Hey everyone! So I know we usually talk about apps, apps, apps, but what about eBooks? I've been looking into eBooks recently and I'd like to get started on one! More precisely, I'd like to collect the existing PDF files from my app (and add cover page + table of contents) and create an eBook for distribution in the iBook Store, Amazon, Lulu, etc. Now for my question - how should I go about this? Any programs I should know about? Costs? ISBN numbers? It seems like it should really be a "simple" move from one medium to the other since, as previously mentioned, I already have all the PDF files I'd like to include in the prospective eBook. Any direction would be greatly appreciated! Thanks! Nicholas

Hi Nicholas. I'm also writing an eBook, and after some research decided to try out "Scrivener". You can download a 30-day trial from their Website (which is what I did, and after using it for about a week, am seriously thinking of buying it). If you decide to buy it, then buy it from their Website and you can find a 20% discount code online (updates are much quicker, and Apple doesn't restrict functionality - found this out after talking to their support). URL: https://www.literatureandlatte.com In terms of biggest markets: - Amazon Kindle (obviously) - Barnes and Noble - Kobo - iBookstore I would not recommend trying for iBookstore first (market is much smaller and harder for people to find books there), instead aim for the others above, and THEN if you want to target iPads then use an app instead of an eBook for the iPad, e.g. Using the "iPad Story Book Page" Buzztouch plugin (or similar) for example (much better chance of success and being found on the Apple App Store). PM me if interested in more...I've started working on my eBook too :-) Cheers Steve

You know, I don't even know about e-books. But Scrivener is a most excellent tool, and not too badly priced. I use it for writing manuals, policies and stuff. I still haven't touched the surface of it's capabilities. But it's pretty easy to learn, and they're pretty good about support, at least they used to be; I haven't had a question for a while... I hadn't even thought about using it for ebooks, but that's not a bad idea... Cheers! -- Smug

Do Kindle only, and enroll in their KDP program. (must be exclusive). I just published 2 app books on there :)

Thanks for the feedback! I will definitely check out Scrivener - seems like one of the better bets in terms of getting started on an eBook. Amazon Kindle will be the first market I target and see how it goes before attacking the other markets as suggested. One last question - with Scrivener, would I be able to submit to the iBook Store for both iPhone/iPod & iPad devices? I don't want to limit myself to only the iPad. Thanks again - can't wait to get started! -Nicholas

You should check-out "One-Step Creation of Digital Books" by Sal Soghoian, Apple's Product Manager of Automation Technologies such as Automator, AppleScript, etc. In this guided hands-on tutorial you will learn how to use the automation tools of OS X to quickly transform existing text, text files, and digital media such as images, and audio/video clips, into digital books, saved in standard EPUB format, viewable on computers and mobile devices. Notice the menu on the left-side that will walk you through each segment of the tutorial. http://www.macosxautomation.com/workshops/epub/index.html -- Niraj

Dear ones, Just downloaded Scrivener. Loving it! Here's a coupon code (20% discount): WORDSWITHJAM Cheers, dryFrog

One important tip: don't buy it from Apple Store, as some features are not included on the Apple Store version (such as exporting to .mobi), as I read. dryFrog

Anthologize is a free, open-source, plugin that transforms WordPress into a platform for publishing electronic texts. Grab posts from your WordPress blog, import feeds from external sites, or create new content directly within Anthologize. Then outline, order, and edit your work, crafting it into a single volume for export in several formats, including — PDF, ePUB, TEI. http://anthologize.org/ -- Niraj

@Niraj. Nice links/tools. Do you have a link to Sal's book (I tried to Google it but couldn't find it). "One-Step Creation of Digital Books" by Sal Soghoian Cheers Steve

Wow, thanks for all the sharing, guys! I've been using Scrivener trying to convert my heavily PDF-oriented apps into e-books, as suggested, firstly for the Amazon Kindle. However, I've run into a bit of a roadblock. My Scrivener file is about 60 MB. When I convert it to the .mobi format, it grows five-fold for a grand total of 300 MB - evidently way too big to even attempt to upload for the Kindle. Any thoughts on the best way to proceed in drastically reducing the size without sacrificing quality? My PDF files are roughly 150 KB each (x 200 PDFs). Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks again! -Nicholas

One important tip: don't buy it from Apple Store, as some features are not included on the Apple Store version (such as exporting to .mobi), as I read. dryFrog

One important tip: don't buy it from Apple Store, as some features are not included on the Apple Store version (such as exporting to .mobi), as I read. dryFrog