonus.
Posted by Gary Taylor
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Group: Writers
Discussion: Dispelling the Myths of eBooks
Looks like eBooks and Kindle are the wave of the future. I don't think that paper work books are dead, by any means, but maybe it might indicate that the market for literary effort is expanding. I suspect that if a study were done on who is reading eBoohs vs, paper books, the demographics for each would be vastly different. Perhaps in a few years, the paper book world will die. Who knows. As for me, I prefer books made of paper, you don't need batteries and they're easier to mark up.
Posted by Nick Schklair
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Group: Writers
Discussion: Dispelling the Myths of eBooks
I don't know about eBooks not being a thing of the future, I'm fairly sure we'll see them getting much more popular as younger generations grow up with them.
There are very few books I would pay full print price for an eBook of, but they do exist. Maybe this would be more applicable to non-fiction than fiction? Seeing what's going to happen with eBooks is going to be fascinating.
Posted by Lauren Buxton
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Group: Writers
Discussion: Dispelling the Myths of eBooks
Question for you Lauren:
I am offering my book about entrepreneurial start ups, getting going in a new business and funding a business in an eBook on Kindle. I will sell my basic real paper book for $15.95 and thought about offering my eBook version for $9.95. Do you think, as it is a non fiction work (I love that term!), that I could sell it for say $12.95 or $13.95 on kindle et al? The actual book will be 140 pages in a trade book format.
Posted by Nick Schklair
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Group: Writers
Discussion: Dispelling the Myths of eBooks
An answer for you Nick:
At $13.95 I would look for it in print form rather than as an eBook, at $12.95 it would depend on how easy the print version would be to find and how much shipping would cost me if I had to special order it.
It sounds like your book would be one that I would probably be going back and forth a good bit in and using for references after my first read through, which makes the print version a better option in my mind because of the ease of finding your page, but for a difference of $6 I would consider the eBook version instead.
Posted by Lauren Buxton
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Group: Writers
Discussion: Dispelling the Myths of eBooks
Lauren, thank you so much for your response. The shipping on the print version will be $2.95, basically what USPS charges me. I think that my original pricing plan of $9.95 for the Kindle and $15.95 or $16.95 for the print version is on target then, correct? My other book, at 170 pages is an comic, entertaining, quasi informative look at the world of big business. If I priced the print version at say $14.95 and the Kindel at $11.95, do you think that makes any sense? Or because the subject matter is lighter, perhaps a print version of $9.95 is in order with a Kindle price of say $8.95…?
Posted by Nick Schklair
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Group: Writers
Discussion: Dispelling the Myths of eBooks
Sounds about right to me. I'm not really sure what the average price on business texts is, but that sounds about even with many of the non-fiction books I've looked at. The second one I'm not sure about. My general rule of thumb when looking at books for my kindle is to be sure that I either cannot find them in print or that the difference in prices is close to the cost of shipping. It being a new book though, I would go a little lower on the kindle price and look at $10.95 or $11.95 for the print edition.
I'm a consumer in this though, it might be better to find someone who's got experience with pricing in the publishing industry.
Posted by Lauren Buxton
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Group: Non-Fiction Writers
Discussion: Dispelling the Myths of eBooks
What is an E book? is it Kindle, Nook, PDF, simply a file or what. Is it all these? But Kindle is certainly NOT a PDF file. I can make a PDF file for zero cost, but how can I sell it to A and not have it go viral to BCDFG? It costs dollars to put your book into KIndle form.
Posted by Murray .Grossan, M.D.
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Group: Writers World
Discussion: Dispelling the Myths of eBooks
Carolyn,
I uploaded two new books (converted to digital by CreateSpace) to Kindle and am waiting and waiting and waiting for them to show up in the Kindle Store. It seems to be taking forever and is driving me crazy. How could anything take this long?
Posted by Bobbi Linkemer
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Group: Inbound Marketers – For Marketing Professionals
Discussion: Dispelling the Myths of eBooks
Actually, while e-books are great, they do not have the same impact as p-books (which are owned, can be passed along endlessly, recycled, etc.). The jury is still out on "how green" a rechargeable reader "is" after considering its net environmental impact (the waste problems after a device is retired are huge and toxic, unlike the impact of p-books).
While e-books themselves do not cause this, the platforms on which they must be read cause ongoing environmental problems.
Posted by Hugh Griffin
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Group: Freelance Editing Network
Discussion: Dispelling the Myths of eBooks
This is reminiscent of the Beatles song "Paperback Writer." Paul McCartney's written song conveys that in order to be an acclaimed author your books have to make it to hard cover. It has been proven time and time again that no matter what the format; a book, quote, phrase, or even a scribble on a napkin can have meaning and worth. The worth however, may not always be something that is gauged by an actual dollar amount.
I recently discovered my own passion for eBooks (editing, designing and publishing) and have noticed that the opinions are split as to the validity that these types of books carry. Thank you for your very informative post!! I think we may be on the track to setting the record straight!
