1. Definition

The word e-book originated as an abbreviation for “electronic book.” And that is what e-books are: books that are produced for distribution and subsequent reading on a computer or other electronic device, rather than being printed and bound as traditional books are.

  • The vast majority of e-books on the market are distributed as PDF files, meaning they can be read on any computer or device that can read PDF files. (For example, if your computer has Adobe Acrobat or Preview installed, you can read e-books that are distributed as PDFs.) In other cases, e-books may be distributed in file formats that are specific to different individual e-book reader devices, such as Amazon’s Kindle reader.
  • Reading an e-book consists of opening the file on your computer or other device and reading the text on the screen. Some e-book reading devices and software programs even simulate page turning.

2. Distribution

  • You can buy e-books directly from Amazon.com, particularly if you have a Kindle reader. Otherwise, there are numerous online e-book publishers and sellers with wide selections.
  • Sometimes books that are published only in electronic format are considerably less expensive than those that exist as electronic versions of existing print books, given that the costs of publishing an e-book are much lower than the production costs of a print book.

3. Creation

  • One interesting consequence of e-book production being less expensive is that new authors find it easier to get published. In fact, it is quite easy to publish an e-book yourself without even involving a publishing company.
  • Amazon offers authors the ability to post their work for sale in the Kindle format (although Amazon takes a cut of the profits), but it is also possible to publish an e-book on your own merely by formatting your work as a PDF and then posting it for sale on your own website (using payment software such as PayPal to accept orders). Note that you are likely to get more traffic by going through a popular site such as Amazon, however.

    4. What Are Electronic Books?

    An “e-book,” or electronic book, is just as simple as it sounds: an electronic representation of a book. It has revolutionized the concept of reading a book, as you can now easily read a new hip novel without having to physically carry around a big, heavy hardcover.

    The flipside to the popularity of e-books is the declining livelihood of bookstores, which are closing more frequently as a result of dwindling sales.

      • How They Work

  • An e-book is a digitized version of a book or novel.That is to say, instead of holding a book in your hands you merely hold a device (such as a Kindle) and read the words on the screen. Various software is used to present the text on-screen, including Adobe, which presents text in .PDF format, viewable on most computers and cellular devices.
  • Most e-reader devices are capable of holding a large number of titles in their internal memory (over 2,000 on average), so you could literally hold thousands of books at your fingertips.

    1. Why They Work

      • Hardcover new releases at book stores can sell for around $20. Conversely, e-books are readily available at significantly reduced prices, making them more viable to more consumers.

        As technology progressed over the years, many consumers grew tired of the physical aspect of purchasing and holding a book. Articles and news pieces have been written and reported about the state of the physical book, and how prices for publishing may go up as e-book prices decrease. Amazon.com even stated that in 2010, e-book sales almost doubled physical book sales.

      5. Digital vs. Physical 

      • Because of many consumers’ disdain for the bulky nature of real books, almost every new release now comes with a digital version. All a potential buyer has to do is make a few clicks and the book will be available to read on the consumer’s e-reader device. In fact, some websites even allow users to suggest that a book should have an e-book form, if it is not already available.

        Book vs. e-Book

        What’s more, e-books are usually significantly cheaper than heavy hardcover books, which can retail for around $30 in some markets.

      6. Effects on the industry

      • As a result of shifting consumer trends, the book industry is suffering. As people buy e-reader machines in great numbers, more and more book retailers (such as Barnes and Noble and Borders) find themselves in crippling financial distress.

        More and more retail book chains are closing down and filing for bankruptcy. They just cannot keep up with the convenience and ease of access (not to mention lower prices) of e-books.

        The present already looks very bright for the e-book, so it is not difficult to see more success on the horizon for the e-book market.

Posted on by murat