Self Publishing Your Own Ebooks Part 8

When you begin marketing your ebook on the Internet, you can dramatically increase your sales with an affiliate program. An affiliate program will enable you to recruit an entire sales force to market your ebook for you. The great thing about having an affiliate program is that your affiliates work for you on a commission basis. They are paid a specified percentage for each sale they make. If they don't make any sales, they won't get paid.

The key to obtaining affiliates is to offer a nice commission for each sale. The higher the commissions, the more affiliates you'll recruit.

There are thousands of affiliate programs on the Internet. In order to be successful, you must sell your affiliate program just like your product. In other words, your affiliate letter should be written like a sales letter. You must persuade your visitors to join your affiliate program by packing your affiliate sales letter with benefits. Tell them exactly what your affiliate program will do for them, how much commission they will receive and make the sign-up process simple.

Setting Up Your Affiliate Program

When you're ready to set up your affiliate program, there are basically two options. The first option is to purchase an affiliate software program. Affiliate software will track your affiliate sales and enable your affiliates to view their stats. This option requires that you run your affiliate program and you are responsible for accepting payment and sending out commission checks.

The second option is to use a third party affiliate tracking company to run your affiliate program for you. These companies will track your affiliate sales, enable your affiliates to check their stats and send out commission checks for you.

Affiliate Tracking Software

AssocTRAC
http://www.web-source.net/cgi-bin/web/jump.cgi?ID=2333

Pro-TRACK
http://www.web-source.net/cgi-bin/web/jump.cgi?ID=61

Affiliate Tracking Companies
ClickBank (Highly Recommended)
http://www.web-source.net/cgi-bin/web/jump.cgi?ID=196

Commission Junction
http://www.commissionjunction.com/

Increasing Affiliate Sales

The key to developing a successful affiliate team is to keep your affiliates motivated. Set up an opt-in list to enable them to subscribe and receive new promotional methods, sales

letters and articles to assist them in making more sales. This will not only increase their sales, but it will also enable you to keep in contact with your affiliates and introduce new products.

Nobody knows more about your ebook than you do. Set up a page on your web site and provide your affiliates with all of the promotional information they'll need to market your ebook. This information might include all of the following:

Banners

Sample ads

Articles

Reviews

Sales letters

Autoresponder courses

To further increase sales, create a sample or limited version of your ebook. This ebook should be used to intrigue and persuade your readers to purchase the full version. This can be accomplished by allowing your readers to only view a portion of your ebook. In order for them to gain full access to your ebook, they must purchase the password.

The key to using this technique successfully is to enable your affiliates to customize the sales links within the ebook with their affiliate information. This will provide your affiliates with a viral marketing tool that they can freely distribute and earn commissions for years to come.

Creating a Customizable Ebook

In order to create an ebook that can be customized by your affiliates, you must have a special ebook compiler. This compiler will enable you to specify certain areas within your ebook that may be customized. When your affiliate downloads your ebook, they will also need to download an additional 'branding' software that will be used to place their affiliate information within your ebook. There are very few compilers on the market that provide this technology, so make sure you look for this feature when purchasing a compiler.

Developing your own affiliate program will not only enable you to increase your sales, but it will also drive targeted traffic to your web site. Even if your visitor decides not to purchase your ebook, they may be interested in some other products your web site offers.

Take your time and select the best affiliate program option for your business. If you'd rather not take the time to run your affiliate program, you may want to use one of the third party affiliate companies. This is the easiest route and will enable you to concentrate on more important things -- like making more sales and writing new ebooks.

In part 9 of this series, we will focus on designing your ebook's sales page.

