Step-By-Step Guide to ePub creation

[Dwayne Smith]

Thanks for your response Jellby.

That's brilliant. Presumably there are no instances where embedded fonts are supported but @import is not.

Unfortunately I'm going to have to postpone such cool tricks until I can work out how to get the (expletive) embedded fonts recognised in the first place.

d.

[Almiel]

Originally Posted by pholy

I just found that I have to use (zip mybook.epub -DX0 mimetype) to pass the epubcheck. Otherwise I get an error about extra field length being 28 instead of 0.

I followed the zipping instructions at http://www.webvivant.com/zipping-epub-files.html with great success. This is especially useful for mac users because it addresses the hidden files that mac creates in each folder.

[virtual_ink]

Hi all, I'm new to the forum, working at a small publishing house and have been tasked with converting our print books to ebooks. I usually typeset the books so am already working in InDesign, and i have some basic HTML experience. I'm embracing the new challenge by reading Liz Castro's Straight To The Point guide and watching the InDesign CS5 epub training videos on Lynda (although we are on CS5.5), i'm learning a lot of great stuff but so far I haven't found a simple solution to some of my most basic queries.

For starters, how do I create a section title and a chapter title that will each split the epub into separate files/chapters? I want sections to appear as parent items in the toc, with chapters as children, but CS5.5 will only allow me to split the document defined by one paragraph style, so if I set the toc style up the way I'd like it, the epub doesn't split the way I would like. If I strip out our design elements and start all new sections and chapters with the same header, I get the right splits, but the toc and the page design are compromised.

I guess I can edit these later, but if there's an easier way to do this - any tips would be much appreciated!

[AuthorGreg]

Anyone know where I can download the Prince and the Pauper file now? The link posted here is invalid.

Thanks,

Greg

[Pablo]

Originally Posted by AuthorGreg

Anyone know where I can download the Prince and the Pauper file now? The link posted here is invalid.

Thanks,

Greg

You should find it here:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34347

[AuthorGreg]

Thank you, sir!

[StoryEnthusiast]

Wow, there's so much info on how to create ePub step by step. This is exactly what I was looking for. However, following links seem not working any more.

Here is the format spec...
http://www.openebook.org/2007/opf/OP...inal_spec.html

Here is the packaging spec...
http://www.openebook.org/2007/ops/OP...inal_spec.html

[Toxaris]

You can find the specs at the site of the IDPF: http://www.idpf.org

Both the ePUB v2 and ePUB v3 specifications can be found there.

[Karellen]

Originally Posted by Almiel

I followed the zipping instructions at http://www.webvivant.com/zipping-epub-files.html with great success. This is especially useful for mac users because it addresses the hidden files that mac creates in each folder.

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

Don't know if any of this will be of help or not...

Here is the format spec...
http://www.openebook.org/2007/opf/OP...inal_spec.html

Here is the packaging spec...
http://www.openebook.org/2007/ops/OP...inal_spec.html


Here's a write up done on Teleread that might have some useful info...
http://www.teleread.org/2007/10/31/e...epub-creation/


Also the Mobil Read Wiki has some good info...
https://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/EPUB



I know it's not really the step-by-step guide you asked for, but I don't think I've seen one.

Originally Posted by jgray

Something I originally posted on TeleRead some time ago:

http://www.zianet.com/jgray/articles...ad1/index.html

Originally Posted by Jellby

What I used when I started with ePUB: http://www.jedisaber.com/eBooks/tutorial.asp

And little by little I've added some tweaks to my ePUB files. You can unzip one of them ("The Prince and the Pauper" is a good one, since it has embedded fonts too) and see how it's done. They are all hand-written, so everything there is is there because I added it (not because it's the default of some program).

The only thing missing is creating the final zip file. I pack the mimetype file without compression (zip mybook.epub -0 mimetype) and then add the rest of the files (zip mybook.epub -rDX9 META-INF OEPBS).

Probably best to unpin this unhelpful thread. All the above links are broken and there really isn't a lot of info here to support the thread title and pinning.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by Karellen

Probably best to unpin this unhelpful thread. All the above links are broken and there really isn't a lot of info here to support the thread title and pinning.

I agree.

[JSWolf]

Plus the best way to make ePub is with The calibre editor or Sigil.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Plus the best way to make ePub is with The calibre editor or Sigil.

I would disagree. The best low cost way to make an ePub is with a word processor (Word and Libre Office Writer for example) using styles and then using another tool (calibre, Vellum, whatever) to convert the word processor file to an ePub. The calibre ebook-editor and Sigil are the best tools I've used for editing an existing ePub but neither is intended to be a WYSIWYG editor and tend to require a level of knowledge of CSS and HTML that most authors do not have and are not interested in learning.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by DNSB

I would disagree. The best low cost way to make an ePub is with a word processor (Word and Libre Office Writer for example) using styles and then using another tool (calibre, Vellum, whatever) to convert the word processor file to an ePub. The calibre ebook-editor and Sigil are the best tools I've used for editing an existing ePub but neither is intended to be a WYSIWYG editor and tend to require a level of knowledge of CSS and HTML that most authors do not have and are not interested in learning.

Vellum is a heck no! Stay away from it. calibre is a good choice. I cannot say what else would work well enough.

I do think Authors should learn HTML/CSS. The last WYSIWYG editor I used was Book Designer back when I had a Sony Reader.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Vellum is a heck no! Stay away from it. calibre is a good choice. I cannot say what else would work well enough.

Jon, you may think that Vellum is bad since you don't like the rather complex code it outputs. Sadly, many authors like it since it allows them to publish ePub for ePub renderers, ePub for submission to KDP and even print ready output without needing to know HTML/CSS/media queries/etc. The number of people who ever look at the internals of an ebook and so would notice the code complexity is pretty minuscule so your constant kvetching about Vellum makes a voice crying in the wilderness come to mind.

Yes, it's not pretty under the covers. OTOH, it works quite well for it's intended purposes.

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I do think Authors should learn HTML/CSS. The last WYSIWYG editor I used was Book Designer back when I had a Sony Reader.

Very few authors have any interest in learning HTML/CSS. They want to write books not learn to code. I consider it a win that the authors I've been involved with have been willing to learn to use styles to make their conversions from word processor document to ePub a much simpler and cleaner process.