Electronic Publishing

Electronic Publishing or e-Publishing can be defined as the process that makes use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to deliver information products electronically to its users.

E-publishing is helpful in producing documents containing text, static or dynamic pictures, graphics, audio, video, and graphs. tables or a combination of any or all of these with the assistance of the Data Processing System. Nowadays, e-publishing has become more and more common to distribute books, journals, magazines, and newspapers to readers through tablet reading devices. There are nonnetwork electronic publications such as reference publications such as encyclopedias and reference publications relied on by most users. Today however network distribution is strongly associated with electronic publishing. Electronic publishing does not generate a hard copy, unlike Desktop publishing.

The electronic publishing follows a traditional publishing process but differs from traditional publishing in two ways:

1. It does not include using an offset printing press to print the final product.
2. It avoids the distribution of physical products, this is because the content is electronic and it may be distributed through electronic bookstores. The users may read the published content on any website or on an application tablet device or even as a pdf on a computer.

Advantages of Electronic Publishing:

• Electronically published documents can be sent all over the world in a matter of seconds, which is a huge advantage to both reader and writer who does not like to wait.
• Accepted manuscripts may get published faster. This method generally publishes work within a few weeks to a few months after acceptance.
• More flexible within the writer-publisher relationship. Electronic publishing affords more say to writers in preparing work for publication. 
• Writers can update the text whenever required and with much ease at virtually no cost.. This is specifically helpful for works related to fast-moving industries, such as computer technology. Since the publisher does not have any investment in printed books already lining shelves, texts can be electronically updated in seconds.
• E-publishing often has a longer life with slower sales. While paper publishers will remove slow movers from active status  (print) electronics storage afford unlimited archiving.
• Works published electronically have an ISBN number, just as printed books. This means anyone can walk into a bookstore and order an electronic copy of the book.

Disadvantages of Electronic Publishing: 

• With e-publishing writers normally retain all other rights to the work, such as the option to go to the paper publisher later, adapt a screenplay, or use the work in some other capacity.
• Some might argue that the quality of writing of an e-published document doesn’t compare to that of paper documents. Many people aren’t aware of e-publishing and others prefer reading a document from print rather than electronically.
• Writers are typically responsible for providing their own ongoing marketing for e-published work. A book might be good, but if nobody knows about its content, it won’t sell. Authors also can’t count on the public seeing their documents on shelves or in store windows.
• Electronically published works do not always carry the same weight as traditional paper publishers. This may vary with time, however, as the industry becomes more established.
• Writers don’t receive anything in advance. This is not just a financial disadvantage but might disqualify e-published authors from participating in certain organizations where membership requirements include works paid by advance.
• Prices are not always significantly cheaper for e-documents, despite the lower overhead. This might be a deterrent to sales.