Should I Publish an E-book or Printed Version?

E-books are taking the publishing industry by storm. With an explosion of E-book readers, formats, websites, and options it becomes difficult to decide how, as authors, we can take advantage of this market. On the other end of the spectrum, such a wide growth in the E-book market has created a growing trend for authors to skip the traditional method of printing a book for an E-book only copy.

This article explores the pros and cons of E-books along with tools and resources for determining the best route and maximum exposure for the publication of your next book.

The E-book: It’s In

One large cloud surrounding E-books at the moment is it’s rapid growth in popularity. With over five widely popular E-book readers (and more on the horizon) the current growth in the industry makes it well worth the consideration for an author wishing to reach a wider market for their book.

How can you decide if your particular target market would have interest in a digital version? This is a valid concern and one that can determine if an E-book is the best option. As mentioned above, the E-book craze does mean that more E-books are being sold. However, extensive research is essential to decide if your market is a part of the craze. In other words, does your readership tend to buy readers or not?

Paperless and Inexpensive to Produce

One huge benefit and a reason many choose the E-book route for publication, is the paperless, low-cost solution it offers authors. Since every element of an E-book is digital, printing or re-printing isn’t necessary to keep your message in the hands of readers. Rather than the trip down to the local bookstore, or awaiting a shipment from Amazon, a reader can purchase a title online and instantly download the book. Many of today’s top E-book readers even enable a user to order E-books straight from the device itself.

Sharing Options and Restrictions

One struggle that plagues this new industry is its restrictions and allowances in terms of sharing the actual E-book file. With restrictions and options ranging from none (completely open and sharable) to locked-down, one user-only files, the industry has yet to design the perfect medium. Here’s a list of common restrictions or “don’ts” placed upon E-book files:

You shall not:

1. Resell, rent, transfer, or redistribute all or part of the ebook or any rights granted hereunder to any other person;
2. Duplicate the E-book, (with the exception of a single backup or archival copy);
3. Remove any notices, labels, or marks from the E-book ;
4. Transfer or sub-license the title to the ebook to any other party.

Keep in mind the list above is only a sample of common restrictions and does not by any means apply to all publishers and options available.

Types of E-book Formats

The misnomer that an E-book is simply any old PDF file is dying out, but still lingers among some new authors. A PDF (or Portable Document Format) is a file commonly created for large displays often sized to 8.5 x 11 or “letter” size. While many E-book readers open and display PDFs, this format is not a standard or recommended E-book format.

The type of format of an E-book often determines by the device by which it’s supported. Here’s a collection of some of today’s top E-book formats*:

• File Format: IDPF/EPUB | File Name: .epub
• File Format: Kindle | File Name: .azw
• File Format: Palm Media | File Name: .pdb
• File Format: Mobipocket | File Name: .prc; .mobi
• File Format: Arghos Reader | File Name: .aeh

* Information taken from Wikipedia: Comparison of E-book Formats

Sales and an Author’s Royalties

One other area to explore in the e-book decision, is the royalties and sales of E-books. On average, E-books sell much less than the standard printed version. In many cases, this not due to the lack of printing costs, but because readers are unwilling to spend more for an e-version. A recent survey led one researcher to conclude that 10-$18 was a good range for an E-book, a great deal less than a standard hardback. The bottom line: a printed book will more than likely contain a higher retail cost, yet is a more viable option for higher royalties.

How Should I Publish My Next Book?

As mentioned previously, the best way to determine whether you should go traditional or an E-book is to study your market. However, in most cases, the best solution is to offer both. While reaching a much wider audience, having both versions readily available also makes your title a more viable option to readers of all kinds. For those  set on going E-book only, take a look at some recent comments left on a blog which released its latest E-book without a print version accompaniment:

You guys seriously have to consider releasing a hard copy. This will definitely increase your sales. Maybe a small survey will help. What would you prefer hard or e-copy? Would you pay $5 more for a hard copy? Well—I would. It’s simply because it is nice sometimes learn something not from monitor but a good book. Please—think about it. And once is out let me know; I’ll buy it!

And another:

“It would be great to have a hard copy. I would pay more for it as well. I actually just bought a couple of books from [a book a part] . . . just got them in the mail today and spent $30 dollars on both of them . . .”

Related Articles

• Are Paper Books Dead?
• Ten Things to Consider Before You Publish an E-Book
• How to Handle the E-Book Hype
• PubToons™ #1: E-books vs. Print Books

Conclusion

The latest E-book technology makes great new opportunities for authors to spread their message. Hopefully this article has given the insight necessary for you to know which method(s) are most effective for reaching your readers.

What’s Your Experience with E-books vs. Print Books?

We would love to know your experience on this topic, or your thoughts as to the best overall strategy to taking advantage of E-book technology and traditional printing to reach readers. Do you feel an E-book should always have a printed book to go with it, or is the E-book market popular enough now that the paper copy isn’t necessary? Feel free to leave a comment as we would love to know your thoughts.

Unbeatable Book Publishing Quality, with You in Control

It’s time to reform the way we think about book publishing. Stop giving up all your rights. Stop giving up control of the process. Stop settling for mediocre “self-published” books. Start publishing the right way. WinePress provides all the services and representation you need to publish books people will read and enjoy.

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Thomas McGee

As a designer and developer at WinePress Publishing, Thomas specializes in book jackets, websites, illustrations, and advertisements.

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