At That’s Creative! we design a large amount of ebooks for pdf format. The majority of our clients choose to convert those ebooks to other formats to provide different options to their readers. This is a great idea, but there are some things to bear in mind when converting to other formats.

Most Popular Formats

The most popular ebook formats (other than pdf) are ePub and Mobi.  Both formats come in both standard and fixed layouts.

With these formats each user can control the text size and zoom in on images. There are no actual “pages” when viewing these formats. They have a “linear” flow.

ePub is the most widely-supported vendor-independent e-book format that is XML-based. It works on Kobo eReader, Blackberry Playbook, iBooks, Barnes and Noble Nook, Sony Reader, Adobe Digital Editions, among others.

You can view Mobi files on the Kindle, Kindle Fire, Kindle Viewer, Mobipocket Reader, Calibre, Stanza Desktop and Smartphones (by downloading the Kindle app).

Formatting Restrictions

It is important to note that both ePub and Mobi formats have formatting restrictions.

Mobi Standard

1. Tables are displayed differently on various Mobipocket renderers, especially when tables cross more than one screen. Nested tables are not supported. Therefore tables need to be converted into images.
2. Individual items of text can’t be displayed in monospace font.
3. Inserts, text boxes, drop caps and sidebars are not displayed properly.
4. Left margins can only be specified in 2em increments.
5. Hanging indent is only possible if there is no left margin.
6. Images are currently only available in grayscale.
7. Text cannot flow around images that are taller than one line of text.
8. Most measurements, including indents, can’t be specified in em.
9. Footnotes are converted to endnotes (appear at the back of the ebook).

ePub Standard

1. Tables are usually shortened in the reader and therefore need to be converted into images.
2. Inserts, text boxes, drop caps and sidebars are not displayed properly.
3. Formatting may be lost. Special symbols may not convert properly unless characters used are in a standard font set.
4. Embedded photographs may appear grainy.
5. It may not be suitable for documents that require specialized formatting or precise layout.
6. Footnotes are converted to endnotes (appear at the back of the ebook).

Fixed Versus Standard Layouts

Fixed layout ePub and Mobi formats are starting to become a more popular choice for e-books.

Unlike the standard layout, it preserves the designs and layout of the printed page, regardless of the device used or the size of the screen. It allows readers to see an exact copy of the printed page on the screen.

It can also include enhancements to make e-books more interactive and interesting.

While the ePub fixed layout can be viewed on any device that supports its standard layout, the KF8 format can only be viewed on Kindle Fire and Previewer. This obviously limits the amount of people who can view it (at this stage).

The Bottom Line

Among the formats discussed above, the PDF still tops the list when it comes to preserving the design and layout of printed pages. Other formats are following suit but still need work on perfecting their systems.

Formatting for pdf ebooks allows the designer to be much more creative in terms of layout and style. When converting those ebooks across to epub or mobi formats, a lot of that formatting is stripped and the ebooks can look completely different (unless you choose to go with a fixed-layout option).

If your document requires special formatting, or has a large number of tables and/or charts, choosing a fixed layout might be your best option.

Novels and mainly text-based documents are well-suited for ePub and Mobi standard formats.

In more ways than one, Apple has remained a step ahead of the competition when it comes to revolutionizing not merely technology and communication, but education as well with its new frontier through the iBooks 2 and iBooks Author app.

Apple’s iBooks, the popular eBook reader for iPad owners, has been praised for its interactivity, portability and ease of use especially with its advanced features such as creating notes, highlighting words and learning vocabularies with its searchable dictionary or through the internet. Even texts sizes and fonts can be changed with a tap of a finger.

iPad fanatics enjoy the vast collection of best-sellers and rare books in the iBookstore which often offers free books for download. The smooth page-turning capability of the iBooks which is similar to printed books has always been a fun and enticing feature of this widely beloved application.

