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Margaret and all - If you're interested in the future of publishing generally, and especially how e-publishing is affecting it, then I'd recommend a series of podcast interviews called "Publishingtalks" (subtitled "The future of publishing") on WritersCast - http://www.writerscast.com/ . The interviewer is a guy called David Wilk, who clearly knows a lot about publishing, and a lot of people working in the publishing industry in the USA; he also asks very intelligent questions. I first came across him because he did an interview with Andy Campbell about "Nightingale's Playground", so he's clearly got an interest in new media work; but he's also very grounded in the business side of things. - Edward On 26/04/2011 22:06, Margaret Penfold wrote: > Hello all and especially Sue, who I know id looking at e-publishing, > here are a few of my thoughts on the subject, > > > No wonder so many writers are confused about the current state of > e-publishing.When I looked up e-publishing on Google almostthe all the > items on the first page were dated 2007, 2008, 2009.This is akin to > someone in the early 1980s when the video tape format war was > virtually over, reading articles written in 1976 and 1977 to find out > which format video player to buy. > > The e-publishing format war is by no means over. Many formats can only > be read on particular e-readers, but as with the video war, it is > becoming increasingly likely one of the poorer products will emerge > victorious.Amazon has won a significant battle by allowing people to > download free apps from Kindle store so its format can be read not > only on a kindle but by iphones, ipads, android devices, pc desktops > and laptops. > > That Electronic self-publishing, has takenoff during the past few > months, with some writers achieving amazing sales success, is > probably not only due to Amazon's marketing skillsor to its winning > the franchise to digitalise the British National Libraries 19^th > century collection of books, so readers can download hundreds of books > for free, but also to its policy of making it comparatively easy for > authors to upload their works for free to Kindle Store. > > When authors come to choose a format for their work it's often horses > for courses.The Kindle format currently uses only black and white, > which is fine for most novels, but would not suit work relying on > coloured photos or the use of coloured text. They will be best viewed > in iPad or the new coloured Nook format For text only works its > probably best to upload them up in all formats, so they can be read > on all devices. For this purpose many authors go to sites such as > Smashwords which publish in multiple ebook formats in exchange for a > percentage of sales. > > If an author is thinking of turning a backlist into e-books and had an > agent when the books in the backlist were published then that agent > will also takes a cut from the back list e-sales. It may be possible > to persuade the agent to do the donkey work.Agents can sign up as > e-publishers with Smashwords > http://www.smashwords.com/about/how_to_publish_on_smashwords > > However there are advantages to authors in uploading directly to > e-booksellers if they have never had agents. Theycan set their own > prices and revise their work if they wish,(Incidentally authors can't > use their print ISBNs for ebooks even if they don't revise the > text.However, there is little pointobtainingISBNs for ebooks;potential > readers will search on content tags, author or title. > > *Other e-book sellers besides that allow authors to self publish > directly into their store.* > > In 2010 Barnes & Noble, allowed authors to upload ebooks in its format > for the Nook. Pub-it > .http://bluecrystalwebdesign.com/blog/2010/10/publish-your-own-e-books-with-pub-it-by-barnes-and-noble/ > > This March itchallenged the Kindle by releasing a colour version of > the Nook > http://www.technobuffalo.com/reviews/barnes-noble-nook-color-review-a-tablet-for-the-everyperson/ > > The iPadalso allows self publishing to apple store although the author > has to own a Mac andthere are other restrictions,Also authors are > grumbling that they are not making sales from apple store. However, > visually sensitive authors would be far happier seeing their work in > iPad format than Kindle, > > Some self-publishing authors without agents or current publishers may > not wish to do the conversion work themselves so they will be pleased > that some POD services offer electronic publishing across a variety of > platforms. Manycharge a huge fee, however, and don't allow authors to > set prices.Also there are often some nasty surprises hidden their > terms, e.g no means of unpublishing . > > Of course the author may not want the stigma of being > self-published.Unfortunately although there are a few good > e-publishers they don't carry the prestige of ink print publishers > mainly because they get the backlash caused by the many very bad > e-publishers about,There are lists of e-publishers on the web.Before > using one it might be sensible to Google for comments on them. > > > > ********** * To alter your subscription settings on this list, log on > to Subscriber's Corner at > http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/writing-and-the-digital-life.html * To > unsubscribe from the list, email [log in to unmask] with a blank > subject line and the following text in the body of the message: > SIGNOFF WRITING-AND-THE-DIGITAL-LIFE ********** * To alter your subscription settings on this list, log on to Subscriber's Corner at http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/writing-and-the-digital-life.html * To unsubscribe from the list, email [log in to unmask] with a blank subject line and the following text in the body of the message: SIGNOFF WRITING-AND-THE-DIGITAL-LIFE