Category Archives: Publishing Books

One of the industries affected by the recent economic downturn was that of the paper magazine publication. An evidence of this is the decreasing trend in rate-card-reported advertising revenue from 2007 to 2009 as published by the Publishers Information Bureau. The year 2009 by far had the worse figures with a drastic 18.1% decline in advertising revenue. Revenues amounted to $19,450,949,762 compared to 2008’s $23,652,018,533 total rate-card-reported ad revenue. The 2008 figures on the other hand, was 7.8% lower compared to 2007’s advertising revenues.

The decline in advertising revenues and ad pages created has forced many magazines to cease publication. The famous of which is Gourmet magazine, closing last year after almost 70 years in publication. Although the recent economic recession may have had the greatest effect as to why many magazines went out of business in the last 3 years, it can not be solely blamed for the industry’s struggle. With the developing technology and the rise of the Internet generation, audiences have shifted interests. Many have preferred gossip blogs over celebrity magazines, online cooking guides over recipe books. The Internet has become the number one source of information.

To adjust to the decreasing advertising revenue and at the same time to take advantages of the wide reach that the Internet has to offer, many publications have resorted to having a digital edition for their paper publication, or have totally abandoned paper and embraced digital publishing. An online magazine software could create paperless magazines that do not need logistics costs in order for copies to be sent to subscribers, a feat that is very helpful in cutting costs for publishers. Not to mention that being paperless means zero contribution to paper waste and consumption.

The answer to whether or not digital publishing is the future of the magazine industry is still uncertain. Though many people still prefer flipping through glossy pages, digital media publishing has opened endless possibilities, benefiting not only publishers but subscribers as well.

Visit Zipadi for more information on digital publishing [http://zipadi.com/solutions/industry/magazine-publishing-industry.htm]. You may also want to read on Magazines That Folded in 2009.

Author: Steve F. Smith
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
iphone 4 antenna problem

Recently I’ve been following a discussion on the Amazon forums about how to avoid indie authors. When I saw the title, I frowned, and clicked into it to begin reading. Considering the title, negativity was expected, but it was pretty harsh at times.

It’s no secret that the indie scene isn’t regarded very highly in almost any medium. There are a lot differences when you look at the independent creations of art forms such as books, movies, painting and the like. In each scenario though, there is usually a higher body that the public looks to find the latest and greatest. In books of course, that is traditional publishing.

Back to the topic at hand though, the prejudice in the thread was quite apparent. Readers don’t want to sift through low quality books, and want a way to remove them from what they see. Low quality isn’t what was said though, they want indie books removed, and to only be able to see books from major publishers.

That’s such a shame…

Yet there’s also an argument that can definitely be made. However, it’s being pursued wrong. The answer isn’t to be able to remove all indie books from search results, but to change the KDP publishing standards. I think changing it as follows would be an effective approach for readers, Amazon, and independent authors alike.

First, break the publishing into two categories. Free, or for sale. Books published in the free category would basically be published just like all books are published on Amazon right now. There would be no standards, and a special area of the Amazon eBook store dedicated to free titles. Those who are publishing something for a small group of friends or family, or authors who want to offer any of their books for free would be able to publish them there, using the current system.

The major change would come in when the publisher in question chooses to have the book for sale. At this point, you’d do everything just the same as now, only the book would not go up for sale shortly there after. Instead, it would go into a review process. At this point, people may start saying Amazon isn’t going to pay people to read books by independent authors, that there would be too much volume with everything added every day.

And that argument would be very valid.

However, there is a solution that could benefit all parties. Thanks to digital downloads, it’s no longer a hassle to create and send entertainment. No physical copies required, just a few mouse clicks and you have it. This is the point that should be uniting Amazon, readers, and independent authors. The review process would involve sending free copies of eBooks to well established reviewers and bloggers, or other beta readers. They check them out for quality, both in terms of story and proofreading. Each book is sent to more than one reviewer, and their reviews are gauged. Should the quality meet certain standards, in each area of criteria, not an overall score, then the book is then published for sale on Amazon.