Copyright © Shelley Lowery

About the Author:

Shelley Lowery is the creator of eBook Starter - Give Your Ebooks the look and feel of a REAL book, notebook, manual or report. Create your own customizable ebooks with ease and create an ongoing promotional tool that will circulate the Internet for eternity. Click Here. Visit Web-Source.net to sign up for a complimentary subscription to Etips and receive a copy of the acclaimed ebook, "Killer Internet Marketing Strategies.http://www.web-source.net/

Self Publishing Your Own Ebooks

Part 7 Accept Credit Cards / Payments

Once you've taken the necessary steps to protect your ebook, your next step will be to set up an online payment system to enable you to accept credit cards through your web site.

Don't let this process intimidate you, as it is much easier than you may think. There are many professional companies on the Internet that will assist you. If you'd like to get your own merchant account, you can do so right online. If you'd rather not have your own merchant account, there are companies online that will process your credit card orders for you.

Merchant Accounts

If you decide to get your own merchant account, you will also need access to a secure server and a shopping cart system. A secure server will protect your customers information. A shopping cart system will provide your customer with a running total of what they have ordered and the total cost.

The following websites can provide you with a merchant account so that you can accept credit cards:

Total Merchant Services (TMS)
http://www.web-source.net/cgi-bin/web/jump.cgi?ID=2332

This outstanding company comes highly recommended by Derek Gehl - author of the #1 selling online marketing course, "Insider Secrets to Marketing Your Business on the Internet."

The TMS Merchant account, for Internet transactions, will enable you to accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover. They offer two merchant processing software packages to choose from. The first package is the TotalPay powered by Authorize.Net™ Virtual Terminal. This package will enable you to authorize, process, and manage credit card transactions from any computer with an Internet connection and a Web browser. This package ordinarily runs $995, but for a limited time is being offered for only $397. The second package is the TotalPay powered by Authorize.Net™ Virtual Terminal that includes the Total Merchant Manager Shopping Cart. This package includes everything the first package includes, plus all of the following:

Customizable Shopping Cart System

UPS Shipping Module

Links to Virtual Terminal

Free Initial Installation

Their discount rate is 2.4% and $0.35 per transaction fee. Monthly fees include a $10 monthly statement fee and a $10 gateway fee that includes secure, online, real-time credit card and e-cheque processing and only applies to merchants processing transactions through their Internet payment gateway.

Third Party Credit Card Processors

If you'd rather not have your own merchant account, you can still accept credit card payments by using a third party credit card processor that will process your credit card orders

for you. There are usually no monthly fees. They charge a "per transaction" fee and send you payment for all of your orders processed, minus their fee and a reserve fee. A reserve fee is withheld to cover any charge backs you may have. If you have no charge backs within a period of time, your reserve will be refunded to you. Each company has their own guidelines in regard to reserves.

The following websites will process credit card orders for you:

PayPal
http://www.web-source.net/cgi-bin/t.cgi?l=pp

PayPal will enable any business or consumer with an email address to securely send and receive payments online. You can also accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover and electronic checks. You can sell with PayPal through an online auction, on your own website, or as part of an online marketplace. They also offer recurring billing. There are no setup fees. They charge 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction. Services available for US and non-US merchants.

ClickBank
http://www.web-source.net/cgi-bin/t.cgi?l=cb

ClickBank will enable you to accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, Eurocard, Visa-Debit, MasterCard-Debit, Novus cards and electronic checks.

They charge a one-time $49.95 activation fee, and a $1 + 7.5% fee per sale. There are no monthly fees. The great thing about this company is that they'll enable you to run an affiliate program. Services available for US and non-US merchants.

2Checkout.com
http://www.2checkout.com/

2Checkout.com enables you to accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover. They also offer recurring billing and a free shopping cart. There is a $49 set up fee. There are no monthly fees. They charge 5.5% + $0.45 fee per sale. Services available for US and non-US merchants.

If you're just starting out, you may want to use one of the third party credit card processors, as this is the easiest route. Each company provides you with step by step instructions to assist you in getting your web site set up to accept credit cards. The great thing about third party credit card processors is that they handle everything for you. You don't have to hassle with processing your credit card payments or charge backs, as all of this is taken care of for you.

