1. A system for publication and distribution of educational materials, the system comprising: at least one host computer capable of receiving over a communications network one or more educational works from at least one author of the educational works, at least one of the one or more educational works having a plurality of segments, each segment having one or more identified authors, storing the educational works, receiving over a communications network one or more selections of at least one of the plurality of segments, retrieving the selected segments from the one or more educational works, producing a compilation of educational course materials containing at least the selected segments, receiving a selection from a purchaser of one or more segments of the compilation for purchase, recording payment by the purchaser for the selected one or more segments of the compilation, distributing a copy of only the one or more selected segments of the compilation to the purchaser for which payment has been recorded, and paying a royalty to the one or more identified authors for a purchased segment.
1. A system for publication and distribution of educational materials, the system comprising: at least one host computer capable of receiving over a communications network one or more educational works from at least one author of the educational works, at least one of the one or more educational works having a plurality of segments, each segment having one or more identified authors, storing the educational works, receiving over a communications network one or more selections of at least one of the plurality of segments, retrieving the selected segments from the one or more educational works, producing a compilation of educational course materials containing at least the selected segments, receiving a selection from a purchaser of one or more segments of the compilation for purchase, recording payment by the purchaser for the selected one or more segments of the compilation, distributing a copy of only the one or more selected segments of the compilation to the purchaser for which payment has been recorded, and paying a royalty to the one or more identified authors for a purchased segment. 11. The system for publishing and distribution of claim 1 wherein: each segment of the compilation is assigned a purchase price.