What is the difference between an e-petition and a paper petition?

In essence there is no difference between the two. It is possible to collect signatures both online and on paper. It is also possible to transfer your signatures from paper by simply entering them online. This would need to be done manually by data entry online by the author (or author's agent). In the case of data entry, the author should obtain the permission of the paper signers for their signatures to be entered online at GoPetition. In essence, your campaign may use both Internet and paper formats to achieve the best results.