Well, seeing your email, and your questioning, I admit that I found myself in your shoes, a few years ago, asking myself all sorts of questions and not knowing where to really start.
I could have given you my own experience, but it would have been too subjective, and I wouldn't have any conclusive feedback as I am not widely involved in ebook publishing, but only occasionally.
So without hesitation, I just asked the question to chatGPT, (and this will certainly re-launch the debate on this subject)... I tried to ask a rather broad but framed question, asking for some formatting in the answer, and asking for the addition of links. (beware that some links may send to 404s, especially if the articles have been updated recently, but it allows you to search from there...) and, questionable or not, it lays a foundation.
By the way, I asked GPT not to be exhaustive, but to go into detail anyway.
So here is his answer:
Choosing a format and software
Determine the type of ebook you want to create and choose the appropriate format. The most common formats are
EPUB is the most widely used format for e-readers and mobile devices. It is a free and open-standard format that can be used on most devices.
MOBI is the format used by Kindle devices. It supports features such as annotations and syncing of reading progress between devices.
PDF is a print-like format that preserves the layout and formatting of a document. It is best used for books with complex layouts, such as textbooks or technical manuals.
To learn more about the differences between ebook formats, check out these resources
Select ebook creation software that suits your needs and budget. Some options include
For a more detailed breakdown of ebook formats and software options, see the Book Designer’s blog
Writing and Content
Decide on the type of content you want to write and the audience you want to target. This will help you determine the tone, language, and style of your ebook.
Create an outline of your ebook to help you organize your thoughts and structure your content.
Determine if your ebook will include images or not. If it does, ensure that the images are of high quality and relevant to the content. Consider using a professional designer or using tools like Canva or Adobe Spark to create your own images.
- Determine the image format you want to use. Popular image formats for ebooks include JPEG, PNG, and GIF.
- Optimize your images for ebook viewing by compressing them to reduce their file size without sacrificing quality. You can use free online tools like TinyPNG or CompressJPEG to do this.
- Ensure that the images are appropriately sized for the ebook format you are using. For example, for EPUB files, the maximum image size should be around 2.5 million pixels, while for MOBI files, it should be around 127KB.
For more detailed information on preparing images for ebooks, check out these resources
For more detailed information on writing and content creation, check out these resources
Formatting and Design
Choose a design and layout that fits your content and target audience. Consider factors such as font, spacing, images, and color scheme.
Use ebook formatting software or tools to convert your manuscript into an ebook format. Some options include:
For more detailed information on formatting and design, check out these resources
Marketing and Distribution
Choose a platform to distribute your ebook. Popular options include Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing, Apple Books, and Barnes & Noble Press.
Create a marketing plan to promote your ebook. This may include strategies such as social media advertising, email marketing, and book reviews.
Consider using an ebook aggregator to distribute your book to multiple retailers. Some options include
For more detailed information on marketing and distribution, check out these resources
Adobe InDesign
Adobe InDesign is a professional publishing software that can be used to create both print and digital publications, including ebooks.
InDesign supports exporting to popular ebook formats like EPUB and Kindle formats, making it a popular choice for creating ebooks.
When creating an ebook in InDesign, it is important to set up the document correctly, ensuring the proper page size, margins, and bleed settings are in place. InDesign also has specific settings for exporting to ebook formats that should be followed.
InDesign provides tools to easily add interactive elements to ebooks, such as hyperlinks, videos, and audio files.
It is important to keep in mind that while InDesign is a powerful tool for creating ebooks, it does have a learning curve and may require some practice to master.
Here are some resources to help you get started with using InDesign for ebooks
In addition to InDesign, there are other software options available for creating ebooks, such as Scrivener, Vellum, and Sigil. It is important to choose the software that best fits your needs and budget.
Headers
The header of an ebook file contains information about the ebook such as the title, author, and publisher. It is important to ensure that this information is accurate and complete.
There are different types of ebook headers, depending on the file format. For example, EPUB files have a metadata section in the header, while MOBI files have a EXTH header.
Here are some resources to learn more about ebook headers
XHTML
XHTML is a markup language used to structure content in web pages and ebooks. It is a stricter version of HTML and follows XML rules.
When creating an ebook using XHTML, it is important to ensure that the code is valid and well-formed.
Some resources for learning XHTML include
CSS
CSS is a styling language used to control the presentation of HTML and XHTML documents, including ebooks.
When creating an ebook, it is important to use CSS to ensure that the content is visually appealing and easy to read.
Some resources for learning CSS include
It is important to note that while understanding the technical aspects of ebook creation can be helpful, it is not necessary to have extensive programming knowledge in order to create an ebook. Many ebook creation tools and software, such as InDesign and Calibre, have built-in capabilities for generating valid XHTML and CSS code.
Here's an example of an EPUB 3 header in XHTML format
xml
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xmlns:epub="http://www.idpf.org/2007/ops">
<head>
<title>My EPUB Book</title>
<meta charset="UTF-8"/>
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0, minimum-scale=1.0"/>
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="style.css"/>
<script type="text/javascript" src="script.js"></script>
</head>
<body>
<!-- Book content goes here -->
</body>
</html>
This header includes the following components
- xml declaration: Specifies the version of XML used and the character encoding.
- DOCTYPE declaration: Specifies the document type and the version of EPUB being used.
- html element: The root element of the HTML document, with the xmlns attribute specifying the namespace for EPUB metadata.
- head element: Contains metadata about the book, such as the title, character encoding, viewport, and links to stylesheets and scripts.
- title element: Specifies the title of the book.
- meta elements: Provide additional information about the book, such as the character encoding and viewport.
- link elements: Reference external resources, such as stylesheets and fonts.
- script elements: Reference JavaScript files used in the book.
Here are some resources that provide more information on how to create EPUB 3 headers
I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any more questions
chatGPT
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