E - Publishing

Since the invention of the Internet, books and written publications became increasingly less popular. People prefer reading on the Internet because it is easily accessible, free of charge – except, of course, for some journals and articles that cannot be accessed without purchasing.


Electronic publishing includes the digital publication of books and articles, as well as the creation of digital libraries. It has become common in the scientific field and in all other realms. There are also many electronic publications on CD and DVD such as Encyclopedias.



Electronic publishing is increasingly popular in works of fiction as well as with scientific articles. Electronic publishers are able to provide quick fulfillment for late-night readers, books that are not found in standard book shops and books by new authors that are not beneficial for traditional publishers.

PROS:

There are several benefits to e-publishing. First, it saves a lot of time by terminating the need of going to the library or bookshop. Second, anyone can publish their ideas on the Internet, so this helps the poor and less privileged to share there writings with the public.
E publishing costs are almost negligible because one saves printing, shipping and inventory costs, plus the writer does not have to share the profits with a publishing company.
Besides, with the current Green Revolution, e publishing is a great thing for environmentalists since it saves so much paper :)

CONS:

Disadvantages are mostly faced by publishing companies because less and less books are being published in the traditional way. Soon the publishing industry will be old news ;)

Ways of e publishing:
E bookstores that sell only electronic books;
Databases that publish electronic articles and journals;
Publishing house sites that sell both paper and electronic books.

Online book stores:
http://www.amazon.com/
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/
http://www.powells.com/


Laure Bashour