The Challenge
Tell us about yourself and the nature of your work
I was born in 1972 in the south of Austria. Being close to Italy sparked my love for Venice early on, and during my time as a student, I spent many weeks in and around the city. I was fascinated by the architecture and art of the Veneto region. However, my travels eventually took me to various continents, and Africa became my favorite. I even lived in Egypt for three years, where I fulfilled my dream of writing books by the sea. That’s where my first two books were created.
In 2000, I returned to Salzburg, Austria, where I took over the management of the museum shop at the Museum der Moderne. At the same time, I worked as a DaF/DaZ (German as a foreign/second language) trainer to help people linguistically navigate a part of their journey in their new homeland (Austria).
In my free time, I pursue my passion as a writer and love to discover new things while traveling—this way, I continuously rediscover myself.
My longing for the sea brought me back to Venice during the COVID-19 pandemic, as it’s just a six-hour train ride from Salzburg. After more than 25 years, I revisited a small island central to Venice's origins: Torcello, right in the heart of the lagoon.
Now as I’m older, I experience Venice through new eyes. My refined travel style allowed me to see more than I ever could in my younger years, and I felt a deep desire to share much of that with my readers. So, I decided to write a third book.
What challenges did you face before using Kotobee?
During my subsequent trips to Venice, I found inspiration for my next book. But the idea felt too constrained when imagined as a "normal printed" book. I was torn because writing an ebook was never part of the original plan, especially since I wasn’t even an ebook reader myself. I found myself asking: Should I abandon my idea or take a leap into something new, something I had no idea where it might lead me?
What potential solutions did you explore that didn't work out?
As an Apple user, I was tempted to dive into Pages and started creating the first pages. It was an interesting new experience for me, but unfortunately, it lacked the "wow factor." How could I bring the historical aspects of my book to life in a way that would allow my readers to experience a sense of ease and lightness?
I kept searching and came across an option with Flip HTML. The many examples looked visually appealing, with a real "wow factor," but I didn’t want to create a magazine... so I continued my search.
“What I liked about Kotobee from the very beginning was the transparency of its products, services, and pricing on the website.”
The Solution
How did you hear about Kotobee?
During my research, I came across Kotobee in a blog article about the top 10 ebook creators. I looked into all ten options more closely and ultimately decided on Kotobee.
What drove you to choose Kotobee?
What I liked about Kotobee from the very beginning was the transparency of its products, services, and pricing on the website. I started with the free version of Kotobee Author. Since I am by no means a tech-savvy person, having a more or less self-explanatory user interface was incredibly important to me. However, I was also intimidated by the many new technical aspects I was suddenly faced with, so I was very grateful for the numerous YouTube videos that guided me step by step in understanding the platform's possibilities. And by then, I realized: I had found what I was looking for.
Now, I could offer my readers a new reading experience, giving them the feeling that they were already in Venice, at the heart of the lagoon—even while reading the book from the comfort of their homes on a computer, laptop, tablet, or smartphone. This is largely thanks to the variety of features that Kotobee has, from image and video support to book widgets that allowed me to push the boundaries of a traditional travel guide.
Another crucial factor in my decision was the ability to have my many initial questions answered by the support team. I can honestly say that I felt well-supported, as I anticipated facing many challenges due to my lack of technical knowledge. My trust in the support team’s availability and help never wavered—not once in all those months.
One of the most decisive criteria for me was the ability to provide my readers with an always up-to-date book through the cloud hosting solution. This means I can easily update the ebook, and my readers will be able to see these changes without any additional costs or effort on their part. I find this feature especially brilliant for a travel guide!
What specific aspect of your ebook are you most proud of?
I am particularly proud that, as someone who isn’t very tech-savvy, I managed to create the first interactive ebook about Venice. I take pride in not letting go of my idea—my vision—just because I didn’t initially know how to bring it to life. I am incredibly happy to have given my readers a new reading experience through carefully selected interactive elements (book widgets), numerous images, videos, and interviews. In doing so, history is not experienced as "old and dusty" but rather as fresh and vibrant. Additionally, Venice’s lagoon is presented as a sensitive ecosystem that deserves just as much attention as St. Mark’s Square or the Rialto Bridge.
I am also proud that my readers can access the ebook, along with its reader, with just one click on the access link. This allows them to read the book comfortably at home, for example on their laptop, or to have it readily available on their phone during their trip at any time. Travelers don’t always have access to all of their devices on the go, so this cross-platform availability was essential to the book’s success.
“I can honestly say that I felt well-supported, as I anticipated facing many challenges due to my lack of technical knowledge. My trust in the support team’s availability and help never wavered—not once in all those months.”
The Results
What metrics do you use to measure the success of your project? Has Kotobee affected those metrics in any way?
Since the book has just been released, I cannot provide any financial figures yet. However, the initial feedback has been very positive, which makes me very happy. I can predict the ebook’s success in two ways: the core concept and sales performance. I’m thrilled at the thought of many Venice tourists reading my ebook and recommending it to others.
One of my main goals—and a key measure of success—is to reach the break-even point within the first 12 months. This is not just about covering the expenses for Kotobee but also the costs of translations (into English and Italian), the website, the promotional video, and several other investments.
The Future
What are your plans for the future?
My plans are to continue the series "Venice in the Rhythm of the Lagoon" following the first interactive ebook about Torcello. The second interactive ebook, focusing on Burano, is already set to be released in 2025, with more titles in the pipeline. This ensures continued collaboration with Kotobee, and I’m very much looking forward to it!
