Instant Ebook Publishing

Portable Document Format or pdf file format is one of the easiest and most widely used methods of producing ebooks, reports and newsletters for many reasons. Some of the reasons are listed as follows:

• PDF files are relatively small in size and quick and easy to download or send as an email attachment.
• The Adobe Reader© needed to read pdf files is available for most operating systems including Linux and mobile phones.
• PDF files have a reputation for being virus/trojan resistant.
• The Adobe Reader© is a free download and updates are also available free.
• Multiple software programs are available for creating pdf files, some are free.
• Images and clickable links can be embedded in pdf files.
• PDF files can be locked, using the appropriate creation software, making them difficult to alter.
• You can password protect pdf files, using appropriate creation software, restricting access to authorized users.

The standard method for creating pdf files is by using Adobe Acrobat©. Adobe Acrobat 8 Standard© sells for $299 and Adobe Acrobat 8 Professional© sells for $449 at the time of this posting. Fortunately you can find free and low cost programs that can be used for creating very acceptable pdf documents.

OpenOffice is a free suite of programs similar to Microsoft Office© and can be downloaded at www.openoffice.org/. One of its features is a word processor that can be used to convert documents to the pdf file format. You may include images and clickable links.

Below you will find a nine minute video that shows how you can create a pdf ebook in OpenOffice. It will demonstrate how to include images and clickable links. The video assumes that you have downloaded and installed OpenOffice. After viewing the video please leave a comment letting me know if you have found it helpful or not.

Ebook publishing can be done in many different formats using a variety of software to accomplish the task. Unfortunately not all formats are accessible on all computers and operating systems. Before selecting a format you will want to identify your target market and determine the most likely operating system they will be using and select a format that is appropriate.

An alternative is to chose a method that is readily available to all operating systems to allow the greatest number of readers possible whether using a PC, MacIntosh, Linux or PDA. Let’s look at some of those options.

• Plain Text - Easy to create and access on virtually any operating system. Files are very small in size and can be easily emailed or downloaded. Disadvantages are that they offer no security and can be accessed and altered and there is no method of creating an clickable index or embedding images. A great source of plain text ebooks can be found at Project Gutenberg. They are available in several formats including plain text and html. Most are Public Domain work so they can be downloaded and used in commercial and derivative works. Check the license in the book to determine how it can be used.
• HTML - Viewable on any system with a web browser, html allows for clickable links for both an index and access to other websites when viewed with Internet access. HTML file can be created in any program that can create a text file. You can also add images, audio, video and forms. Disadvantages are that there is a learning curve to writing html code unless you use special software. Also files for images, audio and video are separate from the html document making downloading more difficult unless compiled into an executable file. This requires additional software and usually specific to Windows systems.
• PDF - Portable Document Format is a creation of Adobe Systems. It is viewable on any system with Adobe Reader installed. The reader is usually installed on most new computers today with any operating system and if not it is a free download and easily installed. It will preserve your original formatting making it uniform in appearance and easy to print. You can also embed images and, depending on the software used to create it, insert interactive devices like form buttons and links to activate audio and video. Disadvantages are that you need special software to create PDF files. Some are available free and some very expensive like the Adobe Acrobat Standard that is $299.00 at the time of this writing. There are free and low cost programs available however that will create a very satisfactory PDF ebook.

PDF seams to be the preferable format for ebook publishing for many writers. In addition to the advantages above, you can also lock the file so that it cannot be easily altered and PDF files can be password protected for security.

Subscribe to my RSS feed or to my email updates. I will soon be adding video demonstrating how to use some free and low cost PDF software.

Publishing in the digital age is incredibly easy. Anyone with a computer, Internet connection and something to say can author their own ebook at little or no extra cost. Granted, ebooks have a way to go before they replace a conventionally printed novel, it’s hard to curl up on the couch with a computer, but for shorter information publications they’re ideal.

You can publish, promote and distribute your ideas, knowledge and experience worldwide at an extremely low cost. It should be enough to set your imagination on fire! Many people are earning part-time and full-time incomes doing it. Does this sound interesting to you?

Subscribe to my RSS feed. In the next post I will cover some of the easiest and most widely used formats for publishing your masterpiece.