-Kerri
Posted by Kerri Burgio
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Group: CXO Community
Discussion: Dispelling the Myths of eBooks
well, this topic is right up my alley, in fact our entire business model is based on the fact that we believe that there is an unlimited amount of business knowledge hidden is great books which many of us can't get to, have no time for, etc. So, we (getAbstract) have actually found, summarized, rated and published over 7,000 of them in an on-demdnad, e-libary (from 460 top-rated publishers and their authors). Today about 19% of the F500 use this as a learning and development tool. It is green, leverages all the latest technology and devices, takes into account our limited time and thirst for business knowledge and best-practices. Thank for given me an excuse to share my passion about our company here 🙂
Posted by Michel Koopman
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Group: "Write It Down"-A Website for Writers
Discussion: Dispelling the Myths of eBooks
Just between everyone here and me, anybody know some quality software that could make a far more interactive eBook? I'm planning on publishing my novel as an eBook, but as a Christmas piece, I'd love music to play in the background that meets with the scene. As the reader changes pages, the composition changes. There's more even a writer can do to add whole new dimensions to their eBooks. Ironically, I'm a paper-page-turner myself, but also as someone who loves his iPhone and technology and cinema, I can see this being rather spectacular.
Posted by Cody W Urban
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Group: "Write It Down"-A Website for Writers
Discussion: Dispelling the Myths of eBooks
For e-book simplicity and success, you can't beat Smashwords (www.smashwords.com). I have three books there with more on the way. With a premium membership, Smashwords will format all of your books for every e-reader, tablet and smart phone. They will even purchase your ISBN. Meanwhile, since they are a distributor (not a publisher), they occupy no control over editorial changes, graphic design, reviews or marketing. Yes, you wil still need to drive traffic to your sites. Unless your name is King or Clancy, all of us need to market. But Smashwords is a one-step success kit. They also pay a very nice quarterly royalty.
Posted by Charles Weinblatt
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Group: CXO Community
Discussion: Dispelling the Myths of eBooks
I love ebooks and have a bunch on my ipad and agree on the "instantness" and ability to carry dozens at a time. BUT, I do miss the tactile feel of holding a book and the ego part of turning pages and seeing the remaining pages dwindle. So, for special books, I still buy hard copy.
Posted by Bob Hatcher
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Discussion: Dispelling the Myths of eBooks
I resisted offering e-books at first, mainly because I'm a dinosaur purist. However, my e-book sells have outstripped my paper book sales, so it was well worth it.
Posted by Diana Hurwitz
Via Biznik.
Excellent, up-to-date article, Carolyn. In fact, my wife and I had that little discussion about ebooks a few times within the past few months and bottomline is we agree with you. In fact, as Elisha the first responder said that she has been delaying her book publishing and has decided to self-publish, my wife, up until recently, has been in the same quandrum. Only 3 months ago did she decide to self-publish her 3rd of 3 manuscripts (the best one so far according to her) on Amazon.com and B&N.com for E-readers. This book, "4 Gigs of Trouble" by Stella Baker, is a Murder Mystery novel for a mere $2.99 on Amazon.com. I just read it in paperback (also available on Amazon.com) on our vacation and thoroughly enjoyed it even though I'm not a big reader.
Check it out….you might enjoy it too.
Via Biznik.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Carolyn. However, despite the fact that I consider myself quite a "green" person, and do have a couple of e-books stored on my computer, I must say, I still prefer a paper book. I know it's not "green" but I sit on a computer all day doing my work and sometimes I just want to get away from electronics. Nothing beats curling up with a good book in a lawn chair under a tree, by the pond, on the deck, in bed, on the couch, in my favourite big chair in my favourite room. But besides the comforts, with electronics, there seems to always be more costs, more cables, more batteries, more upgrades, more repairs. I buy used books now online or at my local used bookstore and keep them for years and years or donate them back to be recycled again. To me, it will be a very, very sad day when I can no longer read a good book. Think of all the electronics in the landfills as well. All the books that don't sell should be recycled back into new ones and then that would solve that problem of using more trees. Sorry, but I'm just one of those taking the stance of EVERYTHING going electronic. Who knows, I might eventually have to give in, but I still have never owned a Blackberry or even want an iPhone. I have a regular cell phone that I keep just in case I find someone at a certain place or I need a tow truck. Otherwise, messages will be on my computer or my voice mail when I get home.
Via Biznik.
Fantastic read! I'm working on my 3rd eBook and I love the venue. eBooks are what I write when I have something to say that is off the topic of my blog (photography) and too long for a guest blog post or video.
I write a photography blog, but my eBooks are about blogging. I keep them to less than 20 pages (with title and TOC) and I link the heck out of them, because people want easy. I sell them for $9.99 and have had great success and I'm looking forward to more.
So many people want to know how I do things and instead of answer email after email, I write an eBook – and they do sell. I find that if people see you as an authority, they'll buy. I learned this because I found myself buying eBooks from Problogger.net sight unseen – why? because Darren Rowse knows his stuff. I've never been disappointed in the past so I'm going to buy now before the price goes up.
I transferred that logic to my audience and it does work.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.