Ebook Design: More than a simple conversion
Kevin Callahan BNGO Books NYC [email protected] @BNGOBooks If you’re going to be working with ebooks, read lots of ebooks. Learn how devices work. Discover e-reading features you like, and those you don’t enjoy. Notice how you read.
While you’re reading ebooks, think about this: Is ebook design an oxymoron? http://epubsecrets.com/ebook-design-is-not- an-oxymoron.php
Ask questions!!!!! https://twitter.com/hashtag/eprdctn?lang=en Let’s take it as a given that every print book has an ebook counterpart.
And, plenty of ebooks have no print counterpart.
Kevin Callahan [email protected] • @BNGOBooks Ebook design: More than a simple conversion First principle
Let it go.
Kevin Callahan [email protected] • @BNGOBooks Ebook design: More than a simple conversion Second principle
Consider the reader (aka the user).
Kevin Callahan [email protected] • @BNGOBooks Ebook design: More than a simple conversion Third principle
Think about what apps and devices your readers will use.
Kevin Callahan [email protected] • @BNGOBooks Ebook design: More than a simple conversion Fourth principle
Design for everyone.
Kevin Callahan [email protected] • @BNGOBooks Ebook design: More than a simple conversion Ebooks: What, where, who, how (and why?)
What is an ebook? EPUB or ebook? What’s the difference? An ebook is a digital presentation of An EPUB is the file that is uploaded to retailers. It’s • text the suffix at the end of a file name: • images book.epub • other content: • audio An ebook is the book itself. MOBI or KF8? • video • interactive elements A MOBI is uploaded to Amazon; it’s the file extension to the book name: book.mobi KF8 is the current software version contained within a MOBI, but KFX is also around. For a Canadian Old Kindle devices ran software called mobipocket. perspective on digital publishing, subscribe to These devices are out of date now and are not BookNet Canada supported by Amazon. https://www.booknetcanada. ca/?utm_
Kevin Callahan [email protected] • @BNGOBooks Ebook design: More than a simple conversion Ebooks: What, where, who, how (and why?)
What devices and apps are out there?
Here’s a breakdown of the major families: • Kindle: color tablets, e-ink readers; apps for iOS, Android, Mac OS, etc. • iBooks: color tablets, phones; desktop app • Nook: color tablets, e-ink readers; apps for iOS, Android, Mac OS, etc. • Kobo: color tablets, e-ink readers; apps for iOS, Android, Mac OS, etc. WALMART! • Readium: browser-based (Chrome); heading towards app integration • Google Play: iOS and Android apps; Chrome browser plugin
Just for fun (?!) Look at this list: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_e-book_readers
Kevin Callahan [email protected] • @BNGOBooks Ebook design: More than a simple conversion Ebooks: What, where, who, how (and why?)
Who makes ebooks? The universe of ebook development
• Developers Until 2017 or so, ebook standards were written by the IDPF: the International • Software engineers Digital Publishing Forum. • Code experts Then, the IDPF merged with the W3C — • Ebook designers the World Wide Web Consortium. • Web developers Now, the W3C has a publishing • Standards mavens working group (Publishing@W3C) AND that is dedicated to working with • Authors publishers, authors, and the larger web • Developmental editors development community to expand the • Copy editors possibilities of digital book publishing. • Production editors Many of this group gathered at the • Proofreaders annual ebookcraft conference in • Designers Toronto in March. Here’s a link to slides from many presenters. • Indexers • Production artists https://www.slideshare.net/ booknetcanada/tag/ebookcraft
Kevin Callahan [email protected] • @BNGOBooks Ebook design: More than a simple conversion Ebooks: What, where, who, how (and why?)
Export to EPUB: Is InDesign the way to go?
Yes. For most of us. • Chances are your books are designed and composed in InDesign. • InDesign’s export feature creates an EPUB from a print- ready document. • You can create indexes, complex cross-referencing, ebook-only content and interactivity within InDesign. • Even if you supply a PDF for print, keep that final InDesign mechanical for ebook creation.