Engaging and Encouraging Students

The media frenzy over the newest version of the iBooks, the iBooks 2 which was launched last January has been met with mixed reactions from iPad users as well as from the education sector. With the iBooks 2, Apple’s bookstore will now include textbooks aimed at making learning easier and more accessible for students.

At the moment, the iBooks only has a few selection of textbooks available but it is seen to expand in the future and especially when the clamor gets louder.

This dynamic app encourages students to be highly engaged in colourful graphics, animations, 3D images, study cards and engrossing videos instead of flat and boring textbooks. Instead of obsolete and brick-heavy textbooks, iBooks 2 allows its content to be updated when needed with iPad’s lightweight feature growing as an advantage for on-the-go students who wouldn’t want to suffer from back strains.

The Downside

At an economic price of $14.99 or less, Apple’s textbooks could be a huge help for struggling students buried in debt. However, the steep price of the iPad itself could be cumbersome, making the app less accessible for students who can’t afford this gadget. Slow downloading of enormous textbook files could also be encountered especially if the internet connection is not as fast and reliable. The exclusivity of these textbooks to the Apple company could also be quite limiting for users.

For classic textbook lovers, iBooks 2 could be a distracting medium since the interactivity could tempt the student into browsing the internet instead of actually studying.

iBooks Author App

Intertwined with the launch of iBooks 2 is the iBooks Author app for aspiring writers and teachers who would like to publish any type of book. Authors can create multi-touch and interactive books the way they want to without suffering from the tedious publishing process. With just dragging, dropping and manipulating the different features, authors can add widgets, insert vibrant pictures, develop a movie or practically any word, diagram or graphics in the ebook.

Apart from being free for Mac users, this app could also produce PDF files if needed or preferred. Not only can teachers engage their students more with valuable content but also through an innovative and creative presentation.

The Downside

Criticism may focus on the iBooks Author being solely available on the iPad which is naturally limiting especially for those who prefer other devices or don’t have the budget for this big-ticket item. For those who wish to generate an income through this app, be the first to know that iBook Author books can only be sold thru Apple. So it would probably be easier to have the book for free in order to distribute it without this restriction.

Others found some glitches into the iBook Author such as difficulties in copying pictures from the internet or a slightly different format from the EPUB.

But no matter where you stand in Apple’s new money-makers, the improvements to address all these issues would surely take place in the near future before you even finish publishing that ebook of your dreams.

You have done the background research and the writing and now you have an ebook all published. What is the next step? Promoting the ebook! While it would be great if we can follow the “build and they shall come!” exhortation, we all live in a competitive market place and unless you draw the attention of a likely audience, there is no guarantee that they will know that your ebook exists.

Here are five basic steps to promote your ebook:

1. Set-Up a Selling Page

You will have to create a selling page that is on-target. It is important to think specifically of the people most likely to buy your ebook. What will they be looking for? What information will capture their attention? What are the specific words they will use in a search? Make sure that your selling page uses these likely keywords and offers information that will explain why your ebook is unique and unlike any other book out there!

2. Support with a Blog

If a selling page is a static selling tool, a blog is a dynamic promotional tool. It offers you an opportunity to frequently update material with the right keywords to draw traffic. You can also use a blog to network with other bloggers and create a circle of influence. You can offer to guest blog and increase traffic to your site, which in turn will help promote your ebook.

3. Seek out Reviews

People like to hear from others who have read a book about whether an ebook is worth buying. You can offer promotional copies of your ebook to respected reviewers and ask for their feedback and use this in your selling page and blog. You can also look to network with other ebook writers or bloggers and create a mutually beneficial arrangement to generate reviews and feedback.

4. Socialize on the Net

Use all the social media tools at your disposal and invest the time to build up a following. You can engage with other experts in the field or offer tips as attention grabbers. This is going to be the wide net you cast to reach your target audience. Find ways to offer excerpts from your ebook and create organic links to your ebook promotional page to make sure that these folks find out about your ebook.

