Will E-Books Rule Them All?
Do you remember in Lord of the Rings how the Age of the Elves was ending as the Age of Man began? I think we’re seeing the same colossal change as the Publishing Empires of Old fade (so sorry, Elron), and the Era of Digital Media blossoms.
E-books have long been the step-child of the publishing world; tolerated to a degree, but looked down upon by those who wrote and published “real books”. With the launch of Amazon’s Kindle 1, 2, and now DX (and of course, Sony and Plastic Logic), not only are “real books” available in digital format, but anyone who wants to write an e-book can knock one off in an afternoon, publish on Lulu, Kindle, or their own site and (in effect) toss a virtual rock through Barnes and Noble’s front window, along with a note declaring “just try to keep me out!”
So how can an author or entrepreneur benefit?
There has never been a time in the history of man (or elves) with such an information-hungry audience. As infopreneur Eben Pagan notes in one of his vids, we have left the culture of manual labor behind and have moved into the era of “mind-work”. And with that era comes the need for information—and lots of it.
For you authors reading this, that means more and more eyes on your work (and hopefully bucks in your pocket).
For entrepreneurs, the outlets for digital media provide you a) a legitimacy that comes with having your name on a published work; b) cash; and (perhaps the most important) c) being seen as an authority in your field. Why? Look at the “authority” figures in your own industry – - you listen to what they say, you read their blogs and newsletters, and buy their products, hoping to emulate their success.
Plus (and this is a bonus) – - when media folks search Google for an expert in a field and your name keeps coming up, who do you think they’re gonna call?
[note: Because I'm known in a particular little niche (Internet genealogy), I've been interviewed by the New York Times, Kiplinger's, Better Homes and Gardens, plus numerous websites). Trust me . . . it PAYS to be seen as the industry expert.]
Action Steps
I loathe going to meetings and coming out without any action steps, so:
1. Dust off the articles, special reports, or books launguishing on your computer
2. Polish, edit, update
3. Sell on your site, format for Kindle, and pop them up on Lulu.
4. Let everyone you know that you have valuable information for sale.
5. Once your stuff is on Kindle, gets your pals to leave you a glowing review on your Amazon page.
6. Wash, rinse, repeat
Similar Posts:
- Amazon Releases Kindle for iPhone
- Why Smart Marketers Must Publish on Amazon’s Kindle
- Selling Your Work on Kindle, Part I
- Amazon Kindle Publishing in 2009: The Sheriff Came to Town
- Three Easy Ways to Get Your Book Noticed on the Internet
{ 3 comments }
I remember when e-books were sleazy giveaways – just a bunch of reconstituted (and old) info. The stuff out there today is pretty amazing – and worth the money – I’d rather buy the “how to” book than spend time tracking down the how to info.
Do you recommend Lulu, then, to publish ebooks?
E-Books are definitely heading into the right direction, first of all they save a lot of paper so in one way they help the environment. With devices available now-a-days, it’s much easier to read books on your digital devices, on netbooks or on cellphones or on Kindle. There are some authors so far which I’ve seen, have got the e-book version as well of their books.
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