Online Vs. Traditional Book Publishing – Which One Is Better?

With the rise of printing's popularity and availability, traditional standards are now being taken over by newer practices worldwide. Online texts are also on the upsurge as the distribution and volume of written materials expand to reach a diverse group of people and cover a broad range of themes and areas of knowledge.

To help you pick the ideal book publishing option, here are some facts about online vs. traditional book publishing practices.

1. Reaching the Audience

Print publications have a distinct distribution advantage. The actual paper and printing expenses of print publishing are much higher than those of online publishing. However, book printing allows us to physically put the content in the hands of the target customer.

The first step is to provide a link when dealing with online publications. Unless the person is intrinsically interested in reading the publication, there is little probability that they will sit down at a computer, search for it, and actually read it.

It's important to factor in the time required for print to reach your audience's hands is a major factor to think about. Something like a journal's current events section can now be instantly updated and distributed to readers thanks to the widespread availability of information via the Internet.

2. Reader Capabilities

The publisher can choose typefaces, layouts, photographs, and overall sizes to create a design that best suits their audience. When a printed journal or book is in the reader's hands, their vision and reading abilities are the only things still needed.

The challenge with online magazines is that this is not always that simple. Because they are constrained by the user's display and storage capabilities.

3. Editing

However, the fact that it is printed raises concerns. If you're printing books on paper, the text is set in stone once it's off the press. Press releases are scheduled, written, and submitted on time. As soon as the proof is accepted, the machines begin to process the text without recognizing any typos, or other problems. There is no going back after the press or bindery is finished. You should not expect your readers to catch any errors that you may have missed.

However, editing is considerably simpler when posting online. The new edition is usually edited before it is published online. Dates, words, and tenses can all be easily corrected on the web if they have typos or errors. When posting anything online, there is no such thing as a “final” version. It only takes a few moments to fix any mistakes (or seconds even).

4. Time

Another drawback of printed material is the time required for tasks such as editing. Time must be allocated not only for the author, editor, and printer, but also for the research, planning, writing, and editing that goes into delivering the final product. Also, keep in mind that this is a one-time offer.

Online publications need a lot of work to edit and maintain, but they also offer a chance for improvement. In between issues, an online publication needs continual maintenance. Links must be examined frequently to prevent “linkrot.” Because editing may need to be done at any time, corrections need to be accurately updated.

In internet publication, deadlines are useful for getting the ball rolling, but real publication may occur at any moment, independent of the timeline of another party.

5. Costs

When compared to paper, the costs of desktop publishing done online are much lower. Of course, you'll need a networked desktop and some functional software to do this, but that's a basic requirement for any publishing endeavor these days. The costs of going online should also be taken into account.

Most colleges and universities provide free Internet connection to their students (at least on university-owned devices), an advantage for on-campus students. In contrast to traditional print media, there is no need to pay for printing or disposing of enormous amounts of paper. However, certain strategies for promoting an online magazine come with a price. Not everyone will find or read your publication just because it's available online.

6. Marketing

Writing for print publications allows authors to both reach a certain readership and commercialize their work. Ads in publications are a good source of extra money, and book sales often generate a lot of profit from it.

While minimal or no distribution expenses are associated with an online publication, some promotion is required to attract visitors to your website.

You need to register your magazine with as many web pages as possible, which typically incurs fees. If this is not done, nobody will know about the existence of your website. This procedure needs to be closely monitored as the description or emphasis evolves and as newer websites are added.

7. Standards

Despite the rise of online publishing, print publications still get recognized as reliable information resources. This is because anybody can post online content; however, print editors and publishers generally acquire more credibility and will only publish content that meets their requirements.

Since online printing is a relatively new sector, there are no established layout guidelines. This might be seen both positively and negatively. This can be seen as implying that there would be more room for innovation.

As a downside, very little usability research has been conducted to determine what audiences like or dislike, what helps keep them engaged and what drives them away.

Final Words

Both online and traditional book publishing has advantages and disadvantages. Your final choice depends on your limitations, resources, budget and preference. But, whatever method you choose, remember the variables mentioned above to help you make the right choice.