Ten years from now, possibly sooner, many of us will be reading books, plays and articles on hand-held devices that fit in our pockets.  Instead of traveling to our local libraries, we will be downloading our reading material from internet libraries and ebook stores directly into these hand-held devices or our home computers.

We will have the ability to make annotations and comments in the text, without ever picking up a pen. Imagine highlighting important passages, without marking up pages. Conduct full-text searches for specific information, without ever having to dog-ear a page;  we'll be able to access related works by linking directly to bibliographic sources.  And we'll be cutting down far fewer trees. © 2000-2002, SRS Internet Publishing #06610736

Why publish electronically?
Electronic books never sell out...the supply is unlimited.  There are never any unsold copies.  Books that are published electronically can be sold 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Why do readers enjoy electronic books?
Books in electronic formats are much easier to travel with, as thousands of pages can be held on a single floppy disk, laptop hard drive or hand-held electronic device.  PDA owners enjoy the convenience of reading books on a device they are already carrying in their briefcase! The benefits extend to storage and longevity concerns, as well.  Avid readers will enjoy not having to continually add bookcases and bookshelves as their collection grows.  And there's never any fear of torn pages and broken bindings!

Because ebooks exist in digital format, the reader can easily adjust the size of the type to accommodate individual needs and preferences. Readers are also able to highlight, underline, annotate and bookmark passages in an electronic text without ruining the book itself.  Furthermore, readers have the ability to conduct full-text searches for specific words and passages. .© 2000-2002, SRS Internet Publishing #06610736

Why do publishers enjoy electronic books?
By delivering books online, electronic publishers can avoid the environmental and economic costs associated with traditional distribution methods.  There are fewer trucks on the road releasing polluting emissions into the air, less toxic hazards associated with ink and fewer trees cut down. More importantly, publishers gain an additional revenue stream for backlist titles by making them available online as e-books.

Do electronic books have a future?
Yes! Some have said electronic books represent the future of publishing. The children and teenagers of today are more comfortable with computers than any other generation. They are also more accustomed to reading material in digital format. As they grow older, and become the consumers of tomorrow, they will prefer purchasing reading material in digital and electronic format. 

What are electronic books?
Electronic books exist in electronic format and are designed to be viewed on a desktop or laptop computer, on hand-held personal digital assistant (PDA) devices such as the Palm Pilot™ and Handspring Visor™ or on dedicated ebook readers such as the Rocket eBook™ and Franklin’s eBookman™.  More and more people are beginning to read ebooks on their iPods and SmartPhones, as well!

We currently offer ebooks in four different formats: HTML, Adobe’s Acrobat Reader PDF, Microsoft Reader and the Palm PDB format.  You don't need any special equipment to view these ebooks, just a web browser, Adobe's free Acrobat Reader™ software or any one of the numerous Document Reader programs for the Palm Pilot™ operating system.  The HTML versions may also be imported and read on the Rocket eBook™, using the RocketWriter™ feature of the RocketLibrarian software. The more electronic formats you select when electronically converting your manuscript, the greater your potential customer base will be.

What is the PDF file format?
"PDF" stands for Portable Document Format and was developed by the Adobe software company.  It is the generally accepted format for electronic publishing documents of all types.  It will run on almost any computer system (MAC and PC) if the company's free Acrobat Reader™ software is installed.  It is an ideal format for presenting graphically rich and formatted publications.  These formats use real typefaces and look like real books.

What types of books can be converted to electronic format?
There are no limits as to what type of reading material can be published electronically. Manuscripts with photographs and/or illustrations, however, are electronically published in MS Reader and Acrobat Reader formats only. 

How are electronic books read?
The program used to read an ebook depends on the file format in which the book was electronically published. PDF files must be read in Adobe’s Acrobat Reader™, HTML files may be read in a web browser or imported into a Rocket eBook™, PRC files may be read on a Palm Pilot™ or Handspring Visor™, and Microsoft Reader™ ebooks must be read on Microsoft’s Pocket PC or on your computer if you have the free desktop version of Microsoft Reader™ installed. To read ebooks for the Palm OS, you will need to install Document Reader software on your handheld. There are many such programs on the market, but we recommend the free reader, CSpotRun -- a full-featured document reader that enables you to change fonts, font sizes and screen orientation. There are more than 7 million Palm Pilot users...and many of them enjoy reading ebooks on their handheld devices!

If you have any questions not addressed in this FAQ, please feel free to contact us.