Electronic Book, e-Book, and eBook Watch 

Bob Jensen at Trinity University

Electronic Books or eBooks are books that can be downloaded from the Internet into special reading devices that cannot be printed, photocopied, printed on paper, or copied in whole or in part to computer files.  Since they are the highest form of copyright protection, publishers are interested in creating public interest in such books. 

This document contains some threaded messages on eBooks that I wrote in various editions of New Bookmarks.

How to Find Electronic Books

May 19, 2000 netLibrary Electronic Books

July 30, 1999 (A Special Review) 

Historical Timeline of Book Publishing

Microsoft Electronic Book Software

Microsoft ClearType Overview

Barnes & Noble Deal With Microsoft Corporation

Rocket e-Book

Softbook Electronic Tablet

Everybook

Online Electronic Textbooks (They differ from eBooks.)

WizeUp Electronic Textbooks 

An Article by Teri Folks --- "How to Teach Accounting With E-Books"

Electronic Books Are Not Popular With Every Reader

My Succession of Messages About Electronic Books

April 18, 1999

July 30, 1999 (A Special Review)

August 11, 1999

September 21, 1999

September 28, 1999

October 12, 1999

January 11, 2000 (Microsoft)

April 11, 2000 (About Stephen King's eBook Sales of Over a Half Million Copies) 

May 15, 2000 (WizeUp Electronic Textbooks)

May 15, 2000 (Richard Campbell)

June 8, 2000 The Genesis Modification by Peter Kruger 

Time Warner Announces iPublish.com

Bookreporter.com e-Book Reviews

The future of journal publishing --- see http://www.csu.edu.au/anet/research/odlyzko_ToC.html 

A comprehensive listing of accounting journals, many of which are going online --- http://www.csu.edu.au/anet/research/index.html 

How to Find Electronic Books

Search engine for education sites --- http://www.searchedu.com/   

Over 20 million university and education pages indexed and ranked in order of popularity.

Search for electronic books --- http://www.searchebooks.com/ 
There were 293 hits for accounting books.

For more help in online searching go to http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/searchh.htm 

netLibrary Electronic Books

From the Director of the Trinity University Library on May 17, 2000:

As part of the library's continued efforts to offer the latest resources, we've licensed access to 500 carefully selected titles from netLibrary electronic books. Before those become available, they've given us free access to the entire library of 18,000 titles for a short time (thru June 5th). Later this summer we'll announce permanent access to the shorter list of current, scholarly titles thru this forum.

Please take a look. You can click on: http://www.netlibrary.com. The interface is very easy; some brief instructions appear below. The attached Word document offers some added details. The titles include some that I think you will appreciate.

Please submit your comments or thoughts to your liaison librarian or me. Our marketing rep indicates he also will be happy to address questions about this exciting new technology. See his email address below....

Thanks.
Richard Meyer [rmeyer@Trinity.edu] 

This has got to be good!

"How to Teach Accounting With E-Books," Pro2Net, June 19, 2000 http://accounting.pro2net.com/research/solutions/education/soed000619.asp 
By Terri Folks terfolks@aol.com 

(June 19, 2000) - Are electronic books or e-books the next generation of textbook publishing? As the world has moved toward electronic communication, the educational community has been forced to reevaluate learning opportunities including supplemental course materials. With the advent of interactive software programs, students can practice equations, take sample tests and download their textbooks a chapter at a time.

According to Trinity University Accounting Professor Robert Jensen in San Antonio, Texas, the main advantages are hypertext navigation, hypermedia, animation, live links to the Internet, text search and content updating frequency. Jensen is the Webmaster of a site at the San Antonio University that follows accounting trends ( www.trinity.edu/rjensen  ).

"Electronic textbooks can, in theory, be updated in real time," he said. "Users of Softbooks, for example, can download early editions of The Wall Street Journal and the New York Times each morning."

The rest of the article is at http://accounting.pro2net.com/research/solutions/education/soed000619.asp 

Electronic Books Are Not Popular With Every Reader

AccountingStudents Newsletter: July 11, 2000 http://www.accountingstudents.com 

STUDENTS SHARE THOUGHTS ON E-TEXTBOOKS Many responded to an inquiry in last week's newsletter: Why are e-textbooks so unattractive to accounting students? Here's what some of you had to say:

"With a real live book, the student can highlight certain passages, run their finger down the pages, and keep it close and handy while doing problems."

"Personally, I favor traditional textbooks because you can get comfortable in a recliner with them."

"Students without their own computers find e-books extremely inconvenient and many just don't like to read on the computer."

"The expense of printing your own text would be similar to the actual cost of the book."

"There's just something sacred about being able to highlight the important parts."

"I stare at a computer all day at work. The last thing I want to do is read a book on the thing! Besides, a tangible printed textbook is much more reliable than a computer ever will be!"

Electronic Book Message Threads
Bob Jensen at Trinity University 

April 18, 1999

July 30, 1999 (A Special Review)

August 11, 1999

September 21, 1999

September 28, 1999

October 12, 1999

January 11, 2000 (Microsoft)

April 11, 2000 (About Stephen King's eBook Sales of Over a Half Million Copies) 

 

April 18, 1999
http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/book99q2.htm#041899 

One of the most controversial technologies for publishing are the electronic books that allow you to download entire copyrighted books into special hardware devices called "E-books."  Unlike netLibrary described above, these electronic books cannot be downloaded into desktop or laptop computers.  Nevertheless, electronic books have some advantages of computers such as text selection devices, highlighters, stylus pens for taking notes on margins of pages, hypertext linking, insertion of bookmarks, and keyword search capabilities.  Purportedly, E-books are easier to navigate than books downloaded into personal computers.  They do not allow computer utilities such as cut, copy, paste, and screen duplication.  Most do not yet connect to the Internet, although that type of connection is expected in the next round of upgrades to such devices.  The devices themselves are light, and some offer two screens to resemble adjoining pages of a hard copy book. 

The major publishing companies such as Random House and McGraw-Hill are coding selected manuscripts into electronic books.  Major advantages to publishers include avoiding the cost of printing in multiple colors on hard copy paper and destruction of the used book market.  Books can be updated more frequently, and holders of existing books can download new editions for reduced fees.  Dealers are easily bypassed with direct downloads over telephone lines.

Advantages to readers include lower prices, more frequent upgrades, and the ability to store five books or more into one easy to carry electronic book.  Drawbacks mainly center around screen quality and preferences for readers to view hard copy pages.

