Last weekend my wife went grocery shopping. She bought all the usual things – all the brands that we always buy. We’ve been doing dishes by hand for a while since our dishwasher thinks it should take 4-6 hours to wash a normal load of dishes. We don’t agree with the dishwasher’s opinion (and didn’t want to buy another dishwasher right now), so it was back to washing dishes by hand.

Anyway, the brand of dishwashing detergent that we like had changed it’s packaging. Instead of the easy to hold hourglass type shape, now it was a pudgy bottle – like the Pillsbury dough boy. And wide – my wife can’t hold it comfortably. Not only that, they had added a little plastic cover over the pour spout that you had to flip back to get the liquid out. Both of these were major changes in the shape and use of the product, and became major issues. You could not easily grasp the new bottle shape, and when you did, the little plastic cap (attached on one side) was perfectly positioned to catch most of the liquid in it instead of squirting it into the sink! Just using it made a “liquid mess.” We hated using it.

This was not produced by a guy named Joe in his garage. Why didn’t the company see what was happening? From the size and awkwardness of the bottle, it’s obvious they didn’t test it with anyone – somebody just made a decision to go ahead and change it.

Who the heck thought this was better??? And has he been fired yet???

(BTW – Our solution to the “dishwashing dilemma” was to spend a day trying all the variables on our dishwasher to find a setting we could live with. We did – we found a “water miser” setting that works well and only takes an hour for the cycle. No more hand washing! Yay! Why didn’t we do this to begin with? Well, to be perfectly honest, it never occurred to me…maybe my MS was kicking up that day…)

So, how does this tie-in to ebooks? It doesn’t – directly. It does, though, in the sense of “usability.” For example – let’s say that you have forms in your ebook for the reader to fill out. You’d better think about how to handle them! If it’s a PDF file, once the “locks” are put on to prevent people from doing a “copy and paste” of your ebook’s guts, no one can fill out anything. Maybe the solution is to include a separate, small pdf of the forms that are set up for printing. Maybe you could allow annotating. There are a number of solutions. the point is – handle it, otherwise it limits your reader’s ability to use your ebook effectively.

Ask yourself – how is this going to work for my reader? Then get creative and find a way to solve the problem…

Now, there is one additional aspect of usability that I want to talk about, but I want it to have it’s own emphasis, so that will be the next post…

Well, as you can see, my last post was in 2005. That is NOT good!

Part of the problem was that I was using Nucleus. And, I didn’t like it. It was hard to work with and it just didn’t have the flexibility that WordPress has. Then my mind got hung up on the fact that Nucleus was using index.php in the root directory, and how was I going to change that over when WordPress was in another directory. (Actually, I just didn’t want to have to rewrite all my website pages!) There was a very simple solution – and you’d think I would have thought of it since I’ve been online since the early nineties, but all I had to do was a re-direct to the correct page. Like many of my clients, I tend to make things more difficult than they actually are. (sigh)

Another problem with the old blog was that it was too specific. I had the idea of writing an ebook via the blog, but that did not work. So, I’m changing the game plan here. I’m just going to “chat” – for lack of a better word! Sometimes it will be about design and ebooks, sometimes about Golden Retrievers, sometimes I’ll rant, and sometimes I might actually have something important to say.

I’ve posted all the previous stuff below – some of it’s actually worth reading – even if it is old. I’ve got a couple of things that I really want to rave (and rant!) about so I’m going to post those a little later tonight.

These are the two main types of files used for ebooks right now.

PDF
PDF stands for Portable Document Format, originally created by Adobe, and is currently used by anyone from corporate big boys to the smallest self-publisher.

PDF has a couple of things going for it that the other ebook formats can’t touch. For one thing, PDF is a universal format. A PDF ebook can be viewed on any computer running any operating system – doesn’t matter if it’s Windows, Mac, Linux, Unix, BeOS, Sun, or anything else. The ebook can be read, and will show up looking the same on all the operating systems. This is a huge advantage over .EXE ebooks, which can *only* be read on a computer running Windows.

