Updating Ebooks

Well, when I read about the "patching" a light bulb went off.  For a few years I have used a patch creation program in updating small mIRC scripts I write.  You simply tell the program the directory of the old files, then the directory of the new files.  It creates an .exe patch.  The program is called Patch Maker is and made by clickteam.  It's been around for years.  

The program is free.  The only catch is at the end of the installation it tells people the patch was made by the Patch Maker software by ClickTeam.  I also reccomend their Install Creator program.  It's also free.

You can download it at:

http://www.clickteam.com/English/patch_maker.htm

Let's say you are selling eBay Magic (ebaymagic.exe).  You have more information added to the book and you are ready to release the new version.  Here's how to do it with the patch maker:

Open up the original AEP (Activ E-Book Compiler Project) file.  Make sure all the passwords are the exact same.  To ensure this, when you create your first book, save the password list using the ebook compilers save password list feature.  The main thing is to make sure the updated version is exactly the same as the original in regards to paswords.

I recommend creating a directory with 2 subdirectories.  Say well call the directory Ebay Magic.  In that folder, create two folders: 1 and 2.  Compile your updated ebook, however, set the output to be folder 2.

In subfolder 1, put your originally compiled ebook (ebaymagic.exe) and in 2 is your new updated ebook.  Open up the patch maker program.  The wizard asks what is the location of the old files and the locaiton of the new files.  Old files will be folder 1 and new files will be the ebook in folder 2.

The progam asks a few other questions such as title to put on update screen, etc.  It's a design thing.  It will create an update.exe file (or whatever you want to call it).  You could name is ebmupdate.exe.

When people run the patch, the patch will ask them where is their ebook located, they will have to tell the patch where the ebook is located.  The patch will update the old ebook with the new information.

That's it!