5. Sustain your Efforts

Promoting an ebook online is a multi-pronged effort. It seems different from going on tour to promote a book but it takes the same kind of time and effort and it is best to think of it as a virtual tour. You can create keyword-rich press releases for free sites or create related content for content sites, you can participate in online chat rooms or initiate discussion – the idea here is to get out there and make sure your name becomes strongly associated with your topic. A combination of these efforts will help increase visibility for your ebook and make a real impact on your ebook sales.

Ebooks have become well-established as great Internet marketing tools. They are a great way of establishing a brand and of conveying subject-matter expertise. The question of what to do with an ebook is still up in the air though. Is it a good idea to price them and sell them hoping to generate a profit or should you give it away as a freebie? The answer depends on what you want your ebook to achieve.

If you have written a substantive ebook of 75 to 100 pages and offer exhaustive research and analysis about a topic, it does make sense to market and sell the ebook. Here the ebook is a definitive end product. You can price it at the lower end of the spectrum and sell it hoping to generate a bigger sales volume or you can try marking it higher and carry out a targeted marketing campaign. This depends on the theme and topic of the book and the expected target readership. Either way, selling ebooks means having to decide on a marketing strategy and executing it successfully.

If you have created an ebook as a way of drawing traffic to your company website or to generate a list, it makes sense to give your ebook away for free. Free information is attractive to many people who are surfing the Net and you are likely to get a lot of interest if you promote the idea through blogs and social networking. If you are giving it away, it is easier to ask other bloggers to promote the ebook also, because it seems less like direct self-promotion. The ebook give-away will draw people interested in the topic. If you have them enter their email address as part of the download process, you can achieve your list-building goals. In terms of Internet marketing you are getting a lot for your free ebook because now you have a list of potential clients.

A well-designed ebook with an eye-catching cover, great content and easy formatting will strengthen your brand. Anything less will damage your long-term goals.

So, whether you decide to sell your ebook or give it away for free, remember that it should be a product that speaks of quality, attention to detail and professionalism.

The influx of ereaders and hand-held devices has made a definite impact on the reading habits of people and ebooks are becoming increasingly popular.

If you are trying to establish your voice as an expert in a field, one path to it is to self-publish an ebook about that topic. It will allow you to lay out your philosophy or vision and help people understand what you have to offer. A little careful planning can help you achieve this goal.

Here are four tips for making your ebook journey smooth and seamless:

1. Research your market

Figure out what topic is most likely to interest your target audience and pick a focus area to highlight. Ebooks work best as small publications and it is a good idea to have a focused approach.

2. Create the content

Once you have a clear idea of what you want to write about, you should make sure that you produce content that is really substantive. This ebook will go a long way in establishing your standing with a potential client or business partner and it is important that the ebook underscore your attention to quality. If you are unsure about your writing skills, consider hiring a writer to flesh out your ideas.

3. Make it stand out

You may have the best ebook in the world and it will not catch anyone’s attention if it is not attractively laid out. Work with a professional ebook formatting and design services firm and get their help in creating a stand-out ebook. A quality ebook formatting company will offer proof reading services, help you find an appropriate layout and help with designing an attention-grabbing ecover.

4. Choose a publishing platform

Amazon Digital Text Platform (DTP), PubIt, Scribd, Lulu and Smashwords are among the most popular publishing platforms used for self-publishing ebooks. Pick a model that package that works for you. Keep in mind that it is best to go with an option where you are allowed to set the price. Ebooks tend to do well in the $.99 to $4.99 price range.

And that’s it! You will have your own ebook to use as promotional material or to create an income stream.

At present, the worldwide book market is undergoing a drastic revolution. People discovered ebooks, and they love to read them. The emergence of mobile media and cloud computing over the past years enabled the ebook market to rapidly expand worldwide (read more about the “Ebook Timeline” at www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-book).

To successfully enter and navigate this fast-changing market, here are some helpful tips and important links for the novice ebook author and publisher.