For a review see "Electronic Textbooks: From Paper to Pixels," Syllabus, February 1999, pp. 16-19.  The online version can be found at http://www.syllabus.com/feb99_magfea.html .  In that article Steve Epstein reports the following"

Major university projects, such as The Humanities Text Initiative at the University of Michigan (http://www.hti.umich.edu/ ) and Project Bartleby at Columbia ( http://www.columbia.edu/acis/bartleby/ ) have already begun to create and disseminate electronic versions of books.

One of the E-book devices is called Rocket eBook at http://www.rocketbook.com/ from NuvoMedia.  The following facts are given at the Rocket eBook web site:

About the size of a paperback, the Rocket eBook™ holds some 4,000 pages of words and images. That's about 10 novels. Weighing just 22 ounces, the Rocket eBook nestles easily in the curve of your palm. And it goes wherever you go - so you can take off in any direction and never be far from what you want or need to read.

Another E-book device is called the Softbook Electronic Tablet from Softbook Press at http://www.softbook.com/index.html .   Don Steinberg gives it raves at http://www.zdnet.com/products/stories/reviews/0,4161,368946,00.html .  He claims that this device has the best screen resolution.

Note Added July 5, 2000:

Get the complete lowdown on the next-generation Rocket eBook and add your two cents to community-member feedback by posting to the "Martin Eberhard's Keynote Address at ReBA Con" and the "ReBA Con 2000 'Official' report" threads on the rocket.ebook newsgroup. http://www.rocket-library.com/support/newsgroups.asp 

July 30, 1999 
http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/book99q3.htm#073099 

I just purchased a Rocket e-Book (my price was $282).  This allows me to download copyrighted books and journals that are available for purchase in hard copy but are not available on the web.  I found the selection of books to be very limited, but I anticipate that more will quickly become available as the Rocket e-Book takes off.

The Rocket e-Book has a cradle that attaches to your serial port of a PC linked to the Internet.  You can then set up your account and download books and journals online.  Note that you do not have to be connected to your PC in order to use the Rocket e-Book.  You only have to connect when you want to download some more books.  You can also delete books and reload them from an online library of books that you have selected for possible downloading.

The portable e-Book device will hold over 4,000 pages (about 10 books on average).  However, for about $99 it can be upgraded to where it will hold 32,000 pages (about 100 books).  It has a built-in standard dictionary (Random House).  You can point to most any word in a book and bring up the definition.  You may not, however, install other dictionaries for more technical terminology.  The battery is good for about 30 hours before you have to recharge in the cradle.  Both the cradle and the e-Book are portable and do not have to be connected to a PC except for initialization of your account and for downloading books.  The Rocket e-Book weighs 22 ounces, but it is easier to hold in one hand than a book.   You can flip pages easily with your thumb while holding the book in one hand.  Warning:  old duffers who tend to doze should not drop the device even though they are prone to dropping books on the floor when they nod.  It should come with a wrist cord.  It does have a very nice carrying case.  Its dimensions without the case are roughly 7 inches by 4.5 inches.

One nice surprise is that some books can be downloaded free as an enticement to purchase other books.  For example, I am a mystery buff.  I downloaded two mystery books (including one Agatha Christie book) for free.  You can also download free samplers of books.  The screen is monochrome, but the resolution is quite good.  Old duffers like me can increase the font size.  It will show the graphics.  Audio is available, but the speakers are as bad or worse than laptop speakers.

With this gadget I will probably read books that I would not otherwise think of reading.  The library list is pretty strong on the classics.  It is weak on new books from publishing houses.  Specialty books are available, but the selection is very limited.  You should probably investigate what books are available before purchasing the Rocket e-Book.  

Key web sites are as follows:

Franklin Electronic Publisher for Rocket e-Book at http://www.franklin.com/ 
Rocket e-Book Library at http://www.rocket-library.com/ 
Barnes & Noble e-Books at http://www.barnesandnoble.com/bookshelf/ebooks/epub1.asp 

There are a slew of new Rocket editions you can download from: 
http://www.powells.com 
http://www.bn.com 
http://www.ecampus.com 

Another E-book device is called the Softbook Electronic Tablet from Softbook Press at http://www.softbook.com/index.html.  Don Steinberg gives it raves at http://www.zdnet.com/products/stories/reviews/0,4161,368946,00.html .  He claims that this device has the best screen resolution among the electronic book alternatives..

You can now purchase or rent them from netLibrary. See http://www.thejournal.com/magazine/vault/A2356.cfm  

A veritable library of electronic books has been created on the Internet by netLibrary. At www.netlibrary.com you can search, view and borrow eBooks such as reference, scholarly, mass market and professional publications. The list of publishers providing content include: Grove's Dictionaries, Inc., Macmillan Ltd., National Academy Press, St. Martin's Press, The Brookings Institution and McGraw-Hill Companies, as well as many university presses such as Cambridge University Press, Columbia University Press, Duquesne University Press, University of Akron Press, University of California Press, University of North Carolina Press, New York University Press, Ohio University Press and Rutgers University Press.The netLibrary provides the services of a traditional library in that patrons have the option of either borrowing the eBook and viewing it online, or viewing it offline by downloading it to their computer. Patrons will have to wait for eBooks that have been lent to other patrons before them. Some of the nation's major libraries are charter customers of netLibrary. Individuals and corporations may also become customers and check out what these cyber shelves hold. netLibrary, Boulder, CO, (303) 415-2548, www.netlibrary.com  .

The Rocket e-Book was priced at about $300, but it is now much cheaper.  Many books are free, and some journals are available.  You must pay for other books, but the prices are quite reasonable.  Most publishers also allow you to download free samples.  About 500 books are available for the Softbook.  Softbook users may also subscribe to the Wall Street Journal and The New York Times.  This would be much easier to read on a plane or train than the hard copy versions.  The Softbook costs $599 whereas the Rocket e-Book is only $299 before academic or other discounts.

What amazed me are the books that can be downloaded free.  I can understand getting free classics such as Alice in Wonderland, the works of Shakespeare, and a lot of Keats' poetry books.  But the selected free downloads of Agatha Christie books and the Sherlock Holmes books surprised me since the same books are actively sold in book stores at prices that are not free.  You can view many of the free selections at http://www.rocket-library.com/.  Some of the free downloads are amazing and some appear to be garbage.  It is nice that readers supply reviews of unfamiliar books.  You can spontaneously submit your own reviews.

eBooks
Why do publishing firms like Rocket e-Book and Softbook?