In order to successfully sell your ebooks on the Internet, you must accept credit cards. In addition, you must make the ordering process as simple as possible. With today's technology, even the smallest home-based business can now accept credit credits almost instantly. Visit one of the web sites mentioned above and get your web site set up today. Your success depends on it.

In part 8 of this series, we will focus on setting up your own affiliate program.

Copyright © Shelley Lowery

About the Author:

Shelley Lowery is the author of the acclaimed web design course, Web Design Mastery. Click Here And, Ebook Starter - Give Your Ebooks the look and feel of a REAL book. Click Here Visit Web-Source.net to sign up for a complimentary subscription to Etips and receive a copy of the acclaimed ebook, "Killer Internet Marketing Strategies".http://www.web-source.net

Self Publishing Your Own Ebooks

Part 6 Protecting and Registering Your Ebook

Once you've created your ebook, you'll want to take the necessary steps to protect your work. Although many ebook compilers will enable you to password protect your ebook, none can offer complete security.

Copyrighting Your Ebook

The moment you create your ebook, the US copyright laws protect you. However, if you should need to file an infringement lawsuit, you must register. Although registration is generally voluntary, it is recommended, as you certainly don't want your work to be copied and claimed by someone else. If you don't take the time to register a copyright, you may have little or no recourse should your work be illegally copied.

Visit the following sites to register online:

MediaRegister
http://www.mediaregister.com

Click and Copyright
http://www.clickandcopyright.com/

For further information, visit the US Copyright Office:
http://www.loc.gov/copyright/

International Standard Book Number (ISBN)

Once you get your copyright, your next step will be to obtain an ISBN.

An ISBN is a 10-digit number that uniquely identifies books and similar products that are published internationally. It is used to uniquely identify one specific title, whether it is a book, ebook or similar product from one specific publisher. This number is completely unique to that one title or edition.

If you would like to sell your ebooks in bookstores or online, you'll need to obtain an ISBN. Once you obtain your ISBN, you can submit your title to be listed in the Books in Print database. Bookstores and Libraries refer to Books in Print when they need to order a particular book from a publisher.

When you're ready to order your ISBN, keep in mind, it can never be reused. Once it is assigned to a specific title, it cannot be used again -- even if the title is no longer available. What this means is that if you update your book in any way, you will have to get a new number. In addition, if you're offering your ebook in different formats, you must use a separate ISBN for each format.

The current price is $225 for 10 numbers, which is the minimum you can purchase. You can order right online and should receive your numbers within 10 business days.

For further information, visit:

http://www.isbn.org/
http://www.bowker.com/

Bookland EAN Bar Codes

If you're planning on placing your ebook on CD-ROM, you'll need to use a bar code specifically designed for books. The Bookland European Article Number (EAN) is the standard bar code used in the book industry. It enables the ISBN to be encoded directly into the bar code.

An EAN begins with 978, which is the Bookland prefix. This code is used on books and similar products internationally. This code will enable a retailer to scan the code and easily identify a book by its ISBN. When the book is sold, the cashier can scan the Bookland EAN bar code and retrieve the book price and other important information from the bookseller's database.

For further information, visit isbn.org to review their list of Bookland EAN Bar Code suppliers:

http://www.isbn.org/standards/home/isbn/us/barcode.html

If you're serious about publishing an ebook, make sure you research all of your options before you start. You must look at the entire picture before deciding upon the right format, whether or not you should copyright your ebook and if you'll need a bar code. You never know, once you write your ebook, you may want to expand your market and offer your ebook in different formats. Not only can you publish your ebook in PDF or EXE format, but you can also place it on CD-ROM, format it for ebook reading devices or even Print on Demand. The possibilities are endless.

In part 7 of our series, we will focus on accepting payment on the Internet.

