E‐book Publishing Success: How Anyone Can Write, Compile and Sell E‐books on the Internet

Brenda Chawner (Victoria University of Wellington New Zealand)

Online Information Review

ISSN: 1468-4527

Article publication date: 1 September 2006

185

Keywords

Citation

Chawner, B. (2006), "E‐book Publishing Success: How Anyone Can Write, Compile and Sell E‐books on the Internet", Online Information Review, Vol. 30 No. 5, pp. 603-604. https://doi.org/10.1108/14684520610706523

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2006, Emerald Group Publishing Limited


This relatively slim book covers the steps involved in writing and self‐publishing an electronic book (e‐book) on the Web. The information is presented in two parts: writing and compiling the book, and publishing and marketing it.

Oghojafor begins by stating that e‐books have significant advantages over conventional print ones, including low publishing costs, ease of updating, and good navigation, with no discussion of any disadvantages. He recommends that potential authors choose a subject that they are passionate about and research the potential market by checking relevant web forums and discussion groups. Technical information includes how to convert a word processing document to HTML plus tips on book formatting and layout, and a separate chapter covers e‐book formatting software. The chapter on copyright is oversimplified, as it implies that copyright protection requires including a copyright statement on every page of the e‐book. The final chapters cover various aspects of marketing, including designing a website and setting up a payment processing system.

Oghojafor's biography suggests that he has put his recommendations into practice, listing seven e‐books he has written, including How to Make Money Designing Websites and How to Make Money Working from Home, and this experience is most evident in the chapters on marketing, which recommend using a range of techniques to increase search engine ranking, writing articles to promote it, and using affiliate programmes and auto‐responders. It includes a bibliography, and there is a detailed subject index, as well as a companion website at www.ebookpublishingsuccess.com.

The writing style is casual and unsophisticated. The step‐by‐step approach to writing and publishing an e‐book Oghojafor proposes will be most useful to novice authors interested in self‐publishing, but the relatively high price and overly simple approach means that it is not recommended for most library collections.

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