No matter how many bookstores you browse, there are always going to be books that you'll never come across unless someone points them out to you.

Personally, I think word of mouth is the best way of finding books.  I love discovering a gem that I would have never found without help.

That's why I'd like to point you in the direction of a few books that I think you might enjoy.

They're not books that you'll find in a bookstore.  You can't even find them on a bookshelf.

Instead, these books reside on a computer.  To read them, you have to open up Adobe Acrobat Reader and scroll down the PDF.

The eBook Revolution

Surprised?

Electronic books, or e-books, have a branding problem.  Word snobs (like you and me) don't consider them in the same class as books you can hold in your hand.

After all, books that are published through traditional channels go through a thorough vetting process.  They're edited, proofread, and critiqued by professionals.

E-books, on the other hand, are a loose cannon.  You never know what you're going to get.

But e-books have several advantages that you may have never considered.

First of all, e-books have a reputation for circulating underground information.  By "underground," I mean information that doesn't have the backing of experts or a bibliography.  E-books are traditionally written by individuals who feel that they have valuable advice to share based on personal experience.  These individuals wouldn't have a hope of getting a publishing contract, because their book is too short, not well researched, or simply not marketable due to its contents.

The second advantage to e-books is the immediacy and anonymity of the purchase process.  You may feel embarrassed walking into Borders and purchasing a book on dating advice - especially if the checkout person is young, beautiful and single - but, when you're up late at night surfing the web, you can enter your credit card details online and immediately start reading a politically incorrect book about how to score babes or land a husband.

The third feature and "sometimes advantage" of e-books is the hype.  Most e-books are written like infomercials.  They promise the world, get you excited, and boldly assert their truth in a way that makes you feel like you shouldn't ask questions.  Many e-book authors act like gurus, pronouncing their wisdom from on high and leading you down the path THEY want you to follow.  For some readers, this style is exciting and highly motivational.  For others, it's a turn-off.

Why I Write E-books

I love being part of the world of e-books, because I love sharing information and ideas in a way that can immediately help people.  With e-books, there's no middleman.  You write the book, you put it online, and you reap the profits.  You don't even have to bother with charging your customer or collecting payments.  There are numerous digital products retailers online, such as Clickbank, that will do it for you AND protect your customers from online fraud.  (For more information on how to write an e-book, click here.)

What excites me most about e-books is how ordinary people like you and me can become authors without worrying about getting an agent or landing a publishing contract.  When I sit down to write an e-book, I feel free to follow my thoughts where they take me and give people information that I personally find useful, without worrying about citing a reference or quoting an expert.  When I think about writing a book for publication, however, I get paralyzed.  My Inner Critic kicks in.  Everything I write seems inadequate.

Writing e-books has improved my writing ability enormously and given me the confidence to "knock off" a book in a matter of a few months.  I've written/co-written over a dozen books on topics ranging from dating advice to health care to learning Spanish.  Now, I find writing books easy, something I would have never imagined back when I wrote my first manuscript (still sitting on the shelf, waiting to be submitted to publishers).

Discover E-books for Yourself

Browse my catalogue of e-books by visiting my author website, www.AmyWaterman.net.  I'm proud of the fact that my books are available through companies like the 000Relationships Network and Meet Your Sweet, as I can have the confidence that they'll deliver high value along with quality customer support.

Enjoy!