The Big Fish in the eBook Pond

The following companies jumped quickly onto the ebook bandwagon and created a powerful online presence in the form of international ebook stores. They represent the “Big Fish” in the global ebook pond, and they act as the gatekeepers to the public and the ebook buyer.

• Amazon’s Kindle eBooks (www.amazon.com)
  
• Apple’s iBook Store (www.apple.com)
  
• Barnes and Noble’s Nookbook Store (www.barnesandnoble.com/ebooks)
• Google’s eBooks (www.books.google.com/ebooks)
  
• Kobo Books (www.kobobooks.com)
  
• Sony’s Reader Store (www.ebookstore.sony.com)
• Diesel’s eBook Store (www.diesel-ebooks.com)
• Borders’ eBooks (www.borders.com)
• Ingram Digital (www.ingramdigital.com)

Some of these companies partnered with others to instantly attract a worldwide audience, expand their global footprint and secure a bigger piece of the global ebook pie.

For example, Kobo, a Canadian Indigo Books & Music startup, partnered with Borders USA, REDgroup Retail Australia, Cheung Kong Holdings and other leaders in technology and retail.

Ingram Digital—a division of Ingram Content Group Inc. (www.ingramcontent.com), a world leader in distribution, print-on-demand and digital solutions—distributes ebooks worldwide to about 32,000 smaller online ebook stores.

2010 marked the first time when some companies such as Amazon and Barnes and Nobles hinted that online ebook sales may (or already have during some business quarters) surpass their regular book sales.

Many of these major players have developed ebook readers or eReaders (Amazon’s Kindle, Barnes and Noble’s Nook, Indigo’s Kobo, Apple’s iPhone and iPad, Sony’s eReader) and specific file formats (ePub, .Mobi, .Lit, PDF) to deliver their ebooks to the public (read more about the vast landscape of ebook file formats and eReaders at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_e-book_formats).

In addition, many of these companies use DRM or Digital Rights Management for mobile and web reading to limit unauthorized use of copying, printing and sharing ebooks. For offline, desktop reading and eInk devices, many use Adobe Content Server and Adobe Digital Editions to protect both ePub and PDF files (read more about DRM and eInk devices at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_rights_management and at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E_Ink.

Selling Your eBook(s)

If you, as a novice ebook author and publisher want to sell your ebook(s) to the public at large, you enter a highly competitive market and encounter a complex technological infrastructure. What are your options?

1) Establish Your Own Online Presence

You can offer your ebook(s) online via your own website or minisite, an ebook sales page and a payment gateway. You could offer your ebook in both PDF and ePub formats and in all major currencies.

For example, E-Junkie (www.e-junkie.com) provides a shopping cart and Buy Now buttons that let you sell downloads (your ebook) and tangible goods on your website, eBay, MySpace, Google Base, CraigsList and other websites using PayPal Website Payments Standard, PayPal Website Payments Pro, PayPal Payflow Pro, Google Checkout, Authorize.Net, TrialPay, ClickBank and 2CheckOut.

2) Teaming Up with the “Big Fish”

Teaming up with the Big Fish and selling your ebook(s) through their established stores worldwide sounds very exciting. Reaching millions of people 24/7 via any device, be it an iPhone, iPad or a BlackBerry, a Mac or PC or any other device such as an Android smart phone, seems to be a forward-looking, promising business decision. But be aware, when you venture down this path, there are some hurdles to overcome.

Getting your ebook(s) into their online stores

A few of the above-mentioned companies allow you to submit your ebook(s) to their stores.

For example, Amazon requires you to convert your ebook into their file format .MOBI (also known as the Kindle file format), and then go to their website, fill out the appropriate forms, conform to their guidelines, upload your file and click the submit button.

If you own an Apple computer, possess an US Tax ID and have a registered ISBN-13 for your ebook, Apple allows you to submit your ebook in ePub format. You can use an “ePub Validator” to check if your ebook ePub file complies with the current ePub version 1.0.5.