Other advantages are the graphics, fonts, colors, etc that can be used in PDF files. Fonts are embedded into the PDF, so you are not restricted as you are in .EXE ebooks, colors are exact, graphics are a snap. In my opinion, you can create a much more professional ebook when you have the capapability of having the ebook look exactly the same on everyone’s computer. Also, although many people don’t realize it, you can also embed any other type of file into a PDF, use page transitions, add JavaScript, and pretty much do anything you want with the file. Some of the smaller ebooks I create are done in a type of Powerpoint format – full screen, dark background – like a slideshow, yet it’s still all PDF.

EXE (HTML)
Let’s face the facts here. The “.exe” ebooks are really nothing more than HTML pages compiled together. An HTML ebook is a glorified web page. Being a web page, it’s subject to all the problems web designers have to put up with.

First, there is the problem of fonts. HTML (which is dependent on the Internet Explorer engine) can only use the fonts that are on the *reader’s* machine. Yep. Forget about using those great fonts you picked up on the net. You are stuck with the reader’s fonts, and if his (or her) computer doesn’t have the fonts you specify, the Internet Explorer engine will actually substitute the fonts the reader *does* have. God only knows what your ebook will end up looking like! Your designs are restricted to the lowest common denominator.

Next we have the problem of screen resolution. Some of your readers will be using an 800 by 600 screen, some 640 by 480, some 1600 by 1200 – there’s no telling, and certainly no controlling it. If you are designing on a computer with 1024 by 768, you have to take into account that there will be a whole range of screen resolutions out there. You cannot specifiy a font size – you have to relative sizes to make it look somewhat the same on all computers.

Design is next. If you’ve ever designed a webpage, you know how difficult it is just to place a line where you want to using HTML, much less do a whole ebook design! You’re just asking for a huge headache. There are templates out there, though, that can ease this pain a bit. Still, it’s a nightmare. Add in the limitations of color, and your designing with your hands in handcuffs and a blindfold over your eyes.

The final, crushing blow – the one that puts the nails into the HTML coffin – is that HTML ebooks (yes, all the ones that have the “.exe” extension) can only be viewed by people running Windows. Why on earth would anyone want to restrict their market to a group that is becoming smaller by the day?? The trend is that as people grow out of the “newbie” stage with computers, they start looking for operating systems that are more stable, less prone to attack, and a whole lot less retsrictive to use. Windows may always be the “beginner’s” operating system, but the savvy user is looking for more… just keep that in mind.

There should be no question in your mind which format I prefer. As a matter of fact, I’ve even restricted my ebook designing to pdf format, and now refuse to design HTML ebooks anymore.

There are a few things, though, that HTML ebooks can do better than pdf, and they all have to do with security. HTML can use the powers of Windows to create some pretty strong security measures to protect your ebook from piracy, etc. If you are adamant about no one ever being able to read your ebook who hasn’t paid for it, then stick with HTML. Your paranoia will be eased, but remember – like birth control, nothing is 100% (except abstinence.) But, security is the topic of another chapter – and you may be surprised to learn that there are some things that can be done to protect pdf’s these days….

Chapter 1 – Getting started with eBooks…

There are probably as many reasons to write an ebook as there are people who want to write one.

Some will want to write and produce an ebook to sell on their websites…
Some to create a viral marketing item…
Some for their family…
Some for educational reasons…
Some because they are just bursting with things to say…
Some may just want to get independent of that scowling boss hanging over their shoulder…

It doesn’t matter what the reason – all reasons are valid, but you might take a different path if you’re producing a family history compared to a commercial ebook. We’re going to start by looking at things that all ebooks have in common, and then we’ll scoot off to the side for special circumstances.

Right off the bat, let’s define what an ebook is. OK, scoff if you like, but from the questions I get on a daily basis, there are an awful lot of people out there who really don’t know. So, if you’re a long-time ebook expert, just skip over the next paragraph or two.

