how i learned to stop worrying and love pdf books
DESCRIPTION
A short set of slides describing the benefits of publishing and consuming PDF booksTRANSCRIPT
How I learned to stop worrying and love PDF
books.
Why go with a PDF book?
• PDF books can be purchased, downloaded, and put to use in minutes
• PDF books weigh zero pounds, zero ounces (good for the back)
• PDF books are keyword searchable!
• PDF books tend to be a few bucks cheaper than their paper counterparts
• PDF books can be updated by publishers and redistributed
• PDF books are printable
Beta books
• Reader gets advance access to cutting-edge content
• In return, reader contributes to the editing process by submitting errata
• Reader gets copy of final version when complete
• Great for building relationships with readers!
How beta books work: One example
The reader receives an e-mail when a new version of the beta book is available.
The reader logs into a virtual bookshelf of titles purchased from the publisher, and generates a new PDF.
In a few minutes, a new e-mail message arrives with a unique link to the reader’s copy of the PDF.
The updated PDF is now ready for reading! The PDF has the reader’s name embedded in it, to curtail would-be pirates.
Each page’s footer also includes a link to report errata.
The reader can report a problem in the text, or review problems reported by others.
Final thoughts:
• Probably not practical for any book
• Good for books with text to copy and paste, or with forms to print
• Advance access to cutting-edge material is good! (Just be sure to label it as such)
• I can carry an entire reference library on my laptop