ePublishing is Revolutionizing the Publishing World...     Want to see you book in digital bookstores around the globe?   Rainbow Works can help you make that happen. Click here to tell us about your project. To cater to the vast array of reader devices and evolving technologies in the market, dozens of different methods of ePublishing have evolved. From Lulu and Smashwords to creating PDF files and Flash files to Web publishing and stand-alone EXE files, each has its pluses and minuses. What is epublishing? What's it mean for writers? Benefits Challenges Security Legal issues What is ePublishing? Put simply, ePublishing or Digital Publishing means creating secure distributable files that can be read on computer screens, e-readers, tablets, and even on mobile phones. What does it mean for Writers Tomorrow's readers will carry a library of thousands of books in the palm of their hand. The idea of replacing books might horrify some readers, but with the rising costs of printing and paper manufacturing, and the desire to preserve trees, it's inevitable. And it's exciting. It means: you can publish and distribute your masterpiece at minimal cost, without holding stock, and with no postage or freight costs. you don't have to find a publisher willing to risk investing in you. you don't have to spend thousands self-publishing, and struggling to sell hundreds of books that would otherwise clutter your garage. readers will be able to buy books cheaply, because production and distribution costs are low. information can reach consumers quickly. You can finish writing your book in the morning and have it in your reader's hands by afternoon. readers will have much more choice, and writers will face much stronger competition. new styles of writing will evolve to satisfy impatient readers in a hurry to absorb key information and move on   Benefits of ePublishing ePublishing enables rapid, low cost distribution of information. Correctly created, a digital document can be securely transmitted to anyone, anywhere, on demand. It can be supplied immediately and without human intervention upon receipt of prescribed payment, or offered free on though millions of web sites globally. It can be emailed to an individual, or a list of tens of thousands. ePublishing Challenges While creating digital files is easy in theory, considerable knowledge and skill is required to understand the pros and cons of different technologies, deal with compatibility issues, and manage security. Techologies such as those used by Lulu and Smashwords may be suitable for that novel you are writing, but not for an illustrated information book or instructional manual or a children's picture book. Fixed format electronic publishing is a relatively new concept, and one that will be welcomed by writers producing how-to manuals, picture books, coffe table books, and even short tutorials. PDF technology isn't new, and uses fixed format, but it has significant drawbacks for publishers wanting to distribute their work for reading on small devices. HTML has been around for some time, and is a popular and flexible technology for publishing digitally, but despite its enormous popularity for creating web pages, it too has significant drawbacks. EXE files can be created with relative ease using specialized software, but careful management of security issues is required, as EXE files can carry trojans or viruses. Even when using technologies designed for use by the masses, and presenting as easy, minor formatting errors or an incorrectly selected option can result in an unprofessional-looking product and even a product that can't be read on many devices for which the file type is theoretically suited. Security Electronic publishing raises issues of security from virus and trojan infection, copyright protection, system and software compatibility, and bandwidth conservation. Specific skills are required to maintain formatting integrity in the digital file. Legal issues Knowledge of copyright law and an appreciation of the legal implications of digital publishing enable us both to protect your intellectual property ownership, and to insure against unwelcome legal liabilities. Correctly created, a digital document can be securely transmitted to anyone, anywhere, on demand. Following world's best practice guidelines, we can create secure, efficiently distributable, universally readable digital files in PDF, HTML, EXE, ePub, and a variety of other formats. We can also supply industry standard Help files, digital "slide-show" presentations, and electonic photo albums.