Publishers Launch will take a look at the commercial realities and the current state of play for illustrated ebook publishing today. With the proliferation of devices and formats and the high costs of one-off development, how can publishers make and distribute digital illustrated books more efficiently and effectively? What new opportunities for discovery and marketing direct-to-consumers do these emerging digital tools and platforms present?

1. Illustrated eBooks
@RonMartinez
@Aerbook
facebook.com/Aerbook
Publishers Launch
San Francisco • Los Angeles • New York • Paris

2. Illustrated, interactive paperback by Aerbook founder, Ron Martinez. Bantam, 1984.

3. Design Palette = Device Capabilities
Text,
Some Images
Networked:
Some Sharing

4. iPad

9. “We’re gonna need a bigger boat.”

10. Text and
Images
Rich media:
Animation,
video
Any kind of
interactivity
Sensors: geo-
location,
orientation
Media
Creation:
Camera, Mic
Networked:
live data,
social sharing
Tactile,
Touchable
Local Storage
Communication:
voice, text,
email
Design Palette = Device Capabilities

11. BEHOLD!
THE ERA OF
ILLUSTRATED
MEDIA RICH
MAYBE EVEN
INTERACTIVE
eBOOKS!

12. BEHOLD!
ILLUSTRATED
MEDIA RICH
MAYBE EVEN
INTERACTIVE
eBOOKS!

13. BECAUSE
INCOMPATIBLE
PROPRIETARY
FORMATS
AND DEVICE
CAPABILITIES

14. Apple iBooks: Most Capable
EPUB3, Static, FXL, JS, CSS3, Multi-Touch
Kindle KF8: Mostly Static
Static FXL, No JS, CSS3, PanelView,Text zoom
Nook: Static or Proprietary (Kids)
PagePerfect (PDF), Nook Kids (proprietary)
Kobo: Static, Supports Readaloud
EPUB3 FXL, media overlays, no JS
Google Play: Static
Static FXL, no JS or media overlays

15. SO,WHAT DOYOU
MAKE AND HOW
DOYOU MAKE IT?

16. Definitions:
What Are These Things?

17. eBook, n.
A text-based book
in digital form.
(Piece of cake.)

18. Enhanced Book, n.
A perfectly good
eBook ruined by
distracting,
superfluous video.

19. Once true, but no longer.

21. Creatavist by Atavist
Reflowable text, images, audio, video.

23. Vook: Tool + Services
Image, audio, video within reflowable text.
Will build FXL, multiple formats, distribute.

24. Illustrated eBook, n.
An eBook that
closely resembles
print, fixed layout.
“Easiest” to build
and bring to market.

25. Photography

26. Comics, Manga, Graphic Novels

27. Graphically Rich,Typographically Complex
Publisher: SimpleTruths

28. Fine Art Books

29. How To

30. InDesign
Exports/plugins for illustrated, fixed layout,
responsive designs. See also CircularFLO.

31. Conversion Houses
Generally convert from InDesign files
Best when little adaptation required
Note: iBooks requires live text
(necessary?)

32. Book Creator, an iOS app.
redjumper.net
Limited functionality,
iOS only, but useful
and well designed.

33. Aerbook: Create in Browser
Fixed layout, for iOS,
Kindle KF8, EPUB3, Web

34. Aerbook: Convert PDF

35. Kindle Comic Creator
Comics-centric, guided panel
navigation, tap/zoom. Ingest images.

36. iBooks Author
Apple excellence. Not ideal for conversion.
Output restricted to iBookstore

37. Book App, n.
An interactive, touchable
fiction or non-fiction
narrative, built with
native technology.
Sold in app store.

38. Considerations
What is the fun, informative,
delightful thing that reader does?
Native dev expensive.
Apps generally sell for less than
eBooks
Discoverability an issue.