Why are publishing firms afraid of electronic books in general, including web-based books?  I think the primary fear is that authors are tempted to by-pass publishing houses by producing and distributing their own books.  You can write your own Rocket e-Book, make it available to the world, and receive 100% of the revenues.  Of course you can also write your own textbooks and publish them directly on the web.  Professors Murthy and Groomer were pathfinders in publishing online electronic textbooks through Cybertext Publishing at http://www.cybertext.com/ .  I use the Accounting and Informations Systems textbook and force my students to take weekly quizzes that are graded by Cybertext.  A listing of current Cybertext books is shown below:

Accounting Information Systems: A Database Approach
by Uday S. Murthy and S. Michael Groomer
Preview Version for Check Payers

An Information Technology Primer
by Uday S. Murthy and S. Michael Groomer

Advanced Systems Analysis and Design
by Uday S. Murthy, Ph.D., ACA
Preview Version for Check Payers

Database Systems Design & Development
by Uday S. Murthy
Preview Version for Check Payers

The Audit Learning Guide
by S. Michael Groomer, David S. Kerr, and Uday S. Murthy
Preview Version for Check Payers

Other Online Textbooks

Other Online Publishers

Taxpoint: http://taxpoint.swcollege.com/taxpoint_2001/taxpoint.html 
StudyLive: http://www.swcollege.com/acct/studylive/studylive.html 
INTACCT: http://www.swcollege.com/acct/rama/intacct/intacct.html 
Computerized Principles of Accounting:  http://www.swcollege.com/acct/klooster_introacct/klooster.html 

Also see my Wizeup discussion at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/ebooks.htm#051500 

Free Books --- http://www.bookface.com/ 

At Bookface.com, we are committed to providing online reading experiences. It's as simple as that. You, the reader, log onto our site, and within seconds, you can dive into your next book.

The catch? There isn't one. The entire experience is free and instant.

Our mission, at Bookface.com, is to provide you with the best access to great books.

Will online books and/or e-Books replace hard copy on campus?  Once again there is bad news and good news.  Students probably will prefer reading from hard copy.  Some courses need color images, especially science courses.  Online books must be viewed on PCs or printed as desired on a computer printer.  It is not possible to read e-Books on a PC or to print the pages.  An e-Book must be viewed in a device such as Rocket e-Book or Softbook.  It sounds a bit unlikely, but there are some advantages for students if and when their textbooks are available for e-Book and Softbook.  These advantages include:

Immediate improvements would be wrist strap and a cord that prevents users from misplacing the stylus.  Medium-term improvements would be a detachable keyboard (like the keyboard that is at last available for the Palm VII), a color screen, and a wireless modem connection that bypasses a PC when users want to download books.  Long-term improvements would be to add a wireless digital phone and enough memory to store hundreds of books (coupled with a new fee arrangement based upon book usage rather than book downloading).  One day these devices may be a part of wireless computers (e.g., a subset of the computer that cannot be accessed by other parts of the computer for copying pages into the computer's hard drive.)

I do not think that these devices will replace hard copy in this decade, but then I didn't buy a PC until 1990 --- I thought it would never be anything but a gadget for bored adults to play with in leisure time.  I was a main frame die hard!  Now I own an e-Book and have joined the "Boys-and-Their-Toys Club."

After posting the first version of the July 30 New Bookmarks on the AECM, Craig Polhemus wrote the following:

Here at the American Accounting Association, we are experimenting with both devices. (And also eagerly awaiting release of the Everybook [ www.everybook.net  ].)

We of course are looking at them from the perspective of a publisher, though one less concerned about unauthorized copying than most commercial publishers. In this regard, the inability to "cut and paste" or print from these electronic books is more of a drawback than an advantage for us.

One aspect you did not dwell on is the (limited) ability in each system to add your own materials. For the Rocket e-book, you can add PDF files on your own -- but, due to the small size of the screen, essentially every table, graph, etc., would need to be re-formatted.

For the Softbook, you can add ASCII files on your own and can allegedly buy software (some of which is not really released yet) to convert HTML files as well. Unlike the Rocket e-book, the Softbook screen is about a full page, so tables and graphs that are already in HTML will probably look pretty good without manual re-formatting to fit another screen size.

I believe screen size is very important for professional journals, which is why I am so eager to see a functioning Everybook -- it is said to show two portrait pages at once. I envision this as being important to someone who wants to look at a chart or graph on one page while reading relevant text on another. (I do not know how easy it may be to transfer one's own material to the Everybook -- I've been told to "expect a response" to my inquiries of a month or so ago.)

So far, I have downloaded PDF versions of Accounting Horizons articles to the Rocket e-book and transferred ASCII versions of various AAA materials to the Softbook. The Softbook company has also promised to convert one or more articles from the online HTML version of Accounting Horizons to Softbook format -- I'll check tonight to see if they have done so. I will have both devices with me at the AAA Annual Meeting in San Diego, if any list members are interested in seeing them.

Ultimately, I think B5-sized notebook computers will have all the capabilities of these early electronic books without the dubious "advantage" of restricting printing and copying text. However, for now the electronic books are about one-tenth the cost, and even after B5 prices stabilize it may be that copy-fearing publishers will keep the separate electronic book market alive as well.

(As a reader rather than a publisher, I like both the Rocket e-book and the Softbook -- with an edge toward the latter because of its larger screen size. On the other hand, the Rocket e-book's ability to present text either portrait or landscape is a really neat feature! I read several books on the Softbook on the way to and from the AAA First Globalization Conference in Taiwan, and although the Softbook is heavier than one book, it's much lighter than ten!)
Craig Polhemus, American Accounting Association [ AAACraig@AOL.COM ]

Especially note Craig's reference to the forthcoming Everybook Dedicated Reader described at http://www.everybook.net/.  Everybook will have two screens that open up like a book.  More importantly, they will be color screens (I don't know what this will do to battery life and weight).

Medical Professionals on the run can read their journals and reference books in full color, with easy-to-view charts, graphs, and formulas, as well as high-resolution photographs and illustrations.

Thanks to its cutting-edge technology, the EB Dedicated Reader™ is poised to take its place as the natural extension of the traditional book.

August 11, 1999  
http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/book99q3.htm#081199 

Dear Robert Jensen:

NuvoMedia is excited to announce today the launch of eRocket(TM). eRocket is a software only version of the Rocket eBook(TM) that works on your PC screen and allows you to read free RocketEditions(TM) available from Rocket-Library.com or ones you've created with RocketWriter.

If you've been hoping for a tool that:

* allows previews of free RocketEditions before sending them to the Rocket eBook

* enables your friends who want to read RocketEditions you've created or contributed to Rocket-Library.com but don't have a Rocket eBook to read

* shows your friends what the Rocket eBook can do without having to give them your Rocket eBook

* share your enthusiasm for the eBook industry

Then, eRocket can help.

Try the new software at: http://info.nuvomedia.com/Key=1415.Gs.B.BtfX7l 

Let us know what you think. In addition, if you create skins for eRocket, send it to erocket@rocket-ebook.com and qualify to win a Rocket eBook t-shirt or a Rocket eBook. Details for skins are posted on the Rocket eBook Web page.

