Don’t Judge An Ebook
By It's Cover
by Stephen Brennan
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For a change, my article headline
doesn’t have some sarcastic undertone or alternative meaning! I
haven’t utilised some delicious pun to demonstrate a point, this
time. This article is actually about what you might look for to
determine a worthwhile ebook from the tons of absolute crud that
abound online.
In the first place, of course, the headline says it plain and
simple. Don’t judge an ebook by its cover…literally. There is
some really wonderful ‘cover creation’ software that can be got
for very little. It’s good news for the ebook publisher but it
also means that the most useless and least valuable piece of
rubbish can look like a million dollars in the promo’.
Generally speaking, when it comes to ebooks on the Internet,
most people, especially those who would be exposed to this
article, are going to be presented more often than not with
non-fiction, that is, guides, tutorials and instructionals about
marketing and home business or ‘how to…’ type titles.
There are many such titles available and some are quite
worthwhile and of value, especially to people just beginning on
their ‘online business adventure’. I am referring to these sorts
of ebooks, rather than novels, which are a completely different
animal and are purchased for entirely different reasons.
The ebook ‘litmus test’ is two-fold as far as I am concerned. If
an author or publisher is truly confident that an ebook is worth
what they ask, they will feature two important things:
The first is a ‘glimpse’ of some sort, whether it is a sample of
the ebook for download, or a few screenshots of pages, so that
prospective buyers can see, prior to buying, the type of
information being imparted, the look and style of the ebook and
features with which it is sold. This can be a bit of a dilemma
for some, as there is often the question of how much to ‘give
away’, but anyone serious about their ebook and what it offers,
will find a medium. Even when it’s not much, it’s something -
that is, they’re happy for you to see something BEFORE you buy. |
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The second is a
‘money back’ guarantee. The Internet has given us instant access
to information in many forms, including the ebook. This instant
access has made it necessary for people to pay ‘up front’ for
information that bears a charge. The mechanisms for this access,
the likes of Clickbank, have such transactions down to a fine
art. They also have a built-in safety net in the form of their
’90 day money back guarantee’.
If you buy an ebook (or software) through Clickbank and simply
change your mind, your credit card WILL be credited without
question. Some authors and publishers sell directly, rather than
use the services of such a facility. Some offer a similar
guarantee however, some people have discovered to their chagrin,
that a guarantee from just anyone is not much good.
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This would suggest that purchasing directly from the author or
publisher is a risky business, but I’m not going to go that far.
I will go so far as to say that I would only be confident if a
click on the ‘Buy Me’ button led to a Clickbank (or similar)
secure purchase facility with an ‘enforceable’ guarantee of
satisfaction.
As I’ve said, there are all kinds of ebooks about all kinds of
topics. Some are nothing more than a promotional catalogue for a
given product or website. Others are simply a means to get
others to sign up for the myriad of lists and/or facilities,
which are available. Some affiliates attempt to extend their
downlines by supplying free ebooks with links to their many
programs. Needless to say, these types of ebooks shouldn’t be
charged for at all.
Apart from actually reviewing an ebook, there is no way to
ascertain whether the actual content is of value or worth what
is being asked. In fact, as we all have different needs and
different expectations, opinions would vary somewhat anyway. But
of course, the ‘money back’ guarantee would seem to negate this
particular concern - if you’re not satisfied, get your money
back.
There is one final consideration, which I think is important in
determining the value and quality of an ebook and also the
seriousness of the author (or publisher). The way in which the
ebook is presented and the program used to enable it to be
viewed by those who access it. A number of ‘ebook compilers’ are
nothing more than ‘offline browsers’. They are simply a series
of web pages linked together and packaged as an ebook. Some
can’t even be viewed without a browser like Internet Explorer®.
My feeling is that an author who ‘loves’ his/her book (and every
author should consider their creation as a child) should only be
satisfied with presenting it in the best possible way. ‘3D Page
Turning’ technology has been available for a few years but has
come into it’s own in the last twelve months. The programs
needed to publish in this format are more expensive than your
‘offline browsers’ but the finished product is in every respect
a ‘virtual book’.
You open the book at the cover and you turn pages (and see them
turning) as in a real book. The pages and the text look every
bit like a real book. In every sense (other than reality itself)
you get a ‘virtual’ or ‘e’ book’. It is just my opinion and it
doesn’t have any ‘real’ bearing on the quality of the content
but to me, it represents an attempt to give the reader the look
and feel of a real book-reading experience.
These things, to me, represent the difference between a
worthwhile ebook and a means to an end, which unfortunately,
what some are.
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