How much will it cost to get rich?

We are living in the 21st century, the so called information age. The fantastic power of the Internet and the World Wide Web is at our fingertips - and with this power comes the opportunity to gain information almost instantly! Throughout history people have had an insatiable desire for knowledge, so it is no wonder that the electronic book or eBook, is one of the most saleable products on the Web.

Sometimes referred to as downloadable media, eBooks can be a great provider of information, or in some cases money down the drain. I say this because the value of eBooks lies in their content, and sadly the words "buyer beware" have never been more appropriate. There is an abundance of get rich quick scams on the Internet, and many of them take the form of an eBook promising to tell the secrets of untold riches in return for some of your hard earned cash. This is not a new thing I know, but the power of the Internet can make them all too accessible to the young and unwary.

But despite these scams let us not forget that eBooks are a valid format. It is very easy to think that just because the written word does not appear beautifully bound between nicely illustrated covers, that they somehow lack validity. As a writer, I believe the web and eBooks offer a wonderful opportunity to revolutionise information publishing. No longer are writers at the mercy of fickle publishing companies when it is easy to embrace the business of self publishing online. This is a good thing, because it paves the way for a huge diversity of specialist and niche market products that may have previously slipped through the net of the publishing giants.

There are many who believe that everything on the Web should be free, but why shouldn't a writer get paid for his/her work? If you went into a local book shop you would expect to pay for the words contained in a book, and quality eBooks should be no different. But always remember the old adage; if it looks too good to be true, it probably is!