Ebooks are the electronic equivalent to regular hardback or paperback books. The end result is just as portable and extremely versatile.

Ebook readers are developed knowing you may likely wish to read in low light conditions, so the portable ebook reader of choice allows you to read at night – something that is much harder to do with a traditional book.

A simple definition of an ebook is an electronic file that contains literature and accompanying graphics. Ebooks are typically downloaded online in a password-protected environment.

What a brick and mortar store is to traditional books, online ecommerce is to ebook distribution. The method of propagating ebook material is by paid file transfers and then viewed with an applicable ebook reader software program.

You will notice that just as a typical book has cover art, so too do ebooks. Many ebooks are set up to have a similar look and presentation to traditional books. There may be several reasons, but the predominate reason is simply because this is how most people are used to viewing books. It is possible to download an ebook that has sound effects of a page being turned as you advance pages.

Ebook developers have worked hard to blend the familiar with practicality. In the end, readers should find little adjustment is needed in making the switch from paper books to electronic.

Obviously many readers will continue to purchase traditional print books, but will add ebooks as a means tapping into this portable technology. This phenomenon is much like the change from 35mm cameras to digital. There were many holdouts that thought the digital camera was a passing fad, but in time many consumers added a digital camera to their collection and systematically dropped the use of 35 mm. I suppose the biggest difference is that regular book publishing and ebook publishing co-exist a bit better than my camera illustration.

The popularity of ebooks extends beyond portability. In most cases consumers will spend significantly less for the ebook purchase than a traditional book. The primary reason for that is you are not paying to have the book shipped to you and you do not have to pay expenses associated with actually printing the book. In essence this is a win/win for both the author and the consumer. The product arrives when you want it, does not typically require sales tax and can be stored for current and future reading in a space saving electronic file.

What is an ebook? A revolutionary way to publish and distribute ideas through a medium that is more accessible to both consumers and potential authors.

Scott Lindsay is a web developer and entrepreneur. He is the founder of HighPowerSites and many other web projects. Get your own website online in just 5 minutes with HighPowerSites.com at: www.highpowersites.com. Start your own ebook business with BooksWealth at: www.bookswealth.com