Free Ebook Publishing Software Mac

Ebook creator software is gaining increasing popularity as books now take a digital platform. Books are an essential tool for information and strategies for business owners. They can help generate fresh ideas and help boom the business by honing the business owner’s skills.

This is a special website to create and publish amazing eBooks for iPad and Mac. It is available free on the Mac App Store, iBooks Author is an amazing app that allows anyone to create beautiful iBooks Textbooks. With multiple contents you insert into eBook, the eBook can be lightened up. BookBaby makes it easy to self publishing.

If you are looking to write an ebook in your area of expertise, books significantly widen your horizon. Many people are using ebook creation software since most of the world is digital. The ebook has become extremely popular amongst readers as it provides easy access to millions of books with just a few touches.

Flip PDF publishing software creates exceptional desktop, mobile and tablet flipbook editions, enabling you to reach a wider range audience. The feature-packed publications can be scheduled to automatically publish in Flash for PC and Mac, and HTML5 for mobile and tablet. Here is a list of best free eBook Creator software for Windows.These eBook maker software are absolutely free to use, and help you to convert documents formats like: DOCX, HTML, ePUB, PDF, DJVU, and TXT to various eBook formats such as: ePUB, DOCX, MOBI, PDF, and PRC.

More and more readers prefer ebooks over the paperback these days. There are several options available for ebook writing software. We are going to help you by narrowing it down to the best and more organized options. The options provided in this article are easy to use and have an excellent user interface.

Recommended: Free Novel Writing Software

Best Formats For Ebook

Contents

1 Best Formats For Ebook
2 Best Ebook Creator Software
3 Key Features To Look For Free Ebook Creator Software

The most common and accessible formats for ebooks provided by your ebook creation software should be:

#1. PDF:

PDF (Portable Document Format) is a standard and widely used format used. Writing your book and getting the output in this format will help you get the best results to publish on the internet.

Most of the devices are compatible with PDF, and it is also a very user-friendly format. It means everyone, no matter what device, can access your ebook is available in a PDF format. Most of the ebook creator software will have the PDF format option, so you don’t need to worry about that.

Recommended: How to Convert PDF to Word on Mac For Free

#2. ePub:

ePub or ePublication is another ebook format that is popular amongst readers. It is a standard format for many e-readers such as iBooks, Kindle, and Google books. Most of the eBook creation tools do offer this format.

#3. Mobi:

Mobi is also known as Mobipocket Reader. This format is standard among Kindle readers. As Amazon is setting to be the best in the business in publication profits, formatting your work to Mobi can be profitable. It will help it reach larger audiences. Although, it might limit your reach if you are only distributing it through Amazon.

Best Ebook Creator Software

#1. Atavist:

Website: https://atavist.com/

Atavist is amongst the best ebook software on the market. It is also an ebook publishing software that permits you to put up your work online. It does not require sophisticated knowledge of technology to do so. You can publish your magazines and photobooks online and can get published ebooks.

It also helps you connect with the ebook publishers such as Amazon and Barnes and Noble, including their digital format, Kindle, and Nook. It also has options for formatting content to fit mobile devices.

There are various options for formats and features to create content online. It allows you to embed different media such as videos and photos in your book. You can also combine different template formats. It also checks your work, so you do not face any issues while uploading.

It also has a guide to show you how to protect your work and decide whether the book is for the public or profit. Other software support features help you figure out how to use the software.

Pros:

A variety of online publishing tools are available
In-program tutorials make it easier to learn how to use their features
Has mobile-friendly building tools

Cons:

Need a subscription to access all the features of the software
Some difficulty in combining the file types
Might be a little overwhelming for first-time publishers

#2. Pressbooks:

Website: https://pressbooks.com/

Pressbooks is another ebook publishing software and ebook formatting software for people looking to monetize their work. It has some issues with templates, but it still allows you to create a professional ebook. The software is also straightforward to use.

There are different format options available such as magazines, photo books, and many others. You can also design family scrapbooks or make one for your family. There are two kinds of Pressbook publications; novels and training manuals.

The feature has tools to create a unique project with the help of different branding options, customizable fonts, photos, and transitions to enhance your reader’s experience.

There have been some issues regarding the speed of loading in the software. However, it provides an easy way to share your work in different formats, such as in Kindle and CreateSpace.

