Category: Publishing Publisher: First Run Publishing
ISBN-10: 9781609650100
Type: Non-Fiction
Pages: 202
Copyright: August 23, 2008
ISBN-13: 1609650107
Price: $39.99 (eBook)
Learn how to create and validate an industry standard ebook. You will save thousands of dollars by formatting your book using free open source software.
If you are an author who wants to convert their book into a digital format. Or you are a self-publisher, also known as an indie-writer, and want to convert your book into a digital format. Or you want to start a business converting documents into digital formats.
The phrase digital format is a broad-brush description. Unless you are still writing pen to paper, your manuscript is already in a digital format. What we usually mean when we say digital format is a portable and reusable format such as AdobeÒ Portable Document Format (pdf), Amazon KindleÒ Mobipocket (mobi), Barnes & Noble’s Nook ReaderÒ uses what is known as the Electronic Publication (ePub) format.
This book will focus primarily on the ePub format, which is currently ePub3. Because ePub is the most widely used format for digital readers, I will show you how to stay updated on the most current ePub standards. Even if ePub5 is out when you read this book, you will still know how to format your book to the highest current standard.
I will go into detail about system requirements, software (commercial, freeware and open source). Yes, there is a difference between freeware and open source and pirated software. Which brings us to licensing. You must understand licensing agreements you enter into when you utilize software or even hardware.
Excerpt
Everything that is used in your EPUB3 manuscript goes into this container. This keeps all of your assets in one neat place. By validating that the correct EPUB standard has been applied, is what’s known as making the manuscript “Print Ready”.
For example, before I send this manuscript to my printer, I must make it print ready according to my printer’s requirements. This has to do largely with the type of printing press and software used by my printer. I have to send the photos, images, fonts, page layout designs and any other assets used to make my manuscript print the way I designed it.
If a photo or a special font is missing, I will waste valuable time and resources. The printer will have to stop working on my manuscript, until I send over the missing assets. This can delay a project, by days, weeks or even months. It depends on how busy the printer is. My project is sideline and requeued once the printer has all of my assets. This also cost me additional money. I have to pay for the time the printer wasted on my project.
This is why the validation process for EPUB3 is so vital. Your manuscript can’t go to the distribution channels until your manuscript meets EPUB3 validation standards. If it doesn’t meet standards, your project is side lined, until it passes validation. Some agitators will validate your manuscript for you, for a hefty fee.
An agitator is the go between for the publisher and the digital distribution chain. You can bypass the agitator, but you will have to deal individually with each distribution channel. We will go deeper into this when we get to distribution channels.
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Reviews for "How to Design and Publish Your First eBook"
I find it quite easy to use MS Word to format my books into standard font, style and formatting. I can then send these to anyone with MS Word, and they can easily read them. But for protection, I can also very easily, convert the .doc or .docx document into PDF.
But I've found it quite convenient to let my POD publisher (an honest one) convert my books into all of those various formats, so that those who use them can read my books as well. My publisher also can copyright my books, but I do that myself like I update my website since 1997 every week.
It's all a matter of how much, as authors, we want to spend time and money away from writing if we don't have a publisher paying us advances and an agent promoting our work.
With the new and exciting world of Kindles and Print-on-Demand (POD), Independent Publishing is becoming an enticing choice and a viable alternative to traditional publishing.
Essays dedicated to the new media, doing business on the web, digital content, its creation and distribution, e-publishing, e-books, digital reference, DRM technology, and other related issues.
With the new and exciting world of Kindles and Print-on-Demand (POD), Independent Publishing is becoming an enticing choice and a viable alternative to traditional publishing.
