by Bailey Shoemaker Richards

Created on: September 16, 2009

The publishing industry is changing rapidly, and traditional books may someday be a thing of the past. With the rise of quick self-publishing websites, electronic books and equipment to store hundreds and even thousands of books, the ebook may be the newest and most permanent change in publishing. Ebooks offer a huge benefit to new writers, the marketing of books and the availability of quality writing.

Ebooks

Ebooks are a relatively recent development, but the technology is advancing rapidly. Websites like Lulu.com make publishing a print on demand or electronic book a matter of uploading a few files and clicking some buttons; the rise in self-publishing makes selling ebooks through Lulu and Amazon.com a brilliant marketing technique for up and coming authors who don't want to go through traditional publishing channels.

For new authors, ebooks are a great way to promote their writing and get exposure. Links on blogs, author pages and sample chapters can be posted in many places in order to draw attention to a new piece of electronic writing. Readers can access this new book quickly and easily, meaning the author gets exposure and in some cases income.

The electronic book is far more versatile than a traditional ink-and-paper book, allowing authors to experiment with different design types and increase the range of things a book can accomplish. Publishing a book online can be as simple as setting up a website and putting text on it, but many new authors will do much more to attract viewers. Making a book on the computer allows writers and designers to create an interactive reading experience unlike anything a physical book can accomplish.

Using PDF files also allows online writers to offer their readers the opportunity to print off a copy of their book should they choose to do so. One benefit of a PDF ebook is that they can be designed to appear to be similar to a more traditional book while still experimenting with the form.

Ebook readers

Things like Amazon's Kindle allow consumers to purchase books and download them directly to their device. This opens up the market of books to impulse buying unlike anything the Internet or traditional bookstores have offered before; consumers can now decide to purchase a book and have it in their hands within a matter of moments.

Although ebook readers are still in the beginning stages of development, already they are beginning to change the way books are purchased and read. Traditional books require space and storage, where

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