Which Format Should eBooks Be Distributed In?

There are now plenty of websites that distribute these books for free or sell them.However one question that many publishers have is: which format should the eBooks be distributed in?When getting electronic books like romance books online, readers often prefer to use the PDF format, which uses the Adobe Acrobat Reader software that is freely available and can also work as a browser plugin, allowing for easy in-browser reading.However, some publishers use other formats, such as presenting the text of the book on a web page, or using a flash based online reader app.Having the content of the book on regular web pages is common among websites that offer romance novels online for free reading.By splitting the book over several pages on their site, publishers are able to increase their advertising revenue, as their on page advertising gets more impressions and more potential clicks.However, this can present a problem for some readers.Some of them would prefer to download the book in PDF format, due to the fact that they would want to read it on another device such as a smart phone or tablet away from their main PC.In order to better accommodate readers, publishers could make the book also available as a PDF download, in addition to being offered for on screen reading on their web page.Use of flash based reading tools is still not that common, but is seen on certain sites.These readers allow the user to read the book in their browser, and flip through pages easily just like they would in a regular book.Some sites that provide paid access to online books use these proprietary reader apps as an effort to reduce piracy and unauthorized distribution of their content.Flash based readers can also have advertising embedded in them.While this may be beneficial to the site owner, some readers may not like the idea.Certain tablets and smart phones are not compatible with these websites.Furthermore, not everyone wants to read a book that theyve purchased on their computer.Certain people would prefer to download it onto a mobile device for easier reading.Certain books designed for e-reader devices like the Amazon Kindle also have proprietary formats for content.However, these would require having the device in question, or taking the time to download a special reader app.While some of the readers wouldnt have a problem downloading an app if they dont have the needed device, it just complicates the process of getting to the content that theyve purchased.While using proprietary formats may discourage casual sharing of copyrighted eBooks among friendsPsychology Articles, all a dedicated pirate would have to do would be to take screen shots of the pages and then put them together in an unrestricted PDF file.