q: how do I download the files?
a: after you make your payment you’ll get an email with a download link. make sure you entered the right email address. click on the link, or right-click and “save as”. it’s that easy. then unstuff (decompress — most computers do this automatically when you double click the file) the .zip file, and enjoy the contents.
q: I paid, so why didn’t I get the email with a download link?
a: if you paid with an electronic check or with non-US currency, I’ve noticed that sometimes (not always) PayPal will take a minute to process the payment. some people have experienced no wait time, one person had to wait a full business day. it’s frustrating, and I hate it. but it always works out, so if you get impatient and want your book, just email me with your receipt and I’ll comp your purchase instantly so you can enjoy it right away.
q: how do the ebook files work?
a: with each ebook purchase, you get three files inside the .zip. there’s a .pdf, a .pdb and a .txt. the .pdf is for computers, or any handheld gadget with a web browser — it looks great on iPhones and tablet PCs. the .pdb is just for Palm devices. the .txt can be read on all kinds of devices and is the most basic kind of file for this — it converts into whatever kind of file your device might require, and opens up a world of reading possibilities.
q: how do the audiobook files work?
a: when you buy an audiobook, you get a .zip file with all the chapters inside. they are very basic, midsize MP3 files. I do not put all the chapters on one file because I want listeners to be able to “shuffle” or just listen to one specific file if they want. I also wanted to make it simple for customers to send a friend an audio file if they wanted to share something in particular.
q: can I read your ebook at home and on my commute?
a: absolutely. the different file formats make multiple device use a snap, and you can copy the files to as many devices and computers as you want. there are no limits to where and how many times you can read or listen to a Digita Pub book. you bought it, so you own it, just like any other kind of book.
q: aren’t you worried about file sharing and people giving away your work?
a: yes, but I’m not opposed to fair use of my work, which I believe includes loaning a book to a friend, or passing a book to someone who would love it once you’re done. no hardworking writer wants her hard work stolen, but I also don’t think the draconian DRM put on ebooks and audiobooks is the answer. I offer my work, and the work of other authors in good faith.
q: how often do you put out books?
a: as often as I get a chance to. it’s just me doing all the work, and so in between other more traditional book projects it might be months until I get a chance. but I always have lots of material waiting, so — happily — there’s always going to be something on the way.
q: do you take submissions?
a: not at this time, but eventually I plan to grow Digita Pub into a multiauthor enterprise where writers can feature their content and make a full profit off their own work.
q: what products do you use to make your books?
a: for the files, I use MS Word, Text Edit, Adobe Acrobat and Palm Doc Converter (yay freeware). I use Photoshop for the cover art. for file processing and as a third party payment processor I use PayLoadz; for customer-side payment I use PayPal. this website is hosted at Laughing Squid and the blogging software is WordPress.
q: how’s business?
a: it’s crazy-good. people really like this thing.
q: why did you start Digita Pub?
a: because I’m an author, and was deeply dismayed at the book industry and audiobook industry acting like the Mafia about digital files. they’re treating authors like their work is worthless unless it’s in paper — when the reality is that audio and ebooks are just books printed on different paper, and authors deserve to be compensated accordingly. they’re not. they’re treating consumers just as bad: you only get one copy for your money and it’s locked with code that prevents you from using it anywhere you like. you buy it but you still don’t own it. they’re making a lot of money this way and it’s disgusting, and losing consumer loyalty. what’s worse is that only a few companies are doing audio and ebooks, and they have exclusive backroom deals with publishers and distributors — all while praying, literally, that no one figures out how to crack DRM. but it’s too late. so I started Digita Pub to attempt to begin a self-publishing revolution, in the same way blogging has taken mainstream media and news down a notch and made the dissemination of information and news reporting more democratic. oh, and I can’t stop writing. incidentally, before I started Digita Pub, I conducted a large private poll that included the most famous names in tech writing/blogging, librarians, writers, readers, lawyers, well-known bloggers, authors, digital media consumers, new media makers, tech magazine editors, software engineers, q/a employees at large software companies and traditional publishers. I made my file format, content and distribution decisions based on that poll.
