| |
| |
|
E-Book Information |
|
|
|
Invasion of the Amazons
The last few months have witnessed a bloodbath in tech stocks coupled with a frantic re-definition of the web and of every player in it (as far as content is concerned). This effort is three pronged: Some companies are gambling on content distribution and the possession of the attendant digital infrastructure. MightyWords, for example, stealthily transformed itself from a "free-for-all-everyone-welcome" e-publisher to a distribution channel of choice works (mainly by midlist authors). It now aims to feed its content to content-starved web sites. In the process, it shed thousands of unfortunate authors who did not meet its (never stated) sales criteria. Others bet the farm on content creation and packaging. Bn.com invaded the digital publishing and POD (Print on Demand) businesses in a series of lightning purchases. It is now the largest e-book store by a wide margin. But Amazon seemed to have got it right once more. The web's own virtual mall and the former darling of Wall Street has diversified into micropayments. The Internet started as a free medium for free spirits. E-commerce was once considered a dirty word. Web surfers became used to free content. Hence the (very low) glass ceiling on the price of content made available through the web - and the need to charge customers less than 1 US dollars to a few dollars per transaction ("micro-payments"). Various service providers (such as Pay-Pal) emerged, none became sufficiently dominant and all-pervasive to constitute a standard. Web merchants' ability to accept micropayments is crucial. E-commerce (let alone m-commerce) will never take off without it. Enter Amazon. Its "Honour System" is licensed to third party web sites (such as Bartleby.com and SatireWire). It allows people to donate money or effect micro-payments, apparently through its patented one-click system. As far as the web sites are concerned, there are two major drawbacks: all donations and payments are refundable within 30 days and Amazon charges them 15 cents per transaction plus 15(!) percent. By far the worst deal in town. So, why the fuss? Because of Amazon's customer list. This development emphasizes the growing realization that one's list of customers - properly data mined - is the greatest asset, greater even than original content and more important than distribution channels and digital right management or asset management applications. Merchants are willing to pay for access to this ever expanding virtual neighbourhood (even if they are not made privy to the customer information collected by Amazon). The Honour System looks suspiciously similar to the payment system designed by Amazon for Stephen King's serialized e-novel, "The Plant". Interesting to note how the needs of authors and publishers are now in the driver's seat, helping to spur along innovations in business methods. About The Author Sam Vaknin is the author of "Malignant Self Love - Narcissism Revisited" and "After the Rain - How the West Lost the East". He is a columnist in "Central Europe Review", United Press International (UPI) and ebookweb.org and the editor of mental health and Central East Europe categories in The Open Directory, Suite101 and searcheurope.com. Until recently, he served as the Economic Advisor to the Government of Macedonia. His web site: http://samvak.tripod.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Self Publishing Era: Digital Publishing Tears Down Walls Since the birth of publishing, authors have been forced to deal with the middlemen of this industry; the publishing houses. Often some of the best authors are turned away at the door because they are not "recognized" enough. Why eBooks Are The Most Overlooked Path To Online Prosperity The ebook revolution is here! The Internet now makes it possible to come up with an idea, turn it into an ebook, distribute it over the Internet, and start making money - all in 30 days or less. In the offline world, 30 days wouldn't typically even be long enough to start getting rejection letters back from publishers. How to Protect Your Ebooks and Software from Being Stolen! There are many systems that can lock your software or document, allowing you to control access to that file. But the problem arises with assuming that this will stop all theft. 10 Steps to Author 1 eBook Authoring a book, specifically an eBook (electronic book), is easy, affordable and profitable. Share your expertise and experience with an international on-line community of learners. Book Publishing for Entrepreneurs There was a time when it was relatively easy to get a book published. You took a great idea to an agent, the agent sold the idea to a publisher, and soon you could call yourself an author. Internet Journey - From Storms To Desktops After battling the sea for nine years, it's time to move on. That's what I told myself when I first stepped ashore to search for a land job. Shorten Your Journey to Book Success with Teleclasses - Part 1 Are you an author who wants your book to be a success? Have you read books, but still need some handholding on how best to promote your book? Are local seminars on book marketing and promotion just not available to you?Something wonderful has happened with our flattening world. We can now give and attend seminars over the phone. 7 Secrets to Explode your eBook Sales! Part 3 Secret #3: Creating an avalanche of sales with Freeware/Shareware sites:Copyright 2004 Bluedolphin Crow - All Rights Reserved.Aho!Freeware/shareware sites provide a unique opportunity to market your eBooks. How To Create and Market Your own E-Book The Internet presents an amazing opportunity foranyone who knows how to research and write.There's masses of free information on the Web - allyou have to do is gather it together and package it,and you have an E-Book that people will pay for. 20 Ways To Profit With Free eBooks My habit of collecting every free eBook I could lay my hands proved very profitableto me while building my business.Here are 20 ways that you can use free eBooks to boost your profits. EBOOKS Are Books Too! Electronic books - that is books you read on the computer- have the same information and entail the same reading experience as books in the traditional form - that is books you actually hold in your hands. An ebook looks just like a Microsoft document but it is transformed into an ebook format such as PDF where the reader cannot make any changes to the document. More Than An Ebook The following in an excerpt from the E-Book of the same name.Utilising the Full Resources of the Internet to Promote your FictionFiction writers appear to be the despised members of the internet writing community. 7 Secrets to Explode your eBook Sales! Part 1 Secret #1: How to write an incredible eBook!Copyright 2004 Bluedolphin Crow - All Rights Reserved.Aho!I shouldn't be telling you this:One of the biggest problems that most eBook writers and sellers face is generating eBook sales. Cash in on Your Expertise Even though I've never met you, I know one thing about you. You are an expert. (Emerging) Books A novel re-definition through experimentation of the classical format of the book is emerging.Consider the now defunct BookTailor. Website Promotion: 10 Uncommon And Unusual Free Product Bonuses Giving away free bonuses is one well tested website promotion strategy that can help you make more sales.Here are a few product bonuses you can give away. Electronic Publishing Explained An eBook is basically a document in the form of web pages that are put together, using special software, which is released in the form of a file that can be downloaded onto your computer's hard drive. Many people may think it is no different than a web site, but there are important differences. 7 Secrets to Explode your eBook Sales! Part 5 Secret #5: How to build steady sales for years to come with eBook Directories!Aho,Are you making this mistake in your business?Are you to busy to submit to more than a handful of eBook directories? Or worse yet, are you to busy to submit to even one!Stop! By all means take a minute to read this short and to the point article. It will help you to build steady sales for years to come. How eBooks Can Be Very Valuable EBooks have a number of benefits over the traditional book. These include the following:Cheaper to createQuicker to createEasier to target a wide marketHigh profit potentialMore versatile than traditional booksLets look at each of these points in turn:Cheaper to create:The eBook can be created on a shoestring budget since it is possible for its publishing and marketing costs to be minimal. Ask and Ye Shall Create How do you decide to create a new speech? A new report? A net product? Most of us have an idea, then start to work on it. It's only when we are well into the creation phase that we determine whether or not it will sell.
|
