IPad madness: the field’s wide open for creative authors

IPad madness is here. Developers are creating applications for the platform, even though most haven’t even handled one of the devices. And Ars Technica believes that Apple sold 20,000 to 25,000 of the devices PER HOUR in pre-orders.

Apple will sell millions of iPads in the next couple of years.

Booksellers are getting ready.

The iPad App Derby Gets Under Way – NYTimes.com reports:

“Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble are working on apps for buying and reading electronic books, even though both companies sell their own e-reading devices and Apple will offer its own iBooks app. The expectation is that the iPad will give a big lift to the e-book market, benefiting the whole industry. “

What will the iPad mean to authors?

What does this frantic activity mean to you as an author?

Primarily, it means that ebooks will be big, and that includes self-published ebooks.

You can convert your word processor manuscript into ePub format (software to do this is available), and you can start selling your ebooks to be read on the iPad. You’ll have millions of potential readers, and endless ways to get your books in front of them.

It’s an exciting time. If you haven’t been tapping your fingers to the bone, get moving!