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Every once in a while, the topic of "ads in ebooks" comes up at Mobileread.
Not. Gonna. Happen.
Not because it's technically too difficult--although it's not easy. Text-based ads are almost useless (well, they work okay for Google, but that's because you can click them; people won't stop to click them in the middle of the book. They don't work well as embedded links on keywords; people disable Snap.com when they can), and *any* picture based ads have to consider the hardware & software involved. They'll look different depending on whether the book is being read on a computer monitor, a laptop or netbook, a tablet like the iPad, a 6" e-ink screen, or a mobile phone. How do you design a picture-ad that's readable on a cellphone & not horrifically boring or annoying on a 21" screen?
Answer: you don't.
( More opinionated semi-ranting inside )
Not. Gonna. Happen.
Not because it's technically too difficult--although it's not easy. Text-based ads are almost useless (well, they work okay for Google, but that's because you can click them; people won't stop to click them in the middle of the book. They don't work well as embedded links on keywords; people disable Snap.com when they can), and *any* picture based ads have to consider the hardware & software involved. They'll look different depending on whether the book is being read on a computer monitor, a laptop or netbook, a tablet like the iPad, a 6" e-ink screen, or a mobile phone. How do you design a picture-ad that's readable on a cellphone & not horrifically boring or annoying on a 21" screen?
Answer: you don't.
( More opinionated semi-ranting inside )
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