Dynamically Update
Your Ebooks with JavaScript
Ebooks are considered
to be the "perfect" online marketing tool. Not only do they provide your
visitors with something of value, but they also enable you to promote your
products and services. With just one quality ebook development, you can produce
an on going promotional tool that will work 24 hours a day, seven days a
week for years to come. Your ebook can literally be viewed by millions simply
by giving it away and allowing it to be freely distributed.
Although there are different types of ebooks you can create, the type of
ebook I am referring to is a self-contained "executable" file of HTML. This
HTML may be a website you've created or HTML you've specifically prepared
to be compiled into a downloadable .exe file for distribution.
Ebooks are completely interactive with the Internet and can contain live
links, graphics, forms, JavaScript, embedded video, and just about anything
that HTML 4.0 supports. In addition, they can even be protected via
password/userid and have search capabilities.
Needless to say, they are one of the most powerful marketing tools available
on the Internet. They combine two of the most sought after forms of content
online. The need for information and the desire to get something of quality,
free.
By creating a quality, informative ebook and allowing it to be freely
distributed, you are literally creating a massive marketing machine. This
marketing machine will spread like wildfire and continue to work for you
eternally.
You can even take that one step further and create a free ebook that will
become a Viral Marketing Tool. You can create a free ebook that you will
have complete control over forever. No matter how many copies you give away,
you can have the ability to update each and every one of them with just one
file.
Instead of coding your regular HTML pages for your ebooks, you simply place
two small lines of JavaScript within your HTML page where you'd like your
content to display. This code will pull the content from a file on your server
to display within your ebook.
Before we begin, if you'd like to see an example of a free ebook with dynamically
updated content, visit:
http://www.web-source.net/free_ebooks.htm
and download Syndicator eMagazine. This free ebook is the Net's first dynamically
delivered emagazine. There are two versions available; the Internet Business
version and the Home and Family version.
The first step
in setting up your content feed is to create the file that will contain your
content. To do this, you must first create your HTML page exactly as you'd
like it to display within your ebook. Once you've created your page, open
a text editor such as NotePad and simply cut and paste your HTML into a new
page. Not all of your HTML, just the contents that you would like to be
dynamically displayed. There is no need to begin your new file with
<HTML><HEAD>, etc. as you are only creating the file for the
contents of your existing HTML page. Once you've created your new page containing
your HTML, you'll now need to add some additional JavaScript coding to each
line of your HTML.
The first line of your new file will look like this: <!--
The next line will begin with: document.writeIn(' and end with:
');
Your first line of HTML will be placed between the beginning and ending coding.
For every line of your original coding, you'll need to add the above-mentioned
codes before and after.
Note: Make sure you don't add any extra spaces, including at the end of each
line, as JavaScript is very sensitive.
Your new file will end with //--> on the last line.
Here's how your code might look:
<!--
document.writeln('<TABLE BORDER="0" ALIGN="Center">');
document.writeln('<TR>');
document.writeln('<TD>');
document.writeln('Your table content');
document.writeln('</TD>');
document.writeln('</TR>');
document.writeln('</TABLE>');
//--> |
Each backslash
(\) should be preceded with another backslash.
Example: \\
Each apostrophe (') should be preceded with a backslash.
Example: \'
You can include most HTML and JavaScript coding however, you cannot include
JavaScript that must access another file to run.
After you've completed your content file you'll need to save it and upload
it to your server. Try to select a name that reflects your file such as ebook.js
and make sure your filename is no longer than eight letters.
Next, you'll need to create a new directory on your server where you store
all of your HTML files. Name this directory "content" (without the quotes)
and upload your new .js file in ASCII.
Finally, place the following code into your original HTML page (the page
you cut the HTML code from) where you'd like the content to display. Make
sure you change the URL and point it to your new .js file.
<SCRIPT
language="JavaScript"
src="http://www.yourdomain.com/content/yourfile.js">
</SCRIPT> |
Note: This script
has only been tested using the following ebook compilers and may not work
with all compilers:
E-ditor
(Recommended)
http://www.web-source.net/cgi-bin/web/jump.cgi?ID=2884
Ebook Edit Pro (Highly Recommended)
http://www.web-source.net/cgi-bin/web/jump.cgi?ID=2894
Activ E-book (Recommended)
http://www.web-source.net/cgi-bin/web/jump.cgi?ID=105
If you are receiving a script error message, most of the time, it's due to
an extra space at the end of a line or an extra or missing character. Make
sure you go over your code very carefully.
If you'd rather not have to code the JavaScript yourself, I use a great script
called, Master Syndicator which will code your content for you. I highly
recommend it.
http://www.web-source.net/cgi-bin/t.cgi?l=wm2
You can also find a free text to Javascript converter here:
http://bontragercgi.com/Convert_Text_to_JavaScript.html
Creating a free ebook will be one of the BEST marketing decisions you'll
ever make. Creating a free ebook you can dynamically update will give you
the power to control your free ebooks forever. Now that's Viral Marketing!
Copyright © Shelley
Lowery
About the Author:
Shelley Lowery is the author of the acclaimed web design course, Web Design
Mastery.
http://www.webdesignmastery.com
And, Ebook Starter - Give Your Ebooks the look and feel of a REAL book.
http://www.ebookstarter.com
Visit Web-Source.net to sign up for a complimentary subscription to Etips
and receive a copy of the acclaimed ebook, "Killer Internet Marketing
Strategies."
http://www.web-source.net
You have permission to publish this article electronically, in print,
in your ebook or on your web site, free of charge, as long as the author
bylines are included.
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