Kevin Callahan [email protected] • @BNGOBooks Ebook design: More than a simple conversion Ebooks: What, where, how, who (and why (1/2)?)
Accessibility Accessible Publishing Knowledge Base: http://kb.daisy.org/publishing/ We want everyone to read • When they want to • Where they want to • How they want to
Kevin Callahan [email protected] • @BNGOBooks Ebook design: More than a simple conversion Ebooks: What, where, how, who (and why (2/2)?)
Ebooks are, by their nature, accessible. A reader can • change the font • change the font size • change the orientation • change from sepia to white to night mode • use dyslexic-friendly fonts • navigate easily (multiple tables of contents) • listen via text to speech
In short, ebooks help everyone read more easily and more broadly.
Ebooks provide content and features that print books don’t.
Kevin Callahan [email protected] • @BNGOBooks Ebook design: More than a simple conversion Production + design + ebooks (1/3)
Use InDesign to its fullest.
Utilize • Style sheets • Table of Contents • Indexing • Footnotes/endnotes • JPG/PNG export
Kevin Callahan [email protected] • @BNGOBooks Ebook design: More than a simple conversion Production + design + ebooks (2/3)
Learn HTML + CSS
Utilize • HTML content structure • CSS style sheets
Kevin Callahan [email protected] • @BNGOBooks Ebook design: More than a simple conversion Production + design + ebooks (3/3)
• InDesign writes CSS based on paragraph, character, Some InDesign + EPUB learning tools object, and override styles. My articles on InDesign EPUB creation in • InDesign’s CSS is very overwritten (lots of unnecessary InDesign Magazine: junky information) and can be hard to manipulate. https://indesignsecrets.com/author/ • So, learn HTML and CSS and write your own CSS. kevin-callahan
Linked-In Learning/Lynda.com courses: https://www.linkedin.com/learning epub-accessibility-using-indesign
https://www.linkedin.com/learning/ indesign-cc-2018-epub
https://www.linkedin.com/learning/ creating-fixed-layout-ebooks-for-the-kindle
Kevin Callahan [email protected] • @BNGOBooks Ebook design: More than a simple conversion Read with new eyes
Ebooks and print books are not the same, and should not be treated the same. They have different ways of being. They take up their own spaces in the world. Treat them as individuals and they will blossom. Expect an ebook to be a replica of print and it will fall short.
Kevin Callahan [email protected] • @BNGOBooks Ebook design: More than a simple conversion So many containers
It’s still the same coffee. Kevin Callahan [email protected] • @BNGOBooks Ebook design: More than a simple conversion It’s still the same text.
Kevin Callahan [email protected] • @BNGOBooks Ebook design: More than a simple conversion Should an ebook be a replica of the print edition?
No.
Kevin Callahan [email protected] • @BNGOBooks Ebook design: More than a simple conversion Some design differences
• Make sure each book is identifiable as itself. Use • print chapter opener design • book-specific dingbats in space breaks • title page treatment as image • Use color images. If the print edition is one-color, be sure to save the color images. • Use color text. • Check contrast: must read on e-ink devices. • But DON’T use color to define content.
Kevin Callahan [email protected] • @BNGOBooks Ebook design: More than a simple conversion Plan Ahead.
• If you’re going to use a dingbat for ebook only, design it along with chapter opener. • If you’re printing in one color but want color graphic elements in ebook, design both at the start. • Remember color caveats (to come).
