Publish.

Reading magazines and newspapers online is already the norm for most of us but reading an entire book online is impractical. Unless you are under 18, sitting for hours in front of a screen in a darkened room isn't our first choice. Most of us like the feel of a book, turning the page, sitting with a cup of coffee or a glass of wine on a comfy sofa. Or lying outdoors. Or on a plane. Or while waiting.

eReaders have change the way we read. You might feel that an eReader is a gimmick, but as a serious reader who has loved books all her life, and can reassure you that - at least on a Kindle - it is a wonderful reading experience. I am reading more books than ever before and statistics show that most owners of the leading tablets and eReaders say the same.

The problem with eReaders are eBooks. Most of the free eBooks are dreadful. Under the guise of fiction you'll find manuscripts that Mills & Boon rejected. I can live with poor spelling and grammar, but I do insist on a plot. I prefer my characters and settings to remain relatively stable over consecutive chapters (especially hair and eye colour). Non-fiction books are thinly disguised advertisements and few are longer than 50 pages.

Because Afrikaans books are a "niche" language with no mass market sales. publishers rarely accept these unless they are about sports personalities or politicians. We are particularly looking for Afrikaans manuscripts for publishing.

So what we have now is tens of thousands of people with access to eReaders in the form of Kindles, Nooks and iPads and little worthwhile for them to read. Here in South Africa, Kindle and iPad owners will have found that many books on Amazon and the Apple iStore cannot be sold to South Africans. It's very frustrating for readers! So like the bad of days of sanctions, South Africans are going to have to look inside the country! But that is a new opportunity for local authors.

Electronic publishing does not have the same risks and costs as book publishing. Publishing houses, as greedy as ever, are maintaining high prices on books - prices that here in South Africa are particularly daunting. And despite those high prices, they are still returning none of these new profits to authors.

I believe that the technology of electronic publishing and the evolution of eReaders has presented authors with opportunities they have never had before - a chance to have greater control over their creative work and the income generated from it.

That means writers need to learn more about business, marketing their work and branding themselves - this site offers insight into these fields based on our knowledge of the risks and rewards of both "traditional" and "new" publishing practices.

The opportunity, freedom and promise of money from electronic or digital publishing will also attract a new set of parasites - knowledge will provide you some immunity. If you plan to self-publish, this site will provide advice and warnings from authors, and help you take the first steps in relative safety.

We are always on the lookout for books that tell great stories - whether they are classics or new manuscripts. We will help you through the process of converting it to a Kindle format, setting a price, designing a cover and publishing both on this website or on Amazon when you are ready to "go international".

If you know of a writer looking for a place to publish their work and earn an income, please tell them about this website, and ask them to consider joining our writers community.