What does Multimedia format mean:

Multimedia is a method of presenting ebooks in a user-friendly manner and enables the ebook to contain additional features such as www links, interactive indices, pop-up screens (ideal for illustrations), and also, if appropriate, may include video clips, sound effects and music. The books are on CD-ROM and are usually packaged in library cases to resemble conventional books. These are made of soft plastic for international mailing. (Conventional Crystal CD-boxes are available if requested, however these do not travel well in the mail.) All the necessary reader and operational software is provided in the CD-ROM and is fully-licensed. The CD-ROM also has at least one bonus book of a similar or comparable genre to the featured book.

There are at least fourteen main components to the CD.

1. The featured book in an Adobe Acrobat®) format with a fully interactive index ("Click on a link to go to a page", etc.)

2. A bonus book – selected as a companion to the featured book from our own collection and legally published under Reprint Rights

3. An auto-run programme (see below)

4. A programme to automatically open the ebook in the reader

5. An interactive user-friendly index page (menu)

6. Interactive email and web links

7. Introductory music or other effects

8. Sound effects, video-clips and/or music (but only if appropriate) that can be accessed from within the books either automatically as a page opens or closes; or when a mouse cursor hovers over or is clicked on an interactive link (text, icon or other graphic).

9. A copy of the reader programme in case the user does not have it installed.

10. A desktop icon to show that an ebook is in the CD drive

11. A flash screen (see below)

12. Licensing information (id-file)

13. A printed CD-ROM disk

14. A library storage case

The multimedia CD-ROM contains an auto-run programme that automatically opens the CD to what is referred to as a "flash screen". While playing a brief piece of music, this screen tells the user how to install the reader programme if necessary. A second programme then automatically checks the user's computer to see if the reader programme (Adobe Acrobat®) is present and, if so, it opens the main indexing page (menu) using the user's own Adobe Acrobat® Reader. From this index the reader can do several things, including being able to choose the featured book or a bonus book that is also included on the CD-ROM.

If you wish to contract with us, it is absolutely imperative that you familiarise yourself with our privacy policy and this important disclaimer before submitting manuscripts.

We believe in making your book as well-known and as well-read as possible. When a book is published in Multimedia Format it is also immediately available if required using a reader suitable for PDA, SmartPhone, PalmOs, Psion, Franklin eBookMan, Windows CE, and Windows Mobile. (This may be provided on a separate CDROM). We may also choose to market the book online using this reader and/or others such as Amazon's Kindle, etc. By choosing multimedia you also agree to the release of reprint licences that allow for a greater world-wide exposure to your beta edition. (Note: this is not a money-making marketing ploy on our behalf as these time-limited licences are issued free-of-charge — this is solely to increase the exposure of the beta edition.)

©2007 Lionel Hartley, PhD

Read The Advantages of Multimedia by Lionel Hartley, PhD (.pdf 76k)