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Your Ebook Project

Photo closeup of e-reader
Photo by Charles on Unsplash
Source

Project Checklist

Bring the following with you to the Inspiration Lab to start working on your ebook project:

Must Haves:

  • A digital copy of your manuscript that has been edited and basic formatting applied. (.doc, .docx, .html, .rtf)
  • Portable storage device to save your working files (USB, Portable Hard Drive)

Optional:

  • Backup copy of any website links
  • Photographs, illustrations, other graphics (.jpg, .png)
  • Cover artwork (.jpg, .png) this can also be created using Adobe InDesign CC or Photoshop CC
  • Video and audio files (Interactive PDF or Fixed layout EPUB 3.0 only)

Types of Ebook Formats

Reflowable EPUB vs. Fixed Layout EPUB 3.0

Although the majority of ebooks are reflowable, the newer EPUB 3.0 format allows for books with fixed layouts, similar to PDFs. There are many different file formats for ebooks, but the two file types held as standard are PDF and EPUB. Each of these file formats have their own advantages and limitations, and are things to keep in mind when starting your project. Adobe Digital Editions 4.0 supports the new EPUB 3.0 format and is installed on the Inspiration Lab computers. It is also free to download and install for home use.

For a detailed listing of the many different kinds of ebook formats, see the Wikipedia comparison of file formats.

  Reflowable (EPUB 2.0 or 3.0) Fixed Layout (EPUB 3.0) Fixed Layout (Interactive PDF)
Advantages
  • Accepted by most platforms and devices.
  • Readable on any size of screen.
  • Cheap and simple to produce.
  • Simple formatting.
  • Easy to update.
  • Embedded metadata.
  • Open Format but can be protected by DRM (Digital Rights Management).
  • Complete control over page layout (fonts, image positioning, multi-columns, etc.).
  • Allows for interactivity and animation.
  • Can sell through iBooks store (as opposed to PDF).
  • Good for children's books, cookbooks and "coffee table" photography books.
  • Ideal pages that rely heavily on images, layout designs, and particular fonts.
  • Can use word processor.
  • Supports hyperlinks.
  • PDFs created in Adobe InDesign can have embedded audio, video, animated transitions.
Limitations
  • Only supports simple page layout – no multi-column or absolutely positioned content.
  • The reader controls the text size, font, line spacing, and margins.
  • Limited support for embedding specific fonts.
  • Supported only by tablets, not eReaders.
  • Does not adapt to particular devices, making it difficult to read on small device screens.
  • Requires significantly more design work.
  • More involved to update.
  • More expensive to produce.
  • Does not adapt to particular devices, making it difficult to read on small device screens.
  • Limited options for metadata.
  • Can be viewed on your eReader but need to zoom in and out to see the full page, or make font larger.