Advertisement
To print: Select File and then Print from your browser's menu
-------------------------------------------------------------- This story was printed from ZDNet Australia. --------------------------------------------------------------
Another Web site has novel idea


October 13, 2000
URL: http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/soa/Another-Web-site-has-novel-idea-/0,139023165,120105718,00.htm


Another Aussie Internet book store -- Bob-e-Books -- is live with its Web site, welcoming both established and unknown authors to publish books.

As a traditional publicist, "I found that so many authors were submitting manuscripts which were good, however they would get rejected because it's just not financially viable to publish them," Bob-e-Books publisher, Bobby Graham said.

An unknown author would have to sell 3000 copies for the publisher to cover their costs, according to Graham.

"Publishing books electronically is more viable as the financial risk is lower, you don't have to print, store or distribute the book. The book only exists on the hard drive," Graham said.

Downloading a book from Bob-e-Books costs AU$7.95. Bob-e-Books currently has six books on its e-shelf, which are mostly Australian authors and Graham is planning to publishing one new book a month on the Web site.

Initially, authors will need to pay a fee of AU$50 to submit a manuscript to Bob-e-Books, which will be assessed and reviewed by Graham and submitted for publication.

"I charge an author $50 to submit a manuscript so that I don't get things that aren't worth publishing," Graham said.

Through traditional publishing means, authors receive around 12 percent of the royalties made from the sale of their books, due to the high costs involved in publishing a book in paper.

However, Graham said that through the publishing of books electronically, the authors will receive 50 percent royalties.

"You might make less initially, because not many people are reading them yet, however in the next year it will be more mainstream," Graham said.

Copyright © 2009 CBS Interactive, a CBS Company. All Rights Reserved.
ZDNET is a registered service mark of CBS Interactive. ZDNET Logo is a service mark of CBS Interactive.