Unfortunately, many of the above-mentioned companies won’t allow you to submit your ebook, instead they will refer you to a “Digital Aggregator.”

The truth is that these companies don’t want to spend any of their resources to babysit and teach you how to acquire an ISBN for your ebook and how to submit the required ONIX metadata (ebook file, publisher and author information, etc.) of your ebook via a proper FTP program.

ONIX standards are designed to support computer-to-computer communication between parties involved in creating, distributing, licensing or otherwise making available intellectual property in published form, whether physical or digital. All are expressed in XML (read more about ONIX standards at www.editeur.org).

ISBN, the International Standard Book Number, is a unique international identifier for a variety of publications. Assigning an ISBN enables not only each publication to be uniquely identified but also rich product metadata to be associated with a particular publication record as well as the accumulation of sales data by specific title, edition and format. ISBNs can be readily displayed as machine readable bar codes (find out where in your country and how you can acquire an ISBN for your ebook at www.isbn-international.org. Also, to read more about this subject go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Standard_Book_Number).

Many of the above-mentioned Big Fish still consider self-publishing as somewhat unprofessional and of a lesser quality and will only deal with seasoned publishers who are able to submit 8-10 ebooks at one time.

A Digital Aggregator such as Smashwords (www.smashwords.com), Author Solutions (www.authorsolutions.com), Fast Pencil (www.fastpencil.com), Lulu (www.lulu.com) or eBookIt (www.ebookit.com) is either a person, a publisher or a company that has contacted the Big Fish and secured from them an approval to submit an ebook(s) on your behalf.

Simply put, Digital Aggregators want you to submit your ebook in its simplest file format, preferably a MS Word document, with a vivid description and cover and a short Author’s Bio. Then they strip your ebook of all its formatting and turn it into an ePub (most eReaders), .MOBI (Kindle eReader), .Lit (Microsoft eReaders) and PDF (PC or Mac computers) file. Finally, they attach the required ONIX metadata and an ISBN-13 to your converted ebook and submit it to the above-mentioned online ebook retailers.

eBooks are unique. They can be displayed on many different eReaders and the font size of the text and also images can be adjusted by the reader. Therefore, the ebook must be fluid and capable of adjusting on any devise. To achieve this, Digital Aggregators:

• get rid of columns;
• turn tables and charts into images;
• change the table of contents to no longer reference page numbers;
• exclude any index;
• change all floating images to inline images;
• images can only be above or below text/no wrapping of text;
• remove all background images/paper styles;
• remove all headers/footers;
• remove all footnotes or move footnotes to the back of the ebook;
• standardize the fonts; and
• remove all page numbers.

For example, to submit your ebook to Smashwords, they require you to first convert your ebook to their standards. To find out what their standards are, they provide a free 74-page Smashwords Style Guide at http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/52.

How much do online eBook Retailers and Digital Aggregators charge for their services?

In addition, Digital Aggregators charge anywhere from 15–20% of the NET profit from your ebook. For example, if you sell your ebook at Amazon.com for USD $9.99, you then will receive $6.93. Smashwords or Lulu will charge you another 20% or $1.39. You will end up getting $5.54 for your sold ebook.

How much should you charge for your ebook(s)?

In general, you are able to determine the price of your ebook(s) in most major currencies. If you are not sure what to charge, you could go to Amazon.com and research what established authors (who have written similar books) charge for their ebook(s).

You need to realize that there is a price war going on between Amazon, Apple and some well-known publishing companies. To promote and sell its Kindle eReader, Amazon set the average ebook price to USD $9.99.

$9.99 has imprinted itself into the mind of many ebook readers, and many will simply refuse to buy an ebook that is higher priced. Many also argue that ebooks should be much cheaper than paperback and hardcover books, because they are more economical to produce and distribute.

Apple and some publishing companies argue that USD $9.99 is not economical and push to raise the average price range of a new ebook to USD $12.50 – $14.50.