Copyright © Shelley Lowery

About the Author:

Shelley Lowery is the author of the acclaimed web design course, Web Design Mastery. Click Here And, Ebook Starter - Give Your Ebooks the look and feel of a REAL book. Click HereVisit Web-Source.net to sign up for a complimentary subscription to Etips and receive a copy of the acclaimed ebook, "Killer Internet Marketing Strategies." http://www.web-source.net

Self Publishing Your Own Ebooks Part 5 Ebook Design (HTML)

When designing an HTML compiled ebook, you must create an HTML document (web page) for each page within your ebook. These pages should include all of the following:

Introduction - You can create an image that compliments the theme of your ebook, add your company logo and ebook title or whatever you'd like. You should begin typing your introduction on this page explaining what your ebook
is all about.

Foreword - You can include information in regard to warranties, copyrights, trademarks or even an editorial.

Table of Contents- A Table of Contents is really optional. If your ebook contains only a few chapters, a Table of Contents really isn't necessary. However, if your ebook contains many chapters, it is highly recommended that you include a Table of Contents. This will enable your readers to quickly locate important information.

About- This is really an optional page. It really depends upon the type of ebook you're creating. If you're writing your information in the form of a how-to manual, then you should include an "About" page. This page should be used to tell your readers about your ebook, your company, your website, yourself or whatever you'd like. Make sure you provide your website address and your contact information.

Ebook Navigation

HTML ebooks are created just like a website. In order to navigate through the pages, you'll need to include good navigational links on each page. In addition, each page you create should contain links to the previous and next page within your ebook. For example, page two of your ebook should have navigational arrows or links to page one and page three. Page three should have navigational arrows or links to page two and page four and so on.

Ebook File Names

All of your files, including HTML pages and graphics, should be placed within a folder by themselves.

Your main or starting page of your ebook should be called, "index.htm" or "index.html", as many HTML compilers require this. You can name the rest of your pages anything you'd like.

Creating Links

When linking to another page within your ebook, your HTML code should look like this:

Your Page

If you're linking to a web page outside of your ebook, make sure you create a link that includes the full path to the website and will open the page in a new window like this:

Your Site

If you don't include "TARGET="blank" the web page will open within your ebook.

Enhancing Your Ebook's Appearance

To enhance the appearance of your ebook, include small images that compliment the subject of your ebook. In addition, create small graphic page headers, subject dividers and bullets. By including these images, you will greatly
enhance your ebook and provide a more enjoyable experience for your readers.

Try to avoid using animated or large, slow loading images, as these types of images can be very distracting and irritate your readers.

HTML compiled ebooks can include just about everything that HTML 4.0+ supports. You can include live links, subscription forms, order forms, JavaScript, DHTML, Flash, video and sound.

When designing your ebook, try to avoid using anything that requires a special plug-in, such as Flash. Although a dynamic presentation looks nice to those capable of viewing it, not everyone has those capabilities. Flash is very slow loading and can cause your readers to become frustrated when trying to load your ebook.

Creating an Icon

Many HTML ebook compilers are now enabling you to use your own ebook icon. This icon is an image that will be displayed on your clients' desktop. When clicked on, it will open your ebook.

In order to create an icon, you must have a special software program that will save your image with a .ico extension.

You can download a great software program called, "Icon Edit Pro" here:
http://www.iconedit.com/

Before creating an icon, make sure you review your compilation software to make sure that you can include your own icon and to get their specifications.

In part 6 of our series, we will focus on some publishing tips such as copyrighting your ebook, obtaining an International Standard Book Number (ISBN) and more.

Copyright © Shelley Lowery

About the Author:

Shelley Lowery is the author of the acclaimed web design course, Web Design Mastery. Click Here And, Ebook Starter - Give Your Ebooks the look and feel of a REAL book. Click Here Visit Web-Source.net to sign up for a complimentary subscription to Etips and receive a copy of the acclaimed ebook, "Killer Internet Marketing Strategies." http://www.web-source.net/

Self Publishing Your Own E-books Part 4 E-book Design (PDF)

Once you have decided upon the best format for your ebook, your next step will be the design process. In this lesson, we will be focusing on PDF e-book design.

