1 - Proliferation of Readers - Rocket, Gemstar, Microsoft, plus many more

2 - Expensive Readers

3 - Proliferation of Formats - exe, oeb, pdf, CE, LIT and many other alphabetical combinations

4 - Reading Screen is Difficult and Awkward

5 - Lack of Portability

6 - Obtrusive Copyright Protection - Microsoft Reader is a case in point. People don't want this. They want "fair use."

Despite all this I still believe an ebook boom is coming. The boom wasn't stopped; it was merely delayed. Within about 1-1/2 to 2 years we will see ebook business grow fast. It will not replace paper books, but it will be a strong rival, especially in text books, technical books and business books.

Why? Because of arrival of bluetooth technology. Like ebook, bluetooth has been previously hyped a little to early. But indications are that major computer corporations are finally beginning to use bluetooth technology.

Why will bluetooth technology make such a big change? Because it will allow you to connect any peripheral devices to desktop computer WITHOUT WIRES. This, in turn will allow you to make monitor portable. With proper design, portable monitor may also be an ebook reader. This ebook reader will replace all other gadgets and make ebook reading more comfortable and easier than book reading has ever been.

For those who would like to build a monitor-reader, here are some requirements that I think it should meet:

1 - NORMAL MONITOR FUNCTIONS - It should be able to function as a normal monitor

You can write an e-book about anything! As long as people are willing to pay for that information, it will sell. It is also a great way to self-publish fiction without spending a fortune on print publishing.

How do you get started? Follow this handy checklist:

Choosing a Topic ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

- Create an inventory of your skills - Narrow down that list to topics you are passionate about - Choose topic that most likely to have a wide and growing audience

Define your Target Market ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

- Find your competitors using search engines - List some problems and challenges your target customers might face - Think of 4-5 possible titles for your e-book - Get other people's opinions on each title - Post your titles on relevant forums to see which one people like best (try )

The Ultimate Goal ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Decide what you want to accomplish writing this e-book:

- Use it as an introductory product to a high-end product or service (has to be of high quality and reasonable price, and you must have back-end ready)

- Make it your primary product for your business (should be a decent size e-book, with many extras, possibly a consultation included, can be mid-to-high price)

- Generate quick profits by selling reprint rights to this e-book (topic must be able to support a large audience and be unique from your competition)

- Use it as a lead generation tool (has to be free, enticing, and still have useful information)

Content Brainstorm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

- Decide on final topic and title for your e-book - Write down everything you know about subject - Organize your list into sections, putting related points together - Build your table of contents, with chapters and sections within chapters