We will make ourselves crazy if we start worrying about all the bad
e-books that are out there.  With e-books, the barrier to entry is low
to nonexistent--anyone who can type can publish a book now.  It's very
easy to learn how to get your book listed on Amazon, B&N, smashwords,
and Lulu, and with a small investment any e-author can invest in a
professional looking cover.  There are many sites and resources out
there to show e-authors how to publicize their books on the major
platforms, how to improve their rankings so that they show up in
searches, and how to get featured on book blogs and Amazon/B&N
newsletters.  E-books rarely get fact checked or even copy edited.
Self-publishing is practically one-click these days.

There is no way to stem the tide of e-publishing.  The best way to
combat the barrage of false information (at an affordable price) is to
use the comments feature on Amazon, B&N, etc to rank the book poorly
and direct readers to more appropriate resources.  When doing so, it's
best to list resources that are available for free--the person who
wants to buy <$2.99 e-book may balk at spending $13.99 for the Womanly
Art of Breastfeeding (Kindle price in US).

Annie Frisbie
LLLL, MA, IBCLC (and former writing professor)

>
> Date:    Wed, 27 Jun 2012 08:52:37 -0400
> From:    Elizabeth Brooks <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: A book on how to make the best breast milk
>
> Hmmm. I'm not quite sure how this one this one makes me feel.
>
> A large electronic book retailer is advertising a book, written by an M.D.,
>  which is "49 pages long" that is geared for a parent audience ...
> promising a survey of the medical literature to reveal such nuggets as: "how
> can you be sure that your milk is of the highest quality that it can
> possibly be? How long should you breastfeed? What foods or medications
> should you avoid? Should you use commercially-available formulas? Can you
> store your milk for later use?"
>
> I can't quite put my finger on why this is disturbing me.  The lingering
> feeling that mothers will feel they can bio-engineer their breastmilk? How
> is that any different from the general recommendations an IBCLC might give
> a mom (like, "Eat nutritious foods, generally, in life, and avoid street
> drugs," etc.)?  Don't we answer Qs all day every day about what
> foods/medications to avoid .... and milk storage guidelines?
>
> Maybe it is because this is being marketed in such a way to suggest to a
> mother that if she reads a 49-page book, she won't have to avail herself of
> a good old-fashioned face-to-face assessment by a healthcare provider.  Why
> ask your midwife/ped/IBCLC these questions when you already have the book?
>
> Sigh.
>
> --
> Liz Brooks JD IBCLC FILCA
> Wyndmoor, PA, USA
>

             ***********************************************

Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]
Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask]
COMMANDS:
1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail
2. To start it again: set lactnet mail
3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome