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| Paper: |
From Picas to Pixels: An Astro 101 e-Book |
| Volume: |
500, Celebrating Science: Putting Education Best Practices to Work |
| Page: |
195 |
| Authors: |
Shawl, S.; Byrd, G.; Deustua, S.; LoPresto, M. |
| Abstract: |
What happens when a publisher discontinues publishing a textbook? That was the dilemma we were presented. Given that we know we have a high quality product that can contribute to student understanding of science in general and astronomy in particular, and that significant efforts had already been expended on the project, we decided to self-publish, even knowing that the challenges, and the gamble in terms of time and personal expense, were great. Self publication provides an opportunity to produce an updated edition at great cost savings to students—something faculty often say is an important consideration in their choice of a book. We discuss the many significant challenges, the greatest of which is marketing. We present the end result: a completed publication in various e-book formats and with links to the Discovering Astronomy Concept Videos made for the book (Figure 1). Details of the book, a sample chapter, and other information are available online. |
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