Best,
Cynthia Mun

September 4, 1999  
http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/book99q3.htm#090499 

There is now a memory upgrade ($99 until September 30, 1999) that will raise the number of books that you can store at one time from approximately ten books to 100 books --- an additional 32,000 pages of text and graphics. That translates to 100 more books on your Rocket eBook! This powerful upgrade brings you the freedom of conveniently taking even more books, web sites and documents wherever you go. There are now about 1,200 books available for downloading for a fee and another 1,000 (many classics) that can be downloaded free.  Along with the additional memory, you will also have a more extensive dictionary that has over 75,000 definitions with hundreds of new words and meanings.  

I upgraded my Rocket eBook at http://www.rocket-ebook.com/Auto/32meg.html 

You can download eBooks books for a fee from Barnes & Noble at http://www.barnesandnoble.com/subjects/ebooks/ebooks.asp?&sourceid=00096832100249871520&bfdate=09-03-1999+16:29:01 

You can download free eBooks from http://www.rocket-library.com/ 

September 21, 1999  
http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/book99q3.htm#092199 

Update on the amazing Everybook

You can read more Rocket eBook and its leading competitors at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/book99.htm#Rocket .  I just received my upgraded model that will hold about 100 books.  Note that over half the books are free for Rocket eBook.  However, Softbook is better if you want daily downloads of the NY Times and The Wall Street Journal.  We are all awaiting the (probably expensive) colored two-screen model from Everybook at http://www.everybook.net/ 

The Everybook Store will be a hard wired collection of fileservers containing electronic publications, complete with graphics and typographically formatted text, from the dust jacket to the back cover art. Publishers will provide, on a consignment basis, the electronic files created by their composers and shipped to printing companies. The EB Dedicated Reader (EB) can display the read-only versions of those same files without the loss of page layouts, in the same vertical format as that of a printed page. The publications will be accessed by computer modems, via the Internet connecting the EBS with EB Dedicated Readers around the world. The EBS will also access bank accounts of EB owners via electronic funds transfer, to debit accounts at the moment of publication purchase. By automating the browsing, purchase, delivery, and payment for publications, Everybook, Inc. will dramatically reduce costs for publishers, consumers, and the natural environment.

The Everybook Store is a digital archive, where publications are stored on hard disks and backed up to digital linear tracking tape. A large database of titles and publication jackets, organized by title, author and subject, is linked to the redundant array of disk storage units. The database has a user-friendly graphical interface, which can appear as a virtual library, bookstore, or powerful search engine. EB owners access the EBS file server holding the publication database via high speed phone lines and a toll-free, universal phone number. When the EB owner accesses the Everybook Store, the server verifies the EB by its unique security chip and the owner's prearranged debit account. Once verified, the user is allowed to browse a public domain library, an English Bookstore, a Non-English Bookstore, and a Subscription Store. Selections are downloaded as compressed PDF files, onto a secure PCMCIA storage card. The card should hold hundreds of books, magazines, and newspapers, and may only be accessed by the EB which was used to purchase the publications.

September 28, 1999
http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/book99q3.htm#092899 

A message from Rocket eBook

The Open eBook Publication Standard was announced this past Tuesday morning. As one of the founding members of the Open eBook Authoring Group, NuvoMedia completely stands behind the Open eBook specifications. What the standard means to Rocket eBook users is more RocketEditions will be available! The standard makes it easier for publishers to provide content for Rocket eBook.

As a Rocket eBook owner, you will continue to read every RocketEdition you purchased prior to this specification. In the future, you will be able to read OEB-based RocketEditions as well as the current HTML-based RocketEditions. We will continue to support HTML-based RocketEditions so you can still create your own RocketEditions by downloading web pages or converting documents from applications that will save your documents in HTML such as Microsoft Word(R).

Rocket eBook upgrades to support OEB-based RocketEditions will be available as a simple download off of the Rocket eBook website. It’s as simple as downloading a book!

If you have any more questions regarding the Rocket eBook and the Open eBook standard, please refer to our FAQ at: http://www.rocket-ebook.com/Products/Faq/index.html 

A second message from Rocket eBook

ROCKET EBOOK: TOOL FOR THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED Carol Wulster writes:

"I have not been able to read a book in five years due to MS and the affect it had on my vision, but I was able to read a computer screen. I first saw news about the Rocket in November 98, but felt it was too soon to buy. In May, an review in Slate magazine appeared. After reading it, I ordered a Rocket eBook. I had every intention of returning the eBook if it didn't work for me. Within five minutes of opening the package I as hooked. The combination of the large size font, the physical size of the page, and the backlight allow me to read without my vision doubling. A Miracle! I have become so passionate about my Rocket, that I want every title in the world in Rocket Format...."

-----Carol, thank you for your interest in the Rocket eBook! As you may know, the Rocket eBook comes with two default fonts, 10-point and 14-point. However, you can use the Rocket Librarian program to set the font style or size to any font you have on your PC (up to 28-point!). It is our sincere wish for the Rocket eBook to bring the gift of reading and writing to all those who are limited by conventional books!

A word of caution from Bob Jensen.  Even though I own a Rocket eBook, there are some advantages of Softbook and some huge advantages (as well as disadvantages) of the forthcoming Everybook.  Shop carefully if you are going to purchase an electronic book.  What I am really happy with is the ease with which you can create your own custom library and download any configuration of books whenever you want into your library from http://www.rocket-library.com/.  Each book takes roughly 20 seconds to download on a T1 line.  I also like the upgrade that allows me to hold 100 books in my Rocket eBook having a battery life of roughly 30 hours before recharging.  To make comparisons between Rocket eBook, Softbook, and Everybook Dedicated Reader, go to http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/book99.htm#Rocket 

October 12, 1999 http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/book99q4.htm#101299 

I received the following message from Debra (Brown?) Messick. It may well be that Everybook will be the answer to many copyright concerns of authors. Given the new electronic book standards, it may well be that the library of the future will merely be an enormous database in which we can designate pointers (sometimes free and sometimes for a fee) for our own customized library table of books. At any time, we may then download at will from that table. My Rocket eBook now holds up approximately 100 books that I can download from my customized table of hundreds of pointers to books (most of which were free selections).

Dear Bob:

Thank you for your interest in the Everybook Dedicated ReaderTM (EB).

We will be offering two models of the EB: · A Professional model with a screen dimension of approximately 8-1/2" x 11" and · A Personal model with a screen dimension of approximately 6" x 9".