As of February 2011, statistics show that most ebooks are sold with a price at or lower than USD $9.99. The average ebook price is USD $8.75.

Also, the Big Fish, major publishing companies and Digital Aggregators believe that only 25% of the actual sale price of an ebook should go to the author.

Considering these facts, you eventually need to decide if you want to price your ebook at the lower end ($9.99), in the middle ($12.50 to $14.50) or above USD $15.00 or higher.

When do you get paid?

At this point, the Big Fish, major publishing companies and Digital Aggregators want you to believe that there is a certain element of trust required in the ebook business, because to track your ebook sales is a challenge.

Unlike paperback or hardcover books, where each book has a real, physical cost and the number of books is limited, ebooks have no incremental production and distribution cost and there is no physical limit to the number you can sell.

These companies want that you trust them that they keep good track of your ebook’s sales and accurately report them to you.

Most Digital Aggregators coordinate their payment cycle with the retailer’s payment cycle and according to industry standards.

For example, if you sell a book in Jan, Feb, or Mar, you will get paid for it on May 15. In essence, they will pay you no longer than 45 days after the ending quarter.

Dealing with Digital Aggregators

1. You can approach Digital Aggregators as an author by providing them with a MS Word file of your ebook—they will do everything else for you. Some provide these services for free, others charge an initial conversion and distribution or uploading fee. From this point forward, they will act as your publisher and retain most rights to your ebook as specified in the contract.
2. You also can approach Digital Aggregators as a publisher by providing them with an ePub file and an ISBN-13 of your ebook. In this case, they will only charge you a distribution or uploading fee. You also retain all your copy and publishing rights and your name or company will be registered and mentioned as the publisher.

It is prudent that you read the “Fine Print” and understand in detail what you commit yourself to by hiring one of these Digital Aggregators and by dealing with online ebook retailers.

Since the playing field and the rules are still being worked out in the ebook market, it is also important that you continuously track any directions or changes in the industry. It is well-known that some aggressive Big Fish swallow up other Big Fish or some Big Fish simple injure themselves and vanish. Smaller Fish could emerge as Big Fish.

The Bottom Line

By offering your ebook(s) on your website and perhaps through one or all of the above-mentioned online ebook stores, you have established a physical, worldwide infrastructure were readers can purchase and download your ebook(s).

The harsh reality is that there exist millions of websites and ebooks and you simply joined the crowd—you simply represent one brick in the wall.

To get known and make any sales, you need to spend a considerable amount of time and effort to seriously promote your ebook(s), your website and yourself. What are your options?

• Let your family, friends, associates, social circle and local community know what you have to offer
• You could use social sites such as Facebook (www.facebook.com), Twitter (www.twitter.com), LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com), We (www.we.net) or FourYears.Go (www.fouryearsgo.org)
• Explore links on other websites for contacts
• Engage in e-mail blasts by sending out e-mails to individuals, professionals, trade organizations and institutions
• Use web marketing tools (to find a sample list you could go to http://www.wilsonweb.com/articles/checklist.htm)
• Use Search Engine Optimization and online Indexing (read more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Search_engine_optimization)
• You could use online platforms such as YouTube (www.youtube.com) or Livestream (www.livestream.com)
• You could use online advertising agencies such as PRWeb (www.prweb.com)
• Send out your ebook for review to traditional and online radio stations, newspapers and magazines (www.allbooksreviewint.com)
• Use traditional media
• Create presentations
• You could use Print-On-Demand to produce a paperback or hardcover version of your ebook (www.lightningsource.com; www.firstchoicebooks.ca)

These are just a few promotional options and a few examples of resources and companies available to you. There are plenty of others and a comprehensive Google search will yield desired results.

Without seriously promoting your ebook(s), the chances are that your ebook(s) and website will not be found on the vast Internet, and, consequently, your ebook will not sell as you had imagined.

