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rplantz · 10-09-2015, 03:36 PM

Is there a good way to produce a paperback version from epub source files?

I wrote a technical textbook (lots of equations and circuit diagrams) several years ago using LaTeX, which does a beautiful job of typesetting. I sell paperback and PDF versions on Lulu.com. A few months ago I created an HTML version using tex4ht, which uses png for all the equations and figures. The HTML version is available for free online (bob.cs.sonoma.edu), but most students still buy the paperback or PDF versions. The formatting is better than the HTML, and about a third still like having paper.

I am starting a second book and would like to sell it on Amazon – Kindle and CreateSpace. I would like to use epub 3.0. That would allow me to use MathML for the equations and SVG for the figures. I would then have a “real” ebook. But my current experience shows that many students would still like to buy a paperback version. Of course, the paperback version would need to look at least as good as the ebook version.

Am I getting too far ahead of the curve? At the time I first put my book on Lulu.com, Amazon would not sell PDF versions. Now they have Kindle Textbook Creator, which apparently resizes PDF books to better fit small screen devices.

To reiterate, this is a technical textbook with lots of equations, circuit diagrams, and computer code. I’m wondering if the flowing text feature of epub will ever be good for this type of book.

10-09-2015, 03:36 PM	#1
rplantz Member Posts: 21 Karma: 493474 Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Northern California Device: Acer A500	epub to pdf Is there a good way to produce a paperback version from epub source files? I wrote a technical textbook (lots of equations and circuit diagrams) several years ago using LaTeX, which does a beautiful job of typesetting. I sell paperback and PDF versions on Lulu.com. A few months ago I created an HTML version using tex4ht, which uses png for all the equations and figures. The HTML version is available for free online (bob.cs.sonoma.edu), but most students still buy the paperback or PDF versions. The formatting is better than the HTML, and about a third still like having paper. I am starting a second book and would like to sell it on Amazon – Kindle and CreateSpace. I would like to use epub 3.0. That would allow me to use MathML for the equations and SVG for the figures. I would then have a “real” ebook. But my current experience shows that many students would still like to buy a paperback version. Of course, the paperback version would need to look at least as good as the ebook version. Am I getting too far ahead of the curve? At the time I first put my book on Lulu.com, Amazon would not sell PDF versions. Now they have Kindle Textbook Creator, which apparently resizes PDF books to better fit small screen devices. To reiterate, this is a technical textbook with lots of equations, circuit diagrams, and computer code. I’m wondering if the flowing text feature of epub will ever be good for this type of book.