The EB Professional model is anticipated to be in full production in June of 2000. It will sell for approximately US $1,600. plus tax, shipping and handling. The EB has the potential to pay for itself over time because of the projected discounts the owner will receive on every book title purchased -- 25-40% off list. The more books you buy, the more quickly the EB pays for itself and then starts saving you money.

Some of the features of this model include: · Two screens-each with an approximate dimension of 8-1/2" x 11" · 24-bit color screens · A rendered image of approximately 300+dpi · Two full page touch screens for easy navigation · Full annotation capabilities (highlighting, margin notes, full-page notes) and search features (hypertext) · Digital audio · Digital video · Phone line, Internet access to browse and purchase (no PC needed) · Removable storage card (different size options) which hold up to 500,000 pages · Discounted book prices enabling the owner of an EB to make back their investment over time.

The Professional model is designed to optimally display professional trade journals, manuals and reference libraries as well as college textbooks. In addition, all artwork, complex schematic drawings, charts and tables are displayed in their original format and context.

Our second model, the Personal EB Dedicated Reader is anticipated to be available in late 2000. It will have virtually the same functionality of the Professional model, but will have two smaller screens - each with an approximate dimension of 6" x 9" - that almost meet in the center so that the book can be opened flat and read as one single screen. This allows the user to read reference-sized material in its original format one page at a time.

The most important advantages that Everybook has to offer are:

1. The Everybook Dedicated ReaderTM is the world's first true electronic book. The EB's full-page, two-screen display is 24-bit color and 300+dpi rendered resolution. The other eBooks are really tablets since they offer only one small screen, gray-scale, 72-105 dpi, and very limited storage capacity. You can store up to 200 fully illustrated reference books or 2,000 novels on each of the EB's removable storage cards and no PC is needed for downloading. There are no monthly fees or minimum purchases required.

2. The EB is the only eBook that supports PDF, the publishing industry's standard. The others, which use HTML, cannot display high-resolution photos, illustrations, charts, formulas, etc. With the EB, publishers need not pay to have books converted, since 90% of them already format their publications in PDF.

3. We are not striving to sell the EB to the "gadget" market. Our first model is geared toward professionals such as scientists, medical professionals, pharmacists, lawyers, engineers, architects, salespeople, business-to-business applications, and the military.

4. College students will be able to buy or lease an EB from their college bookstores. The EBs will come fully loaded with their textbooks, course packs, and required reading.

Nothing will ever truly replace the traditional book. Instead, we see the EB as the natural extension of the book, because it replicates all the things we love about books while adding mass storage, portability of your entire collection, frequent updating of information, and 24-hour-a-day access to the Everybook Store where you can browse, purchase, and download publications instantly. Book sales--and the number of titles available--will increase because titles will no longer go out of print or require a large market in order to make them profitable.

We have found wide acceptance of the EB because of its familiar dual-page layout, full-color images, and high-resolution display of page layouts in their original format. Publishers find that we understand their requirements and they appreciate the fact that we are the only eBook manufacturer that supports the PDF file format. We are not forcing a computer-based paradigm on them; instead, we studied their needs and built an electronic book system around them.

An estimated 90% of publishers have been electronically formatting their books in Adobe System's PDF file format for the production of traditional books. This makes PDF the de facto publishing industry standard for electronic books. Using PDF gives us access to the 10 to 15 years' worth of printed publications and eliminates the cost of conversion. We offer publishers a no-risk, low-cost distribution of their publications, with secure copyright protection, and sales incomes 60-90 days faster than current standards.

We plan to sell EBs directly from our web site, through professional associations, college bookstores, and through licensing agreements with entities such as corporations and the military.

If you have any additional questions, please feel free to write.

Regards, Debra G. Messick 
Sales Consultant
http://www.everybook.net/ 
717-939-3995 ext. 101

December 1, 1999 
http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/book99q4.htm#120199  

This is for Barry Rice and others interested in eBooks.  You can now purchase or rent them from netLibrary.  See http://www.thejournal.com/magazine/vault/A2356.cfm 

A veritable library of electronic books has been created on the Internet by netLibrary. At www.netlibrary.com you can search, view and borrow eBooks such as reference, scholarly, mass market and professional publications. The list of publishers providing content include: Grove's Dictionaries, Inc., Macmillan Ltd., National Academy Press, St. Martin's Press, The Brookings Institution and McGraw-Hill Companies, as well as many university presses such as Cambridge University Press, Columbia University Press, Duquesne University Press, University of Akron Press, University of California Press, University of North Carolina Press, New York University Press, Ohio University Press and Rutgers University Press.

The netLibrary provides the services of a traditional library in that patrons have the option of either borrowing the eBook and viewing it online, or viewing it offline by downloading it to their computer. Patrons will have to wait for eBooks that have been lent to other patrons before them. Some of the nation's major libraries are charter customers of netLibrary. Individuals and corporations may also become customers and check out what these cyber shelves hold. netLibrary, Boulder, CO, (303) 415-2548, www.netlibrary.com .

I might add that the Digital Duo on November 28 was not very complimentary of the Franklin's pioneering electronic books at http://www.franklin.com/.  These books require that you purchase tiny disks for at least $20 or more and have a very limited selection of books as opposed to Internet download books such as are available from netLibrary, Barnes & Noble, Rocket, etc.  Recall that my review of eBooks is in my July 30 Edition of New Bookmarks at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/book99.htm#Rocket 

January 11, 2000 
http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/book00q1.htm#011100

Historical timeline of books --- http://www.microsoft.com/READER/press/timeline_past.htm 

Microsoft's view of history is biased.  No mention is made in the historical timeline of the pioneering Rocket E-Book and the subsequent Softbook Electronic Tablet and EveryBook.  See http://www.microsoft.com/READER/press/timeline_past.htm 

Microsoft Electronic Book Reader Software --- http://www.microsoft.com/PressPass/press/1999/Aug99/SeyboldPR.htm 

Microsoft Reader is the first product to include ClearType™ font-rendering technology. Developed by Microsoft Research, ClearType greatly improves font resolution on LCD screens to deliver a paper-like display. Microsoft Reader also pays strict attention to the traditions and benefits of good typography. It offers a clean, uncluttered display; ample margins; proper spacing, leading and kerning; plus powerful tools for book-marking, highlighting and annotation. It includes a built-in dictionary as well as a Library that can store and manage a large collection of books and other documents. It also features a flexible copy-protection system that allows publishers to distribute titles with protection from piracy and illegal copying.

Various publishers, book vendors and e-Book pioneers have expressed support for Microsoft Reader. "Microsoft is to be applauded for helping enable meaningful on-screen reading," said Michael Lynton, chairman and CEO of Penguin-Putnam. "This technology gives publishers and authors a better opportunity to reach readers with their titles in an electronic medium."

