E-books. Should they be enhanced or not? I've just been publishing some more short stories for the Writer's Choice Shorts series. It is nice and simple, a straightforward formatting task to prepare them but should they be enhanced with links, pictures and sound effects.

I am tempted by www.booktrack.com.
They have a simple to use - their words not mine- system. In their spiel to authors they state:


Booktrack Studio is a free-to-use sound production platform that provides the ability for authors to create a synchronized-to-text soundtrack experience.

Authors and publishers can easily create their own Booktrack by choreographing their stories to Booktrack’s extensive library of over 20,000 free-to-use music and ambient audio tracks.

Booktrack synchronizes movie-style soundtracks to eBooks. Music, ambient audio, and sound effects are automatically paced to an individual's reading speed and synchronized to complement and enhance the story while a person reads.
When you self publish through Booktrack Studio, you will create a Booktrack.

Certainly when I 'played' with their system at the Book Fair last year I did find it simple to use. And yes, they do have a huge range of sounds/music to choose from. DIY is free but if you want their professional studio to do the work the costs are:

Alternately Booktrack offers Professional Sound Studio Services for the production of your Booktrack - the average production and creative cost to use our services is approximately $1000/book.

The one problem with using their services is ownership. I quote:

The cost covers production services only, this does not include our licensing and technology costs. Booktrack is able to pass along tremendous savings in the sound production process by virtue of licenses we have negotiated that only allows the produced soundtrack to be played in combination with your e-book via the Booktrack platform.

I am not quite sure what that means in real terms. But the booktrack book is yours to sell and market using the booktrack website.

It will take more time than I have to do my novels, but I could do the short stories. Seems to me that the techy folk and younger ones might prefer an enhanced e-book. Perhaps one day...?