An ebook is simply an “electronic book.” What this means is that the book exists as a file, NOT as paper and ink. It’s not “real” – you cannot hold an ebook in your hand. This is a tough concept for some people – they think an ebook is simply a printed book that is created on a computer. These are the people who will email an ebook author and want to know when she will be shipping their ‘ebook’ to them. These people aren’t stupid – they just don’t know that the language used for ebooks is a bit different from what they are used to. It takes only a little bit of education to get them pointed in the right direction. Be patient with them.

So, an ebook is a file – but what kind of file? Everyone who owns a computer knows that their computer is full of files. And, if they have turned off “Hide all extensions” in Windows, they should also know that there are literally hundreds of types of files. Now, I’m not going to go into detail here about file types and extensions, but I will mention that there are many, many programs that can create ebooks. For example, Microsoft Word can create a .doc file, and that can be distributed as an ebook. Powerpoint files can also be created as an ebook. Text files may be ebooks, or video and audio files can be ebooks. Microsoft has their own ebook reader, creator and file format (which has never taken over ebooks the way Microsoft wanted and expected it to! ) Several other companies have created their own formats as well.

But when you talk about ebooks, it actually comes down to 2 types of files – “.PDF” and “.EXE” files. A “.PDF” file is a file type created by Adobe it is used by Acrobat Reader. An “.EXE” file is actually an executable file – in short, a program file. When you run an “.exe” ebook, you are actually running a program.

These are the 2 formats that 99+% of all ebook authors use. Each format has pros and cons, and each format has it’s supporters and detractors. There is a lot to say about both types, so let’s pick it up there next time.

(Coming up next – “PDF vs EXE”)

So, here’s the deal…

I’ve been bashing my head up against the wall trying to figure out how to keep on top of this blog. I really don’t have any problems coming up with topics, or things to write about, but I do have trouble making posts consistently. (Gee, ya think???).

Well, I just may (repeat – MAY) have found a way to post regularly. I’ve been wanting to write another ebook – this one on the A’s to Z’s of ebooks. It’s basically an ebook covering everything about ebooks for newbies. Rather than write it in Word, and then create an ebook, I’m going to write it here in the blog with the help of a program called W.Bloggar, which lets you write offline and then post to your blog later.

OK – “The A’s to Z’s of eBooks” – (that’ll do for a working title, but we may change it later…) Shall we get started???

for me, anyway! 2 posts in less than a month!

First a follow-up on the “obnoxious” forum poster discussed below. I posted in Ken’s forum that I had made a blog entry. He made his way over here, and after reading the post I made on Netiquette in forums, apologized for his behavior. So, a direct confrontation was avoided – and maybe he learned something. I hope so- he’s still getting some flack, though..

I’m going to be doing some fall housekeeping soon. I’ve got a ton of new files to add, more links, and some new projects. I’m thinking about changing my site logo – take a look and tell me which one you like… logos…

I’m also going to be raising my prices somewhat on my design services. I hate to do it, but they’ve been at this level for over 2 years now, and my workload is getting to the point where I can’t keep up. Don’t worry, my prices still won’t break your budget! This change will go into effect when I can get new pages written for it. (Heck, that might be another 2 years before I get that done! LOL!)

OK – I’ve got to get back to work, but I’m not done commenting. Looks like I may break another record here soon…

Neil

As you all well know, everything that happens to me is fodder for an article or a blog posting. This week something happened that makes a good teaching tool.

Ken Silver’s Home Publishing forum is one of my favorite places to visit. I’ve been active on his board for several years, and have thoroughly enjoyed the interaction and the people who frequent this particular forum. I also get a good number of clients from my postings on Ken’s board. This week we had a new, very obnoxious “visitor” there, and his appearance prompted this review of “forum netiquette.”

Many ebooks on internet marketing claim that forums are a good place to get new customers and clients. Unfortunately, a good percentage of these books don’t tell you the *proper* way to go about using forums to help promote yourself. So, what’s the proper way??

