Creating MultiMedia eBooks

Workshop description: Enhanced eBooks on iPads, iPhones and iPod Touches can include audio, video, and interactive animations in addition to digital text, images and links. In this session we’ll view examples of different multimedia eBooks created by both professional authors as well as students. We’ll learn how to use the iPad apps “Book Creator” and “Creative Book Builder” to create and share enhanced/multimedia eBooks using DropBox for free cloud storage/distribution. We’ll also discuss how to create printed version of your books using the print-on-demand service Lulu.com. Other options for directly publishing your eBooks will also be discussed, including Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), the Apple iBookstore, and Google Play.

An audio podcast recording of this session from July 28, 2014, is available.

Articles on ePublishing and eReading

1. Being a Better Online Reader by Maria Konnikova (July 2014)
2. July 2014 Author Earnings Report
3. Lessons Learned Publishing to Lulu, Amazon and the Apple iBookStore (July 2014)

Older Resources

(These are resources shared previously in workshops and conference presentations on this topic.)

Wesley's eBook, "Playing with Media: simple ideas for powerful sharing" is available in 3 formats for iPad, Kindle, and other eReaders including Nook.

This presentation is available as a 99¢ downloadable video podcast and as a free, hour long recorded videoconference on YouTube.

Recorded audio from the January 18, 2013 "Playing with Media Meetup" in Oklahoma City is available in two parts on the "Fuel for Educational Change Agents" podcast channel: Part One and Part Two.

What questions do you have?

Backchannel for Aug 7, 2012 presentation

Create Your Own: Maker Culture in the Library from Wesley Fryer

Outline

1. eBook Formats
   1. Comparison of eBook Formats
   2. ePUB
   3. Kindle (.azw - .mobi)
   4. iBooks
   5. PDF
2. Examples
   1. PDF
      1. Montana: Stories of the Land (free from Montana Historical Society)
   2. iOS Apps
      1. Knowmad Society (free - more info)
      2. Lauren, The Tickle-saurus Rex ($1)
      3. Al Gore's Our Choice ($5)
      4. The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore ($5)
   3. EPUBs
      1. Hopscotch Challenges (created with Creative Book Builder)
      2. Snowflake Gets Lost (direct ePUB link - enhanced ebook by OKCPS 2nd graders - background & photos)
      3. "Twins" by 8 year old Rachel Fryer (created with Story Patch and Book Creator independently on an iPad)
      4. Creatures, Plants and More! by Andrea Santilli & Woodlawn Beach Middle School 7th Grade Advanced Life Science Students 2011- 2012 (interactive field guide to northwest Florida, see the post "7th Graders Publish Their Own Textbook" from Tony Vincent for the backstory)
      5. "Playing with Media: simple ideas for powerful sharing"
   4. iBooks (just playable in iBooks for iOS or for Mac)
      1. Our Favorite Books (created with eBook Creator for iPad)
      2. There's a dragon in My Garage by 5 year old Samantha Harley Goes & Emily Anne Goes (free iBook ebook)
      3. MoMA Collection Highlights by MoMA, The Museum of Modern Art & Glenn D. Lowry ($10)
      4. Hot Apps 4 HOTS by Lisa Johnson & Yolanda Barker (free iBook ebook)
      5. Digital Storytelling for First Nations, Tribes, Communities and Families (direct iBooks link)
   5. eBooks Sandbox (view free eBooks and share your own)
3. eBook Options Now Include...
   1. Kindle Singles (reporting, essays, memoirs, narratives, and short stories)
   2. Now and Then Reader
   3. The Atavist
   4. TED Books
   5. @pixelofink on Twitter (free & bargain Kindle books daily)
4. Authoring in Apple Pages
   1. Sample ePUB document from Apple
   2. Media formats and file names
   3. Inserting Media (see Liz Castro's great $5 miniguide: "Audio and Video in EPUB: Straight to the Point")
   4. Exporting EPUB
   5. Citations / footnotes
5. Authoring on the iPad
   1. Book Creator for iPad ($5)
   2. Creative Book Builder (also available for Android)
   3. Book Writer ($5) - also Book Writer One (free)
6. Authoring in the Cloud
   1. Aerbook
7. Other software options (not for enhanced/multimedia)
   1. BlueGriffon EPUB Editor (free)
   2. iBooks Author (free, Mac-only)
   3. Converting with Calibre
   4. Sigil (WYSIWYG eBook editor)
   5. Adobe InDesign CS5
8. Publishing options
   1. DropBox (public folder)
   2. ePubBud
   3. Apple's iBookStore (see "approved Apple Aggregators" below)
   4. Amazon Kindle eBooks (Kindle Direct Publishing)
   5. Barnes & Noble Nook eBooks (PubIt)
   6. Smashwords
   7. Print: CreateSpace, Lulu
9. Q & A

Referenced Resources

1. Comparison of eBook Formats (English WikiPedia)
2. EPUB format information from the International Digital Publishing Forum
3. Kindle Direct Publishing
4. Apple Pages Software (commercial)
5. Calibre Software (free / open source)
6. sigil - a WYSIWYG ebook editor (not for enhanced/multimedia - free / open source)
7. Audio and Video in EPUB: Straight to the Point Miniguide #2 ($5 ebook)
8. Apple ePUB Template with recommended stylesheet
9. Lulu.com
10. Approved Apple Aggregators (companies) for the iTunes iBookstore – as of July 2011
11. CreateSpace (publish print books on demand, Amazon’s official partner / channel)
12. e-Junkie (sell digital content online - service I use for "Playing with Media")
13. ePubBud
14. eBook Help on speedofcreativity.org
15. Wesley's delicious.com social bookmarks for eBooks
16. Books are the New Apps (3 April 2012)
17. Copyright Videos from Common Sense Media

Free posts, presentations and podcasts about eBook authoring

1. Podcast380: The Summer of Podfading is OVER: Let’s Talk eBooks! (17 Sep 2011)
2. Podcast383: Creating eBook Yearbooks of Student Work (13 Oct 2011)
3. Lessons Learned About Enhanced or Multimedia EPUB eBook Validation (15 Aug 2011)
4. Working with Free eBooks on Kindle for iPad NOT from Amazon.com (24 May 2011)
5. Reading the Fine Print: Considering Different eBook Publishing Options for the iBookstore (25 Jul 2011)
6. Publishing eBooks to Amazon and iTunes iBookstore: Learning Curve Continues (29 Jul 2011)
7. Validation errors in a multimedia or enhanced EPUB eBook (5 Aug 2011)
8. Lessons Learned About Enhanced or Multimedia EPUB eBook Validation (15 Aug 2011)
9. eBooks and ePub Format Digital Books: A #tltechforum Roundable (6 May 2011)
10. Oodles of eBooks (podcast) by Carolyn Foote (@technolibrary on Twitter) – Session resources

Apps for eBook Creation

1. Book Creator ($5, make ePUBs)
2. Story Patch ($3, makes only PDFs - my 8 year old loves this one
3. eBook Magic ($4, make ePUBs)
4. Demibooks (free, create interactive eBooks but not ePUBs)

eBooks in the Library Options

1. Whispercast from Amazon
2. Ready, Set, (W)eRead! Redefining Library for the 21st Century (with iPad eBooks) - 13 Oct 2012 post