What You MUST Know BEFORE Publishing Your First Ebook

By John A. Karnish
Posted Friday, November 12, 2004

".exe or .pdf, that is the question..."

Today I'm going to explain the different types of ebooks you can create, the benefits and weaknesses of each type and help you decide which is best for you.

There are basically two types of ebooks you can create, .exe an "executable file," or .pdf a "portable document file. Don't get confused by the technical mumbo jumbo. All you need is to know the two names and the benefits and disadvantages of each.

Of the two formats, my favorite is ".exe ." The biggest drawback is that "Macintosh" owners can't read ebooks in this format.

If you're going to be selling your information, you never want to lose potential customers. However, in my opinion this is the only big fault.

The biggest benefits are that there are many cheap and easy to use programs that will create ebooks in this format. Some have some very cool features and if you at least know how to create a webpage you can easily create an impressive looking ebook.

Ebooks created with .exe software are usually the same quality as any page on the internet. They are very similar to viewing a webpage in a browser. Most have back, forward and home buttons which makes it very similar to your readers' browser.

The biggest benefit of .pdf files is that your work will be able to be read on most computers, PC and Macintosh. This is why when top internet marketers publish an ebook, they almost always use this format.

I will always make a .pdf version of anything I plan on selling since it just makes financial sense. However, it's not my favorite format to use because of the following reasons.

First of all, there is basically only one program that creates .pdf files and about 4X the price of .exe software. Your readers also need a special (reader) software to read view your documents. The software is free and usually installed on most new computers, but it's a hassle to make your customers download extra software just to read your ebook. I also find .pdf files to be a little hard on the eyes and out of focus.

The main software for creating .pdf files is Adobe Acrobat. While you can create an ebook with the same features, I find it to be a little harder to figure out. I admit that I am not very good when it comes to the techie. So if you have more technical computer experience than I do you might enjoy Acrobat more.

The plus side is that Adobe Acrobat actually has more features than most .exe publsihing software. If you're willing to devote the time and study the software it can do some amazing things like leaving hidden notes for your readers.

Besides creating an ebook in .exe or .pdf format, you can always just create a collection of.html pages and place them all in a folder to be downloaded. Create an index page and link your other pages to it. This will allow just about every computer user to access you publication and you don't even need any software.

Well, you might be wondering which software is right for you? I would recommend investing the money in Adobe Acrobat. It creates the one format that almost all computer users can read. However it is very pricey, especially for entrepreneurs on a tight budgets.

There is some very good .exe software that is much cheaper and is a very good option for those with limited incomes.

No matter which you choose, I would create a publication that Mac users could read. Create a version in .pdf and .exe format so Mac owners can read your work and PC users can choose their preferred format.

If you can't create a .pdf version at least offer the ability to download the work on a collection of webpages. You might want to offer it at a discounted price so they don't feel cheated. Also be sure to put a copyright symbol at the bottom of your pages to scare off plagiarizers.

If you search some JavaScript sites, you probably can find a script that will prevent other people from viewing your source code or copying your webpage text. This might be helpful in combating plagiarism if you plan on offering a folder full of plain .html files for download.

About the Author
John Karnish offers over 50+ FRESH and UNIUQE Resellable eBooks for an unbelievable price. Sign up for his FREE eBook Marketing course and recieve 5 FREE eBooks with Resell Rights just for signing up. Click Here Now ==> (http://www.internet-marketingpro.com)