(1) Before anything else, do your homework! LURK for a while. Read the posts, get to know the frequent posters, get a feel for the personality of the forum. Check out the flow of the conversations, and the “culture” of the board. (The guy mentioned above posted a spam ad every time the word “ebook” was mentioned in a post. I counted 6 postings by him – all advertising a particular method of creating ebooks and all posted on his first visit to the board!)

(2) Get involved. A good way to get involved (or to make your first post) is to ask some questions. BUT, here again, you need to be familiar with the forum – don’t ask the same questions that have already been asked a hundred times before. Chances are, no one wants to take the time to repeat answers that have already been repeated ad infinitum. Read the archives. Jumping right into ongoing discussions without being familiar with the group is never a good idea.

(3) Establish credibility and familarity. Once you have “introduced yourself” to the group, so to speak, contribute to ongoing discussions. This does not mean that you jump in and advertise your product or services in every thread. It means that you add *value* to the discussions – give your thoughts and opinions, be a devil’s advocate, or help people whenever possible.

(4) Create a “signature” to use on your posts. Blatant advertising is banned from most forums – as well it should be! So, you don’t “advertise” – you “promote” through your signature. For those of you who don’t know what a signature is, here’s an example of the signature I use on Ken’s board.

Neil Tarvin

ebook designer

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FREE – eBook Librarian

http://www.ebookgraphics.com/wordpress/ebooklibrarian.html

Keep track of all the ebooks you download

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Word eBook Templates

http://www.ebookgraphics.com/wordpress/mytemplates1.html

Fast, easy ebook creation

=====================

Different forums have different rules about signatures – on the Warrior forum, for example, you’re allowed 3 lines for your signature. On Tony Blake’s board, you can have images and a link as well as a signature inside your post. Know what is acceptable on each board, and don’t flaunt the rules! In this same vein, if a forum requires an email address – add one! If you don’t, it makes you look less than honorable and your motives questionable! (This fellow did not list an email address, even though Ken’s board requires one. Think there was a reason he didn’t list one?? Like maybe the site he was advertising was actually *his* site, even though he always referred to it “the guys at …” ??)

(5) NEVER, NEVER, NEVER denigrate forum members or their products and services! This is an extreme insult that will only make you look bad, and your products and services questionable. In this particular instance, I was told that my products and my services were “cheap and unprofessional” because I don’t use his product to create my ebooks and those of my clients. (This from someone who doesn’t know me from Adam!) Well, my clients know better, and Ken kindly deleted those nasty comments from his forum. Then earlier today, this guy said the same thing to another long-time poster on the board! This is not the way to win friends and influence people! (Does he really think that *anyone* is going to visit his site or use his services after that?? Do you think I’m *ever* going to refer anyone to him??)

Forums are made up of people – and while not everyone is going to get along (I’ve had some pretty good arguments with some people on Ken’s board, but they were arguments about techniques or methods, not personal insults), there is a right way and a wrong way to post and make yourself known. Do it the right way!

Neil

Mind if I take a moment to scream in frustration? I had just finished writing a new entry to this blog – getting ready to hit the “Post” key, and …. the electric flicked off. It’s not raining, there’s no wind, there’s no reason – it just went off for a second. Long enough to trash everything I’d written. (sigh) So, I’ll start again – if I can remember any of what I’d written!

There’s really no excuse for my having ignored this blog for the past 6 months. There are “reasons”, but no excuse. What I really need is a couple of weeks of 48 hour days to get everything caught up! I’ve just been unbelievably busy since the beginning of the year. Which brings me to the reason for this particular article – making a living on the ‘Net. My clients ask me constantly how they can make a living on the ‘Net, and I’ll try to answer that below…

Don’t ever let anyone tell you that making a living on the ‘Net means 2 hour work days, and sitting on the beach with a laptop checking your bank account. What it really means is that you’ll spend more time working for yourself than you ever did working for someone else. You’ll work harder and be in constant “learning mode” – but, then, some of us like it that way…

The other day in one of the forums I visit frequently (Ken Silver’s Ebook How To forum), Sean (one of the moderators) was responding to someone’s question about protecting their ebook from theft. Sean had a different “take”. He said he purposely allows piracy of his ebook – he gives it away. He makes more money when people pass it around, and gets additional clients he wouldn’t have had otherwise.

