ABOUT
About Self-Publishing, Digital eBooks and Print On Demand
E-books Digital Self-Publishing Information and Resources are available for all creative people to take advantage of and publish their works.
Long before the name ‘e-book’ was known, I envisioned an electronic bookstore and electronic access to information. I also pictured computers being like tiny transistor radios–(iPod).
As a technical writer, computer programmer, instructor, and technological support professional it was inevitable that I would create informational and digital products, and assist others who wished to create electronic-style e-books also.
I
did not create my first e-book until 2003. However, I had been taking
online educational continuing e-courses since 1998 and utilized the
capabilities of downloading textbooks less expensively than the regular
pricing for hardback textbooks.
It was at that time, I realized the immediate access to the information and the capabilities to search and index the contents. I found the experience beneficial to any learning environment.
I created my first e-book using an HTML compilation e-book software application. I can still use this e-book today as I created only HTML page with additional pages, webpages via Internet link access. In other words, the one-page e-book had Internet hypertext links to all the chapter pages included.
I tested many different e-books’ HTML compiler applications in addition to various PDF software converters.
COMMENT:
The article below was written years ago, when experts were trying to tell us eBooks were a fad!
eBooks – Not Just a Fad!
And, people said eBooks were just a fad.
The evolution of computers, ebooks and e-reader devices are truly attention-grabbing these days. It is difficult to believe too many people said eBooks were a fad and would last, at the most, for a few short years.
It is a fact that originally, businesses and people turned the other way deciding they could never properly utilize computer equipment and accessories or other similar type devices. The very same attitude occurred when eBooks were introduced with technological advancement. Many said that eBooks would never emerge successfully.
People assumed one had to hold a physical book for it to be read and enjoyed. Audio listening devices were whispered to be a mere lazy way to obtain knowledge of a story or information. It was said by many, “these unnatural methods and schemes to degrade the physical and hard or paperback book would soon be proven ineffective, unproductive and futile”.
Although many believed the eBook would fail in sales and realized as a disastrous enterprise, technological improvement once again revolutionized the publishing industry.
Currently, many people realize reading a book as putting on headphones for an audio book, or booting up a notebook or desktop computer or turning on an e-reader device to download an ebook. Many simply turn on their Smartphone to access magazines, newsletters and e-books.
Public Libraries now offer large collections of e-books and some make available e-reader devices as well. Although, readers and viewers, (people), are paying money to download ebooks, digital music, videos, newsletters, magazines and more; some libraries continue to offer free services and products. More and more libraries provide e-readers that come preloaded with a selection of classic novels including current political ebooks, newsletters and magazines.
Along with libraries, publishers keep up with the changing times, and consumers’ technological needs to download ebooks, music and videos.
Publishers have also realized the trend and have changed their way of producing and publishing books and e-books. Publishers are now using Print On Demand (POD) as a way of decreasing business publishing costs.
Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, Lulu.com, Apple and many other publishers avail the author to self-publish their material at very little or almost no expense to the writer. The eBook Transformation, Innovation, and Modernization has officially emerged.
In retrospect, I have been writing the very same conception since 2003; trying to persuade all aspiring authors to get on board the wonderful space ship. Yet, there are still some who disagree with my view.
These current times for writers are ideal! Actually, it is a thrilling era. Self-Publishing is made so easy that thousands of authors are uploading their material daily. The variety and entertainment made available, changes on a daily endless basis.
There is so much to be written and so much to be read! I hope, you who read this article, are a part of this great revolution in digital publishing and reading. There is no doubt, this is an exciting evolvement for authors!
If you would like to learn more about self-publishing, you can understand your options; and discover the steps to achieve your aspiring writing goals.
If you don’t have an e-reader, or you are interested in trying one out, a library near you might just have one to experience.
More about me:
Many of you may not have been born when I first booted up my computers. Technology has truly evolved systematically over the last 35 years.
I have been a computer professional; it seems, for a lifetime. I can recall how office personnel and the public said that computers were a “craze” and that they would never be used by businesses or in the home. I also remember when I had to drive almost 75 miles to the nearest computer store because there were only 2 or 3 in the state.
I have always realized the need for computers in business and for my own personal use. Actually, I fell in love with computers and what was inside of them. It was for this reason, I got my hands on anything that looked like a computer, even when, it ran without disc drives, as it used cassettes to store data. Wow, those were the days.. when I look back upon those scenarios, it seems remarkable how quickly technology evolved.
In the early 1980’s when personal computers were introduced, I was right there purchasing any equipment and accessories I could afford. I recall when color monitors first made their appearance on the market! I was always fascinated and in awe with the magic of computers and their wonderful and capable achievements. I especially was enthralled with the games and graphics. Once I realized I could get almost any job or service done using a computer, I never looked back to a manual way of life.
The advent of the Internet was the major changing era! Since the World Wide Web introduced a technological revolution, just about anything and everything became technology oriented.
The greatest and most fruitful of all periods for me was from 2001 to 2003 when I began to publish my material using the Self-Publishing digital techniques available along with Internet Websites. It seems so elementary when I look back. However, the unknown to me at that time was a fearful, yet structural and very rewarding learning experience.
I recommend any aspiring writers take the steps to publish their material. It will make all the difference in their future!