Ebook Marketing - Advantages and Disadvantages

As more and more people move from print books to their digitized versions, eBook marketing has become an attractive avenue for authors to explore as opposed to the traditional means of marketing that involved contacting publishing houses or agents and a lot of convincing to get your book out. Moreover, some traditional publishers look for books that will appeal to niche markets and limit their marketing to certain genres.

eBook promotions, on the other hand, are fast, easy and has the potential to put you in instant spotlight. Readers just love the convenience of being able to carry a thousand books in one small electronic device. Plus, eBooks are not as pricey as their print counterparts. eBooks are a trend among the new generation of readers, and these are a large set of a target audience to market your book successfully.

Well, there are many advantages and disadvantages of eBook marketing. Let's discuss a few here:

Advantages

E-books are growing in popularity among the readers

In the past few years, eBook sales have increased exponentially, and the popularity of eBooks as compared to print books is definitely on the rise. eBooks are simply convenient to carry around, read anywhere and anytime. 

Most eBook readers come with a backlight that makes it possible to read under low-light conditions too. Users can take their entire ‘library' wherever they go! Well, other than the traditional route, ebook promotions could be a quicker way to establish yourself as an author.

Fast and easy

You can publish an eBook yourself, or get it done via a book marketing company. Either way, it's going to be a lot faster than traditional publishing. If you decide to do it yourself, complete your manuscript and convert it to the formats that most of the popular eBook-readers use, and submit the finished book to the most famous avenues available for publishing an eBook. If you contact an eBook publisher, they will also make sure that your book is available at all the major online bookstores.

Costs little or nothing

EBook publishing and marketing costs way less than the traditional methods. eBooks can be submitted to various popular websites to gain the right kind of visibility without spending a fortune on advertising and marketing.

Revision and update

EBooks can be revised and updated whenever you want. In a case of non-fiction books, you can quickly change the content that has become obsolete and adds information that is more relevant in this rapidly changing world.

Strong eBook sales record could create a good impression on a publisher

If you are using a combination of an eBook and a print copy, the eBook serves as a means to an instant spotlight. With the reviews and the number of downloads, you can quickly gauge the popularity of your book and the type of audience you might want to target for your print copy. It helps put things in the right perspective when you prepare a marketing plan for your print version. If your eBook sales records are great, it helps create a good impression on a prospective publisher.

Disadvantages

Resistance to change

Some people still prefer print books. They resist any changes in their core habits, and if reading a print book appeals to them, they might not care for electronic versions. Marketing your books to these readers might be a daunting task.

Reproduction of graphics

EBook readers do not have a standard format and some of them do not even support the display of graphics. Moreover, some of the low-price readers support only a black and white screen. For particular types of books, this might not be a hindrance, but for textbooks and books that require illustrations, this is a major setback.

Digital rights management

While distributing books via the digital media, protecting the author's copyright is one of the prime concerns. Copying and duplicating a file is very easy and piracy has become a major problem. Encryption and secure distribution of eBooks could be one way to preserve the copyrights of authors.

eBooks and print books go hand in hand. eBooks can never completely replace print books, and traditional books will never become obsolete. Whether you are a budding author or an established author, marketing your book in the right way is the key to success. There are many advantages and disadvantages of marketing eBooks. Make sure that you understand them before you create a marketing plan that will help you market your books to the right target audience.

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