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creating an ebook
- Thread starter zoran
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Depends on whether it is a FXL (Fixed Layout) epub or a reflowable one.
For FXL epub design and dev either PubCoder or InDesign. For reflowable: Sigil (which is free) or Jutoh if more control is needed. But LibreOffice will happily export a reflowable epub as well (open source and free).
The trouble is reader support for FXL epubs: on the Mac or on iOS no issues, since Apple's e-reader software handles those without any issues. But on Windows, Android, and Linux FXL support is spotty, except for the Thorium reader, which must be installed separately by the reader. Adobe's ebook reader is a mess, and will not even properly display FXL epubs generated from their own InDesign.
If reflowable: no such issues. Pretty much any reader on any platform will work.
A reflowable epub is pretty simple to generate from just about any other document using the free Calibre. But there are a multitude of other tools to do this. Pandoc, for example. Also many online services that publish ebooks and offer their own conversion and editing services.
For FXL epub design and dev either PubCoder or InDesign. For reflowable: Sigil (which is free) or Jutoh if more control is needed. But LibreOffice will happily export a reflowable epub as well (open source and free).
The trouble is reader support for FXL epubs: on the Mac or on iOS no issues, since Apple's e-reader software handles those without any issues. But on Windows, Android, and Linux FXL support is spotty, except for the Thorium reader, which must be installed separately by the reader. Adobe's ebook reader is a mess, and will not even properly display FXL epubs generated from their own InDesign.
If reflowable: no such issues. Pretty much any reader on any platform will work.
A reflowable epub is pretty simple to generate from just about any other document using the free Calibre. But there are a multitude of other tools to do this. Pandoc, for example. Also many online services that publish ebooks and offer their own conversion and editing services.
#Robertmile
I dont know how to use Ruby or Python, im a more of a WYSIWUG (What You See Is What You Get) designer
#Herbert
I dont know what FXL or Reflowable epubs are.
I know how to use design apps like Illu, Pshop and Ind, so i prefer to use one of those apps to make an epub
I dont know how to use Ruby or Python, im a more of a WYSIWUG (What You See Is What You Get) designer
#Herbert
I dont know what FXL or Reflowable epubs are.
I know how to use design apps like Illu, Pshop and Ind, so i prefer to use one of those apps to make an epub
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InDesign exports directly to epub. Epubs come in two flavours: fixed layout (FXL) and reflowable. The content in reflowable epub ebooks automatically adjusts to the reader software or device. Novels are generally always reflowable. Text will reflow automatically depending on the screen size, the typeface settings, and so on.
A FXL fixed layout epub file will not reflow, and the content is fixed in place. If you create an iPad document in InDesign and design a layout, the exported FXL epub file will look exactly as designed in an ebook reader that supports FXL epubs properly.
FXL epubs also support all sorts of interactivity: sound, animation, movies, links, multi-state objects, and more. Which is why this format is often used for interactive books for younger readers.
FXL epub ebooks work generally without issues on Apple devices and the Mac, but are very problematic on Windows, Android, and Linux. The only reader that supports these files quite well is Thorium reader (Windows and Linux) (with some caveats).
A FXL fixed layout epub file will not reflow, and the content is fixed in place. If you create an iPad document in InDesign and design a layout, the exported FXL epub file will look exactly as designed in an ebook reader that supports FXL epubs properly.
FXL epubs also support all sorts of interactivity: sound, animation, movies, links, multi-state objects, and more. Which is why this format is often used for interactive books for younger readers.
FXL epub ebooks work generally without issues on Apple devices and the Mac, but are very problematic on Windows, Android, and Linux. The only reader that supports these files quite well is Thorium reader (Windows and Linux) (with some caveats).
On Windows and Linux Thorium is the only reader to support most of FXL epubs generated by InDesign, but links between pages (such as buttons linking to another page) will not work. Otherwise everything works.
Reason for this: InDesign uses a non-standard javascript to link to pages instead of a standard anchor tag. It means that this must be fixed in code by manually unzipping the epub (epub format is a zipped file), and fixing those changes in a code editor.
PubCoder works fine, though, when creating an FXL epub with page links and viewing the result in Thorium.
But still the problem remains that users are required to install Thorium in the first place - something many users may not want to do just to read your fixed layout epub. This proves to be an additional hurdle: Mac and iOS read those FXL epubs without issues and users are not required to install yet another third-party tool.
Android: let's not go there. Not worth the frustration. Let's just say that FXL epubs are not supported.
To reach all platforms, an alternative is to use InDesign's online publishing option to publish your FXL book online, and share the link with your readers. This works in the browser, and anyone with a modern browser will be able to open it and view it. The drawbacks: dependent on Adobe's servers, will not work off-line, and it cannot be easily (if at all) monetized.
Another option is to convert your FXL ebook to an actual app, or to a progressive web app. The In5 plugin for InDesign supports these. A progressive web app only needs to be downloaded once, bypasses the app markets (you can share a link with your readers), and once downloaded can be read offline.
Or convert to an app which is basically an executable that can be run directly on iOS or Android - or even Windows, Mac, or Linux. Which means 5 different executables must be built.
Reason for this: InDesign uses a non-standard javascript to link to pages instead of a standard anchor tag. It means that this must be fixed in code by manually unzipping the epub (epub format is a zipped file), and fixing those changes in a code editor.
PubCoder works fine, though, when creating an FXL epub with page links and viewing the result in Thorium.
But still the problem remains that users are required to install Thorium in the first place - something many users may not want to do just to read your fixed layout epub. This proves to be an additional hurdle: Mac and iOS read those FXL epubs without issues and users are not required to install yet another third-party tool.
Android: let's not go there. Not worth the frustration. Let's just say that FXL epubs are not supported.
To reach all platforms, an alternative is to use InDesign's online publishing option to publish your FXL book online, and share the link with your readers. This works in the browser, and anyone with a modern browser will be able to open it and view it. The drawbacks: dependent on Adobe's servers, will not work off-line, and it cannot be easily (if at all) monetized.
Another option is to convert your FXL ebook to an actual app, or to a progressive web app. The In5 plugin for InDesign supports these. A progressive web app only needs to be downloaded once, bypasses the app markets (you can share a link with your readers), and once downloaded can be read offline.
Or convert to an app which is basically an executable that can be run directly on iOS or Android - or even Windows, Mac, or Linux. Which means 5 different executables must be built.
What sort of ebook -- just text, like a novel, or with images?
What is your target audience -- Mac/iPad/iPhone or the wider world?
Have you already got the text ready? In what format? Markdown .md, Word .docx, LibreOffice .odt?
As mentioned, Pages exports as epub format, with most, if not all, of iBooks Author rolled into it.
If your text is in DOCX or ODT format, you can convert it to epub using pandoc (a command line program), with the command
Code:
pandoc -o book.epub book.docxThen, import it into Calibre or Google Play Books to see how it reads.
You can practice with existing texts like Pride and Prejudice that you can download from Project Gutenberg.
Not even necessary to use Pandoc for an epub conversion of either docx or odt documents: LibreOffice Writer exports directly to a reflowable or fixed layout epub.
This is true, but I sometimes find that pandoc does a better job. However, whatever generates a suitable file is fine.
Usually, InDesign. But I've started to use also Adobe Spark, which allows you to design the whole ebook, from the cover, table of contents, chapter covers, and more.