An electronic book (variously: e-book, eBook, e-Book, eBook, digital book, or even e-edition) is a book-length publication in digital form, consisting of text, images, or both, readable on computers or other electronic devices. Although sometimes defined as "an electronic version of a printed book", many e-books exist without any printed equivalent. Commercially produced and sold e-books are usually intended to be read on dedicated e-book readers, however, almost any sophisticated electronic device that features a controllable viewing screen, including computers,tablet computers, and smartphones can also be used to read e-books.
E-book reading is increasing in the US, since by 2014 28% of adults had read an e-book, compared to 23% in 2013. This is increasing because 50% of Americans by 2014 had a dedicated device, either an e-reader or a tablet, compared to 30% owning a device at the end of 2013
While some people still prefer the convenience of a printed book, many people now choose to download and read eBooks instead. It is the preferred method if you want to read the information instantly rather than wait for it to arrive in the mail. Because you do not have to pay printing costs, starting a profitable e-book business is very possible for just about any type of written publication.
Having a profitable eBook business allows you to work from home---or from anywhere in the world. While this sounds ideal, you should be aware that it does take time, planning and hard work to establish a lucrative online business selling eBooks. One of the differences between a profitable eBook and one that bombs is writing about something that people want to know and that they will pay to learn. If you're writing about things that are readily available online free, you'll have a hard time selling your books.