Please note: I have compiled this short report for information purposes only, and to provide an overview of the eBook Marketplace as of February 2011. I have randomly chosen the listed resources and companies—I do not endorse them, and I do not associate with or profit from them. If you use any of these tips, resources and companies, you do so at your own risk.

Good luck and all the best in your endeavour to publish your ebook(s).

Author Information

Paul Muellner

Website: http://www.myelectromagneticself.com

Ebook: You-The Electromagnetic Superhuman: Discover Your Electromagnetic Self and Cosmic Roots

An author has one principal goal, and that is to sell their book. The traditional way of having a book published to reach the reading public has been outdone by ebooks. An author need not worry anymore about the aggravation of going from one publisher to another just to have their book published to eventually reach their target reader. Publishing an ebook is also less expensive and faster than the conventional way of publishing a book.

Publishing an ebook also needs the expertise of the professionals. To try and publish your ebook without help in ebook design and formatting could spell failure for an author.

The top three reasons why you should get professional ebook formatting are:

Reason 1

You want your ebook to be successful – Of course the goal of every author is to sell their ebook. To achieve this goal your ebook should stand out from amongst the rest. Only a professional ecover design that is well formatted and has a professional layout can help you achieve this goal. Ebook design and formatting specialists are essential to help you produce an ebook that will attract the widest audience on the web.

Reason 2

You can prevent the customary formatting mistakes – Your ebook formatting professional is more knowledgeable on how to best present your ebook on the screen, avoiding the most common formatting errors committed in ebook publishing. These formatting errors can be:

• The use of several different fonts and styles in the body of the book making your ebook lacking in consistency
• Creating blank pages in your ebook because of several paragraph returns to indicate page breaks
• Using spaces instead of the indent features of Word.

There are many formatting mistakes that can be overlooked by the author; as a result it is important to have an ebook design and formatting service provided by a professional, to ensure that you are delivering nothing less than top quality to your customers.

Reason 3

You want your reader to enjoy reading your ebook – Of course once you’ve sold your ebook, you also want the reader to enjoy your book. The story or the content of the ebook is not in question because as its author you are pretty confident that it is the best book you’ve written. It is how it is presented on the screen that will spell the difference between satisfaction and dissatisfaction by your reader. Professional ebook design and ebook formatting will help you make your ebook more readable and understandable to your reader. The right selection of fonts to use for your ebook will prevent unnecessary eye strain to your reader and will make your ebook more interesting and appealing.

An expert ebook design and formatting specialist will give your ebook the final touches to ensure the buyer is satisfied with their purchase. To ensure that your ebook is perceived as value for money by your buyers, professional ebook formatting should not be neglected.

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It’s a commonly said phrase that you shouldn’t “judge a book by its cover”, although this statement holds some truth to it, an attractive cover sure does help in selling a book, whether it is the traditionally published and printed book or the now more popular ebook. What exactly is a 3D ecover? A 3D ecover is the cover of an ebook designed by a highly trained and creative ebook designer, with the aid of special software for creating 3D images that are almost lifelike.

The 3d ecover designer takes the place of a graphics designer in the advertising and the book publishing industry. With the use of this special software for creating 3D images, 3D ecover designers can create an ebook cover for an author at a lower cost than hiring a graphics designer and at the same time produce an ebook cover that will grab the attention of potential buyers.

The 3D ecover designer uses, 3D ecover generator software to create the 3D images for an ebook cover. But the software alone will not produce the 3D cover design that will capture the imagination of your customers. You need a highly creative and skilled ecover designer. Even with 3D software, an inexperienced designer without imagination and artistic talent will create unimaginative and unappealing 3D ecovers that will not be appealing to potential customers.

A well designed ebook cover is critical to the success of your book. First impressions are lasting, and this is very true as far as advertising a product or selling an ebook is concerned.

In selling your ebook on- line, a well designed ebook cover is your first line of offense. When a potential customer sees a well designed ebook cover, the first impression is that it must be a superior product. It will convey creative and artistic talent, professionalism and strict attention to detail.

