EditionLink vs EditionMark vs Adobe DRM: Choosing The Right eBook Fulfillment Option - EditionGuard

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EditionLink vs EditionMark vs Adobe DRM: Choosing The Right eBook Fulfillment Option

Turgay Birand

November 16, 2016

eBook fulfillment When you use EditionGuard to protect and fulfill your eBooks, you will have three different fulfillment options: Adobe DRM, EditionMark and EditionLink. Deciding which fulfillment option is right for you and your customers can be difficult. Below you can see that all of our pricing plans come with EditionMark and EditionLink, while Adobe DRM protection is a premium option (1 and 2 book pricing plans not pictured): editionguard pricing In this post we will discuss the three options and who should be using each. If you are not already using EditionGuard, you can get started with your free trial here.

Each EditionGuard Fulfilment Option Explained

EditionLink Fulfillment

When you choose the EditonLink fulfillment options your eBooks will be sent to the purchaser in the form of a link that will expire on a date of your choosing. Your eBook can be downloaded in ePub, MOBI or PDF format, meaning it will be compatible with all devices. EditionLink does not offer active or passive protection against piracy, but the ease of use for both seller and purchaser is a major advantage.

EditionMark Fulfillment

In addition to the EditionLink expiry features, EditionMark fulfilled books will contain a visible watermark. This watermark will display personal information for the specific buyer of the eBook. This passive form of protection will deter illegal sharing, while still providing extreme compatibility across devices. EditionGuard automatically collects the personal information that is displayed in the watermark, so EditionMark fulfillment requires no additional work for you.

Adobe DRM Fulfillment

The final fulfillment option is Adobe DRM protected eBooks. Adobe DRM protected eBooks can only be opened using Adobe Digital Editions software. This software limits access to only one account, make it nearly impossible for your eBooks to be illegally shared. Adobe DRM fulfillment therefore offers active protection against eBook piracy. Another benefit of Adobe DRM fulfillment is the ability to offer eBook rentals. Since readers will have to use Adobe Digital Editions, you will be able to set an expiration date for their access. This is perfect for book rentals. There are two types of Adobe DRM fulfillment available within EditionGuard:
  • Legacy: This protection scheme is older, but offers greater compatibility across devices that support Adobe Digital Editions (ePub and PDF files only)
  • Hardened: This is Adobe’s newer protection scheme, which offers greater protection with less backwards compatibility (ePub and PDF files only)

Which eBook Fulfilment Option Is Best For You?

Now that you are familiar with each eBook fulfillment option available within EditionGuard, let’s discuss how to decide which option is right for you.

Who EditionLink Is Best For

The EditionLink fulfillment option is best for those who are concerned less about protecting their eBooks from piracy and more about compatibility and ease-of-use. EditionLink is all about simplicity. Your eBook will be sent as a raw file, which gives your readers the freedom to read your book in any way they choose. Studies have shown that in most cases eBook piracy does not affect eBook sales, therefore not having active or passive protection in place may not be a big issue. One scenario in which EditionLink fulfillment isn’t a good idea is within close-knit communities, such as schools. The final reason to consider EditionLink is affordability. EditionLink fulfillment is available for all of our pricing plans, including our Nano and Micro plans, which we created to provide an affordable options for authors and businesses with only 1 or 2 books (see below): eBook fulfillment

Who EditionMark Is Best For

If you like the idea of EditionLink but are concerned about the lack of piracy protection in place, EditionMark may be a better option for you. The added watermark gives many authors and businesses confidence that their eBooks are safe. Since the personal information displayed in the watermark is collected automatically, there is no added effort required. The biggest question when deciding between EditionLink and EditionMark is what do your readers prefer? While many readers will not mind having watermarks within their eBooks, some might. Keep this in mind when deciding if EditionMark is the right choice for you.

Who Adobe DRM Is Best For

Adobe DRM offers the greatest protection against piracy and should be used by those whose first priority is protecting their eBooks. A few examples of Adobe DRM users that we currently have are: large resellers, high value eBooks (textbooks, medical research, etc.) and eBooks required to be protected by law. Remember the example mentioned above about the school? Adobe DRM would be the perfect option for that scenario for a couple of reasons. First, students would not be able to illegally share the eBook since it would be tied to a specific Adobe Digital Editions account. Second, the seller could offer a rental option as well, which is very popular amongst students. Some of the drawbacks of Adobe DRM include a lack of compatibility across devices and technical support required. Since Adobe DRM requires specific software for access, people using Adobe DRM fulfillment should expect to deal with some customer support related issues. While these issues are generally just clarifying with a purchaser how to use Adobe Digital Editions, it is worth mentioning.

Final Thoughts

With the recent addition of EditionLink and EditionMark, we are very excited to provide several fulfillment options. Doing so allows our customers to tailor a solution that is ideal for them and their readers. Above we discussed each fulfillment option, as well as who each plan is best for. Now it is your turn to decide for yourself. Take advantage of our 30-day free trial to test out each of the fulfillment options and figure out which one will help you sell more eBooks.

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