Successful e publishers need to focus on creativity and
consumer satisfaction

chillibreeze writer — Usha Ganesh

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Picture this:

An author slaves over his manuscript and hopes he can entice a publisher to publish, promote and distribute it.

The publisher, on the other hand, is in a business where he has to juggle cash flows in terms of advance and royalty payments, promotion and distribution costs as well as inflows from advertising, licensing and sale of books.

The p-publisher (print publishing) was always on the look out for opportunities to reduce his cost, while the writer wanted alternative ways to publish his book.

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Is there a win-win solution here?

E-Publishing is on a roll and here to stay.

Development of technology and prevalence of the Internet has spawned the alternative - e-Publishing. Broadly speaking, the electronic distribution of information using the Internet and other devices like CD-ROMs is e-publishing. The range of products and services include commercial, academic and trade information in formats like e-books, e-journals, e-magazines and e-newsletters.

Web publishing is not a “cutting-edge” and happening phenomenon.

It has been around for about 7 years. We know of it in its previous formats where content was published through the Internet and a network of computers. The art and science of e-publishing has since then attained significant sophistry, not only in software and hardware but also in editorial elements like design and placement of information using advanced technology to depict sound and images.

The traditional publishing industry was not perturbed by the emergence of e-publishing. Indeed; the popular verdict was that there was no substitute for the printed book. Incidentally, the jury is still out on that one.

However, the sheer size of the potential market ensured that technology pertaining to hardware and software developed rapidly. Several key players in the traditional publishing industry joined the bandwagon, not to mention several academic institutions and industry and trade bodies.

There are several characteristics that make e-publishing unique and different from the traditional print publishing.

For one, time to market is shorter, once the information is coded using HTML or the less popular XML, it can be published. Corrections and updating do not require another edition, instead, information can be updated or rectified directly. And I am saving the best for the last, electronic publishing can be dynamic and interactive. A research paper or a book can have several people collaborating and working on it from different parts of the world.

It feels good to point out that electronic publishing does away with the hassle of negotiating rights in different countries and incurring middlemen costs, not to mention the more mundane benefits of storage and maintenance. But, equally important are the characteristics that work to erode acceptance levels, the barriers to entry, so to speak. These are not insurmountable, but do make an e-publisher’s task more difficult. The ones that can be worked around are issues pertaining to copyright protection and enforcing payment.

Issues about reach and user friendliness do remain

What is tougher to fight is the argument that printed books can be read in a variety of situations: lying down in bed, in the bath, while walking, while travelling and so on. What’s more, they don’t require a power chord or batteries. Electronic publishing still reaches a small fraction of the universe of readers, and it demands advanced technology, which might make it elitist in that it reaches out to a more affluent reader base. The mobile versions like palm tops and notebooks have smaller screens, rendering it user-unfriendly.

While certain formats like ezines and e-newsletters as well as electronic versions of newspapers were the first to appear and be accepted, others like e-books, are not only gaining many adherents but also are subject to much debate.

Evidently, certain products are more consumable in the electronic format, while others are less so.

What are the criteria then for a publisher to consider before he forays into this fledgling industry?

Sure, at the most basic level it requires technical expertise. But scratch beneath the surface, and you find that much like its traditional counterpart, web-based publishing relies heavily on the rare traits: human creativity, intelligence and a passion to excel.

The other criteria revolve around answering three basic questions:

What do the readers want?
How is the information delivered i.e., is it online, on a floppy disc or a CD?
How is the information presented?

Prerequisites to a successful e-publishing business:

• The publisher needs to have a good website:
  A good website, well laid out so that potential authors know what is on offer. In other words, it must be the electronic version of an appealing store window that pulls people in to visit, browse and BUY books. Positive word of mouth and recommendations from frequent buyers or authors would certainly help.
• Membership to a professional industry body:
  The net and the web have several positives but the one big negative is credibility.
  If it is so easy to publish, how do I know this publisher is the best one for me?
  There are several publishers who have been lured in by the huge potential and have, so that they do not miss the bus, simply put together an e-publishing unit with the basic building blocks: computers, internet access and publishing software. They are probably not out to cheat, but would perhaps simply lack the skills required to package and market the book effectively. This credibility flows out of affiliation to a group through membership as well as recognition in terms of awards won or reviews written of other e-books sold by the same publisher. Copyright registration also helps the authors breathe easy.
• The environment that is offered by the publisher:
  Every author is going to closely scan the potential neighbours for her book. And more importantly, every consumer will invest more or less time in browsing around the “store” depending on the overall “feel” of the place. Several e-publishers and vendors offer a mixed bag with something from cooking, gardening and pets to quantum mechanics, from fiction to non-fiction and everything in between. Others stick to a smaller set with some common ground and others to a single subject. Making this choice is crucial as it determines the kind of authors and audience the publisher will attract over time.
• Offering a variety of formats:
  E-Books come in a variety of formats, each suitable to a different reader, ranging from PDF to Palm reader and the POD. Offering a variety of formats would not only hook these different consumers but also speak well of the range available with the publisher to the authors.
• Attractive covers and well-written abstracts and reviews:
  Well written content like abstracts, reviews, interviews not only attract buyers, but also hook potential authors to try out the publisher.
• Professionalism:
  A standard contract, with details on the rights of the publisher and author, royalties etc must be available on the site or at least on request. The experience and depth of expertise brought in by the editorial and technical staff also impact the success and trial rate of the e-publisher.
• Range of services on offer:
  Publishers offering proof reading, editorial services, promotional and marketing services stand to benefit over those that publish manuscripts on an “as is” basis. Publishers that also allow vendors or on-line bookstores to list their books would also improve sales and visibility.
• Advertisements and related links:
  Publishers and authors also gain through e-publishing by being able to display advertisements and related links. For instance an e-book on financial advice could have links to sites of mutual funds, broking firms or banks. This would boost revenues and improve visibility.

As part of a nascent industry, e-publishers have a further task of educating the consumer, who has to move from the comfort zone of printed books to the electronic alternative. The future generations; fed on a steady and increasing diet of computers and the Internet; would find it relatively easier to adapt to this mode, if not demand it as their preferred option.

 

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—About our writer: Usha Ganesh, MBA, CFA, is our management consultant and guides the business writing activities in Chillibreeze. She brings with her over 13 years of experience in Business Analysis, Research and Writing. She has worked with international organizations as consultant and editor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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