The authors of "U-Publish.com" believe that electronic books are virtually certain to become a big part of the future of publishing someday. But they also point out that more than 90% of books sold today are NOT electronic. Authors and publishers who are serious about reaching a broad audience need additional methods to reach readers today.

A thoughtful article by Matthew Rose in the October 2 issue of The Wall Street Journal confirms this view: "... publishing executives have been buzzing about the ways that digital technology will revolutionize the industry ..." reports Rose. "But John Feldcamp ... the co-founder and chief executive of online publisher Xlibris Corp. says no one has figured out a good way to distribute e-books or even what to charge." Feldcamp further states, "Let's be frank: With the exception of phenomena related to Stephen King, nothing is selling." The article add that Feldcamp reckons that fewer than 1% of the books he sells are in an electronic format.

The article continues: "Do e-books ultimately win? Yes, absolutely. Do they win this year or next year? No. This isn't even slightly cooked yet."

Poynter and Snow believe that the best strategy for today is to use new technologies to tap established markets. For example, "print-on-demand" books share many of the economic benefits of electronic books, yet they can be sold both from traditional bookstores and online. The second edition of "U-Publish.com" is a POD book from Unlimited Publishing. It can be ordered from more than 24,000 bookstores worldwide, and from leading online booksellers.