Electronic publishing or ePublishing includes the digital publication of e-books and electronic

articles, and the development of digital libraries and catalogues. Electronic publishing has
become common in scientific publishing where it has been argued that peer-reviewed paper
scientific journals are in the process of being replaced by electronic publishing. Although
distribution via the Internet (also known as online publishing or web publishing when in the
form of a website) is nowadays strongly associated with electronic publishing, there are many
non network electronic publications such as Encyclopedias on CD and DVD, as well as technical
and reference publications relied on by mobile users and others without reliable and high speed
access to a network.

After an article is submitted to a journal for consideration, there can be a delay ranging from
several months to more than two years[1] before it is published in a journal, rendering journals a
less than ideal format for disseminating current research. In some fields such as astronomy and
some parts of physics, the role of the journal in disseminating the latest research has largely been
replaced by preprint repositories such as arXiv.org. However, scholarly journals still play an
important role in quality control and establishing scientific credit. In many instances, the
electronic materials uploaded to preprint repositories are still intended for eventual publication in
a peer-reviewed journal.

There is statistical evidence that electronic publishing provides wider dissemination.[2] A number
of journals have, while retaining their peer review process, established electronic versions or
even moved entirely to electronic publication.

Electronic publishing is increasingly popular in works of fiction as well as with scientific

articles. Electronic publishers are able to provide quick gratification for late-night readers, books
that customers might not be able to find in standard book retailers (erotica is especially popular
in eBook format[citation needed]), and books by new authors that would be unlikely to be profitable for
traditional publishers.

While the term "electronic publishing" is primarily used today to refer to the current offerings of
online and web-based publishers, the term has a history of being used to describe the
development of new forms of production, distribution, and user interaction in regard to
computer-based production of text and other interactive media.[3]

 Faster publishing time for accepted manuscripts. Rather than waiting up to two years for a manuscript
to see print, e-publishing generally publishes work within a few weeks to a few months after
acceptance.
 Greater flexibility within the writer/publisher relationship. E-publishing affords more say to writers in
preparing works for publication. A paper publisher might ask a writer to change a character, plot line,
or other features of a story to make it more marketable. An e-publisher might also make suggestions,
but the writer will generally have more say. The writer might also be instrumental in providing graphics
for the work, such as an electronic jacket.
 Writers have the ability to update text often and easily at virtually no cost. This is particularly handy for
works related to fast-moving industries such as computer technology. Since the e-publisher does not
have an investment in printed books already lining shelves, text can be electronically updated in
seconds.
 E-publishing offers greater longevity for works with slower sales. While paper publishers will remove
slow movers from active status (print), electronic storage affords unlimited archiving. This gives new
writers time to build a following by having their entire catalog available over extended periods of time.
  Works published electronically have an ISBN number, just like printed books. This means anyone can
walk into a storefront bookstore and order an electronic copy of the book.
 Writers get a higher percentage of royalties through e-publishing because the initial financial layout for
the publisher is so much less than for a paper publisher. Some writers receive as much as 70% of the
profits in royalties.
 With e-publishing writers normally retain all other rights to the work, such as the option to go to a paper
publisher later, adapt a screenplay, or use the work in some other capacity. Paper publishers, on the
other hand, tend to covet as many rights as possible from the writer in the initial boilerplate contract.

If this all sounds a little too rosy, note the disadvantages of e-publishing:

 To date, electronic works sell far fewer copies than paper books. Many people aren’t aware of e-
publishing and others prefer reading a book from print rather than electronically. Good sales,
according to one e-publisher, amount to 500 copies for a successful manuscript.
 Writers are responsible for providing their own ongoing marketing for e-published work. A book might
be great, but if nobody knows about it, it won’t sell. Authors also can’t count on the public seeing their
books on shelves or in store windows.
 If interested in building credentials, e-published works do not carry the same weight as traditional
paper publishers. The sense is that the bar is somehow lower for e-published works than for printed
works. However, this may change with time as e-publishing becomes more established.
 Writers do not receive an advance. This is not just a financial disadvantage, but might disqualify e-
published authors from participating in certain organizations where membership requirements include
works paid by advance. That said, sales royalties are often paid more frequently by e-publishers, such
as quarterly rather than annually.
 Piracy is another concern in the e-publishing industry. It is a fairly simple thing, technically speaking,
for a recipient of an e-work to edit the file, make several copies, and sell the work out from under the
nose of the e-publisher and author. Some e-publishers counter that the relatively small market for e-
works provides little impetus for this.
 Prices are not always significantly cheaper for e-works, despite the lower overhead. This might be a
deterrent to sales
 What is e publishing?
 E Publishing involves storage of information in electronic or digital form, instead of
paper.
 Why e publish?
 E publishing gives authors the opportunity to reach a global audience in a cost effective
manner. Also, E publishing is the happening
phenomenon in the present day knowledge
economy!

