An Ebook Publisher's Dilemma: Should I Use Pdf Or Exe Format?

If you write and publish eBooks, sooner or later you will probably be faced with a dilemma - should you create your eBooks as .exe files or .pdf files?

PDF, which stands for Portable Document Format, is the file extension for files created with Adobe Acrobat.

Exe, which stands for 'executable', is the extension for files created by eBook compilers.

PDF is widely considered to be the 'industry standard' for eBook publishing, and for good reason. Here are some of the advantages of PDF files over exe files:

1. With most eBook compilers you have to set up each page of your eBook as a separate web page. With Adobe Acrobat you can use a single MS Word file as the source document.

2. PDF files automatically number each page - exe files don't.

3. PDF files are very easy to edit - you can insert pages, replace pages and delete pages (and the page numbering is automatically adjusted).

4. Printing from a PDF file is much easier than printing from an .exe file.

5. The 'bookmark' column on the left side of a PDF file makes naviagtion very easy - much easier than in an exe file.

6. PDF files compress better than exe files, so you end up with a smaller, more manageable file.

7. It's virtually impossible to transmit a virus through a PDF file - exe files are susceptible to virus transmission and can become corrupted during download.

8. Finally, by using PDF you automatically expand your potential market because PDF files can be read on both a PC and a Mac (exe files can only be read on a PC). Over 8 percent of the online population in the U.S. are currently Mac users (www.nielsen-netratings.com) - not a huge increase in your market, but nevertheless significant.

But exe files do have some advantages over PDF files, and perhaps the most important of these is price - most eBook compilers are a fraction of the cost of Adobe Acrobat.

Another advantage of exe files over PDF is the rebranding feature. The following eBook compilers all have a built-in rebranding function:

• http://www.ebookcompiler.com/
• http://www.ebookgenerator.com/
• http://www.ebookedit.com/
• http://www.ebookpaper.com/

If you use free eBooks as a viral marketing tool, rebranding is the key to success, because people are much more likely to promote your free eBook if they can customize it with their own affiliate links.

(c) 2002 by Michael Southon

About The Author Michael Southon has been writing for the Internet for over 3 years. He has shown hundreds of webmasters how to use this simple technique to get massive free publicity and dramatically increase traffic and sales. Click here to find out more: http://www.ezine-writer.com >

This article was posted on September 24, 2002

How The Writer Survives
So it’s your dream to write novels? Be a freelance writer and make a living off of your articles? Or maybe you nurture an ambition to write and sell enough short fiction to put bread on the table, like those writers of the golden age of the pulps?

Well, those are all noble dreams to have. I’m smitten by the writer’s glamour myself. Also I’m grateful for the others who were, those authors whom I love to read and return to time and again. I’m grateful that they possessed not only their artistic vision, but also the sheer stubbornness and will to persevere and see their dreams become reality.

So we’ve settled on the fact that we want to be writers, and that no other dream will do. Now let’s take a look at what this is likely to mean in terms...(related: Publishing)

8 Advantages To Writing A Book As An Entrepreneur
As an aspiring or an established entrepreneur, you are an expert in something, but does the rest of the world know? You have a wealth of information, experience and knowledge that you can package into a book that will benefit others. This truly is the information age and people want to know what you know. 1. A book will give you unbelievable credibility which increases the respect you will receive from customers and business associates. Wouldn’t you be more likely to purchase widgets from the business person who wrote the book on widgets? New customers are more likely to take advice from, or purchase the services/products from, an established author. Many consultants increase the levels of their business simply by writing a book on their area of expertise. 2. The typical business person might run ...(related: Publishing)

Five Minute Miracles
FIVE MINUTE MIRACLESFIVE MINUTES ... Is All You Need ........to phone a friend ..... peel potatoes for dinner ..... pick the kids up from school ..... or write a few words that could earn you anything from a plastic pinny or ballpoint pen, to a dream house in the sun, a top-of-the-range sports car, or thousands of dollars in cash and luxury goods!Even if just a few minutes a day is all you can spare, you can still be a well-respected, regularly published writer. No special skills are required, you definitely don't need a computer or word processor, a telephone or desk. And you certainly do not need lots of spare time ..... because you are about to enter the fa...(related: Publishing)