HELP

3 Musts!

Must have credits You must have credits to access paid publications on Bookstep. All free publications are available for your access without credits. Must press "stop" button In order for us to prevent overpaying for books that are not being read, all readers must stop their readings by pressing the "stop" button. Must invite friends We didn't create an invite engine. We hope you will simply tell your friends that you get your textbooks on Bookstep now.

3 Whys?

Why will you love Bookstep? Bookstep gives you full control over the cost of your learning materials. The format is compatible with different learning styles, and the price and pace are up to users. With Bookstep, you have the power to control your content and your textbook spending. While accessing digital learning material on Bookstep.com, students can do whatever they want or need to do to achieve the best learning experience - highlight, annotate, include friends in their studies through a social learning experience. What are: Textbooks Cloud, Learning Cloud, and Publishing Cloud? Bookstep's cloud platform is made up of three interrelated pillars: the Textbook, Learning and Publishing Clouds. Each area has its own capabilities but is tied to the others.

The Textbook Cloud allows users to search Bookstep's database of digital publications and access their desired materials on a per-minute (pay-as-you-go) basis. The Textbook Cloud offers digital textbooks, lectures, articles and other educational content delivery.

The Learning Cloud includes everything that can be done with the textbook material. For example, a student or reader can highlight information and take notes, and enable those notes to be seen (or purchased) by others. That said, students can access other students' notes or teachers' notes to aid in their own learning. Bookstep users can collaborate and share ideas in online study groups, saving time and money by not having to travel to meet in person. Bookstep users can allow certain people or groups access (paid or free) to their published material.

In collaboration with Bookstep's Publishing Cloud, professors can publish their lesson plans, textbooks, review notes and other course materials for students to access, either for free or at a low cost. They can review and grade assignments and exams, lead online exam preparation groups, and even conduct one-on-one meetings with students.

In the Publishing Cloud, authors can publish by uploading their existing works on to the Bookstep.com platform, or create documents directly on Bookstep. Those published works then become part of the Textbook and Learning clouds.
Why didn't we launch Bookstep sooner? We began thinking about using the cloud infrastructure to publish and share digital textbooks and learning material in 2006. The team wished they'd had a service like Bookstep when they were in school, and since no one else was doing it, they decided they would. Since its theoretical inception, the core of Bookstep team members were involved in various creative internet startups. The Bookstep you are using now is the result of years of dreaming, planning, and development to create the best end-product possible for all users.

10 Hows?

How do I buy Bookstep credits? It's as simple as a few clicks. First, click on "Credits" near your name at the top of the page. Then click the "Buy Credits" tab and specify the amount of reading time you'd like to purchase. Bookstep accepts PayPal and all major credit cards. How do I start reading books? First, find the textbook you'd like to read by clicking the Textbooks tab and performing a search. Click the page of the textbook you'd like to begin reading, then click "Buy" when prompted to allocate credits toward your reading time. Remember to click "Stop" when you're done to reserve any unused reading credits, and check the box if you'd like to save any notes you made. How do I take, share or sell notes? When you are in the textbook you'd like to work in, click the "Take Notes" or "Hybrid" link in the left-hand navigation bar, beneath "Read." A blank document will appear, allowing you to type notes. To take notes or highlight directly in the textbook, choose from the Annotation Tools and click the icon to use the tool. How much do I pay for reading on Bookstep? You only pay for the amount of time you spend in the reading materials. Our goal is to make textbooks accessible at about 30% of their hard copy cost. So, if your textbook costs $100 at the book storeYou can purchase credits for $0.03 per credit, and most of the readings fall well below 1 credit per minute. Any unused credits are returned to your balance so they can be used towards any "paid" readings in the future. How do I publish on Bookstep? Click the "Publish" tab, then choose the file you want to upload. Bookstep users are prohibited from uploading and distributing copyrighted materials to which they don't own copyrights or permissions. After you've uploaded the file, click "Edit & Publish" to provide the document's properties. Finally, choose whether you'd like to allow paid or free access to your file. How do I assign readership to my publications (document privacy)? While working in the "Edit & Publish" section, choose a readership type from the "Access Type" drop-down menu: Public, Private or Selected Readership. Then, choose individual members and/or groups who will be allowed to access your file. How is my commission calculated from sales of my publications? Per the Bookstep Content Agreements, Bookstep pays its members 70% commission on purchased content uploaded by those members. Members may request a cash-out when their total earnings reach a minimum of $100. Bookstep makes payments within three (3) business days of a cash-out request. How do I create a study group? Click the "Create Group" button and fill in the required information. Be sure to choose group's life-span and privacy settings - whether you want the group to be public or private, or select users only, and how long you want the group to be accessible. Click save, and then invite other Bookstep users to join the group. How do I learn through a study group discussion? Once you've created your study group, click "Ask a Question" within the "Group Study" tab. A text box will open, allowing you to type your question or discussion topic, and even upload/download related attachments. You can then post your question to the discussion board. How do I manage my Bookstep account? Bookstep features very user-friendly settings. You can create and edit your profile, change your e-mail address and/or password, and manage your credits, earnings and library by using the navigation links on the left-hand side, or by clicking "MyStep." Also, you can edit your library (Readings and Uploads) by clicking "MyLibrary."