Conventional E Publishing Models

1) Commercial e publishers:

They operate on the same guidelines as conventional print publishers and usually are the big
names in conventional publishing. The author does not pay anything to the publisher towards
cost of production of book. The publisher provides all services like editing, cover page design,
obtaining ISBN no, copyright registration etc.
To maximize return on investment, the publishing house prefers to select best selling or highly
reputed authors. Authors receive royalties’ up to 40%.

E-books are sold via their own websites and other e book resellers, distributors.

2) Subsidy Publishers:

These publishers charge a fee to the author for the various services associated in producing the
book and marketing it ($200 - $500 per book).

Authors receive a royalty,ranging between 20- 50%.

Subsidy publishers charge for range of services such as formatting, editing, cover page design,
ISBN registration, copyright registration, promotions. They package there services with different
combinations. Also, they enjoy the publishing rights and have a percentage share the royalty
revenues.

Print-on-demand (POD) publishing is a popular form of subsidy publishing, wherein the book is
stored as an electronic file, to be printed out in "book format" only when it is actually ordered. It
seems a cost effective strategy to test launch new authors and their works. POD publishing costs
$200 to $1000 or more.

3) Self publishers

These are authors who choose to publish their e book on their own and in the bargain earn
hundred percent revenues and keep all publishing rights. The main idea is to avoid the
publishing, marketing, licensing costs and keep complete control over the design, price and
marketing strategy.

4) Distributors or re sellers

These are book stores which sell e books. They offer a platform for the finished product or
earlier print publication to be sold as e book and share percentage (20-30%) of the royalties.
They do not charge the author.

Emerging Improvisations in E Publishing Models:

There is no established e publishing model to be picked up off the shelf as the e publishing
industry is still in an evolutionary phase. The business model to be adopted depends upon several
factors: the buyers, kind of information and its shelf life, paying capacities and feasibility of e
transactions.

Some examples of emerging options or their combinations that can be integrated to evolve a
business model for e publishing are:

1. Subscriptions: subscribers pay for access to aggregated data or reports, author titles.
 2. Open access publishing: authors or funding agencies contribute to cost of publication
3. Delayed open access: open access after a period (during which only subscribers can
access).
4. Open access archives - organizations support archives
5. Slice and Price: selling sections or chapters of reports
6. Pay per use : customers pay as per content requirement
7. Advertiser supported distribution- advertisers sponsor the publication to reach out to
readers as prospective buyers of their products/services.
8. Integrating customized services to members/subscribers.
9. Participatory activities to attract subscription/membership

Epublishing Overview
Electronic publishing, or epublishing, uses new technology to deliver books and other content to
readers. Because the technology allows publishers to get information to readers quickly and efficiently,
it is causing major changes to the publishing industry as we know it. It will also impact the way we read,
offering new hardware and software devices. We are only beginning to see the ramifications of
epublishing. Epublishing is a very broad term that includes a variety of different publishing models,
including electronic books (ebooks), print-on-demand (POD), email publishing, wireless publishing,
electronic ink and web publishing. More types of epublishing are sure to be developed in the near
future. Here are some descriptions of the different methods of electronic publishing.

Ebooks
Ebooks are electronic versions of books which are delivered to consumers in digital formats. There are a
large number of devices being developed to make reading ebooks easier for consumers. Special
software, which makes documents or pages of a book easier to read on a screen, is also being developed
by software companies. A standard for ebook software, known as the open-ebook standard, or OEB, has
been developed as a standard format for ebooks, but competing standards such as Adobe's PDF exist.
The potential market for electronic books (and shorter length content) is extremely large. Although
presently there is some sales resistance to the idea of abandoning paper books for a handheld electronic
reader, certain sectors of the buying public are already recognizing the benefits of ebooks over paper
books. Students who are tired of lugging around forty pounds of textbooks (which become obsolete
quickly) and consumers or business people who travel a great deal are two groups who seem thrilled
with the idea of downloading 10 or more books into a small, portable reader. Ebooks are already
starting to be trendy. Recent issues of top women's magazines such as Vogue, have recently featured
ebook readers as the latest must-have fashion accessory. This market could develop faster than
expected because leading publishers and technology companies are pouring money resources into
ebook technology. It remains to be seen, however, exactly which electronic devices and which software
will succeed and exactly how long it will take people to convert to ebooks. When the price of handheld
readers comes down to under $50.00, you can be sure that these devices will quickly become
ubiquitous.