"It is the dawn of the age of the e-Book," said Steve Riggio, vice chairman of Barnes & Noble. "Microsoft Reader will vastly improve the readability of content on PCs and laptops and bring it to an installed base of millions of readers."

In his keynote address at the Seybold SF '99 conference, Brass predicted Microsoft Reader would change the pace of electronic book adoption by enabling hundreds of millions of existing PCs and laptops to function as high-quality e-Books.

"In less than 15 years, more than half of all titles sold will be electronic," Brass told the conference audience in his address. "Advances in computer displays and storage have made electronic reading possible; Microsoft Reader will make it widespread and profitable."

"Until now, the lack of readability on a typical PC or note-Book display has been the biggest obstacle to the widespread adoption of emerging technologies, such as electronic books, that emphasize continuous, long-duration reading on screen." Brass said. "With Microsoft Reader and ClearType, authors and publishers will be able to present works of a very high quality, which consumers will be eager to purchase."

To ensure that customers have easy access to a wide range of titles for electronic reading, Microsoft is working closely with publishers, distributors, retailers and e-Book pioneers to establish standards that will nurture the fledgling electronic book industry. In October 1998, Microsoft joined with dozens of other industry leaders to create the Open e-Book Standard, which provides publishers with a common standard for formatting and preparing electronic titles.

Microsoft ClearType Overview 

http://www.microsoft.com/OpenType/cleartype/cleartypeq.htm 

http://www.microsoft.com/typography/links/News.asp?NID=956 

I may be wrong, but it is my understanding that the new Microsoft Reader for electronic books will read on a PC (in Windows Media Player using ClearType fonts) such that special electronic hardware devices such as the Rocket eBook, Softbook, and Everybook specialty reading devices will not be necessary).  Correct me if I am wrong on this.

Barnes & Noble deal with Microsoft--- http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB947175881851550760.htm 

Software giant Microsoft Corp. and online bookseller Barnesandnoble.com Inc. Thursday said they would create an online store stocked with electronic books viewable with Microsoft's new Reader software.

Barnesandnoble.com will open the "Microsoft Reader e-Book" store on its Web site by midyear. Financial terms weren't disclosed.

"The combination of barnesandnoble.com's online strength and Barnes & Noble's dominant retail presence will make Microsoft Reader available to tens of millions of book consumers in a matter of months," said Dick Brass, vice president of technology development for Microsoft.

Steve Riggio, vice chairman of Barnes & Noble Inc., which co-owns New York-based Barnesandnoble.com along with German media company Bertelsmann AG, said the bookseller envisions "a time in the not too distant future when there will be electronic versions of virtually every book in print."

April 11, 2000
http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/book00q2.htm#041100

Probably the most successful electronic book written to date was written by Stephen King while recovering from being hit by a car on a country road in Maine.  Recall that an electronic book can be downloaded from the Internet, but it must be downloaded into a device that will not allow printing or copying of any part of the text. 

Stephen King's electronic book was distributed free as a promotion of electronic books.  You can read more about the success of this electronic book in "A Thriller on the Net," Newsweek, March 27, 2000, pp. 46-47.  The online version of the Newsweek article is at http://newsweek.com/nw-srv/printed/us/bz/a17498-2000mar18.htm

Folks in publishing are still trying to figure out what happened last week. One thing they think they know is that they've just seen the fastest-selling book of all time, Stephen King's "Riding the Bullet"—if you can call it "sales" when many of the first day's 400,000 copies were distributed free, and if you can call a downloadable but not printable electronic text a "book." The title of King's e-book-only story refers to a scary amusement-park ride. He wrote it while recuperating from being hit by a van last summer, with no special idea of how he'd publish it, so he didn't know how apt that title would prove. But e-books, which up to last week had seemed a niche market with distant possibilities, suddenly have a working mass-market model—almost working—and everybody's lining up for the thrill ride. Almost everybody.

May 15, 2000
WizeUp Electronic Textbooks

Question:  What should all instructors do at this very moment?  Answer
Answer:     See if their textbooks are now available as electronic books.  The list of available textbooks includes many of the leading textbooks of the world.

How do WizeUp electronic books differ from more traditional eBooks?

Have you adopted any textbooks that have become WizeUps?

Do you want to sell WizeUp textbooks (this one is a controversial matter of ethics?)

Dear Professor Jensen:

WizeUp.com would like to give you a new opportunity to introduce technology into your curriculum.

We are offering a new series of Digital Textbooks.  Our products bring together the textbooks you know and trust with the power of technology and the Internet.  We are working together with:

Our products can be used seamlessly with your curriculum.  The Digital Textbooks follow the printed textbooks page-by-page, graphic-by-graphic -- while bringing the power of digital technology and interactivity to your students.  Students can download the Digital Textbooks onto their computers.  They can take notes electronically, highlight key passages digitally, leverage powerful search capabilities, and work through interactive learning tools, multimedia enhancements, and other powerful features.

Our leading titles include textbooks from authors such as:

Call us to receive a free copy of your Digital Textbook (1-800-458-2627) and to find out if your title is available for Fall '00.  Call now before your summer begins.

Sincerely,

David Gray
Chief Executive Officer
WizeUp.com

WizeUp
90 William Street @ 1 Silicon Alley Plaza, Suite 506
New York, NY  10038
Telephone: (800) 458-2627
www.wizeup.com

List of Titles to Date

Business: Introductory
Contemporary Business, Boone and Kurtz, 9th edition, Dryden Press, 1999.

Computer Science: Programming Languages
Introduction to Object Oriented Programming with C++, Millspaugh, 1st edition, Dryden, 1999.
Data Structures and Problem Solving Using Java, Weiss, 1st edition, Addison Wesley Longman, 1998.

Computer Science: Data Communications: Data Networks
Networking Essentials: exam 70-058, Tittel, Hudson & Stewart, 1st edition, Coriolis, 1999.

Economics: Principles of Macroeconomics
Economics Today: The Macro View, Miller, 10th edition, Addison Wesley Longman, 1999.

Economics: Intermediate Macroeconomics
Introduction to Economic Growth, Jones, 1st edition, W.W. Norton, 1998.

Economics: Microeconomics: Intermediate Managerial Economics
Managerial Economics, Mansfield, 4th edition, W.W. Norton, 1998.
Managerial Economics: Study Guide and Casebook, Mansfield and Mansfield. 4th edition, W.W. Norton, 1998.

Engineering: General: Introductory
Engineer's Toolkit: Microsoft Excel for Engineers, Etter, 1st edition, Addison Wesley Longman, 1995.
Engineer's Toolkit: Engineering Design and Problem Solving, Howell, 1st edition, Addison Wesley Longman, 1995.
Engineer's Toolkit: MATLAB 5.0 for Engineers, King, 1st edition, Addison Wesley Longman, 1998.

