What is an ebook?
An ebook, as the name suggests, is an electronic book that can be read on electronic devices such as desktop computers, laptops, smartphones, and tablets.
If you want a more in-depth understanding of this topic, check out the FAQ section below:
Question #1: Are ebooks cheaper than physical books?
The short answer is not necessarily. While you can definitely buy ebooks on Amazon for as little as $5, some digital titles from major authors and publishers typically cost relatively the same as their physical counterparts.
One reason for this is that while it does not cost as much to distribute digital copies of a book, getting it written, edited, and laid out can still get pretty expensive. In addition, one can argue that you are also paying for the increased portability and longevity.
At the end of the day, the price difference—or lack thereof—should not be a factor in your decision on which format to get.
Question #2: What are the benefits of using ebooks?
The biggest benefit of using ebooks is that, as we have seen in the previous section, they are significantly more portable and last way longer than physical books. Not only can you access them on any device anytime and anywhere, if you back them up, but you will also still have them even after the devices you use to access them give out.
In addition to these two benefits, however, ebooks are also easier to use than physical books in the sense that they not only allow you to more easily pick up where you leave off, but also give you the option to change their orientation and font size based on your personal preferences.
But that is not all. Ebooks also allow you to more easily highlight sections that you want to take note of, which can be extremely helpful when you are studying or preparing for a test.
Finally, people with visual impairments can more easily enjoy their favourite titles when they are in digital format using screen readers.
Question #3: What are the benefits of publishing an ebook?
The biggest benefits of publishing an ebook to the recipients include:
- Significantly lower cost
- Significantly easier distribution
- Significantly fewer friction points
Let us take a look a closer look at each one:
First, publishing ebooks cost way less than publishing physical copies because it does not really take that much time, machinery, and raw materials to do so. In fact, virtually anyone who can write a book can publish one without help from an external party. All it really takes is exporting a document as a PDF.
Second, distributing ebooks is also significantly easier than distributing physical copies because it completely eliminates the need for shipping, storage, and restocking. Any online bookstore can sell an ebook an infinite number of times to anyone at any time wherever they may be in the world.
Finally, buying an ebook has significantly fewer friction points (if any) than buying a physical copy. Instead of making the commute to a physical bookstore that may or may not have a copy of the book you want—and then trying to locate a branch that has it—you can just go online and get a digital copy with just a few clicks (or taps) anytime you want.
Question #4: What are the downsides to publishing an ebook?
The main downside to publishing an ebook is that it is significantly easier to pirate than a physical book. All someone really has to do is get one copy and they can reproduce it however many times they want. Unfortunately, this is true for any type of digital product. And while there are measures being put in place to prevent it, motivated and resourceful individuals are still able to find ways around them.
Another downside to publishing an ebook is that it is extremely easy to plagiarise. With a physical book, one has to secure a physical copy first and then manually copy the sections they want to steal. In contrast, with an ebook, all they have to do is highlight the sections they want to take and execute the copy command.