What’s the first thing most people do right after getting up? – That’s right, check the smartphone. Even during the rest of the day, people quickly read the latest news on their way to work. Once they arrive at work, many people spend their working day in front of a screen. The fact is, most of our information and media consumption takes place online these days. So it’s high time to move publishing into the digital future.

Electronic publishing, or ePublishing, is the term used to describe publishing in electronic media. This includes all types of media: whether quite classically the eBook or videos, podcasts and even computer games. We have known many forms of ePublishing for a long time:

– Newsletters
– eBooks
– Media libraries
– eMagazines
– Digital reference works
– Online publications
– Corporate brochures
– E-learning offers
– Annual reports
– Videos
– Podcasts
– Software (e.g. computer games)

Classical corporate literature in particular is becoming increasingly digital. Brochures, magazines or annual reports are not simply made available as web-optimized PDFs, but become products in their own right through the integration of interactive elements.

The Internet plays a central role in ePublishing. It offers an alternative to conventional print media and broadcasting – even in the agency business. ePublishing combines numerous decisive advantages:

1. Distribution is easier

Due to the digital form, it is possible to reach many people with just a few clicks and even independent of location. In addition, ePublications are easier to find. For example, it is possible to search easily and quickly in databases for articles or similar.

2. It is faster

Along with the simplified distribution of content like eMagazines, production is often faster. Digital-only publishing eliminates long lead times for paper orders and production. Also, minor updates can be made in a straightforward manner.

3. It is diverse

The diverse media forms that can be used and combined in ePublishing are also advantageous. Whether integrating moving images into eMagazines, newsletters or electronic annual reports.

4. It’s more measurable

Depending on the individual capabilities of the platform, relevant KPIs can be tracked transparently using appropriate tools. These can be, for example, the accesses to certain articles in the context of an overall publication, dwell times or bounce rates. Important data for continuous optimization of the information offered.


Currently, the German Aerospace Center (DLR) is relying on a hybrid format with its DLRmagazin. The magazine is produced as a high-quality print version. At the same time, a web-optimized digital version with interactive elements is made available to users.