English: Developmental/Remedial
The Reading Edge, Johnson, 1st edition, Houghton Mifflin, 1998.

Finance: Corporate: Graduate
Financial Management: Theory and Practice, Brigham, 9th edition, Dryden Press, 1999.


Philosophy: Critical Thinking
Critical Thinking, Epstein, 1st edition, Wadsworth, 1999.
Workbook for Critical Thinking, Epstein, 1st edition, Wadsworth, 1999.


Philosophy: Introductory
Applying Ethics, Olen and Vincent, 6th edition, Wadsworth, 1999.
Archetypes of Wisdom, Soccio, 3rd edition, Wadsworth, 1999.


Psychology: Introductory
Psychology, Myers, 5th edition, Worth, 1998.
Psychology: An Introduction, Kagan and Segal, 8th edition, Harcourt College Publishers, 1995.

Sociology: Introductory
Sociology: Understanding A Diverse Society, Andersen, 1st edition, Wadsworth, 2000.
Sociology: The United States in a Global Community, Ferrante, 4th edition, Wadsworth, 2000.
Sociology in Our Times, Kendall, 2nd edition, Wadsworth, 1998.
Sociology in Our Times, Essentials, Kendall, 2nd edition, Wadsworth, 1999.
Sociology: Discovering Society, Stockard, 2nd edition, Wadsworth, 2000.  
 

WizeUp will also let you sell their electronic books --- http://www.wizeup.com/affiliates/ 

WiZeUp.com will implement an affiliate network to enable you to sell digital textbooks in the very near future. We welcome you to join us in providing the world's first digital college textbooks for great students.

We intend to treat you as a partner in this relationship. So, we named this program PartnerNet ™, and encourage you to approach us in the same spirit.

In fact, we would be happy to open a dialogue with you regarding any aspect of PartnerNet. Simply contact us at partners@wizeup.com  and we will try to respond as soon as possible.

I can proudly declare that I will not sell to my own students as a matter of ethics.  However, suppose we work out a side deal between you, Professor XYZ, and me.  Your recommend that your students buy from me, and I will recommend that my students buy from you.  I think electronic books are a good idea.  Having professors contracted as "affiliates" to sell those books is a conflict of interest.

But publishing electronic books will be the wave of the future irrespective of how they are marketed.  For some time now I have argued that electronic textbooks will become commonplace.  However, the WizeUp books are not my idea of eBooks or "electronic books."  A Wizeup book takes no special device to read it or to prevent printing of a hardcopy version (printing is not possible in electronic books that require reading devices such as Rocket, Softbook, or Everybook.).  Here are some questions and answers about WizeUp.

Q: Can I print the book if I need to take it to class? A: Sure. Most publishers allow chapters of the book to be printed one time for your personal use.

Q: Can I install the book on more than one computer? A: Ah. Well actually, no. Though you're an honest person, there are lots of people out there who would make sure nobody ever had to buy the textbook if we allowed this. We'd sell one copy, and that would be the end.

Think of it this way -- would you like to work for us, let's say just a whimpy 12 hours per day (that's like a vacation at WiZeUp.com), for FREE? It's hard work, and you'll always come home tired, stressed, and have absolutely no life.

But hey, think of all the good you'd be doing the world by giving away great educational tools! Yeah right! Like that wouldn't suck.

The reality is that we work hard to develop the WiZeUp software. And we're a company, which means we need to make a profit to stay in business. Unfortunately, there are enough dishonest people out there that it makes things a little tougher on you.

As part of the copy protection, a WiZeUp book can only be installed on one hard drive, and comes with a single user license. Awfully sorry about that. We're wide open to suggestions if you can think of a way to make the textbook entirely digital so that it's a more efficient study tool -- and at the same time, allow multiple installations. Send ideas, we're listening!

Q: How can I re-sell a WiZeUp textbook? A: At this time, it is not possible to re-sell the electronic textbook. This is because of the copy protection mechanism mentioned above.

Here's the 411 on used books: Used textbooks make all textbooks cost more. Did you know that the author and the publisher do not receive any money on a used textbook sale?

Textbooks are incredibly difficult and expensive to create. It takes almost two years for the author and publisher to make a new textbook. A huge team of highly skilled professionals at several companies have to work together. This means it costs $ millions (believe it or not).

A new textbook is only new as long as there are no used books available. Used textbooks are 80% of the sales, and remember, the author and publisher don't make any money on a used textbook sale. By Spring semester it's all over for a book that was new in the Fall semester.

Because the publishing companies and authors don't see a dime on used textbook sales, the price for the new book has to go up. The publishers have just one shot at recovering the $ millions they spent during two years of work on the book and to make some profit. (Remember, they're in business so no profit = no company.)

We know -- and the publishers, authors and college bookstores know -- that textbooks are a big expense for you. Nobody's happy about this. The publisher takes a huge risk every time it wants to make a new book, and the profit level does not increase although costs of business increase. And you end up parting with more beer money than you want to think about. And bookstores need to keep offering used textbooks because students demand a less-expensive option than the new book.

We're on your side. We are working with our publishing partners and the college bookstores to find ways to make textbooks less expensive. Some of our partners are exploring ways to let you buy just the chapters you need, for example. Others are letting us give you a steeper discount. Stores are helping by providing information about WiZeUp digital textbooks to you and your professors, and making these products available through the stores' Web sites. It's kind of like the new, state of the art gym your student activity fees are paying for, but won't be finished until you've graduated. It will take some time, and your little brother or sister will get more out of it than you will. In the meantime, we're at least making a textbook that works better, so you get more value for your textbook dollar.

Q: What about tech support? A: Tech support is free, and you have the choice of 24-hour Web-based support or phone in.

Q: Can I buy only the chapters I need for a class? A: Yes, you can. As a matter of fact, WiZeUp.com and Thomson Learning released the world's first textbook that is available chapter-by-chapter in the Fall semester of 1999. This has proven to be a popular option, and we expect a growing number of titles from our publishing partners to feature this money-saving option. Check the individual textbook information page at WiZeUp.com to find out if your digital textbook is available on a chapter-by-chapter basis.

Q: I downloaded and installed the Drop/Add Test Drive. How do I...? A: You can so some really cool things with WiZeUp. Check out the animated tutorial. You will need the Macromedia Flash Plug-in. WiZeUp software also includes extensive, searchable help and context-sensitive help (that means if you right-click your mouse, you can get to help about the thing you're pointing to).

