Publishing: Designing a website and writing
Do you think you are expert enough on a subject to write a book or produce a website about it? Mohammad Al-Ubaydli kicks off our two part series on how to publish
- By: Mohammad Al-Ubaydli
The beauty of modern publishing is that it allows authors in increasingly specialised fields to share their knowledge with the rest of the world. As readers, medics, and patients we are all potential beneficiaries. It is comforting to know that a topic we may never give a second thought has experts to document it in several volumes--for example, in books such as Queuing Systems. Volume 1: Theory.
But the system is not perfect. Although almost anyone can be an expert on something, not everyone can have his or her book published. The costs of paper, printing, distribution, and marketing mean that a minimal number of potential readers must be guaranteed before a publisher invests money in a book. Perhaps this is good--traditional publishers will tell you that the world is spared many unreadable books because of this barrier. Although this is true, many good books take too long to reach