9.0

provide a default or "fallback" image or other graphic element in each spot where you
display content live via the Web.
For more information about the formats discussed here, see "Hardware, operating systems,
and formats."
Planning for distribution
Just as there are many different ways to distribute print content, there are many different
ways to distribute content for handheld devices. The way in which you choose to distribute
your content probably depends on what that content is for and how you plan to generate
revenue.
Consider how often you plan to release content:
• Do you need to distribute small amounts of content on a frequent basis? If so, you might
want to consider creating a news-reader-type app using a framework such as TapLynx.
This approach allows you to build and distribute your app once, then regularly release
updates to the content displayed in that app without requiring the customer to do anything
but open it. In this model, the cash flow usually comes in the form of ad revenue.
• Do you want to publish content for sale on an infrequent or irregular basis? For example,
are you a publisher who wants to make book titles available to your customers? If this is
the case, you may want to consider using the Kindle format or the Blio eBook format and
eReader. If you have no need of layout view, you might consider a large existing distribution
network such as Amazon, or one of many smaller distribution networks.
• Do you want to sell published content on a recurring basis? For example, are you creating
a digital magazine? You can accomplish this by creating a custom app for each issue, but
this can be work-intensive, and some customers may not want to download a new app
every time. You can also consider creating an App Studio reader app, and then selling
individual issues from a Web server. If you choose this approach, you can customize the
app to display your branding, or use a generic viewer app. (Note, however, that this
approach limits you to the platforms supported by App Studio.)
If you choose to distribute App Studio issues that are viewable in a reader app, you should
consider whether you want to make a sample issue available so that the user can experience
the value of your publications. You can bundle a sample issue with the app, but if you do
so be wary of file size, both for reasons of download size restrictions and to avoid making
your customers wait too long. You can also provide free access to a sample issue from
within the reader application.
Of course, you need a plan for generating revenue. The options here include selling apps
on an individual basis, selling issues that can be viewed in a reader app, selling books (for
example, for the Kindle Reader or the Blio eReader), and selling advertising. If you choose
to sell advertising, you can work out individual deals with advertisers, or use an existing
ad network such as Apple's iAd (for iOS only) or Google AdMob (for iOS and Android).
8 | DIGITAL PUBLISHING WITH QUARKXPRESS 9
DEFINING YOUR GOALS AND LIMITATIONS