Pros:

Offers excellent support features, such as tutorials
Has multiple branding options
Has numerous customizable features for writing your book

Cons:

Does not offer that many template types
Rather slow in loading input

#3. Ultimate ebook Creator:

Free Ebook Writer Software

Website: https://ultimateebookcreator.com/

It is another best ebook software with several languages that you can publish your work. This free ebook writing software offers more than eighty styles. The format options may be a little outdated and aren’t as easy to use as the other systems.

There have been user complaints of getting overwhelmed with the project options available in the software. It does not offer a magazine or comic book options. However, you can make picture books, novels, and guides.

There are also photo rendering tools available in the system. It helps you make your images look cleaner. The software has a connection with different publishers, making it easy to monetize your books or projects. A Wi-Fi connection is not required for you to access it as it is desktop-based.

Pros:

Offers over eighty languages to write in
Make picture books, novels, and guides
Photo rendering tools are also available

Cons:

Does not have many options for formats

#4. iBooks Author:

Website: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201183

The eBook creation tool iBooks provides an array of templates to create content on Mac devices. It also includes photobooks and presentations. In the book, you can also combine different file types and insert photos or videos into the book.

There are various templates to help you with creating your unique projects. It also offers a great design and user-friendly interface. For people who want to write a book and already have an Apple ID, all your projects are in one place, and it will spare you the effort of creating separate accounts.

It lets you work on different devices using your Apple ID and does not charge anything for the application. This ebook formatting software has a better design and offers a high-quality template than many of the other applications; it has multi-lingual translational tools as well as branding features. It has format options in Mobi, PDF, and HTML.

Pros:

Projects back up to your iCloud
Offers a variety of templates and formats
Visual richness to e-books
Combines different file types to provide the best content creation experience

Cons

Load a little slowly
Works on Mac only
Very restrictive copyright guidelines.

#5. Lucidpress:

Website: https://www.lucidpress.com/

Lucidpress is another free ebook creator with various formatting and project options. It is also the most flexible tool. It has an updated interface and offers attractive layout options; It has an excellent user interface and is far more accessible than other software.

This free ebook creator online does need the internet to access its software as it is a cloud-based software. A sign up for a free trial is required to be able to access its features. It provides open access for students and teachers.

Software diversity is what makes it a great option to opt. It has different publishing formats available for business as well as educators. It aims to make learning more accessible and engaging. It also provides a space for persona projects such as a family scrapbook or personal mementos. It is effortless to add pictures and other media to your project.

Pros:

Offers a variety of formatting and project options
Different publishing format available
Diversify options and attractive layout

Cons:

Need Wi-Fi connection to access the software

#6. Microsoft Word:

Website: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/word

It is an entry-level free ebook creator. It does seem like a convenient choice for making an ebook. Most people use this program, and you’ll already be familiar with all the features and tools in the application.

However, it is limited to PDFs as its output option. Many ebook platforms accept MS word formats or PDF formats, so that might be a plus. You can save your document as word and then, later on, format it on the internet according to your needs.

Pros:

Best ebook writing software
Offers an easy to use interface
A most versatile tool for content creation
Few best editing options

Cons:

Does not offer many template styles
Limited to PDFs as its output format

#7. Pages:

Website: https://www.apple.com/pages/

Pages is another free ebook creator online that is available exclusively for iOS users. The Pages application is technically the word for macOS. Mostly all the Apple devices will have this. You can format it into epub and PDF. It also offers different template options.

It is easy to customize fonts, look, personalized text styles, and add graphics. You will surely access the most powerful features. 70+ beautiful Apple designed templates, progress reports, and effortless results make it the best ebook creator software for all Apple devices.

Pros:
• Free tool for apple users
• Attractive yet straightforward user interface
• Visually dazzling templates

Cons:
• Lacks draft view
• Can’t set word format as default

#8. Draft2Digital:

Website: https://www.draft2digital.com/

Draft2Digital is an ebook generator that is known for its premium quality. It has free formatting tools for ebooks. You can write your manuscript in word and format it using the Draft2Digital software. This software also has cloud storage. It has a lot of options in layout and sizes.

Some of its notable features include automated end matter, error detection, pristine metadata, and live status announcements. It is a powerful marketing tool for the authors and helps them to max extent.

