Digital Publishing with ePub

Kevin Zurawel@kzurawel

arborwebsolutions.com

Digital Conversion

• Plain text (ASCII)

Digital Conversion

• Adobe .PDF

Digital Conversion

• Microsoft Reader

• .LIT

The Modern Era

ePub

•Developed September 2007 by IDPF

•Based on “Open eBook” (1999)

•Supports DRM

ePub

•“Reading Systems”:

•Windows / OS X / Linux

•Sony Reader / Nook / Kobo

•iOS / Android

•Web

Content Types

What’s Inside?

Tools

Sigil http://wr4.us/sigil

Calibre http://wr4.us/calibre

Alternatives

Project Time!

Convert a plain-text book to ePub

Converting txt to ePub

•Download the text - Gutenberg

•Paste into Sigil

•Edit the book

•(optional)Make conversions in Calibre

Project Gutenberg...

...to Sigil...

Sigil Workflow1. Paste in the text

2. Make chapter breaks where needed

3. Insert images

4. Edit TOC

5. Add anchor tags / links if needed

6. Apply custom CSS classes / styles

Editing in Sigil

{Editing Mode(WYSIWYG,

Hybrid,Code)

InsertChapterBreak

InsertImage

Chapter Breaks

•“Chunk” your ebook into multiple XHTML files

•Faster loading and reflow

•MAKE CHAPTERS ALL THE TIME

Anchors

• <a name=”ch3” id=”ch3”></a>

• Later...

• <a href=”#ch3”>Go to chapter 3</a>

Custom CSS

•ePub 2 (current spec) uses a subset of CSS 2

•ePub 3 will integrateHTML5 / CSS3

A subset of CSS 2?

It’s not so bad.

It’s not so bad.(ePub reader software isn’t

good enough anyway)

CSS 2 for ePub

• margin

• padding

• border

• display

• float / clear

• width / height

• color

• line-height

• font-size

• font-weight

• text-align

• text-indent

Things to Do with CSS 2

•Drop caps / small caps

•Blockquote / poetry styling

•Chapter headings

•Inline images

•Fleurons

Bulletproofing!

Converting with Calibre

• Add your new ePub to Calibre’s library

• Convert to Kindle / Sony Reader / PDF / etc.

• ???

• Profit!

Helpful Websites

http://wr4.us/3pr

ePub Zen Gardenhttp://wr4.us/ezen

http://wr4.us/eptools

http://wr4.us/ade

EPUB3

Go make some books!Kevin Zurawel

@kzurawelarborwebsolutions.com