POOR RICHARD'S CREATING E-BOOKS
By Chris Van Buren and Jeff Cogswell
Top Floor Publishing, March 2001
ISBN 1-930082-02-9
RATED:
Pros
• Covers the issues in a professional manner
• For the most part, discusses the industry realistically
• Great appendices and glossary
Cons
• A little dated (pub date was 1991)
• Success stories really aren't
Electronic publishing, although it has dropped out of the media spotlight a little in the recent past, is still going strong. New electronic publishers start up each month, and authors are finding more publishing opportunities open to them all the time.
Poor Richard's Creating E-Books isn't the first book to try to provide a comprehensive how-to guide for potential e-book authors and publishers, but it is the first book to tackle the business of e-publishing in a serious, professional manner.
Written by Chris Van Buren, a literary agent specializing in computer books, and computer book author
Jeff Cogswell, Poor Richard's Creating E-Books does what is expected of it by taking the reader through the steps involved in
planning, creating, securing, and marketing an ebook. More importantly, it covers the information in a clear, systematic manner that's free of most of the hype and sales-pitch found in most other books about the subject.
But what sets this book apart is the information the authors included after the nuts-and-bolts how-tos.
Van Buren and Cogswell have included some very helpful chapters on the economics of the publishing industry,
hot button issues in epublishing contracts, and business issues for the self e-publisher. It is these
chapters, along with the book's helpful endmatter (three helpful appendices and a great glossary) that
makes Poor Richard's Creating E-Books a must-read book for anyone interested in electronic publishing.
E-publishing, however, is still a very young industry, and doesn't have much to offer in the way of
financial rewards. The authors don't dwell on this fact, but it is painfully evident in the chapter they call
'Personal Success Stories.' With only one exception, these success stories sound more like 'We Haven't Failed
Yet' stories, or at best 'We Think We're Doing Something Right' stories. If you're looking for assurance or
motivation, this isn't the place to find it.
With a little bit of time,
and a lot of effort on the part of e-book enthusiasts, perhaps some truly inspiring success stories will be
available for the second edition of the book.
The Bottom Line -
If you're looking for
information to help you get in on the ground floor of this new industry, Poor Richard's Creating
E-Books is a great place to start.
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