What is "iBooks format"?

SigilBear · 06-02-2020, 12:01 PM

I just used Sigil to finish my first epub. I'm not going to sell this particular book via Amazon, iBooks, etc. I'm only going to sell it on my website.

However, I want to make it available to people both Kindle users and people Apple Books. (I think that covers about 99% of the epub readers out there, right?)

Anyway, I've found instructions for converting my epub to Kindle. But I'm confused about iBooks. Am I correct in saying that you don't have to convert an epub to an iBooks format?

I'm confused because I've seen instructions for converting some kind of file to an "iBook format." But if I create an epub with Sigil, then it's already in iBook format - right? I can certainly open my epub and preview it in my Apple Books program.

Thank you.

JSWolf · 06-02-2020, 12:08 PM

Books (no longer iBooks) uses ePub. But to be sure it works correctly, you will want to view it on an iPhone and an iPad both running Books.

99%, nope. You let out Kobo and nook.

SigilBear · 06-02-2020, 01:04 PM

Hmmm...My iPad was stolen, and I just bought my first smartphone ever - a Chinese Huawei.

So it would be a good idea to sell Kobo and Nook versions of my epub, too? Do you know what the file extension for each is? I'll have to see if I can use Calibre to convert it to them.

Thanks.

Quoth · 06-02-2020, 03:09 PM

It's .epub

Use Smashwords for selling epub. They distribute to Apple. Upload an epub2.

Amazon has about 90% of ebook sales. BUT! The best format to upload to Amazon KDP is the same epub for Smashwords. Amazon's advice! Purchased downloads show they dumb it down for old mobi format readers like the DX and do a conversion to KF8/AZW that on the Kindle PW3 looks the same as on a Kobo or Nook. KFX is mostly different encryption and slight rendering differences, so called enhanced typesetting. The epub2 you upload to Amazon is used to generate that also.

So the only thing you need to output for all epub readers and upload to Amazon for all Kindles, is the epub2. Using docx input gives best results.
If you ALSO sell Kindle format via Smashwords there is a slight snag. They don't know which generation of Kindle a customer has, unlike Amazon. So it's the single valid use of Calibre's "Dual Mobi", an old mobi and a KF8 versions in the one file. You upload that to Smashwords, nowhere else and never Amazon, and then when people buy it if they have an old Kindle their Kindle ignores the KF8 part, and if they have Firmware 3.x or later, they can chose "Publisher" on Aa and get the modern part, delivered by Amazon as AZW.

SigilBear · 06-02-2020, 06:35 PM

Wow, good tip about Smashwords. I'll check it out.

However, I can't sell this particular book through Kindle or iBooks because it isn't politically correct. (I was investigating some of the conspiracy theories swirling around the coronavirus, and you now where those things lead.

) They'd probably reject it and, with my luck, I might bet permanently banned.

However, I have a second book I've been working on simultaneously for Maine's bicentennial. It will be finished shortly, and II might go the Smashwords route on that one.

Thanks again.

Notjohn · 06-10-2020, 10:59 AM

SmashWords has always made my skin crawl. I use and recommend Draft2Digital.

My monthly breakdown runs 75-80 percent Kindle ebooks, 25-20 percent elsewhere. Kobo lately has been the top elsewhere seller, sometimes displaced by Apple. B&N runs third. Then maybe Google Books, then Scribd. Overdrive is very irregular, but profitable when it clicks (I double the price for libraries).

Doitsu · 06-10-2020, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SigilBear

Am I correct in saying that you don't have to convert an epub to an iBooks format?

If your epub2 book passes EPUBCheck, you don't have to convert it, but you can convert it to an epub3 book with the ePub3-itizer Sigil plugin to take advantage of the epub3 features that Apple Books/iBooks supports.

Edit: In Calibre, you can also select Polish > Upgrade Book Internals.

For more information on formatting books for Apple Books/iBooks, see the Apple Books Asset Guide 5.2.11.

JSWolf · 06-10-2020, 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doitsu

If your epub2 book passes EPUBCheck, you don't have to convert it, but you can convert it to an epub3 book with the ePub3-itizer Sigil plugin to take advantage of the epub3 features that Apple Books/iBooks supports.

Edit: In Calibre, you can also select Polish > Upgrade Book Internals.

For more information on formatting books for Apple Books/iBooks, see the Apple Books Asset Guide 5.2.11.

But if converting to ePub 3 would add nothing to the ePub in Books, just leave it as an ePub 2.

Turtle91 · 06-10-2020, 06:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

But if converting to ePub 3 would add nothing to the ePub in Books, just leave it as an ePub 2.

JSWolf · 06-12-2020, 05:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turtle91

Why go to the bother of the extra work converting ePub 2 to ePub 3 if nothing is gained?

Turtle91 · 06-12-2020, 11:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Why go to the bother of the extra work converting ePub 2 to ePub 3 if nothing is gained?

You're just so predictable - even though you've been told to knock it off with the anti-epub3 mantra. The 'extra work' being a button click if you actually started the ePub as an ePub2...

If a new publisher learns to create ePubs using epub3 properties, then why make them learn the old way of doing things in addition? ePub3 works just fine and with a couple minor additions (usually done automagically) they are completely backwards compatible with ePub2 only readers. Sooooo, the real question is: Why NOT ePub3?

That was a rhetorical question...please don't answer it yet again...we all know your preferences on the matter.

JSWolf · 06-12-2020, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turtle91

You're just so predictable - even though you've been told to knock it off with the anti-epub3 mantra. The 'extra work' being a button click if you actually started the ePub as an ePub2...

