Reference List or Embedded Links?

[chelsfield]

Hello

I am finishing a first draft of a non-fiction ebook and have found this forum and Ted's ebook most helpful (in fact, Ted, you gave me the confidence to try my hand at cover design when I had been thinking of hiring someone to do it).

My question: Stylistically and from a convenience perspective for readers, is it better to have a list of resources at the end with links where applicable, or to embed links in the text? Reading Ted's book where he has embedded links made me question which would be better.

Embedded links are convenient for the reader in some cases, but they can lead the reader, however momentarily, away from your book into someone else's work. On the other hand, a list of resources may give the work an academic feel which is not what I am trying to achieve. I do however want to encourage the reader to explore the topic further.

Other persectives on this would be greatly appreciated. Apologies for the length--I did get to the question eventually!

[Ted]

Chelsfield, the question of style and convenience is a concern for all authors. For some ebooks embedding may be preferred, while a resource list in the Appendix may suit another style of book, and yet again both styles may fit a work if tastefully done.

The main problem I've found with embedding links to third-party sites is that the link URL may change and result in your embedded link returning a Page Not Found error or something like that.

I've found link errors even on Microsoft's own site, where a link on one page leads to the dreaded Page Not Found notice. Heck, even Microsoft doesn't bother forwarding a broken link to the proper page.

I have a few links in my works that lead to third-party sites like Smashwords, Onelook dictionary or National Geographic. I check links in my original document once a year (I should check links more often) and see if they lead to the right page. If not, then I can update link and republish my work.

You may want to use both methods, just to be safe. Embed links you know won't change because you run the web site, say to a picture or video or something you've posted on your own site. For links which may change in the future you can provide a Resources page with the title of the page, in case link is broken then the reader can find the page using the title if the page still exists on the site, and the URL for that resource.

If the third-party URL is for an ebook by another author or other commercial entity then see if the site has an Affiliate sales system and use the Affiliate link for that URL. Be cautious using too many Affiliate links, as the reader has already purchased your work and may view the links as a grab for more money instead of a way to explore a topic further.

[chelsfield]

Thanks, Ted, for the good advice. There are a few things here I haven't considered which will help me make a decision I hope will be acceptable for readers!