e-book design: headlines and first paragraphs

GMcG · 11-11-2011, 04:19 AM

Sometimes I download free e-books or free samples of e-books to learn more about e-book design and to see, how others have done it.
When I found this example of a free Zane Grey novel at feedbooks.com (I've read Zane Grey when I was a boy), I was charmed with the intricate formatting of the chapter headline. Until then I've thought only of
<h2 align="center">Chapter 1</h2>.
Do you have other examples of a more elaborate design of headlines or first paragraphs (i.e. p:first-letter) or a combination of both? Perhaps your own ones?

George

LynnaMerrill · 11-11-2011, 11:59 PM

You can take a look at the manual for the LaTeX "memoir" package. If you use LaTeX and memoir (and are willing to invest time into learning if you don't know them), you can do elaborate designs. Unfortunately, this applies to designs for PDF books and not to HTML design.

pholy · 11-12-2011, 10:34 PM

There's a thread in the epub forum about fancy tricks that should be interesting.

GMcG · 11-13-2011, 06:39 AM

Thank you, there are indeed some interesting postings, including the example above (# 108).
I think the best way will be to look for well formatted e-books and to use them as inspiration.

George

mr ploppy · 11-13-2011, 10:17 AM

The example posted is Feedbooks' standard layout if you paste your text into their boxes. I use images for chapter headings, but normal text for everything else. Text formatting should be the choice of the reader, nobody else.

anamardoll · 11-14-2011, 06:10 PM

I do like the Feedbooks chapter headings, but I confess to being anxious about adding bells and whistles that aren't 100% necessary. Most of my own personal library has been converted numerous times (from X to epub, to update cover, to remove embedded fonts, etc.) and I'm never sure how well certain things will hold up through these conversions.

11-11-2011, 04:19 AM	#1
GMcG Writer Posts: 101 Karma: 590630 Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Munich, Germany Device: none	e-book design: headlines and first paragraphs Sometimes I download free e-books or free samples of e-books to learn more about e-book design and to see, how others have done it. When I found this example of a free Zane Grey novel at feedbooks.com (I've read Zane Grey when I was a boy), I was charmed with the intricate formatting of the chapter headline. Until then I've thought only of <h2 align="center">Chapter 1</h2>. Do you have other examples of a more elaborate design of headlines or first paragraphs (i.e. p:first-letter) or a combination of both? Perhaps your own ones? George Attached Thumbnails

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11-11-2011, 11:59 PM	#2
LynnaMerrill SF/F writer, programmer Posts: 34 Karma: 509838 Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: USA Device: Kindle 4	You can take a look at the manual for the LaTeX "memoir" package. If you use LaTeX and memoir (and are willing to invest time into learning if you don't know them), you can do elaborate designs. Unfortunately, this applies to designs for PDF books and not to HTML design.

11-12-2011, 10:34 PM	#3
pholy Booklegger Posts: 1,801 Karma: 7999816 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Device: BeBook(1 & 2010), PEZ, PRS-505, Kobo BT, PRS-T1, Playbook, Kobo Touch	There's a thread in the epub forum about fancy tricks that should be interesting.

11-13-2011, 06:39 AM	#4
GMcG Writer Posts: 101 Karma: 590630 Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Munich, Germany Device: none	Thank you, there are indeed some interesting postings, including the example above (# 108). I think the best way will be to look for well formatted e-books and to use them as inspiration. George

11-13-2011, 10:17 AM	#5
mr ploppy Feral Underclass Posts: 3,622 Karma: 26821535 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Yorkshire, tha noz Device: 2nd hand paperback	The example posted is Feedbooks' standard layout if you paste your text into their boxes. I use images for chapter headings, but normal text for everything else. Text formatting should be the choice of the reader, nobody else.

11-14-2011, 06:10 PM	#6
anamardoll Chasing Butterflies Posts: 3,132 Karma: 5074169 Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: American Southwest Device: Uses batteries.	I do like the Feedbooks chapter headings, but I confess to being anxious about adding bells and whistles that aren't 100% necessary. Most of my own personal library has been converted numerous times (from X to epub, to update cover, to remove embedded fonts, etc.) and I'm never sure how well certain things will hold up through these conversions.

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