If a new publisher learns to create ePubs using epub3 properties, then why make them learn the old way of doing things in addition? ePub3 works just fine and with a couple minor additions (usually done automagically) they are completely backwards compatible with ePub2 only readers. Sooooo, the real question is: Why NOT ePub3?

That was a rhetorical question...please don't answer it yet again...we all know your preferences on the matter.

I'm not saying that if you know how to make an ePub 3 (backwards compatible) don't do it. I'm saying that if you already have an ePub 2 that's finished, it's not worth it to convert to ePub 3.

Turtle91 · 06-12-2020, 11:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I'm not saying that if you know how to make an ePub 3 (backwards compatible) don't do it. I'm saying that if you already have an ePub 2 that's finished, it's not worth it to convert to ePub 3.

It is if you are trying to sell on a platform that uses ePub3...again...the conversion is a simple button push....click, I did it!....click....oooooh I did it again!!

JSWolf · 06-13-2020, 04:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turtle91

It is if you are trying to sell on a platform that uses ePub3...again...the conversion is a simple button push....click, I did it!....click....oooooh I did it again!!

There is no platform that I know of that's ePub 3 only.

Turtle91 · 06-13-2020, 08:38 AM

Since ePub 3.2 was released in May of last year...I'm thinking you should start thinking about jumping on the ePub3 bandwagon ... BEFORE ... it is supplanted by ePub4!!

06-02-2020, 12:01 PM	#1
SigilBear Banned Posts: 244 Karma: 2112680 Join Date: Jan 2017 Device: iBooks	What is "iBooks format"? I just used Sigil to finish my first epub. I'm not going to sell this particular book via Amazon, iBooks, etc. I'm only going to sell it on my website. However, I want to make it available to people both Kindle users and people Apple Books. (I think that covers about 99% of the epub readers out there, right?) Anyway, I've found instructions for converting my epub to Kindle. But I'm confused about iBooks. Am I correct in saying that you don't have to convert an epub to an iBooks format? I'm confused because I've seen instructions for converting some kind of file to an "iBook format." But if I create an epub with Sigil, then it's already in iBook format - right? I can certainly open my epub and preview it in my Apple Books program. Thank you.

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06-02-2020, 12:08 PM	#2
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 74,037 Karma: 129333114 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	Books (no longer iBooks) uses ePub. But to be sure it works correctly, you will want to view it on an iPhone and an iPad both running Books. 99%, nope. You let out Kobo and nook.

06-02-2020, 01:04 PM	#3
SigilBear Banned Posts: 244 Karma: 2112680 Join Date: Jan 2017 Device: iBooks	Hmmm...My iPad was stolen, and I just bought my first smartphone ever - a Chinese Huawei. So it would be a good idea to sell Kobo and Nook versions of my epub, too? Do you know what the file extension for each is? I'll have to see if I can use Calibre to convert it to them. Thanks.

06-02-2020, 03:09 PM	#4
Quoth the rook, bossing Never. Posts: 11,169 Karma: 85874891 Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Ireland Device: All 4 Kinds: epub eink, Kindle, android eink, NxtPaper11	It's .epub Use Smashwords for selling epub. They distribute to Apple. Upload an epub2. Amazon has about 90% of ebook sales. BUT! The best format to upload to Amazon KDP is the same epub for Smashwords. Amazon's advice! Purchased downloads show they dumb it down for old mobi format readers like the DX and do a conversion to KF8/AZW that on the Kindle PW3 looks the same as on a Kobo or Nook. KFX is mostly different encryption and slight rendering differences, so called enhanced typesetting. The epub2 you upload to Amazon is used to generate that also. So the only thing you need to output for all epub readers and upload to Amazon for all Kindles, is the epub2. Using docx input gives best results. If you ALSO sell Kindle format via Smashwords there is a slight snag. They don't know which generation of Kindle a customer has, unlike Amazon. So it's the single valid use of Calibre's "Dual Mobi", an old mobi and a KF8 versions in the one file. You upload that to Smashwords, nowhere else and never Amazon, and then when people buy it if they have an old Kindle their Kindle ignores the KF8 part, and if they have Firmware 3.x or later, they can chose "Publisher" on Aa and get the modern part, delivered by Amazon as AZW.

06-02-2020, 06:35 PM	#5
SigilBear Banned Posts: 244 Karma: 2112680 Join Date: Jan 2017 Device: iBooks	Wow, good tip about Smashwords. I'll check it out. However, I can't sell this particular book through Kindle or iBooks because it isn't politically correct. (I was investigating some of the conspiracy theories swirling around the coronavirus, and you now where those things lead. ) They'd probably reject it and, with my luck, I might bet permanently banned. However, I have a second book I've been working on simultaneously for Maine's bicentennial. It will be finished shortly, and II might go the Smashwords route on that one. Thanks again.

06-10-2020, 10:59 AM	#6
Notjohn mostly an observer Posts: 1,515 Karma: 987654 Join Date: Dec 2012 Device: Kindle	SmashWords has always made my skin crawl. I use and recommend Draft2Digital. My monthly breakdown runs 75-80 percent Kindle ebooks, 25-20 percent elsewhere. Kobo lately has been the top elsewhere seller, sometimes displaced by Apple. B&N runs third. Then maybe Google Books, then Scribd. Overdrive is very irregular, but profitable when it clicks (I double the price for libraries).

06-13-2020, 08:38 AM	#15
Turtle91 A Hairy Wizard Posts: 3,101 Karma: 18727053 Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Charleston, SC today Device: iPhone 11/X/6/iPad 1,2,Air & Air Pro/Surface Pro/Kindle PW & Fire	Since ePub 3.2 was released in May of last year...I'm thinking you should start thinking about jumping on the ePub3 bandwagon ... BEFORE ... it is supplanted by ePub4!!

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