No matter which format you choose, one of the most important factors in determining your e-book’s overall success is your presentation.

Your e-book should not only look professional in design, but should also be well organized and easily navigated. In addition, your e-book should include images that will enhance its appearance and compliment your subject matter.

Although you can design your e-book using an application of your choice, for the purpose of this article, we will focus on designing your e-book with Microsoft Word.

When you purchase and install Adobe Acrobat, a shortcut button will be added to your Microsoft Word toolbar. This button will enable you to instantly convert your word document into a PDF document.

When you begin designing your e-book, think of each page you create as a page of a book, because that's exactly what it is. Your e-book is a book in electronic format. Although the structure of your e-book may vary, here is a basic guideline to assist you:

Opening Page

The first page of your e-book will represent your book cover. It should contain an image or logo that will compliment your e-book. This page should also include your e-book’s title, followed by an opening statement.

Foreword

The next portion of your e-book may contain a Foreword with information in regard to your copyrights, disclaimers or other important information.

Instructions

Your Foreword may be followed by instructional information in regard to using your e-book, such as navigation. Your instructions might include an overview of how to navigate your e-book and even some screenshots.

Table of Contents

A Table of Contents will assist your readers in easily locating each section of your e-book.

When writing your text in Microsoft Word, you are provided with a number of options to assist you in formatting your pages in a specific layout. This powerful program will not only enable you to insert page numbers, headers, footers, borders and images, but it will also create your Table of Contents for you.

Creating Your Table of Contents will be one of your last steps in designing your e-book. In order for Microsoft Word to create your Table of Contents, you must first apply specific heading styles to the chapter headings that you would like to be displayed within your Table of Contents.

To add a style to your chapter headings, highlight your text and click on the style drop-down box on the left side of your toolbar and select Heading1. You can edit your Heading1 style to display your heading in the font and size of your choice.

If you would like to display any subtitles beneath your titles, simply follow the same procedure above. However, instead of selecting Heading1, select Heading2 and so on.

To build your Table of Contents, click on the page where you would like to insert your Table of Contents. Click on "Insert" then on "Index and Tables" and select the Table of Contents tab. select your preferred format and Word will instantly create your Table of Contents.

Word builds your Table of Contents by searching for headings with specified styles. It then sorts the headings according to their heading level, references their page numbers, and then displays the Table of Contents within your document.

Once you create your Table of Contents, your document can be easily navigated by clicking on any page number within your Table of Contents. This will enable your readers to instantly jump to the corresponding chapter headings within your document.

Introduction
Your introduction should follow your Table of Contents and might contain an overview of your e-book’s subject matter or whatever you'd like. Your introduction will be a prelude to your chapters.

Chapters

The next part of your e-book will contain your chapters. Your chapter titles should be displayed in a larger, bold font. Each new chapter should start at the top of a new page.

There are a number of ways you can spice up your e-book’s appearance and give it a professional look and feel. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Inserting Page Numbers

You can insert page numbers simply by clicking on "Insert" then "Page Numbers." You will be presented with several formatting options for positioning, alignment and styles. If you would like to add additional text with your page numbers, you can use the "Header and Footer" option.

Headers and Footers

Headers and Footers can be used to insert specific information at the top and/or on the bottom of each of your pages. To insert these fields into your pages, click on "View" then on "Header and Footer." A header and footer area will appear at the top and bottom of each page. You can type in your text and/or use the toolbar to insert your information into your pages. You only have to insert the information into the "Header and Footer" area of your first page and it will be displayed on every page.

Borders

Borders can be used to enhance your e-book’s appearance. To add a border to each of your pages, click on "Format" then on "Borders and Shading." Click on the "Page Border" tab and select your border style and color.

Images

Just as borders can be used to enhance your e-book’s appearance, images can also be used. Try to select images that will enhance your reader's experience and compliment your e-book’s focus.

