eBooks: A Middle Way For Fiction Authors

Dear Readers,

If you're keen to distribute your literary works to readerships, eBooks (or e-books, or PDF files) appear very tempting. With the appropriate software (Adobe InDesign, for example) one can easily create a Portable Document File (PDF) with all sorts of flashy graphics, links, chapters and lock encryption. But a word to the wise...

For authors seeking publication, PDF documents amount to "self-published" and "self-distributed" material. This is fine if you're a large corporation, or academic department (since the point of document distribution is so your students or customers can be kept informed quickly). Not so fine if you're a struggling fiction author looking for a publishing deal.

Since my website exists to support authors, here's a salutary tale about Stephen King's "adventure in eBooks". (And why "Riding The Bullet" remains his only eBook to date). Back in 2000, supported by his professional publisher, Simon & Schuster, King released this novella via electronic means. This was a break with tradition. A first edition is usually released in hardback form in limited numbers.

In terms of eBooks, the first thing to note is that King (who's a very clever man) decided not to use PDF format. Although I've never been able to discover why he (or his publishing team) decided against PDF, I suspect its due to the many computer whizzes that can decrypt (or unlock) a PDF document in the blink of an eye. That's ok... Human psychology is such that when you present a puzzle that must be solved, a maze that must be negotiated, or claim that no-one could escape Colditz Prison, you can bet your bottom dollar, someone, somewhere will prove you wrong.

Instead, King elected to use "Glassbook" who "provided the encryption and reader software for the PC version" (Source: PlanetPDF Article). Since I have not researched "Glassbook" yet, I won't comment on its advantages over PDF. I note it here for interested readers. 

Unfortunately, once a PDF file is "unlocked" it can be freely distributed across high-speed servers in less time than it takes to say "publishing suicide". Great for consumers, local democracy and freedom of information. Dire news for authors who may have spent years developing original characters, plotlines and locations.

The launch of King's novella appeared to be a runaway success."During the first 24 hours, over 400,000 copies of "Riding the Bullet" were downloaded." (Source: Wiki) King has a vast, loyal fanbase few other modern authors can rival. For only $2.50, the eBook was yours to enjoy. So, what went wrong..?

The first problem was Softlock (web-publishing company) servers became "jammed" due to download demand. Some fans had to wait hours for their purchase. (Source: Wiki). Not an insurmountable issue, but matters worsened due to "Mac Users" being unable to read the eBook. A "mac solution" was not available for two weeks, again not insurmountable. But worthy of note for any author considering eBook distribution.(One could simply ensure an eBook runs on all popular operating systems before official release).

Overall, Wiki and Business Week assess the commercial success of "Riding The Bullet" as "doubtful". Although the download rate was high, readers were "unwilling to pay" according to Business Week. "Probably under 10% [of 500,000 downloaded copies] were sold, and we sold the majority of those," said Softlock CEO.

So, Why Don't Fiction Readers Prefer eBooks?

Recently, I asked a friend if she'd like an eBook version of a novel I had available. She declined, stating: "Oh, I prefer paperbacks, easier to read..." So, it seems fiction readers are traditionalists. Personally, I think there is a "middle way" for authors themselves to capitalize on eBooks. Here's my take...

eBooks: A Middle Way For Fiction Authors.

After battling with PDF technology, encryption (Digital Rights Management) and spending an ungodly amount of time researching this issue, I began to realize eBooks amount to a rich, creative "marketing" opportunity. If not even Stephen King can "turn a buck" in the electronic publishing world, what chance do the rest of us have? No, what one does is offer previews. A high-quality PDF Preview eBook can be made available for interested readers, publishers and agents. It's a chance for the world to see how good your stories (and illustrations) are without you "losing your shirt".

Where I Am Now With This.

Right now, I have a fantasy novella that seems ideally suited for "conversion" into a PDF eBook Preview. I've focused on high-quality graphics for each chapter, thematic colors and "showcasing" a few high-quality illustrations (although my current illustrator is a tad slow at delivering any content to date). One could even flirt with the idea of animated graphics (say for opening credits) in the manner of a "film preview". Software is so advanced now, a very slick and professional "preview product" can be created. Thus, you have a valuable "showcase" for your writing.

Naturally, I'll post a completed "showcase" PDF of my "Story Preview" when it becomes available. This can be freely distributed, criticized or even praised by anyone who has Adobe Reader installed on their computers. As always, feedback and ideas welcomed.