Tech: Software for publishing to CD?

Subject: Tech: Software for publishing to CD?
From: katlaughing
Date: 03 Sep 07 - 01:24 PM

I have searched google several times for software to use to publish a book on CD, software that would protect it from being edited, copied, and/or printed. I want people just to be able to read it on the CD. The only things that came up in my searches were self-publishing companies that want to do it for me.

I know I can just save the file to CD, that's not what I want to do, though. OfficeMax guy didn't have a clue. I've looked at Adobe and, if I need the program I think they say I do, it is over one thousand dollars, so no go with that.

Anyone have any idea what I could use?

Thanks,

kat

Subject: RE: Tech: Software for publishing to CD?
From: treewind
Date: 03 Sep 07 - 02:18 PM

You can no more do that than you can make an audio CD uncopyable.
Look at the trouble Sony got into when they tried that. Their copy protection software is now on the detection list of anti-virus programs, it's so damaging. Other copy protection schemes are similarly flawed and broken.

Adobe software can make a PDF that doesn't print, but when I had a print-disabled file took me only a couple of minutes to convert it to Postscript and back to PDF and print it.

You can't edit a PDF - that bit's easy.
But preventing copying really isn't practical and it won't save you much anyway.

See it at a decent price and most folks will pay for it anyway.

Anahata

Subject: RE: Tech: Software for publishing to CD?
From: katlaughing
Date: 03 Sep 07 - 04:06 PM

Thanks, treewind. I thought that might be the case, but wasn't sure.

So is pdf the only way to "publish" a book on CD? Is that the "norm?"

Subject: RE: Tech: Software for publishing to CD?
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 03 Sep 07 - 04:10 PM

PDF has two great advantages and a sometimes third--A file can't be edited except by its creator, and there's a built-in search that can be handy. The PDF files are usually but not always more compact than the original. And..of course, it's the de facto standard.

Subject: RE: Tech: Software for publishing to CD?
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 03 Sep 07 - 04:12 PM

Printing a book from a file on a CD is possible, but probably costs more in paper and printer ink than buying a professionally printed and bound book of the same content. Of course that is only an issue if there is a printed version available.
Quack!
GtD.

Subject: RE: Tech: Software for publishing to CD?
From: treewind
Date: 03 Sep 07 - 04:40 PM

PDF may not be the only way, but it's free, platform neutral and by default difficult for the end user to edit.

I use Open Office for all wordprocessing, spreadsheets etc. one advantage of which is that it will export directly to PDF, but for any other application that prints you can use something like PDF995 which installs as an extra printer but "prints" to a PDF file. The demo is free and displays a nag screen each time you use it, but otherwise works well. You may not be able to suppress printing of the result but I don't think that's going to be a big problem.

Anahata

Subject: RE: Tech: Software for publishing to CD?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Sep 07 - 06:16 PM

The benefits to publishing your book on PDF are that it retains the design of your original program and art you put in. The viewer sees what you created (versus a big Word file, for example, that can be buffeted by their own system's preset formatting). But PDF is a lot different with some of the newer versions. I have been able to pick up embedded images and edit them for new files in the most recent PDF I received that we use on campus. Adobe builds in a lot of stuff you can choose to use. There are others from Software995 that are free, but you may have to download several smaller programs to do all you want to do.

SRS

Subject: RE: Tech: Software for publishing to CD?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Sep 07 - 06:19 PM

Just notice that treewind also mentioned my software. I've been using PDF995 for several years. You simply "print" to the PDF, as Anahata says. I have gotten to where I barely notice their ads that appear while I wait for the file to take shape. It doesn't actually print the output unless you tell it to print.

SRS

Subject: RE: Tech: Software for publishing to CD?
From: katlaughing
Date: 03 Sep 07 - 06:31 PM

Thank you!! That's exactly what I needed to know, all o'yous.:-)

Subject: RE: Tech: Software for publishing to CD?
From: Bill D
Date: 03 Sep 07 - 06:36 PM

"You can't edit a PDF - that bit's easy."

hmmm...I believe that you actually can. See this company, which has a number of programs to do .pdf stuff.

In this day of complex technology, I do not think there is any easy way to safeguard CDs or other text......except possibly encrypting it, and controlling the password.....and if it were going to be widely distributed, each copy would have to have its own password.

That being said, I HAVE seen programs that will create encrypted .exe files, which being clicked on, ask for a password.

Subject: RE: Tech: Software for publishing to CD?
From: katlaughing
Date: 03 Sep 07 - 06:42 PM

Hmmm...maybe I won't do this for now, then. I was thinking about doing a quick run of my new novel on cd to sell at a book festival coming up, along with my other already paper-published book. But, I've only got until the 13th to get it ready and think I'd better wait, instead of getting in a big hurry. Maybe I'll just do an audio CD of me reading some of my other book.

Thanks, again, folks!

Subject: RE: Tech: Software for publishing to CD?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Sep 07 - 06:49 PM

If your text is camera ready then it doesn't take much time at all. But you'd need to burn it to disk. Our print shop at the university has machines going all of the time now, for various commercial folks who want disks burned. You should be able to find something in your area that will burn them for under a buck a piece (including printing your cover design on the flip side).

SRS

Subject: RE: Tech: Software for publishing to CD?
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 03 Sep 07 - 08:11 PM

Kat-
There are several "Print-on-demand" outfits that will do a hard copy in a short run for a bit less than an arm and a leg.

Subject: RE: Tech: Software for publishing to CD?
From: katlaughing
Date: 03 Sep 07 - 08:55 PM

Thanks, Dick. I already have one book in hard copy POD from cafepress.com and I am quite happy with them. I've done tons of research of the various offers for POD for hard copies and find theirs is the ebst price, even though it is still a bit pricey. It has worked for me.

This is a second book which I do not want to rush as far as hard copies go. It takes time to format it and get everything exactly as I want it for hard copies. I think I could do a pdf fairly easily BUT, I've decided this, too, is premature after reading the advice form all of you.

I think, for this book fest, I will just do a CD of my reading some of my essays, etc. from my first book and call it good. I'll offer it as an easy-on-the-pocketbook "sampler" of the book, or "enhancement" of the book, if they buy both.

Thanks, again, folks! When ever...I will owe you all a few shares in my publishing company!

kat