To insert an image within your page, click on "Insert" then on "Picture" and select an option.

Take your time and make sure you use Word's powerful features. It will assist you in creating a great looking e-book. If you're not sure how to do something, simply click on "Help" and it will guide you through the process.

In part five of our series, we will focus on designing an e-book in HTML format.

Copyright © Shelley Lowery

About the Author:

Shelley Lowery is the author of the acclaimed web design course, For Web Design Mastery. Click Here For Ebook Starter - Give Your Ebooks the look and feel of a REAL book. Click Here Visit Web-Source.net to sign up for a complimentary subscription to Etips and receive a copy of the acclaimed ebook, "Killer Internet Marketing Strategies." http://www.web-source.net

Self Publishing Your Own Ebooks Part 3 Ebook Formats (HTML)

In part 2 of this series, we focused on ebooks formatted in PDF. We will now continue with HTML compiled ebooks.

Hypertext Markup Language Format (HTML Ebooks)

Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) formatted ebooks are simply a group of web pages compressed into one .exe file for distribution. HTML ebooks are completely interactive with the Internet and can be as simple or dynamic as you'd like. Your HTML files can contain live links, graphics, forms, JavaScript, embedded video, and more. You can easily create a dynamic presentation utilizing the latest technology.

Ebooks formatted in HTML are basically designed just like a website. They can contain an unlimited number of pages that are navigated via hyperlinks. Unlike ebooks formatted in PDF, the design of an HTML ebook is only limited by your imagination.

Depending upon the type of HTML compiler you purchase, HTML formatted ebooks can have customizable fields that will enable your users to customize fields you specify. This technology can enable you to provide your affiliates with an ebook they can use as a sales tool to sell your products and services. Your affiliates can have the ability to customize your ebook with their affiliate ID and earn commissions simply by giving the ebook away.

HTML files can be distributed in the following ways:

Internet download

CD-ROM

Advantages:

Complete control over your ebook's look and feel.

Completely interactive with the Internet.

Software very reasonably priced starting at $30.00

Most compilation software is easy to use.

A wide variety of ebook compilers to choose from.

Disadvantages:

Users must have the ability to run "Windows" programs.

Users must have Internet Explorer 4.0+ installed on their
computer.

Compilers E-ditor

http://www.web-source.net/cgi-bin/web/jump.cgi?ID=2884

This is a nice ebook compiler that includes a step by step interface that will guide you through the entire process. Unlike other programs, this compiler comes with five "skins" to enable your ebooks to have a unique look. It also includes a pop-up message box that loads prior to your ebook loading when your ebook is launched. This box can contain system requirements, copyrights or whatever text you'd like.

Cost: $97.00

Ebook Edit Pro

http://www.web-source.net/cgi-bin/web/jump.cgi?ID=2894

This is a great ebook compiler. Not only is it easy to use, but it also includes a pop-up message box that loads prior to your ebook loading. In addition, you can display your own product icon and select the buttons you would like to be displayed such as, navigational, print and home buttons. It also has an added feature that enables you to include an affiliate ID within every ebook you create and make money for referral sales. As an added bonus for purchasing this great compiler, you will also receive an "eBrand-It" software that will enable you to set up special fields so that your affiliates can customize your ebook. A free demo is available. This is a great compile.

Cost: $87.50

As you can see, both ebook formats have a number of advantages and disadvantages and the decision may be a little difficult.

The best ebook format for your project will really depend upon your own preference. However, it is also important to take into consideration the type of ebook you're creating and the number of pages it will contain. For example, if you've written a manuscript with hundreds of pages and have it typed into your word processing program, you won't want to waste your time creating an HTML page for each page of your ebook. Your best option will be to purchase Adobe Acrobat and compile your ebook into the PDF format. HTML compiled ebooks are better for smaller projects such as "how-to", "instructional" or "informational" ebooks.

