Villains not

Who's to blame? I'm thinking nobody. Many authors and publishers break out in a cold sweat at just mention of word "Napster" and can you blame them? Their livelihood is at stake. They should, however, strive to better satisfy consumers desire for more content in digital form.

If a publisher has faith in their work, it's now accepted that expanding to e-book will deliver extra profit and drive hardback sales. Not all understand this. I still hear some authors express misguided fear that e-books will cannibalize their hardback sales. Publishing is not a zero-sum game, however--and that actually can be good. E-books add incremental value to equation. Granted, companies tasked with encrypting content for them are an easy target, for they create hoops through which we must jump. But DRM heavyweights like Microsoft, Adobe and eReader are simply business people satisfying a need with existing technology.

No glass chin

Let there be no mistake, future is bright for e-books--sales are on a steady rise. The industry took a couple of jabs during Internet correction, but you'll find no glass chin here. More students are beginning to see e-books as an alternative for those pricey hardback textbooks. The computer savvy are learning ease in pasting code directly from their favorite Java e-book manual, and there's even speculation that men are reading more romance as they no longer fear being seen with a floral book cover. Moreover, Tablet PC is maturing, and publishers are slowly but surely putting even more content in digital form. It takes courage, but we're getting there. Though it is a word often used in excuses, "patience" is needed by digital downloaders, me included.

Your graphic design should contain design elements, including line, shape, texture and size. A line is a curved or straight mark that connects two points. Shape is a form that has height and width. The three basic primitive shapes are rectangle, circle and triangle. Texture is measured by look and feel. It is basically roughness or smoothness of surface. Space refers to area or distance between or around things. The size refers to how large or small thing is.

The principle of composition and layout includes emphasis of elements, balance or equal distribution of weight, pattern or rhythm, and unity or relationship between each element.

Decide on what perspective to use. There are four basic perspectives; one point perspective, two-point perspective, three point perspective, and 3d illusion.

For text, consider type of font and style you have to use. There must be consistency in height and width of letters.

Be more creative. Make use of theories. Follow rules in designing. You will know that a design is effective if you have successfully communicated your idea to your target audience.