Mundy Obilor Jim - Handcraft EPUB In 7 Steps

Handcraft EPUB In 7 Steps by Mundy Obilor Jim.
Copyright 2015 JimArts Publishing.
All rights reserved.
ISBN 978-82-998906-9-4
No portion of this book may be used for further publication without the written permission of the publisher as it is protected under the copyright laws.

Permission is not required for the use of the code examples in this book as the major objective of the book is to assist new authors and self-publishing authors alike.

T o effectively write and publish an e-book as a self-publisher or as an author, you will be confronted with many questions. Handcraft EPUB In 7 Steps will not only answer most of these questions but also give a right foothold to anyone dreaming to be a good author in our ever-changing, 'digital publishing' world. The book aims at truly emphasizing on the word 'crafting' as it will in a step-by-step fashion, show how you can create an EPUB with your own resources without paying too much attention to the associated syntax and semantics and without using any conversion software. The book will not bore you with coding! See every code in this book (CSS or XHTML) as a 'mini formula'. You should be able to build on these steps even as you proceed further in e-publishing. Some of the questions bothering new intending, do-it-yourself writers include the following:

1. Can I publish my e-book myself without the fear of first learning all sorts of coding like XHTML and CSS?

   YES you definitely can, even though the skills of writing in mark-up languages are rewarding.

2. Should I publish in EPUB2 or in EPUB3 format?

   Good question! While EPUB3 has richer features in styling and structure it gives the possibility of adding media content for example, EPUB2 remains the more widespread format at present time. Often the assertion is that many platforms now support EPUB3. To some of us, The reality here is that the 'many' happens to be just in the 'minority'.

3. I have read that an EPUB is just a website in a box. Does it mean I have to learn some special packages or understand some web design?

   No! As long as you have your resources ready (text, images, etc.), you can hand-craft your own EPUB by following the simple steps outlined in this book.

4. What if I just use a conversion software or tool to convert my e-book to EPUB? Is there any big difference?

   This is not a bad idea but the fact remains that you might not get the best layout you desire and most importantly, you will still be far away from imbibing the attitude of 'do-it-yourself' on one hand; and on the other hand, you may encounter several errors during validation. Bear in mind that some distributors may stipulate that you submit a validated EPUB and they often advise authors to avoid submitting books converted with third party software. But I must submit to anyone that in our modern computing times, there is a whole lot you can do yourself without pain, stress or those long periods of waiting for professionals to complete the entire process of your publishing adventure.

5. If I decide to do it myself, will I be able to have my e-book on several sales platforms?

   Yes, as long as you are willing to sit back and write your book, you will learn how to publish your book within multiple sales platforms.

Chapter 1 attempts to degrade or destroy the fear of coding. The word 'degrade' is probably more suitable as you will find out that it is a good idea to acquire some knowledge and understanding of CSS, especially the basic ones. In Chapter 2, we will look at the best practical methods to place items like images and videos. We will at best, show how to hand-craft an EPUB in Chapter 3 in seven instructional steps before we see in Chapter 4 how we can publish and sell our e-book. In a few words, this book can be titled "EPUB creation made simple for authors.