A 3D ebook cover that is well designed with the theme, scheme and colors in harmony, and an overall look that screams quality will surely capture the interest of your customers. This interest is translated into actual sale when the customer is encouraged to buy the ebook because he/she finds the 3D ebook cover tempting. As an author you will not only sell your ebook and make money, but you’re also able to convey to a wide audience your ideas, beliefs, or technical know how which to you is the primary goal for writing an ebook.

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There was a time when reading materials came in scrolls, and in an even earlier age, the primitive people etched the walls of caves to write down information they wanted to relay. Then came the big tomes- heavy, bulky and expensive. As time passed and also because of the advent of new printing technology, books became more affordable to the average person. Smaller, lighter and cheaper paperback books flooded the market. But the most remarkable improvement that has benefited book lovers all over the world was the introduction of eBooks. EBooks now come in all types of eBook designs and formatting and are available on the web for almost everybody with a computer, and even specially designed cell phones.

Ebooks are the electronic translation of a book. It is downloaded to any type of computer or electronic device like a cellphone and can be read on the screen. The first ebooks were prepared for technical subject matters and were restricted to a few and select audience. With the entry of the internet in peoples’ everyday life, eBooks also became very popular. There are eBooks for almost every subject matter under the sun and eBook version of all the latest best-sellers by your favorite authors. Ebook design, eBook formatting, ecover design are only some of the new areas of skill and expertise that have opened doors for a new breed of professionals.

Ebooks are becoming so popular because of its accessibility and because of the convenience it offers the reader. Buying or purchasing an ebook through the internet is simple and trouble free.

Anybody with a computer and has access to the internet can purchase an ebook, its become as easy as buying any other product on the internet. Once you’ve paid for it, all you need to do is download it and it’s all yours, without having to leave the comfort of your own home. You have your book ready to read at any time of the day or night.

You can carry around not only one, but a whole library of your favorite ebooks without worrying about the weight and bulk of printed books, nor do you need a big space for a library to store them. The biggest benefit of ebooks is they are environmentally friendly, due to the lack of paper needed to print the book. As less materials are required to print and publish the ebook the cost of an ebook is generally cheaper than buying a hard copy of a book. Ebooks are fast becoming the trend due to the convenience and ease they provide book lovers.

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Individuals who are not well informed about internet marketing will probably not understand what minisite design is all about. Minisite design is simply the look and appearance of a website that will tempt a prospective customer on the web to buy the product or services the website owner wants to sell. It is a wrong notion to think that a well developed and designed minisite is not really important in promoting your website and eventually selling your product through the internet.

The key is to attract visitors to your website which will increase your chances of making a sale. How can an unprofessional looking website be taken seriously?

This kind of website demonstrates a lack of attention and seriousness and most probably will not be noticed by potential visitors and will not persuade the visitor to buy your product. Of course a do it yourself minisite design, is an option. But the question is do you have the expertise to create a minisite design that will achieve the purpose that you want?

Of course you maybe willing to learn, but the time, energy and opportunity loss will in the end defeat your goal. It will take several trial and error attempts, the output of which will not even ensure a creatively designed minisite that will be attractive or appealing enough to satisfy even your very own personal standard. You are on the web because you have something to sell , be it a product or service. Your time, money and energy will be better spent concentrating on perfecting your product or service and leave the design of your minisites to the professionals.

What can a professional minisite designer do for you that you might not be able to achieve with a DIY minisite design? You will be delivered a creatively designed webpage that will create a positive first impression and will entice visitors to stay, read on, and eventually buy your product. Remember there are numerous websites out there vying for the attention of internet users.

Your professionally designed webpage is the face of your product or service that a potential buyer will encounter first. Your minisite will straight away deliver the message you want to impart clearly and distinctively. Minisites should have an attention grabbing headline, a clear graphic of the product and comprehensive text describing your products and services which should be presented in a professional format.

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