eBook: Roadmap for Mobile Business

The summary of our experiences while developing various mobile applications it now available in the eBook format "Roadmap For Mobile Business" on Barnes and Noble (Nook) and Amazon (Kindle).

You can also request Dropbox access with a free PDF version if you write to info@CyberWalkAbout.com with subject "Free PDF eBook", please allow 24 hours to process your request.

eBook Reader vs Paper Book

eBook readers like Nook from Barnes&Nobles and Kindle from Amazon are becoming more and more popular. I was bought on the idea of tablet readers from the first experience.

Here are some major advantages:

• you can store hundreds of books. You can read more books at a time and don't have to carry a back-pack for this
• you can make notes, selections and share the best quotes with friends.
• you can look up for unknown words in the dictionary or internet if available. 
• you can read as well as write book reviews

• you can load and read *.pdf files.

• you can adjust the reader to different light conditions
• you can become your own author, as publishing yours thought, poetry or even recipe book is relatively simple
• by choosing eBook reader over paper book you contribute improving or at least sparing our ecology as publishing industry is very polluting. 

Disadvantages:

• considering that this technology is relatively new, not all the books have been converted to eBooks yet, especially old editions.
• even if you can read for weeks on a battery charge you still have to take care to charge your eBook reader (an often issue for me).

After reading over ten books on the Nook, I had to come back to a paper book only because the edition was not republished since 1967. The reading experience is not very pleasant, though the book is worth it.

First of all, because of the yellowish aged paper the contrast is bad and the font size pretty small and plenty of crooked letters.

Secondly, if you take your sight away or get distracted, because of the small font, it takes quite a while to get back to the place where you stopped reading.

And third, while reading on the train its very difficult to take notes and put your thoughts down.

I am very happy to see that the eBook readers become very affordable. Barnes&Noble Nook with touchscreen is only $99.

eBook Tools and Formats

The eBook can be written with any text editor however in the final version it will be consumed as an HTML, PDF, ePub, or Kindle Mobi format.
Today, most authors still use word processors like Microsoft Word or Apple Pages. More specialized editors include StoryMill and Storyist.

- Microsoft Word: generic word processor, currently the most commonly used tool. Ability to download book templates.
- Apple Pages: a good generic word processor with PDF and ePub export.
- StoryMill: a good tool to write a script, however, it lacks export to ePub functionality
- Storyist: a good tool to write a script with ePub export functionality, but no PDF export.

Pros and Cons of self-publishing.
Self-publishing can be very attractive if you are:


- first-time author
- addressing a narrow niche of interest
- have a strong following outside of the mainstream media
- limited budget
Publishing with a mainstream publishing house makes sense when:
- you are a bestselling author
- you write on main-stream topics e.g. romantic novels
- you need help with marketing, but you are not a good social marketer
- you want a recognition that comes with a hardcover edition of your book
- you want to publish a large “coffee table” format album

Are eBooks a New Form of Journalism?

Regardless of being an avid print book lover, I switched to reading eBooks using Barnes & Noble Android Nook. 

I love the experience much better than the paper. You can carry several books with you, and you can share quotes with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, etc. 

The cost of eBooks is also lower than for paper editions. Right now the author can write a book and publish it as soon as he or she is ready, no more writing for months to publishers and getting dozens of rejections. 

Publishing is free and can be very profitable (70% of sales). 

I have been working in magazine publishing for many years, and the editors often change the original text to fit their magazine’s needs. If you have something smart to share, write an eBook, and get published today, don’t wait!