There may be some questions for readers at this point, such as why eBooks specifically, and how can Amazon trust the word of reviewers and bloggers on what to publish. How would it be set up, maintained, etc.. Those are all valid questions that would have to be addressed with the parties in question.

What I can say though is this. Amazon would lose nothing in providing free copies of the eBooks to reviewers. What they would stand to gain is a slough of material that would be easier to convince customers to buy. The current mentality with independent publishing seems to be make a handful of money from each, and do that with every author who publishes. Wouldn’t it be much more effective though to have quality products people didn’t have to question as much before purchasing? Some people say Amazon is making money off the deal, so they don’t care. If that’s true, they should care. They may technically be gaining money with the current system, but they are losing a lot of money that could be being made. The market for independent books is damaged, and damaged markets don’t sell well.

This situation would help remedy that. By having Amazon partner with these reviewers, in exchange for money if they are willing or for other benefits such as exposure as an official Amazon partner, free books, or however it is worked out, the independent publishing world would see a boost.

Digital downloads are a great money maker, and offer the convenience of being sent to anyone Amazon wishes at no cost to them. This would encourage authors to expand into the eBook market if they currently only publish in print. eBooks are a growing trend, and Amazon recognizes that. The more digital downloads they have available, the more money they make without anything stored, packaged, and shipped.

There have been many beneficial reasons for Amazon to do this presented, but what about the indie author? What does he get out of it? What he gets is less anonymity, and a seal of approval. Those are two of the biggest hurdles for any independent author. Readers have been burned by a lot of sub-par works, stories that didn’t even seem to be spell-checked or read through after being written. Every independent author has to struggle with overcoming those two road blocks. If your books were available with those two stigmas lessened, sales would be much more likely. More sales means more recognition, and more recognition means more readers. Amazon would then be able to promote indie works, leading to more sales for them, and authors alike.

At this point, I want to point out how exactly I would envision the review process working. The books would be graded, as mentioned, on different categories. A certain score in each category would be required, which would be determined after compiling the results of each reviewers scores and notes. It wouldn’t be based on “did you like the story or not” but the quality of the writing, frequency and degree of errors, etc..

I’m not saying doing all this would be easy. Change rarely is. It’s possible things will continue on as they are, but the market could end up irreparably damaged. Amazon, and probably many other businesses that offer independent publishing services, should consider how they want to approach their publishing game.

I’m Benjamin C. Andrews, an author sharing my writing knowledge with others. Visit http://magicjarpublishing.blogspot.com/ for more writing tips and tricks, and other quality information.

Author: Benjamin C Andrews
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Digital TV, HDTV, Satellite TV

In today’s way of living, exchanging information is not as tedious and slow as it was before, particularly because of the emergence of the World Wide Web. Reading eBooks online is an efficient way to gain knowledge of things easily. The increasing demand for these electronic reading materials shows their functionality, that’s why more and more marketers are making, publishing, and distributing their own eBook. If you are one of the marketers trying to generate online profits, this article will help you get not only the best but also assist you in finding free digital publishing software for e-newsletters, e-documents, and eBook.

According to some reports, eBooks are continuously gathering wealth and steam as these materials gain commendation as well as respect from online visitors. With the boosting activity of eBook comes the accumulation of eBook publishing software. But how will you determine the most efficient software for your publishing needs?

The foremost step that you should take is to look for available digital publishing software without charge. Keep in mind that publishing digitally, is all about the internet, so the first place that you should visit is the World Wide Web. By using popular search engines at any given time, you will come across with over four million results for eBook publishing; some are free while some come with a definite price. Even so, that’s the greatest place to search out for links to all of the programs for different publishing needs. To assist you in narrowing your options, you should begin with several different products that have been gaining appreciation.

As with many opportunities in life having several different programs for free digital publishing that you can choose from grants you with advantages and disadvantages. The delightful thing is that the cost or no cost, ease-of-use, and of course features differ from one piece of software to another depending on your requirements. The not so good news is that with so many options in the market, it will call for your time and effort to review all the free programs so the software that you will obtain will suit your project.