This is a great example of “thinking outside the box”, and doing things just a bit differently, but there is a key point hidden here. You can’t just think outside the box – you have to have something in place to back it up. Notice above that I said “clients he wouldn’t have had otherwise…” Sounds like Sean has more going on than just his ebook, doesn’t it? Yep, he does – lots more!

You’ll see lots of websites on the ‘Net talking about how you can write an ebook and make a lot of money from it. Well, the odds of that happening are “slim” and “none”. Once upon a time, when ebooks were new and rare, it was possible. No longer. With just one ebook, you’ll probably make a couple of hundred dollars a month – IF you spend a lot of time and money advertising and promoting it. But, don’t get discouraged – there are ways you can make a living on the ‘Net, starting with that one ebook.

Remember this “magical” phrase – “multiple streams of income.” It’s critical!

Let’s start with that one ebook – you promote it and advertise it, and you make a couple of hundred bucks a month from it. Can’t live on that, so what do you do? Write another ebook – either on the same topic, a related topic, or something totally different, and promote and advertise that one. Now, you have 2 streams of income – they’re small, but they add up. But, you still need more. Maybe this time, instead of another ebook, you find some related products you can sell – perhaps as an affiliate. Another trickle. Maybe you create some CD’s of your ebooks that you can sell on eBay. Trickle. Maybe you do some audio and video related to your subject. More trickles. How about becoming a consultant in your field? Or doing seminars – either live or on the ‘Net? Trickle, trickle, trickle. And, all of a sudden, you realize you’re making as much as you did working for Joe Schmoe!

THAT’s the way you make a living on the ‘Net. It works.

The possibilities are unlimited – do what’s best for you and your situation. Create your own “package” of ebooks, services, and other income-producers. Here’s what I do…

1. ebook design services

2. 3 ebooks

3. eBook Librarian Plus and Pro

4. website hosting

5. CD interface design and creation

6. Offshoots of the above – for example, website design and maintenance, design of logos, banners, advertising, etc., and some custom programming.

The important thing is – I am NOT an exception! Thousands of people are doing the same thing – creating multiple streams of income, and making their living on the ‘Net. I have a client who called me the other day – he had his first $4000 month, and his “stream” consists mainly of a number of different ebooks he’s written and sells from various websites. Another of my clients sells his ebook on digital camera technigues on eBay along with some camera-related products he’s created. A third client uses her ebook as a “catalog” for the many affiliate programs she’s in. And the list goes on…

So, what’s your topic of interest? What can you do with it? How can you create multiple streams of income, and make your living on the ‘Net?

Maybe this article has given you some ideas… (and, my usual closing…) Think about it!

Here it is the second day of the new year.

Will it be a good year or a bad year? It’s interesting – some people will end this year saying it was good – some will end it saying it was bad. So, which one is right?

Well, it’s really a matter of perception, isn’t it? You’ll be the one to determine how your year comes out, so perhaps you should make that decision NOW!

I’ve already been asked a half-dozen times about my new year’s resolutions… Last year, I posted an article to my newsletter about my hang-ups with the word “resolutions”. I think I’m going to post it here again – it may help some of you who also have that particular hang-up with words…

Here’s the article – if you’ve read it before, scroll down – I have some additional comments after it.

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“So, how’s that workin’ for ya?”

by Neil Tarvin

This week my thoughts were spurred by an “emailer” who asked if I’d made my New Year’s resolutions, and if I’d set any goals for this year. The man actually hit two of my hot buttons in one sentence!

I hate the words “resolutions” and “goals.” They’re intimidating. I don’t know why – maybe when I was 5 years old I saw that big ball dropping from the sky in Times Square on New Year’s eve and thought it was going to fall on my head. Who knows?