May 15, 2000 http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/book00q2.htm#051700 

Bob:

I just signed a contract with www.softlock.com . as a Content Provider for of electronic accounting textbooks. Softlock.com is the company that brought the Stephen King novel to the web. Softlock.com  takes Adobe Acrobat-formatted text, encrypts it and allows the prospective buyer to see a sample of the e-book. The buyer gets a key to unlock the content after paying for the work. It can't be moved to another machine, and whether the the work can be printed is at the discretion of the author. The author/publisher can provide printability as part of the basic charge or as a premium charge. The author can also disable the Windows copy to the clipboard capability for text and graphics.

Essentially softlock.com takes a 20% commission and the author/publisher takes the other 80%. This makes trivial the traditional 12% to 18% royalties that the major print publishers. it has been reported that Stephen King made $400,000 for the 66 page short story that alternatively he could have sold to a magazine for $10,000.

I will be converting my existing content for "Financial Accounting 2000" and "Managerial Accounting 2000" I hope to have my first work up on my www.VirtualPublishing.Net  site by the end of June.

Richard J. Campbell
mailto:campbell@VirtualPublishing.Net

June 8, 2000 The Genesis Modification by Peter Kruger

Hi Peter,

I added your message to the following documents:

1. New Bookmarks Edition for June 14 (forthcoming) --- http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/book00q2.htm 

2. http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/acct5341/speakers/muppets.htm  (Where I also pay tribute to pioneers in education through mystery novels.)

3. http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/ebooks.htm 

Thanks,

Bob (Robert E.) Jensen Jesse H. Jones Distinguished Professor of Business Trinity University, San Antonio, TX 78212 Voice: (210) 999-7347 Fax: (210) 999-8134 Email: rjensen@trinity.edu  
http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen 

-----Original Message----- From: Peter Kruger [mailto:pkruger@steinkrug.co.uk]  
Sent: Friday, June 09, 2000 6:25 AM 
To: rjensen@trinity.edu 
Subject: The Genesis Modification

Bob

I thought that the readers of your ebook newsletter might be interested in this.

Please find below the announcement of our on-line novel 'The Genesis Modification.'

The title, which in view of the recent controversy regarding the accidental release of GM oil seed rape is highly topical, can be found at www.steinkrug.com 

regards
Peter Kruger

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Novel, 'The Genesis Modification', is Available for eBooks and Pocket PCs.

9th June 2000. Cambridge UK. Steinkrug Publications have released an on-line version of the novel 'The Genesis Modification' compatible with a range of eBook portable readers. The release of the title has been timed to coincide with the launch of a number of new Windows CE driven pocket PCs capable of supporting on-line publications. ____

Man continues to play Russian Roulette with the environment. BSE and the accidental release of Genetically Modified crops are the result of reckless gambles we have made with our future. Every time we get lucky, our belief that we will always be lucky grows. But this is a game where we will only get the chance to be unlucky once

The Genesis Modification is set forty years into future. The Green Alliance Party dominates European politics and dictates economic policies in the US. The party is clear who was to blame for the accidental release of the Genetically Modified crops which triggered a string of environmental disasters. But these assumptions are challenged when a body is discovered in a run down hotel in London. _____

The Genesis Modification is supplied as a Microsoft Reader file for Windows CE driven Pocket PCs or as Word file. The Pocket PC is proving to be a simple and convenient way of accessing eBooks. The title is also available for the Nuvomedia Rocket eBook - which the May edition of Red Herring suggested 'might be the next portable device you can't live without.'

Steinkrug believe that the Web, as a delivery medium, will influence both the style and content of fictional works. Emerging technology such as 3G will improve this delivery mechanism and, in time, the eBook could replace the hardback book.

The first section of Genesis Modification is available free and the complete book costs US$7.99 It can be found at www.steinkrug.com 

[ends]

About Steinkrug

Formed in 1995 Steinkrug Publications have developed a range of Web based interactive content. The company sees the growth of the World Wide Web as an opportunity to replace the hardback element of the book publishing cycle. It also feels the global nature of the Web and the availability of reading devices will bring about a revolution in the book publishing industry similar to the one caused by MP3 in the music industry.

For further details contact:-

Peter Kruger. Steinkrug Publications Ltd. 20 Leaden Hill, Orwell, Royston, Herts. SG8 5QH
www.steinkrug.com
Tel:- ++ 44 (0) 1223 208926 Email pkruger@steinkrug.co.uk 

Time Warner Announces iPublish.com

From Internet World News on May 23, 2000

Time Warner Trade Publishing announced on Tuesday the creation of iPublish.com 
( http://www.twbookmark.com/features/ipublish.com/ ) , an open-platform publishing site that will take manuscripts from anyone and, unlike most other online publishing companies, trash the ones that aren't fit for print.

"Without an intermediary's vetting process, readers cannot determine what's good," said Time Warner Trade Publishing vice president Gregory Voynow, who will be senior vice president and general manager of the new enterprise. "We plan to use the Internet as an actual publishing channel, rather than just a distribution channel."

The company's structure will be trifold: an area called iRead, to highlight and electronically distribute previously printed works; iWrite, to function as a publishing engine for new authors, with both editors and other readers reviewing and rating the submissions; and iLearn, to provide expertise from the publisher's top-selling writers and editors for their readers and prospective writers.

iPublish introduces something not often found in online publishing: editing. But is a lack of editing what's giving electronic books an uneven reputation? In a recent interview with Internet World magazine, Chris MacAskill, CEO of FatBrain.com, says that Web readers are more than capable of judging a book's content. MacAskill started MightyWords.com to offer an outlet for material that is between magazine and book length; he cites a potential $100 billion market for such documents.

"E-Books Push Bookselling Envelope," by M.J. Rose, Wired News, June 5, 2000 --- http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,36745,00.html 

With archives of over 4,000 reviews and hundreds of author interviews, at least five to seven new book reviews are posted at Bookreporter.com weekly and blurbs of those reviews are starting to show up on book covers including new releases from Pocket Books, Bantam, and Doubleday.

Reading Group Guides debuted this week with several titles from Vintage Books, a division of Random House. Jessica Willett, manager of promotion and new media at Vintage said that reading groups are a huge focus for the paperback imprint.

"We devote a lot of time and energy to our guides because we've found the word of mouth these groups generate is invaluable to us and Fitzgerald's site reaches the audience we are looking for."

More than 600 free guides, provided by various publishers, will be available on the Reading Group Guide site by late June. Editorial features include practical information about forming and running a reading group, articles about offbeat reading group ideas, and interviews with various groups, which are updated monthly by the site's editor, Liz Keuffer.

The Bookreporter.com website is at http://www.bookreporter.com/.

For my review of more information on online books and publishers, Click Here.

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