With so many professional ePublishing suppliers to choose from, how do you know which one to select? We’ve pubilshed a free whitepaper that highlights the eight key questions you need to ask to give you a clear indication of the size, scope and experience of your prospective supplier, as well as quality of their technology.

1. How to Select an ePublishing Supplier
Robert Elding
Marketing Director
YUDU Media

2. How to Select an ePublishing Supplier
Introduction
According to the Book Industry Study Group (BISG), every fifth reader
in the US stopped buying paper books in 2009 and switched entirely
to digital editions, otherwise known as eBooks (or e-books).
This is a significant development, from an authoritative source, which shows
conclusively that digital editions are now embedded in mainstream usage.
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3. With 32% of survey respondents viewing digital editions on Amazon’s Kindle
eReader alone, the proliferation of digital editions is set to grow considerably
with the launch of Apple’s iPad which many industry insiders expect to do
for publishing what the iPod did for music & the iPhone for telecoms.
The headroom for market expansion in digital
editions is huge – despite 20% of US consumers
not buying paper books in 2009, the other 80%
‘rarely’ purchased digital editions – but with the
launch of numerous eReaders in 2010 the growth
in digital editions is set to skyrocket and fully
cement itself into mainstream culture.
However, with numerous software specialists
offering digital edition technology, one of the
major problems confronting publishers is how
best to choose the supplier most suited for their
requirements? This whitepaper aims to dispel a
few myths and provide a guide as to how best to
choose an e-publishing supplier and partner.
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4. In choosing an e-publishing supplier it is important to ask
eight key questions which will give you a clear indication of
the size, scope & experience of your prospective partner.
By asking these questions you will gain a firm idea of
whether the e-publishing supplier has the necessary
experience and technology needed to effectively bring
your publication to market as a digital edition.
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5. 1
Can you easily read and load the software?
This is perhaps the most important question to ask, after
all, if you don’t like various aspects of the technology
solution neither will your customers.
Take a PDF of one of your own publications and ask for a preview digital
edition that you can test and view. Nearly all e-publishing suppliers will
provide a free preview edition for you to sample on your own computer.
Test the functionality of the software. Is the interface easy to read? Are the
navigation tools easy to understand and operate? Are the page-turning
controls fast and smooth?
Just as importantly, see how quickly the software loads, how long it takes
to appear on the screen but also the load time of each page as you flip
through the publication. The longer it takes, the more readers you will
lose. Test the closing mechanism behind the solution and see how the
solution cooperates with the various other programs you operate on your
computer system. Does it interfere?
When the Association of Online Publishers looked at these questions, they
found that half their survey respondents ‘rated the print version as more
satisfying than the (online version) from a point of user-satisfaction’. This is
mainly because many e-publishing technologies just aren’t good enough
to competently reproduce the offline publication in an online version.
Key tip #1: Test the software as if you were an ordinary consumer. What
do you like, what don’t you like? Compare different technology side by
side. Take notes.
Key tip #2: Don’t sacrifice technical performance in a bid to cut costs.
The most competent solution in the long term will pay dividends.
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6. 2
Has the software solution got longevity?
Many e-publishing solutions, particularly from new
providers, don’t have the breadth of experience needed to
work under all e-publishing conditions.
Similarly, many software houses (some of international stature) simply
tag-on an e-publishing module which whilst functional has not been
stringently tested in the market place.
How does this affect you? Let’s say you have an online magazine that goes
out to one million customers. What happens if a significant percentage
of these customers log on to the publication at the same time? Does the
software slow down or even crash? Unless the e-publishing supplier has
significant server capability worldwide (as well as considerable back up
servers) then problems will occur sooner if not later.
It is vitally important that you find an e-publishing solution that has been
tried and tested in a range of market conditions, both home and abroad.
As a footnote, don’t forget that in a global recession some companies will
go out of business. Therefore do make sure the e-publishing provider is
not hamstrung with debt or is a fledgling venture capitalist outfit with a
low price/high volume strategy.
Key tip #3: Make sure that your e-publishing supplier has had its
solution tested across a variety of different market situations.
Key tip #4: Research whether your e-publishing supplier has strong
financial underpinnings and has stood the test of time.
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7. 3 Can you customize the e-publishing solution?
This is a critical question to ask if your e-publishing needs
are more than the standard ‘upload your PDF’ online.
Many e-publishing solutions are straight forward ‘off-the-shelf’ packages
which publishers have to fit into rather than the other way around.
Customizable solutions,
by contrast, allow you
and your team to come
up with creative ideas
and applications (for
example, embedded
video, podcasts,
coloured backgrounds
and plenty of space for
your own brand identity
etc) that give your
publication a unique
appearance and feel.