But, to me, “resolutions” means I have to give something up that I’m really attached to, and “goals” implies some lofty, totally unattainable desire that I should be striving toward. They just aren’t positive, energizing words. To me. And, that’s the crux of this week’s commentary…

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“So, how’s that workin’ for ya?”

Here in the US we have a daytime TV phenomenon who’s name is “Dr. Phil” – an Okie-bred, outspoken, shoot-from-the-hip, blunt, occasionally irritating, occasionally arrogant, psychologist. He can stop a guest dead in their tracks – like a deer caught in the headlights – with his Okie-drawl catch phrase “So, how’s that workin’ for ya?”

The funny thing is – it really does make you stop and think.

Let’s look at my problem with those two words “resolutions” and “goals.” Obviously, if I’m totally resistant to the words, I’m certainly not making any resolutions or setting any goals. I just dig in my heels and come to a screeching halt. And in my head, here comes Dr. Phil…

“So, how’s that workin’ for ya?”

It wasn’t. Those are two pretty important concepts to just toss away. You can’t just eliminate them from your life and expect to get anywhere. It’s totally counterproductive. Now, if you’ve read any of my ebooks or articles, you know that I’m very big on “thinking outside the box” and finding alternatives. So why had it never occurred to me to find alternatives for “resolutions” and “goals”?

“If it’s not working – change it.”

My job was to find an alternative to those words. It was extremely easy to do – once I realized that’s all it would take. It’s true that sometimes we just can’t see the forest for the trees. I’m sure that Dr. Phil would have preferred that I more deeply analyze why those words triggered immediate resistance, but I want solutions, not reasons!

What words, phrases, or concepts push your hot buttons? What are you resisting? What problems are you having? Just remember Dr. Phil and ask yourself – “So, how’s that workin’ for ya?” and if the answer is “It’s not!” – think “alternatives.” If you can’t go through a barrier, you can often go around it.

Oh, yeah – curious about my alternative to “resolutions” and “goals”? My solution was “priorities”… and, yes, it’s working well…

=======================

So, what about you?? Are you hung up on those words, too? You’ll hear all kinds of things about “positive thinking”, “setting goals”, and “making improvements” – and, to tell you the truth, a lot of it just sounds like New Age gobbledy gook to me. But some of it is worth exploring – just change the words…

I came across an ebook the other day that might help you put all this in focus. It’s called “Spiritual Marketing” by Joe Vitale. There are lots of places to pick up a copy – here’s one…

http://www.total-success-4u.com/SPIRITUALMARKETING.html

Don’t worry – I’m not asking you to buy anything – it’s free, and makes a very interesting read to start the year.

I’ve got a ton of things I want to do this year, so right now I’m going to go get my “priorities” in order.

Hope you’ll do the same – remember, it’s your choice whether the year is going to be good or bad…

Later -

Neil

As you can tell, a couple of days ago, I changed the look of ebookgraphics.com. I was tired of the same look, things seemed a bit jumbled to me, and I just wasn’t totally happy with the old look.

Unfortunately, after all that work, I don’t think I like it enough to keep it.

Why?? Well, here’s a quick lesson for all of you who are interested in internet marketing. I check my site stats frequently – what pages are being viewed, time spent on each page, and all that kind of stuff. I’ve been paying particularly close attention since i changed the site. Here’s what I’ve discovered since changing the look…

1. ebook sales are down. (This is a biggie!)

2. Same traffic, but overall fewer page views.

3. Less time spent on each page.

Now, this is interesting because the *copy* on each page is the same as with the previous design – I’ve updated some links, added some free ebooks, and added some software, etc., but the pages themselves are “cut and pasted” from the old pages.

So, I have to believe that it’s the design that is affecting traffic flow, sales, and time spent.

Needless to say. I’m going to go back to the old design – maybe with a few refinements.

Moral of the story?? How about… “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!”

Anyone care to comment???

Neil

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