EPUB for Independent Publishers What’s Under the Hood?

Who Helped? Michael Smith – IDPF Megan Cowie – BNC Brian O’Leary – Magellan Media Phil Madans – Hachette Frank Grazioli – Wiley Liza Daly – ThreePress Andrew Savikas – O’Reilly

Michael Smith – IDPF

Megan Cowie – BNC

Brian O’Leary – Magellan Media

Phil Madans – Hachette

Frank Grazioli – Wiley

Liza Daly – ThreePress

Andrew Savikas – O’Reilly

EPUB Derivation Based on XML Makes use of XHTML and DTBook Compliant with CSS 2.0

Based on XML

Makes use of XHTML and DTBook

Compliant with CSS 2.0

Who’s Afraid of XML? XML is easy – it’s text! You’re already doing XML  ONIX! EPUB is just another flavor of XML, as ONIX is

XML is easy – it’s text!

You’re already doing XML  ONIX!

EPUB is just another flavor of XML, as ONIX is

What is EPUB? Three specs that make up EPUB What it’s used for Why it’s important

Three specs that make up EPUB

What it’s used for

Why it’s important

Three Specs That Make Up EPUB Open Publication Structure - OPS Open Packaging Format - OPF Open Container Format - OCF

Open Publication Structure - OPS

Open Packaging Format - OPF

Open Container Format - OCF

Open Publication Structure (OPS) Standardized way of representing digital content for electronic reading devices Publishers sell digital content to many aggregators Need a single standard so as not to produce multiple file formats

Standardized way of representing digital content for electronic reading devices

Publishers sell digital content to many aggregators

Need a single standard so as not to produce multiple file formats

Open Packaging Format (OPF) Describes the components of the OPS publication Provides metadata (like ONIX does) Specifies the reading-order of the publication (which components are meant to be read first, second, last)

Describes the components of the OPS publication

Provides metadata (like ONIX does)

Specifies the reading-order of the publication (which components are meant to be read first, second, last)

What’s OPF For? Specifies how the OPS publication is to be used/packaged Provides supplementary information about the OPS document Provides a way to declare a table of contents

Specifies how the OPS publication is to be used/packaged

Provides supplementary information about the OPS document

Provides a way to declare a table of contents

Open Container Format (OCF) Collects the OPS and OPF files in a single “container” file (usually a ZIP file) Defines the rules for the ZIP container files

Collects the OPS and OPF files in a single “container” file (usually a ZIP file)

Defines the rules for the ZIP container files

What’s OCF For? Is the single-file format when exchanging in-progress publications between different individuals and/or different organizations. Is the recommended single-file format to be used as the transport mechanism between publisher and distributor. When delivering the final publication to the end-user, OCF is the recommended format for the single-file container that holds all of the assets that make up the publication.

Is the single-file format when exchanging in-progress publications between different individuals and/or different organizations.

Is the recommended single-file format to be used as the transport mechanism between publisher and distributor.

When delivering the final publication to the end-user, OCF is the recommended format for the single-file container that holds all of the assets that make up the publication.

What Is EPUB Used For? Neutral, standard format for sending and receiving ebooks Allows publishers to make sure that ebooks appear the same way on most devices With widespread adoption, reduces the need to produce ebooks in multiple, device-specific formats

Neutral, standard format for sending and receiving ebooks

Allows publishers to make sure that ebooks appear the same way on most devices

With widespread adoption, reduces the need to produce ebooks in multiple, device-specific formats

Why Is EPUB Important? Kindle

Getting Down and Dirty Converting Word to EPUB Converting HTML to EPUB Converting InDesign to EPUB Tools

Converting Word to EPUB

Converting HTML to EPUB

Converting InDesign to EPUB

Tools

Converting Word to EPUB Word 2007 is based on XML Many options – some say too many “ Tag pollution” – MS imposes its own tags on the doc Not many tools available to clean up a Word XML document BookGlutton does Word  HTML  EPUB Calibre does TXT  EPUB

Word 2007 is based on XML

Many options – some say too many

“ Tag pollution” – MS imposes its own tags on the doc

Not many tools available to clean up a Word XML document

BookGlutton does Word  HTML  EPUB

Calibre does TXT  EPUB

Converting HTML to EPUB Very few tools…for a reason BookGlutton – accepts one HTML file at a time Calibre – primarily a cataloguing system but does HTML  EPUB conversions Caveats HTML is ridiculously styled/coded, unstandardized Unlike XHTML, can’t be tied back to an XML doc and validated

Very few tools…for a reason

BookGlutton – accepts one HTML file at a time

Calibre – primarily a cataloguing system but does HTML  EPUB conversions

Caveats

HTML is ridiculously styled/coded, unstandardized

Unlike XHTML, can’t be tied back to an XML doc and validated

Converting InDesign to EPUB Supported by InDesign Caveats Have to use InDesign functionality (no freehand styling) EPUB requires a separate XHTML stream for each section or chapter - thus each section of an ebook should be created as a different document in InDesign Other documented issues

Supported by InDesign

Caveats

Have to use InDesign functionality (no freehand styling)

EPUB requires a separate XHTML stream for each section or chapter - thus each section of an ebook should be created as a different document in InDesign

Other documented issues

Tagging and Chunking Best Practices

Tagging

Types of Tags

How to Tag

Chunking

What Is Chunking?

How Low Can You Go?

When Do You Stop? Military History Book Chapter Description of Battle Capsule Bio of General Description of General’s Shrewish Aristocratic Wife Mention of G.S.A.W.’s Best Friend Mathilde Lengthy Digression on Mathilde’s Fashion Sense and Literary Salon Mention of Viscomte Bruno Heffendorf, interloper and troublemaker

Tagging & Chunking Workflow

Who Tags What When

Author-centric workflow

Who Tags What When

Editor-centric workflow

Who Tags What When

Production-centric workflow

Who Tags What When

Marketing-centric workflow

Who Tags What When

Subrights-centric workflow