For brand owners - especially those with strict brand design guidelines
- the necessity to have a customizable e-publishing solution is obvious.
YUDU, with its open API lets publishers build and integrate their own
plugins giving flexibility and a huge range of customizable options /
optional features such as an email collection tool or Digital Rights
Management tool.
Key tip #5: Ensure your e-publishing solution is fully customizable so
your creativity is allowed to shine.
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8. 4 Does the supplier have a respectable client list?
The better, more established e-publishing suppliers
will have a client list containing some of the world’s top
publishers and international brands.
If the supplier can demonstrate a list of clients made up of the above then
you can rest assured that the e-publishing solution will be of a very high
standard.
Crucially it will also confirm that the e-publishing solution can take high
volumes of traffic and won’t cave under pressure.
It’s worth remembering that large companies have strict procurement
procedures and if an e-publishing solution has made it through the various
tendering processes and legalities, it will no doubt be of a high standard.
Key tip #6: Make certain that your e-publishing supplier has a strong,
well established client list.
5 Does the supplier have phone-based support?
Email-only support can be slow and frustrating and in a
commercial environment is simply not suitable by itself.
Indeed for companies, technical glitches, system failures or any associated
e-publishing problems need to be sorted out immediately.
Phone-based support is therefore essential in addition to email and online
live chat support.
Phone-based support normally means that the e-publishing supplier
places a high value on customer satisfaction, rather than just providing a
software solution.
Key tip #7: Make sure your e-publishing provider has quick, phone
based technical & general customer support.
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9. 6
Does the supplier operate both at home &
internationally?
It is important that your e-publishing provider has a good
knowledge of local country conditions.
Especially broadband capabilities, band-width limits and other
technicalities that are important to ensure seamless e-publishing.
If your e-publishing
needs are only one
country-specific,
the requirement to
have an international
e-publishing supplier
might not seem
important.
However, international
e-publishing suppliers
have both a broader
depth of experience
and will also have
an international server capacity – important if power outages or user
volumes crash the e-publishing system in your own country which rarely
happens but occasionally can.
The best, most established e-publishing suppliers who operate
internationally will also allow you to take full advantage of the vast
numbers of people accessing the internet worldwide, giving you true
global reach for your publications.
Key tip #8: Ensure your e-publishing supplier operates internationally
and has global reach as well as a decent knowledge of local conditions.
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10. 7 Does the e-publishing supplier give the ability
to monetize your digital editions?
Many publishers distribute digital editions for paid-for subscribers
only, however this tactic is only realistic for brands with well-known
publications and established demand.
For most other publishers, especially medium and smaller publishers and
companies, monetizing digital editions is one of the hardest and most
challenging dilemmas they will face.
Cutting edge e-publishing suppliers like YUDU Media will offer two
solutions:
A They will provide an online publication store where consumers can
purchase one-off and multi-titles of the same publication.
B They give the option to stream ads straight into a digital edition
from third party ad networks, circumventing the need for a
salesperson or sales team. This solution allows publishers to
monetise their digital editions for little or no effort and minimal
outlay. Publishers simply earn a commission from the ad network
for each advertisement run in their digital edition(s).
Key tip #9: Make sure your e-publishing provider provides a route to
market and a technical solution to monetise your content.
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11. Has the e-publishing supplier won awards?
8 Whilst awards in their own right are not a guarantee of
quality, an e-publishing supplier that can showcase a
string of awards in their field can lay claim to having a
solution that is highly regarded.
Typically these awards will be granted by industry peers giving you the
confidence that the e-publishing solution has gained plaudits across
various industry sectors.
If these awards are won over a number of years you can also assume that
the e-publishing provider places high stock on continually updating and
improving its solution to keep ahead of competitors.
Key tip #10: A series of industry awards should give you the confidence
that an e-publishing solution is well regarded by its industry peers.
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12. Conclusion
Electronic publishing has now entered the mainstream, not least because
as the Book Industry Study Group found digital editions offer affordability
and immediacy but they also offer significant environmental advantages.
However, with the launch of Apple’s iPad, electronic publishing could
soon overtake the printed medium ushering in a new era not seen since
Gutenberg launched his first printing press in 1450.
For publishers looking to branch into e-publishing it is therefore essential
that they select their e-publishing technology partner wisely. Specifically
they need to put their trust in well established providers who can deliver
a cutting edge solution, internationally, with strong customer support as
well as demonstrating a long list of satisfied clients and a string of awards.
Follow the above tips and you won’t go far wrong.
To try YUDU Pro technology for free, request a free preview or click here to
request a pricing brochure.
Robert Elding
Marketing Director
YUDU Media
www.yudupro.com
email: info@yudu.com
UK Tel: (+44) 870 760 9258 US Tel: 1-888-FOR-YUDU (367-9838)
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