by Jane Rutherford

Created on: June 01, 2008   Last Updated: November 13, 2009

Everyone who decides to write a book, sooner or later, realizes how difficult it is to get published. Almost every large publishing house doesn't accept unsolicited manuscripts. So for someone who just started, it's almost impossible to get noticed.

It's completely different with the on-line publishers. Because the costs of creating a pdf file, hiring a graphic artist to make a cover and advertise the final product are small, publishers can afford to reach out and contract new writers.

Yes, that means that the quality of the works they offer may vary. But for an inexperienced writer, getting published, receiving feedback and general support for their work can mean a lot. After all, nothing is a better motivator than a small success in a field they want to conquer. Every writer wants to improve, some work very hard to achieve said improvement. And seeing the results of that work, seeing that it's all worth it? I can't imagine a better boost for one's self-esteem.

Some say that on-line publishing is less profitable. Royalties on-line writers get are smaller than those of print writers. I don't deny that. However on-line writers have a better change of people buying their books.

For one thing, e-books cost even three times less than print book. They are also available to every single person in the world, provided they have a credit card and an access to the Internet. All that, while only the best-selling print authors have a change of their books being translated into other languages.

So not only the pool of potential readers is bigger for an on-line author, it's also easier to get regular readers who will buy every book you publish. You have more possibilities of promoting yourself and your work. Creating a website, networking on-line is far easier (not to mention less exhausting) than going on a book signing tour. And for most of the time, you can do all that for free.

Now. There are people who will say that nothing can give you the same experience as reading a real book and turning pages. Well I have nothing to counter that argument, as it's completely subjective. Different people pay attention to different aspects of experienced offered to us by books.

All I know is that many (almost every) publishers offer their authors possibility to get their e-books published in print. So not only you can get published easier if you do it on-line, you don't really give up opportunity to publish your works in print.

What's not to like?

Learn more about this author, Jane Rutherford.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.