Electronic books present several advantages for reader, the author of the e-book and the publisher. This is why the digital publication market continues to grow.

Readers

These books are usually downloaded from the Internet and this is why they are easy and fast to access, and accessible from any part of the world.

They can be downloaded on portable devices, and, for this reason, they can be carried like conventional books.

As these e-books do not take much space of computers and portable devices memory, the user can store several e-books and create libraries.

The costs of e-books are much cheaper than printed books.

There are many works available for free on the Internet, especially classic works.

The most common payment method is credit card via the Internet.

This type of publication allows the user to put down notes and include comments on the pages, underline words and look up the meaning of words by clicking on them.

Unlike conventional books, e-books do not take any room and they do not wear out over time.

There is a free reader program with sound functionalities for blind people or people with poor sight.

Digital publications are not only used for literary works. For companies and institutions, this means works as manuals for personal training. They can also be used by industrial centers as machine operation and maintenance manuals, and by schools or libraries. Electronic books are also excellent promotion tools since they can be used as means to inform potential clients about products. Furthermore, they can work as catalogues for clients, even when they are not connected to the Internet.

Author

A digital publication can be distributed all around the world via the Internet.

Electronic books cannot be copied or printed -unless the write authorizes it- since they are protected by copyright.

This means is quite advantageous for writers with little experience, since publishing on the Internet is more accessible than printed publishing. This occurs because digital publishers do not receive as much demands from writers as conventional publishers do. Besides, the costs of publishing are much lower.

Digital publisher

Unlike printed books, Electronic books published on the Internet allow a world distribution. For printed books this is not possible since transport costs are high and there are some geographic areas that are inaccessible.

Digital publishers do not spend money on paper, printing, storage, transport, distribution and middlemen, and, as a result, electronic books prices are exceptionally low.

By publishing books on the Internet, trees are not felled, and the resulting contamination of paper production and energy expenses are avoided. In this way, e-books cooperate with the protection of the environment.

Disadvantages

E-books present only two disadvantages for readers:

E-books cannot be printed or copied since this is they way they are protected by copyright.

Although there are books of different literary genres and classic best-sellers available, the digital umbrella is not as wide as printed books possibilities.

However, day by day, new opportunities for advancement in e-books technologies appear. Regarding the facts that these books cannot be copied and, especially, printed, new ways to improve portable devices definition are being developed in order to accomplish a similar image as printed books. Regarding the second disadvantage mentioned, as e-books become more and more popular, more digital publishers and writers are willing to publish works on the Internet, and, for this reason, there is a wider umbrella of possibilities regarding books. For the foreseeable future, we can expect an increase in electronic works available on the Internet.