eTextbooks — A Richer Experience for Everyone?

New software for textbook authors from Textbook Solutions enables authors to creatively redefine textbook content.

Gloucester, United Kingdom. June 15, 2006 — Textbook Solutions, who consider that textbook authors should be able to simply produce engaging, interactive content, today announced the addition of eTextbookCreator to its eTextbookSuite, available for free download from www.eTextbookShop.com.

The emergence of eBooks has concentrated on simply transferring the printed page to the screen. Textbook Solutions' approach has been to re-evaluate the delivery of textbooks in light of available technology, to provide functionality benefits over the printed word.

"For several years, textbook authors have been exploring new ways to engage students, but the printed format imposes severe limitations. Similarly many of the traditional eBook formats and implementations maintain the limitations of the printed page, while attempts to exploit multimedia formats have been expensive to produce and inconsistent in results." says Phil Webb, of Textbook Solutions. "The eTextbook format used by eTextbookSuite combines the flexibility of navigation and content of HTML web pages with the productivity tools required by today's students and authors."

eTextbookSuite offers the opportunity to create a web of topics within the structure of a textbook, allowing students to move between related topics at will, reflecting a more natural learning process.

"Printed textbooks force authors to adopt linear or segmented approaches to complex subjects involving a wide range of interrelated ideas and knowledge. " recognises Mike Salamon, author of Industrial Relations: Theory and Practice (FT Prentice Hall). "Using eTextbooks it's possible to present and access material in a more flexible, variable way - at any point in the text users can be quickly directed to other relevant topics and materials, helping their understanding of the complexities of the subject."

The free version of eTextbookCreator encrypts the textbook content to prevent unwanted sharing between students, packaging eTextbooks for distribution through www.eTextbookShop.com. Further licences allow an author to create freely distributable, unencrypted eTextbooks.

"In addition, by concentrating solely on distributing in our electronic format, our distribution channel, eTextbookShop, is able to offer greater rewards to authors than they might have received from print publishing", adds Phil Webb. "eTextbookShop will typically offer author royalties of between 50% and 75% of the book's list price, meaning a fourfold increase in earnings, whilst keeping the list price significantly lower to similarly benefit students."

Through its generous reward programme and superior software functionality, eTextbookShop aims to become a leading name in electronic textbook production and distribution.

About Textbook Solutions Limited:

Textbook Solutions Limited (www.textbooksolutions.co.uk) is a learning technology specialist and an electronic textbook distributor, committed to lowering the cost of textbooks through the provision of quality, low-cost technology for the creation, secure distribution and utilisation of eTextbooks.

Trademark Information:

eTextbookViewer and eTextbookShop are trademarks of Textbook Solutions Limited in the United Kingdom and other countries.

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