Digital Publishing EPUB Standard Effects on Publishers Channels Devices
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EPUB is an open standard for digital publishing that allows content to be reflowed for different screen sizes. It is composed of three standards: OPS, OPF, and OCF. EPUB helps publishers reduce conversion costs and can be used as a final deliverable format. Publishers can create EPUB files in-house using tools like Adobe Indesign or with third-party software, or they can work with digital conversion companies to produce EPUB files. As EPUB adoption increases, distributors are receiving EPUB files and converting them to other formats as needed.
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Digital Publishing EPUB Standard Effects on Publishers Channels Devices
- 1. Digital Publishing and the EPUB Standard: Effects on Publishers, Channels and Devices
- 2. August Wholesale Trade +83% Calendar Year to Date +53%
- 5. If only it was this uncomplicated
- 16. Michael Smith IDPF [email_address] www.idpf.org 905-235-4373
Editor's Notes
- Today I’d like to share with you some recent developments and a few numbers regarding the eBook space. Many of you I have recently spoken with or exchanged e-mails are in the early stages of determining your presence within the eBook space. Whether you are a Publisher, a Service Provider, Retailer or Distributor NOW is the time for you to take a serious look at workflows and I encourage you to start producing or altering your workflow to create EPUB. Epub is a new and emerging standard, with the last component having become an official IDPF Standard in September 2007. Right now, EPUB is going through an adoption phase happening on a variety of fronts. Publishers, Software Developers, Distributors, Device Manufactures, Digital Rights Management Companies, are all planning forward with a strong reliance on EPUB.
- While “sighs of relief” may be heard in publishing boardrooms regarding modest growth or flat sales during these challenging times…eBook Sales are soaring, as an industry is rallying around a single Open Standard: EPUB. Last week we received our August eBook Trade Publishing statistics from the Association of American Publishers. August 2008 year to year vs. August 2007 trade sales are up 82.9% Calendar year to date eBook sales are up +53%. These are wholesale trade sales reported from 13 Trade publishers only…The numbers are relevant as the same 13 publishers have been consistently reporting and indicate the positive trend upwards. Calendar year to date is up 53%. When next months numbers come in….will be over $12,000,000 for the 3 rd quarter. Which is in line with $8,000,000 in the same quarter last year.
- IDPF Standards are non-proprietary open standards…meaning anyone can apply or use them at NO COST. Epub specifications are based on open standards such as XML, XHTML, CSS, DTBook, OASIS, Open Document Format and others. (Unicode,) EPUB is an XML-based file format designed to reflow text according to screen size We are all familiar with PDF which is an example of a non-reflowable book. The consumer reads this file or book exactly as the publisher intends it to be read. We are all experienced with navigating the scroll bar or arrows to move to a different section of the book DRM free EPUB is interoperable between conformant reading devices when no Digital Rights Management is applied. Recently O’Reilly Media has begun to release DRM Free EPUB files. Not really a magic elixir called epub. Epub is in fact comprised of 3 separate and completely open IDPF standards. The extension that denotes this file format is .epub not unlike .pdf denoting PDF files. OPS is XML based specification for content, structure and presentation of electronic books OPS became an Official IDPF Standard September 2007 Title, Author, Chapter Head, Subhead, BodyText The Open Publication Structure is a universal distribution format for reflowable publications Adobe Digital Editions is Free Download that can read Native EPUB OPF provides Navigation, Packaging, Metadata, Table of Contents for file OPF basically tells the file how each piece of the puzzle relates to each other OCF is Zip based standard to encapsulate components into a single file. The Open Container format is essentially a .zip file which can travel through Distribution and retail channels No matter how you describe it…It’s a basically a zip file Official IDPF Standard October 2006
- Epub allows publishers to create only one single file that can be processed through Distribution channels. If costs of conversions are significantly reduced then more titles can be converted into electronic format for sale. Epub can be utilized as final deliverable format from Publishers as it is with Adobe Digital Editions, Sony Reader and Stanza Reader. This is great, but was not the only reason epub was created. DRM is a fact of life today, meaning multiple proprietary formats are produced for sale among different devices. Epub is also a means for publishers to create a single epub format and then have the epub converted into proprietary formats like Microsoft Reader, Palm, MobiPocket which is used on Blackberry’s, and newer formats such as Kindle Important to once again note, we are still in the adoption phase of epub and processes will need tweaking as they mature.
- Missing from this slide is how do you get to EPUB. This is the most critical decision you will have to make regarding your Digital Workflow. Will you supply final PDF’s to service providers and have them create your epub? Will you use Page Layout Software such as Adobe InDesign CS4, which can export to EPUB? Do you utilize QuarkXPress and 3 rd party software such as Atomik Export to get from Quark to XML then to EPUB. Do you go to XML First workflow? Note, tomorrow at noon there is a session in Hall 4 Room-Brillianz to discuss an XML first workflow and I strongly suggest attending to better understand options available to you.
