eBooks tend to be shorter and more interactive than whitepapers. eBooks often include links to additional multimedia information and focus on the how-to aspect of a subject. Whitepapers are more static and less interactive than eBooks and focus more on thought-leadership content. via @Hubspot

1. eBooks and whitepapers are two formats for sharing longer written documents on the
web. While both of these terms are often used interchangably, they are actually two
different types of documents.
eBooks tend to be shorter and more interactive than whitepapers. eBooks often include
links to additional multimedia information and focus on the how-to aspect of a subject.
Whitepapers are more static and less interactive than eBooks and focus more on
thought-leadership content.
What Makes eBooks So Good?
 They’re simple to create and inexpensive to produce – You don’t need a
publisher or a printer! You just need some basic software and the time to write
about your idea or innovative technique.
 They’re engaging – Because they aren’t just PDFs or Word docs, you can
actually get your reader to interact and take some type of action. Encourage
them to click on links, fill out a survey, subscribe to your blog, watch a video or
even buy something from you online.
 They’re easy to distribute and spread like wildfire – Make the ebook free
(don’t collect money, don’t collect email addresses) and add a Creative
Commons license to the content so people can share the e-book easily. Create a
landing page, add a call-to-action on your website, blog about it, put a link your
email signature, email it to your friends/partners/vendors,post a video on
YouTube, tell your fans and followers.
 They’re easy to read and more eco-friendly – Although whitepapers can be
read online, the vertical formatting makes them difficult to read. eBooks are
easily to read digitally on-demand while whitepapers often need to be printed to
be read easily.

2. What Makes Whitepapers So Bad?
 They’re boring - Wikipedia defines a whitepaper as “an authoritative report or
guide that often addresses issues and how to solve them. White papers are used
to educate readers and help people make decisions.” Even the definition puts me
to sleep.
 They’re old school - They date back to the early 1900s. You might
remember The Churchill White Paper of 1922 from your high school history
class, you might not. Either way, we haven’t really changed the way we use them
since then. They’re still a form of semi self-promotion and propaganda. It’s just
that now they are found on the web and are used by businesses as a marketing
or sales tool rather than promoting government policy.
 They’re forced upon us – Most people don’t want to read whitepapers, they just
feel like they have to read them because they’re “authoritative” and written by
“industry leaders”. Or because their boss said so.
 They’re not good link bait – Because you typically have to register (give your
email address) to download the whitepaper, most people don’t promote or share
whitepapers because they don’t want to force their fans and followers and friends
to give their email address away and get hounded by sales reps.
I don’t hate whitepapers. I mean, whitepapers are still useful. But, eBooks are a better
way to share on-depth content online. So start writing and sharing your eBook. You’ll be
surprised at how fast your ideas will spread and your business will grow.

3. The most important concepts to remember, whether you choose to create an eBook or
a whitepaper, are to have fun with it, write for your audience and be sure you’re actually
providing valuable information and awesome ideas.
Read more: http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/6145/Why-eBooks-Are-Better-
Than-Whitepapers.aspx#ixzz2Aymcn05p