The prices of eBook publishing software range from $99 to $595, but since you are looking for something without a fee, it’s vital for you to understand that you can’t demand much from what you will get for free.
Once you obtain free publishing software, you should initially check its ease of use. Note that some programs will require you to have an experience in utilizing HTML while some call for word processing.

Evaluate its features and examine if the program asks for add-ons or not. You should also test out the security features, specifications and compatibility concerns with other computers, and the templates and wizards available in the software.

Keep in mind that the compatibility issues are very critical in free digital publishing software. You must ensure that other computers and operating systems will be able to access and read your final product. The materialization of e-Publishing presents a thrilling and functional marketing strategy for online marketers. This permits writers, consultants and almost anyone to simply type a text or content and let the software transform all the work into informative publication.

Need free digital publishing? We can write top quality eBooks for your website for an extremely low price. Go to http://www.eBooksCreated.com to get started today!

Author: M Goudelock
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Android phones

Mainstream publishing companies (MPCs) use methods that make perfect sense to me.

Then again, it doesn’t make sense.

Let me explain: MPCs bet conservatively. They don’t wager against the odds for success. MPCs think you, as a new author, will take the opportunity they lay on the table rather than walk away. All those playing card terms simply mean this: MPCs are in the driver’s seat. That sucks for the new, unpublished author. It’s not fair, but what’s fair isn’t necessarily equal.

To even the playing field, you need leverage on your side, but I’ll get to that.

MPCs are not evil empires. They do hold the power. With that degree of swag, it doesn’t matter if you have the next bestseller in your hand. Someone has to give you a chance first.

You get that chance through a literary agent who negotiates with MPCs on your behalf for the low, low average price of 15% of your domestic sales (25% international). Agents can increase your odds for success, but they are as selective as MPCs. Getting an agent is like asking out a popular girl in high school – you are often turned down without a clear explanation. She (the agent) might say:

• “I’m not looking.” (I’m not accepting new client submissions at this time).
• “You’re not my type.” (I don’t represent your genre).
• “I’m just not that into you.” (Your work is not what we’re looking for.)
• “Umm…” (I don’t have the time to crush you because you can’t edit or spell.)

Enter independent publishing, of which I am a BIG advocate. As you are a small business, all of the costs involved in independent publishing are completely tax deductible to you (of course, you are involved in everything, which can be a good or BAD thing).

Want to stay out of the process? Self-publish. But do your homework. (The Fine Print of Self-Publishing by Mark Levine; The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing by Tom and Marilyn Ross).

Either way can get you a little leverage if you decide to go to a MPC one day. Selling a decent amount (around 2,000) of books shows that you have the skills and drive to supplement what the MPC will do for you. You’ll have an established audience and some knowledge of the process. Plus, you may be able to negotiate a better royalty rate in the end.

Of course, if you believe you can sell 100,000 copies of your book starting out as a new author (the exception, NOT the rule), 6% of a $15 novel X 100,000 is $90,000 before taxes. If you can pull down close to 50% of that $15, you’d only have to sell about 15,000 books to make $90,000 and you can deduct the remaining from your taxes as expenses. I want to sell 100,000 copies, but in the meantime, in-between time, I like getting 50% or more per book.

Witness indie publisher Amanda Hocking, who writes young adult vampire lit (which is WHITE HOT right now). Because of her electronic sales (in one month, she sold 450,000 copies of her books electronically), a bidding war ignited over her. Eventually, she came out of it with a $3.2 million contract. How did she do that? Leverage. She sold almost a half-million books without a MPC. The odds are in her favor that she could do it again without them.

Now, Hocking is the exception, not the rule. There’s no golden formula to replicate that kind of success. It’s is a matter of skill, timing, and chance.

MPCs are trickier because the production time can take so long. With independent or self-publishing, like Hocking, you can get it done more quickly. Right now, the young adult set is eating up (excuse the pun) vampire and zombie novels. Will the market dry up a year or two from now? Maybe, maybe not. But Hocking has established a wide audience already, so it won’t matter as much for her.

