| In the last few weeks, I've run into an issue three | | | | essay or thesis to be more precise. |
| times. Now writing isn't a big subject, so I | | | | And second they are often poorly written and |
| probably shouldn't have been surprised. But I was. | | | | poorly edited. But that's not a factor of the |
| You see writing also isn't a subject that evokes | | | | medium. That's a factor of the expense and |
| passion in people -- especially professionals. Or | | | | recognition of quality. |
| maybe I should say excessive emotions rather | | | | But both of these are a vanishing breed. They |
| than passion. You see writers tend to put their | | | | may last for a short time but the market is going |
| emotions onto the paper, not into their real lives. | | | | to kill them soon. |
| Maybe that's one reason writers are such a laid | | | | On the other hand I also looked at books. And |
| back bunch -- we expend the noisy emotions on | | | | realized that books ran from novelty and |
| paper and keep the quiet ones for real life. | | | | executive length all the way up to tomes. So |
| In any case, two of these cases involved people | | | | comparing writing different length books was |
| claiming that eBooks weren't real books. And that | | | | going to be a problem. |
| only printed books were worthy of serious | | | | The only way to be fair was to compare the |
| consideration. I must be honest; one of them | | | | same fruit of the writing tree... equal length books |
| admitted that digital books -- meaning real printed | | | | of the same type. |
| books copied to a digital format -- were still valid. | | | | So what's the difference between writing a very |
| At the same time, I was predicting the effect of | | | | long eBook of a hundred pages and an executive |
| the arrival of traditional publishers on the eBook | | | | length book of a hundred pages? |
| scene. | | | | Does an eBook take less time? Nope. |
| This got me to thinking since I write both types | | | | Does an eBook take less effort? Nope. |
| of books. What is the difference between writing | | | | Does an eBook take fewer steps? Nope. |
| an eBook and writing a traditional book? | | | | Does an eBook take different steps? Not for the |
| It didn't take me long to realize that I needed to | | | | writing parts. |
| determine what I meant by a book and an | | | | So what is the difference? |
| eBook. You see eBooks have developed a bad | | | | The publishing step. When writing an eBook you |
| reputation. One that's deserved. That of being | | | | need to format the book in the form it will be |
| poor quality and being typically a tempest in a | | | | sold in. When publishing using a traditional process |
| teapot. A very tiny teapot. | | | | the publisher does that. |
| So I had to put some limits around the terms. | | | | But arguably that's a publisher's problem not the |
| Far too often eBooks are actually just reports | | | | writer. And it's really a function of the use of |
| with an over-inflated sense of self-importance. | | | | traditional publishers versus self publishing. |
| They're really just white papers and extended | | | | So the answer is... there is no difference. Writing |
| report length pieces. They're far too short to be | | | | an eBook is exactly the same as writing a |
| honestly considered as a book or eBook. At most | | | | traditional book. |
| they might fit the definition of monograph. An | | | | |