Kevin Callahan [email protected] • @BNGOBooks Ebook design: More than a simple conversion More design decisions
• Flush left, rag right, always • Hyphenate text • don’t hyphenate heads (but Acknowledgments can run off the screen) • Make line spacing a little tighter: • decrease space around heads • no space below heads, for example • But use generous line height (leading)
Kevin Callahan [email protected] • @BNGOBooks Ebook design: More than a simple conversion Still more design decisions Fonts Fonts can be embedded in • Lots of fonts used in print? Simplify. ebooks, with generally good • Instead of Thin, Book, Regular, Medium, Semibold, Bold, results. Some issues: Black, • licensing: is font • use Bold for all heavier weights. licensed specifically for • Super/subscript position can be hard to see + tap on ebook use? phones when too small. Try larger or bold numbers, or • format: is font Open enclosing in parens (1) (2). Type? (PostScript is not usable.) • file size: embedded fonts add to file size; is ebook already too big?
Kevin Callahan [email protected] • @BNGOBooks Ebook design: More than a simple conversion Color Web safe color picker
• Use color wherever you want: https://webaim.org/resources/contrastchecker/ • heads • images • ornamentals • But remember: • e-ink (b/w) devices • color-blind readers • make sure your contrast meets AAA standards • RGB always, never CMYK
Kevin Callahan [email protected] • @BNGOBooks Ebook design: More than a simple conversion Color Text
This is an accessibility issue. • Don’t use color to define content in( the red column) • e-ink devices don’t show red • color-blind readers can’t see red • Rewrite references to color (under the column head Egg Calories).
Kevin Callahan [email protected] • @BNGOBooks Ebook design: More than a simple conversion Text as Image
Reproduce • title page • chapter opener • design elements as image (export as JPG from InDesign, e.g.) BUT Include ALT text in image export to EPUB.
Kevin Callahan [email protected] • @BNGOBooks Ebook design: More than a simple conversion Images
Can an image and its caption be on the same screen? • Ebooks reflow, so text gets bigger or smaller. • Captions get longer or shorter depending on font size. • So captions will sometimes spill over to the next screen. This is where you’ll need to open up an exported EPUB and mess with the CSS and HTML.
Kevin Callahan [email protected] • @BNGOBooks Ebook design: More than a simple conversion Resources
BNGO Books blog: http://www.bngobooks.com/apropos Webinar, The Editor’s Place in Ebook Development: https://www.editors.ca/professional-development/webinar-recordings Accessible Publishing Knowledge Base: http://kb.daisy.org/publishing/ epubsecrets.com: epubsecrets.com Glossary of Accessibility Terms: https://www.w3.org/TR/2006/WD-WCAG20-20060427/appendixA.html Inclusive Publishing: https://inclusivepublishing.org/ ARIA: https://www.w3.org/WAI/intro/aria; http://kb.daisy.org/publishing/docs/html/roles.html epub:type: http://kb.daisy.org/publishing/docs/html/epub-type.html epub:type and ARIA roles: https://gist.github.com/rodebert/81837a2676cf2c04819a582c3eb49c13; https://idpf.github.io/ epub-guides/epub-aria-authoring/#sec-body Alt Text and Extended Descriptions: http://kb.daisy.org/publishing/docs/html/images.html Learn to write Alt Text: https://poet.diagramcenter.org/ Color: http://kb.daisy.org/publishing/docs/css/color.html; http://accessible-colors.com/; https://alistapart.com/article/color-accessibility-workflows CSS Tutorials: https://www.w3schools.com/css/ Figure: https://www.w3schools.com/tags/tag_figure.asp GreenLight preflight tool: https://www.circularsoftware.com/apps/greenlight/ InDesign Magazine (my article on using InDesign to create accessible EPUBs: https://indesignsecrets.com/building-accessible-epubs-indesign.php
Kevin Callahan [email protected] • @BNGOBooks Ebook design: More than a simple conversion Landmarks: https://idpf.github.io/a11y-guidelines/content/nav/landmarks.html LiveIndex: https://www.id-extras.com/products/liveindex Jane Friedman, for authors and publishing professionals: https://www.janefriedman.com/ PageList script: http://www.bradytypesetting.com/rorohikoscripts How to use the PageList script: http://epubsecrets.com/why-i-use-page-list-and-how.php
Kevin Callahan [email protected] • @BNGOBooks Ebook design: More than a simple conversion