What about you?

Let’s assume you’re on a budget.

1. Finish your work.

2. Find a professional editor (try Elance.com). I would not use anyone who doesn’t do it professionally. Poorly-edited work leaves a bad taste in the mouths of your readers. Think of it as a bad meal at a restaurant: you’re less likely to visit again even if you have a discount.

3. Get a reading group together who will be honest with you. I use people who I know won’t lie to me if it sucks. Trust me; you’d rather know that your work is terrible before it hits a shelf than after.

4. Go digital. Here are three sites you need to bookmark RIGHT NOW: Pubit.barnesandnoble.com, Amazon.com, and Smashwords.com. You need all three.

Smashwords formats in mobi (for Kindle) and e-pub (for Nook) and posts to iTunes. While Amazon uses only mobi, your audience members will go to Amazon LONG before they go to Smashwords. And PubIt! does the e-pub format exclusively, but if someone looks for your book at a brick and mortar B&N store, they’ll find it. You can post your book at all three sites for NOTHING and you get 70%-80% of the sales. Not bad, huh?

5. Go on a Blog Tour to coincide with your release. Hocking used these to great effect. A blog tour, in essence, is when bloggers review your book and post it on their blog. In many instances, they’ll also do it anywhere your book is sold and people can post reviews. (I recommend Tywebbin.com; Tyora you rock!)

Now, what are you waiting for? Get started!

Author Brian L. Thompson is the president of Great Nation Publishing and author of the Christian fiction thriller The Lost Testament, and The Revelation Gate, due for release on June 7, 2011. You can read more about Brian by visiting his author site, [http://BrianLThompson.co]

Author: B L Thompson
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Digital Camera News

Digital publishing or electronic publishing has gained popularity in the scientific journal community, as well as, other literary genres. In traditional publishing, when an article is submitted for publication it may take months or even years for the article to be accepted into a journal. Since the traditional publication cycle is longer than digital publishing, journalists have sought alternative means to bring their publications to the public faster. Self publishing companies allow the journalists to have complete control over their literary works, as well as, editorial control and other production decisions.

The financial responsibility lies solely on the author, if the author self publishes. However, if the author uses digital publishing or publishes an eBook, the author saves on print and binding costs of traditional publishing. The author can produce books and journals more frequently, because the author does not have to budget for print and binding costs.

Self publishing sites are especially important to authors because they will allow authors to publish for free. The company will handle royalties and sales, leaving the author free to write and produce. This is service is helpful to authors because authors no longer have to provide a significant investment to publish their works. If the author is particularly good at marketing and sales, they can drive enough traffic to the hosted content to earn a significant income. Therefore, the author no longer has to send works to publishers and wait months and even years to be published or earn money from a publication.

Fiction authors also enjoy digital publishing. In some instances, some fiction authors may not have a niche that a traditional publisher can market. However, if the author has an audience that the traditional publisher does not cater to, the author can use this to his or her advantage and capitalize on that particular niche through their online network.

Another important feature of digital publishing is that publications can reach a wider audience. This is possible because millions of individuals can gain access to the World Wide Web. Marketing through social networking venues can reach an audience that the reader would not in a traditional bookstore.

Digital publishing is also eco-friendly and new technology, such as the Kindle and other eBook readers are enabling individuals to download print faster than ever before. The prices of eBooks are generally less than print books, so the avid reader on a budget can purchase more eBooks than traditional print. Additionally, it’s convenient. Downloading an eBook is instant; whereas, purchasing a printed publication requires either a visit to a bookstore or waiting for an online purchase to arrive in the mail.

Additionally, the reader can transport hundreds to thousands of publications on trips when he or she purchases eBooks; whereas, the traditional printed publication weighs more and has significantly more space requirements.

Martin Alan enjoys writing on subjects such as literature, digital publishing, digital magazines, publishing software, file sharing sites and self publishing. He also enjoys keeping up-to-date with the latest developments and innovations in technology and online marketing.

For more information on online publishing click here; http://www.yudu.com

Author: Martin Alan
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Hybrid and Electric Cars