For professionals, understanding the limitations of a license is critical; with this knowledge, you’d be surprised by what’s available. Understanding copyright and licenses allows us to do what we do best: be creative.
This article talks more about using other licensed material, but it is a good resource for understanding how to choose an appropriate license for your own work.
If you value using other material, consider a license on your work that returns the favor.
One key difference between self-publishing and traditional publishing is the time it takes to get new books into the readers’ hands. Rice can write a book, edit it and have it to her readers as soon as the process is complete and she adds her cover art. Pon and Mafi have months of contracts, edits, cover art design, marketing plans, galleys, sales to bookstores, promotional tours, etc. to plan.
Interesting notes from three authors on how digital publishing has impacted them and their genres, including price points and how they interact with fans.
An excellent use of story and imagery that perfectly fits a web-based reading environment.
Until now if you used the Kindle app on your iPad, you can read all the books in your Kindle account, and buy new ones. Apple imposed new restrictions on iPad/iPhone apps selling things (since Apple wouldn’t get a cut) so Amazon.com did a workaround by creating a web based “Kindle Cloud”. Now can browse to this site using Safari on the iPad and you’re not actually buying anything inside an app.
It apparently lets you read downloaded books offline, so a constant connection isn’t necessary, but I’m still curious to see how they made it responsive enough for people used to having a stand alone app.
If you’re publishing digitally, design and packaging still matter. Not having a physical cover doesn’t get you away from needing a creative, engaging first impression when people see your listing online.
This list of interesting covers demonstrates that very well. Which of these catch your eye, and how would they compare to a cheesy cover image and a bland, blocky font?
It’s the most obvious match ups that always surprise me.
Why we’ll never have innovative e-books - CNN.com
Technology is there to drive incredible advancements in eBooks beyond just reading them on a Kindle. Why hasn’t it moved forward? Wired thinks it’s because the technology keeps getting applied to other areas. Maybe, but sooner or later the tools will get easy enough for everyone to use - like happened with blogging - and the floodgates will break.
Just. Awesome. I hope you get the sarcasm.
