Electronic Publishing

On a couple of my LinkedIn groups, there have been some fascinating conversations lately about self-publishing. At this point in my life, I can't imagine starting such a project--unless we're discussing ebooks.

As I have mentioned before, the novel I'm currently working on is so quirky, I'm a little afraid of its publishing possibilities. I'm also considering an anthology of my stories (including ones that have previously appeared in magazines). I can't imagine spending the money on self-publishing up front--but ebooks can be printed with services like Lulu for virtually nothing. Moreover, if you price your book in the magic window of $.99 to $2.99, you can get a lot of downloads. The author's share of the profit is higher, and they can accumulate into a little pile of spending money.

I tested out a Kindle last week.

Definitely a weird experience for me. The sound, smell and tactile experiences of reading an ebook are so different than with a print one, and your eyes and hands operate so differently, that it was a little off-putting. 

I visited the Lulu site, too. There are a LOT of details, details traditionally published authors don't handle.

Additionally, I have concerns about how well ebooks are penetrating the Jewish market. My most recent Artscroll and Feldheim catalogs do boast ebook offerings, and here are some links to Jewish e-book sites online:

http://www.jewish-e-books.com/

http://www.publishersrow.com/ebookshuk/

Definitely more research is in order.