Making eBooks Work, Part 1: Baen

[Jeff Kirvin]

http://www.writingonyourpalm.net/column020429.htm

Despite the gloom and doom over ebooks in the popular media, some epublishers are doing brisk business selling ebooks. What's the secret of their success?

"Those who claim a thing is impossible should not interrupt those that are doing it."
-- old Chinese proverb

Ebooks are big news these days mostly for what they aren't. They aren't popular. They aren't cost effective. They aren't the wave of the future for the reading public, who, if you believe everything you read, will always prefer reading on tree pulp. Ebooks, basically, don't work.

Or so you've been led to believe.

In fact, there are a few companies out there who are doing thriving business with this "dead end" medium. Ebooks are alive and well, if you know the secret. What's the secret? Let's look at those selling ebooks and see.

First up is Baen Books, a paper publisher first and foremost and one of the few independents left after the large-scale buy out of the giant media conglomerates...

Read the rest http://www.writingonyourpalm.net/column020429.htm

[Jeff Kirvin]

http://www.writingonyourpalm.net/column020429.htm

Despite the gloom and doom over ebooks in the popular media, some epublishers are doing brisk business selling ebooks. What's the secret of their success?

"Those who claim a thing is impossible should not interrupt those that are doing it."
-- old Chinese proverb

Ebooks are big news these days mostly for what they aren't. They aren't popular. They aren't cost effective. They aren't the wave of the future for the reading public, who, if you believe everything you read, will always prefer reading on tree pulp. Ebooks, basically, don't work.

Or so you've been led to believe.

In fact, there are a few companies out there who are doing thriving business with this "dead end" medium. Ebooks are alive and well, if you know the secret. What's the secret? Let's look at those selling ebooks and see.

First up is Baen Books, a paper publisher first and foremost and one of the few independents left after the large-scale buy out of the giant media conglomerates...

Read the rest http://www.writingonyourpalm.net/column020429.htm

[lar3ry]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kirvin

Read the rest at http://www.writingonyourpalm.net/column020429.htm

Seems to be a dead link.

[Ed Hansberry]

Originally Posted by lar3ry

Seems to be a dead link.

Nope. The whole WOYP site seems to be down. :-(

[Sslixtis]

About time Jim Baen got his due! The man is a visionary! I have almost every eBook he has listed, and yes I still buy the paperback when it comes out. Just in case we have a global disaster and I have to go back to hardcopy. Besides eBooks don't look as nice on a bookshelf :wink:
If you haven't checked out Baen's Webscriptions it is a must! They have a FREE library you can check out before buying http://www.baen.com/library/ They offer open formats so you have a variety of options for the Reader of YOUR choice. I download the Rich Text and then convert it to Palm Media Reader myself, but they have all the standard choices: MS Reader, Mobipocket, HTML etc... eBooks are my passion, I carry around or so 50 eBooks at all times(A Library in your Pocket!) Ahhh...Wild-eyed adoration of Jim Baen and eBooks over for now

[marcusbankuti]

Originally Posted by Ed Hansberry

Nope. The whole WOYP site seems to be down. :-(

It's been happening a lot lately...

[st63z]

How about the people behind Fictionwise? Aren't they also visionaries?

[Jeff Kirvin]

Originally Posted by st63z

How about the people behind Fictionwise? Aren't they also visionaries?

Fictionwise is next week. This is a four part series.