39. How To:
Native Apps: expensive,
proprietary development
Hybrid Apps: Written in
HTML5, native wrapper (e.g.
PhoneGap: less expensive,
portable, some limitations

40. Baker eBook Framework
bakerframework.com
Free and open source. Tech expertise
required, but worth a look.

41. PugPig
pugpig.com
A bit expensive, magazine oriented

42. True Native: DemiBooks
Composer app ~$500 per title.
demibooks.com

43. App-Like eBook, n.
An interactive, touchable
fiction or non-fiction
eBook (not a native app).
Sold in the bookstore.

44. App-Like eBook Issues
Format fragementation: How do you
address broadest market?
As for apps, what is the informative,
delightful thing that reader does?
Consider conversion/adaptation of
existing titles: add in meaningful stuff
Original dev costs can be higher
Beware download fees

45. iBooks Author: “Multi-Touch”
3D images, video, interactive diagrams,
galleries, maps, and more.

46. 10,000 iBooks Author Titles in iBookstore
(and only the iBookstore).

47. Inkling Habitat
Text, audio, video, widgets. Scrolling chapters.
Free to try, good team support, iOS, Web, and
evolving support for ePub export

48. Inkling: Retail
Integrated commerce, sell for use on Web or within
Inkling Apps, sell by chapter, single title apps

49. Aerbook: Widgets, Animation, Media
HTML/JS/CSS, Hype, Sencha Animator, etc.

50. Thanks!
(and a preview...)

51. Native Retail Network
Create and package content in the browser,
market or sell it within social streams
Focus: graphical ebooks and web apps
Extending to text-centric eBooks, print
books, games, media, physical goods

52. Meeker, Apple, GOOG 2012 (link)
Content + mobile + social: huge opportunity
Meeker, Gartner, 2012 (link) Bowker 2012 (link)
Comscore Digital Future 2013 (link)
Google: Highest Audience. Facebook: Highest Engagement.
eBooks: Low Single Digits to 28% of $7bn Market in 3 years
Mobile is Huge Social Owns
Engagement
Paid Content
Dwarfing Ads
eBooks: A
Meteoric Rise

53. but there are NUMEROUS IMPEDIMENTS
Format
Fragment-
ation
Hefty
Retailer Fees
High Friction
Processes,
(Lots of
Rigmarole)
Little/No
Customer
Information
Loss of
Business
Control to
Platforms
Product Dev
Costly,
Conversions
Tricky
No Use
Metrics or
Analytics
Customers
Ignore Ads,
Live in Social
Streams

54. CREATE or
CONVERT
PRODUCT
PACKAGE
MULTIPLE
FORMATS
PRICE and add
SOCIAL DRM
DISTRIBUTE,
SHARE and
PREVIEW
Aerbook addresses these problems.
Roadmap:
Print on
Demand

55. SELL DIRECTSELL in STORES

56. POST DIRECTLY or in AFFILIATE VENUES
Within LinkedIn (Web)
Relevant Web and Social Properties can Easily Earn Retail Revenue by Posting Links
Within StumbleUpon
Preview, checkout, and
fulfillment in posts native to
each network.
Affiliate venues deliver
potential buyers, visibility in
exchange for revenue share.

57. MARKET, SELL in SOCIAL STREAMS: NATIVE RETAIL
Within Twitter App
Within Facebook App
Like Fast-Growing Native Advertising, But Posts are Buyable Products

58. Publishers
Channel Partners
International
Content
eBook/App Stores
Affiliate Venues
Native Retail
Product
Gross Revenue
Net Revenue
Service Fees
Less Affiliate Rev Share
Retail in any online, social venue.
Aerbook Native Retail Network: VALUE FLOW

59. RETAIL AS A SERVICE
Build Once,
Export to
Multiple
Formats
Keep More
Retail Revs
(15% vs 30%
or more)
Reduced
Friction, No
Rigmarole
Get eMail
Addresses,
Customer
Information
End-to-End
Control of
Your
Business
Spend Less,
Easily Make,
Convert
Product
GetVisibility,
Metrics, Use
Analytics
Preview/Sell
Products in
Right Social
Streams

60. Will extend to: Full text eBooks, Print Books, Web
Apps, Services, Games, Diverse Physical Goods
Games
ePub3
Packaging
for Apps:
live now.
Media
Services
Simple eBooks,
Print Books

61. Thanks!
ron@aerbook.com