- If a publisher utilizes Adobe InDesign CS4 in their workflow they now have an option to export directly to an epub file. Also included in this new release is an option to export EPUB utilizing Digital Talking Book DTD, which creates EPUB compatible with Daisy Standard for persons who are visually impaired. At present InDesign CS4 is the only page layout offering this direct EPUB export with NIMAS-Ready DAISY XML.. There are other ways of creating epub through page layout software like QuarkXPress or earlier versions of InDesign, but not in a direct manner “out of the box” like CS3 or CS4. These workflows often involve 3 rd Party Extensions, customizations leading towards an ultimate output of XML…which can then be converted to EPUB. Atomic Export is a product from UK based www.easypress.com, which will convert from QuarkXPress to EPUB. The method most being used by companies not tagging text and graphics into XML is to supply Final Working files or a Print Ready PDF to a digital warehouse or conversion company.
- Of course…if you are already have an XML Based Workflow…You are way ahead of the game and don’t need me to tell you this! You likely went to XML so you could react to whichever direction the industry is going to move. Tomorrow at noon Michael Healy from Book Industry Study Group, Andrew Savikas from O’Reilly Media and Mike Shatzkin for the IdeaLogical company have a session here titled “Start with XML” If you haven’t made your workflow decision yet, you should attend to hear their Executive Briefing
- Publishers can utilize 3 rd Party Digital Warehouses and Conversion companies such as the companies listed here This segment of the industry is quickly evolving to meet Publishing, Distribution, and Retail requirements…as they have throughout digital publishing evolution. The companies listed on the screen will accept Final PDF or Final Page Layout files. (QuarkXPress/ InDesign) In most case they will ingest any copy or content supplied from Publisher Create XML to be converted to epub and other formats Their world is based on a Foundation of XML or XHTML.
- This is not theory any longer: epub adoption and implementation is happening. Exciting for a standard which became an official standard only one year ago. Interesting and Exciting Times as Distributors are accepting epub files and performing “lights-out” conversions to the necessary proprietary formats. Light’s our conversions are very exciting…why? because this is actually happening as planned at the beginning of the OPS Working Group. Interesting, because we are in adoption phase and not all the conversion programs/system have been built or matured to create all necessary formats. Microsoft, Palm, Sony are ones I’ve heard about. Conversions are getting done…just not cleanly or some workarounds are required. At our upcoming Business Special Interest Group meeting, we will be discussing “Reality Practices” and share known issues and workarounds. Here is one fairly high profile example, which I have been given permission to share: MOBIPOCKET has updated creation software to ingest EPUB Ebookbase Import uploads large quantities of files including epub and go through compiler (why is this exciting?) We know epub is going into compiler….it’s the transformation taking place: EPUB MOBIPOCKET FORMAT KINDLE FORMAT all one automatic “lights out” transformation Having epub converted into other formats behind the scenes. This is a huge win for publishers. As far as epub living up to expectations, each time Mobipocket takes an epub file and converts to MobiPocket and Kindle formats…It is a win for epub standard and proves epub is working!
- Adobe Digital Editions is able to read native EPUB on your desktop and is also being utilized to read EPUB on Sony Reader Sony Reader announced EPUB Support and is committed to the eBook Space Stanza is a free application that reads EPUB on iPhone. Currently only able to read unencrypted EPUB. Feedbooks.com is primary destination for Project Gutenberg EPUB titles and has supplied an incredible 2,000,000 EPUB files to be read on the iPhone. STANZA - (free application) Over 400,000 users have downloaded Stanza from the App Store for their iPhones / iPod Touches - Over 2 million books have been downloaded (all ePub). Feedbooks is seeing 30,000 - 40,000 books downloaded by Stanza users every day. - - European EPUB adoption is taking hold as Stanza is #14 in France for most loaded iPhone applications, and #20 here in Germany and #32 in UK
- Just listing a few UK companies who have announced EPUB support Some obviously missed and many more to follow…
- List of the companies announcing EPUB support through AAP Digital Issues Working Group Again more to follow…
- Just listing a few…how have not only announced support but are “doing” Some obviously missed and many more to follow
- There is a lot of good happening in the digital publishing space. Epub validation tool is available at no cost to help ensure epub files are fully compliant with IDPF specifications. Most of the EpubCheck functionality comes from the schema validation tool Jing and schemas that were developed by IDPF and DAISY. EpubCheck development was largely done at Adobe Systems.
- All IDPF members are welcome to take part in our • recently reinstated Business Special Interest Group. Business SIG provides an excellent opportunity to network and discuss relevant issues of the day. Future meetings will take place November 5 th (EPUB: Where are we today?), November 25th, and December 16th. Future topics include “Knowing the eBook consumer” and we look forward to hearing your discussion topics. Tonight we will be hosting a networking session in the city center at Jazil Bar. If you have a stake in the Digital Publishing space, you are invited to attend this evening from 7:30 -9:00 PM. You have invested a time and money to attend the world’s largest bookfair…take advantage of this opportunity meet the folks who are similarly booked up all day with appointments. Bring your business cards. IDPF Standards are non-proprietary open standards…meaning anyone can apply or use them at NO COST. Epub specifications are based on open standards such as XML, XHTML, CSS, DTBook, OASIS, Open Document Format and others. (Unicode,) Epub is the standard for reflowable text Simply meaning The text will reflow according to the screen size, which allows the consumer to read on a variety of screen sizes, ranging from PDA’s to large size monitors (publishers can distribute to other formats) ***********************************************************
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