One of the most incredible opportunities offered by electronic communications is
the ability for almost anyone to become a publisher. A publisher collects, creates
or develops information or entertainment content, then packages and
delivers it through a distribution channel to an audience of consumers.
That packaging and distribution function has traditionally been
the hurdle for most people, because it is so expensive -- whether for
publishing books or magazines, distributing movies, or broadcasting
radio or television programming. The Internet, however, provides anyone
with such a channel for reaching a potential audience of ever-increasing
size, already up into the tens of millions of people.
The power of the computer helps individuals or organizations develop and
package their knowledge content - text, audio, graphics, animation,
multimedia, video, games, software, even virtual reality. The Internet and the World Wide
Web help them reach consumers. It creates a powerful opportunity in electronic
publishing that not only enables more individuals and small organizations to
participate, but also makes very small market publishing economically viable.
The possibilities inherent in electronic publishing are truly limitless.
You can find entire or partial books online, electronic magazines,
academic journals, graduate theses, libraries of sounds and pictures, directories
of information, training manuals, political statements - anything that an
organization or individual has the imagination to conceive and believes others will be
interested in.
In order to become a Web publisher, you need space on a World Wide Web
server, as discussed in Creating A Web Presence.
You will also want to become familiar with issues such as file formats,
what kinds of materials are suitable for Web publishing and copyright issues
covered in John Unsworth’s
Electronic Publishing FAQ.
As a Web publisher, you have the option to offer your product free to
consumers, to charge consumers for it, or to seek sponsorship or advertising support.
It all depends upon your personal or organizational objectives. Many businesses such as
Apple Computers now provide
documentation online to their customers, online magazines such as
HotWired accept
subscribers; and
individuals share information about their interest areas on sites such
as The Looney Tunes Home Page.
Some businesses sell information as do the Washington Post’s Digital Ink
or the Wall Street Journal. If you intend to charge readers, you will
also want to learn more about methods
of Electronic Commerce
and Security.
Copyright is another issue for electronic publishers. In fact, many of
our traditional concepts of copyright and intellectual property are evolving because of
the existence of electronic communications. For more information, see:
One thing no electronic publisher should forget is the importance of
marketing their
contributions. Certainly, register with all of the major Web search and
directory
services such as Yahoo or
Lycos.
But don’t stop there. Like any successful enterprise - business or
otherwise - you have to help your audience find your product or service. That may mean
postings to electronic newsgroups, finding other sites to link to and having them link to your
site, notifications at conferences or meetings related to your subject area, as
well as traditional marketing such as advertising, public relations, etc.
Where can I go for further information?
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