Another consideration of great importance is your sales plan. If you're planning on marketing your ebook yourself, then it really doesn't matter which format you use. However, if you're planning on selling your ebook on one of the ebook publishing sites, many of them will only accept ebooks in the PDF format.

A good way to cover all of your bases is to simply publish your ebook in both formats. Let your customers decide which format they would prefer.

In part 4 of this series, we will focus on designing an ebook in PDF format.

Copyright © Shelley Lowery

About the Author:

Shelley Lowery is the author of the acclaimed web design course, For Web Design Mastery. Click Here For Ebook Starter - Give Your Ebooks the look and feel of a REAL bookClick Here Visit Web-Source.net to sign up for a complimentary subscription to Etips and receive a copy of the acclaimed ebook, "Killer Internet Marketing Strategies." http://www.web-source.net

Self Publishing Your Own Ebook Part 2 Ebook Formats (PDF)

The most popular ebook formats used on the Internet are the Portable Document Format, better known as PDF, and the Hypertext Markup Language, better known as HTML.

Although both formats are highly popular, you must look at the entire picture prior to making your decision, as there are pros and cons associated with each format.
Portable Document Format (PDF)
Adobe® Portable Document Format (PDF) is a universal format that will preserve all of your original formatting. Not only will it maintain your specified layout, but it will also preserve your fonts, images and links -- regardless of what application was used to create it. This will enable your ebook to look exactly as you had intended.

PDF files are very compact in size and are actually smaller than their original source files. They can be easily published and distributed in a number of ways:

In print

Email attachments

Internet download

Web sites

CD-ROM

Advantages:

Anyone, anywhere can open your document regardless of what browser they're using or what operating system.

PDF is the preferred format of most publishing sites.

PDF always prints correctly with any printing device.

addition to the above advantages, using the Adobe Acrobat 5.0 software, documents can be viewed across multiple media. For example, tagged PDF preserves a document's structure so that it can be viewed on Palm OS® devices as well as on the web. Tagged PDF files also contain information in regard to the content and structure, which makes them accessible to visually impaired readers -- with the assistance of screen readers.

Disadvantages:

A bit limiting on creativity.

Software is rather expensive at $249.00.

Users must have the free Acrobat Reader installed on their computer.

Ebook Compilers
Adobe Acrobat 5.0 (Highly Recommended)
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/main.html

This powerful program provides Internet users with the ability to create and distribute ebooks that are viewable by everyone, regardless of what browser or operating system. Your documents will be beautifully preserved in their original layout and will appear exactly as you had intended. With the release of Acrobat 5.0, users not only have increased document security, but they also have the ability to create documents that can be easily viewed by the visually impaired and on Palm OS® devices. In addition, Acrobat compliments Microsoft Word, as it adds a toolbar shortcut directly to the program. Simply open your document in Microsoft Word, click on the Acrobat button, and your Word document will be automatically converted into a PDF document for distribution.

Cost: $249.00

Easy PDF (Recommended)
http://www.visagesoft.com/easypdf/

Easy PDF is an inexpensive alternative to the Adobe Acrobat software. It will enable you to quickly and easily create Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) documents. It is a true WYSIWYG editor with full drag and drop support. It includes an image editor for optimizing your images, supports hypertext and bookmarks and even includes a spell checker and document security.

Cost: $30.00

Documents formatted in PDF, can not only be downloaded via a link, but they can also be viewed directly from your website, without being downloaded. They are very easily distributed and will enable you to easily deliver your ebook.

In part 3 of this series, we will continue with HTML compiled ebooks.

Copyright © Shelley Lowery

About the Author:

Shelley Lowery is the author of the acclaimed web design course, For Web Design Mastery. Click Here For Ebook Starter - Give Your Ebooks the look and feel of a REAL book. Click HereVisit Web-Source.net to sign up for a complimentary subscription to Etips and receive a copy of the acclaimed ebook, "Killer Internet Marketing Strategies." http://www.web-source.net