Print-on-Demand (POD)
Print-on-Demand is a new method for printing books (and other content) which allows books to be
printed one at a time, or on demand. This method helps free publishers from the process of doing a
traditional print run of several thousand books at a time. The technology involves complex laser printing
systems and electronically formatted text which the printers can read. Many publishers, include web
upstarts, are hoping this method will allow them to more effectively print smaller numbers of a book
and still make a profit. The technology is currently very expensive and the New York Times recently
reported that Lightning Source, Inc., a leading provider of ebook fulfillment, charges publishers over
$4.00 per book, which is a higher cost per unit than that of small print run. Prices should come down as
more publishers and retailers purchase the technology. POD is very hot right now; in a sense, it is a good
intermediary step between the regular method of printing paper books and electronic books. However,
because POD is still a method that uses paper and can not be delivered as cheaply and quickly as
electronic books, in the long run, POD could decline in popularity when consumers become comfortable
with electronic reading software and ebook reading devices.

Digital Content
Digital Content generally refers to the electonic delivery of fiction which is shorter than book-length,
nonfiction, documents and other written works of shorter length. Publishers of digital content deliver
shorter sized works to the consumer via download to handheld and other wireless devices. Technology
used for delivering digital content includes Adobe PDF, XML, HDML, WAP (Wireless Application Protocol)
and other technologies. The security of the data being delivered is the major concern of publishers who
want to ensure they can deliver digital content without the risk of someone copying the work and selling
or giving away the works. The market for wireless content, which is being developed to deliver content
to everything from phones, handhelds, microwaves and even clothes, is a potentially enormous market.
This fact has the major media companies and publishers scrambling not to be left out of the digital
content arena.

Electronic Ink
Electronic Ink is a developing technology that could have a huge impact on the media and publishing
industries. Electronic Ink could be used to create a newspaper or book that updates itself. The
technology could also be used on billboards, clothing, walls and homes to allow content to appear. In
addition, this content could be programmed to change at any time. For example, you could have a
billboard that rotates different ads, or you could receive a coupon in the mail that is frequently updated
with the latest offer. For media companies, the possibilities are almost endless. Someday your electronic
newspaper will simply update itself every day. E Ink Corporation, a new company with major investors,
and Xerox are two companies currently developing this technology.

Email Publishing
Email publishing, or newsletter publishing, is a popular choice among readers who enjoy the ease of
receiving news items, articles and short newsletters in their email box. The ease of delivery and
production of email newsletters has led to the development of a massive number of available email
newsletters, mailing lists and discussion lists on a large variety of topics. Some businesses have even
launched services that do nothing but deliver newsletters to consumers. Newsletters are also widely
used by media companies to complement their web and print offerings. Many authors and writers
publish their own newsletters in order to attract new readers and to inform their fans about new books
and booksignings.

Web Publishing
Web publishing is not a novel practice any longer, but it continues to change and develop with the
introduction of new programming languages. HTML is still the most widely used web programming
language, but XML is also making headway. XML is valuable because it allows publishers to create
content and data that is portable to other devices. Nearly every company in the World has some type of
website, and most media companies provide a large amount of web-based content.

Staying Informed
Keeping up with the epublishing world requires a constant watch of news headlines and frequent visits
to your favorite websites. As a writer, you should familiarize yourself with the emerging technologies
mentioned above. The impact of the Internet on publishing has already been astounding, yet it is still in
its early stages of development. The impact of ebooks and wireless content could be just as dramatic in
the near future. The writing and publishing industries are changing, even as you read this page.
Freelance writers especially need to keep informed about what is happening in this arena. Contracts,
rights, new jobs and markets are all being affected by this new technology, and writers simply must
make the time to stay well-informed.

Input formats

MSS, Word, PDF, TeX/LaTeX, XTG, HTML, SGML, INDD, QXD

Output formats

HTML, SGML, XML (inlcudes NLM, NIMAS, etc), PDF, OEB, Doc Book, Amazon Kindle,
Sony Reader, Mobipocket, Adobe digital edition, Microsoft Reader, PML