It does not charge any fees for updating or formatting the book. But if you distribute through its network and make any sales, you will be charged 0% of the book’s retail price. It means you have to pay when you earn money. Other than this, there are no hidden charges on the name of service packages or fees.

Pros:

Amazing set of features
Easily format your word docs into any format
Can set the price of the book; free or any amount

Cons:

Can’t edit your work in this software

#9. Vellum:

Website: https://vellum.pub/

Vellum is another exclusive app for mac users. It is an ebook generator that has various formatting options to choose form. It offers different designs and layouts to make your work pop out. It has epub and PDF format options.

Its classic touches like custom drop caps and ornamental flourishes are for both ebook and print edition. In short, you will get a beautiful and professionally formatted book with Vellum. Yes, you can export your book quickly, but for that, you have to pay.

Pros:

Variety of layout and formatting options
Include custom drop caps

Cons:

Available for only Mac

#10. Kindle Create:

Website: https://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Create/b?ie=UTF8&node=18292298011

Kindle Create is the latest addition to the list of ebook creator software. However, it offers a great user interface and makes for excellent formatting software. You will have to write your manuscript in a word doc and then use this to format it.

It is useful for the first time Kindle users who want to try a simple book like a novel without formatting and only want chapter titles. It is best for all novice writers. However, it takes more time in formatting and uploading than the format in word and then covert in HTML.

Pros:

Free software
Connected with the Kindle Publishing platform
Suitable for the writers who don’t want formatting

Free Book Publishing Software For Windows

Cons:

Take more time in format compared to other platforms

Key Features To Look For Free Ebook Creator Software

Before looking for the best ebook creator, we have some features that you should look for while an ebook writing software. Be mindful of these things while trying to find an ebook software.

#1. User-friendly:

You will need an ebook writer software that is the easiest to use. Writing a book can be quite frustrating and tiresome, and thus, you need software that is not clunky and complex. Look through the options given below and see which software has the most straightforward and effective user-interface. The software’s layout and accessibility play a massive role in deciding which software will be the easiest to use.

#2. Multi-lingual:

Always look for ebook writer software to suit your language needs. If you prefer to write in more than one language, then check the ebook creator software before moving forward with getting it.

The software you are looking for should have options to select from multiple languages. Find software that allows you to switch between languages quickly. It could be an extremely convenient tool for you if you speak and write in more than one language.

#3. Cloud-based vs. Desktop-based:

Another vital thing to look out for in an ebook creator software is where it stores your writing. If you like writing on multiple devices, the best ebook creator should have cloud-based software.

It saves your work on the cloud so that it is accessible anywhere. It will also help you keep a back-up of your work if one of your devices crashes and you can’t access the software from there. In this case, cloud-based software can be a lifesaver.

If you only work from your desktop and use that as a writing device, desktop-based software is the option for you. It will ensure that all your work gets saved on your computer rather than the cloud. It might be problematic as once you lose the writing on your desktop, you might not be able to retrieve it. Keep a back up of your book.

#4. Formats:

The best ebook creation software will let you have as many format options as possible. It will give you flexibility in publishing your ebook if you wish to have different formats such as journals, magazines, guides, manuals, comic books, and many other book formats.

There is an ebook creation software that offers support to writers in the form of tutorials, manuals, and other contact information. It guides the writer and software with such features gains much higher popularity.

#5. File Formats:

The best ebook creation software should offer multiple output file format options. It will be convenient for you to share your work on the internet. You will need software with output formats such as EPUB, PDF, PDB, video, LIT, HTML, and MOBI.

There is software that also helps you with your social media content for self-publishers. They let you connect with other writers and professionals who have published. It allows you to network within the software, which can be a great tool.

#6. Licensing:

Be aware of contracts and print that your ebook creator software provides. Before signing anything, ensure that you know your rights as an author mentioned in the agreement—research a bit on trademarking and licensing and educate yourself on the useful information regarding the matter.

Conclusion:

It is all about ebook creator software. You can use any of the above ebook writing and editing software for your writing needs. Make sure that you check all of its available features and tools before downloading any software.

There are some great choices where you can first write in your word or pages and then format your book accordingly. You can also get software for networking and making connections. Each software comes with its own set of features, so it is best to choose whichever fits your preference.

Related Software:

Ebooks are the new norm in education and publishing. Add interactive content and you’ve got yourself a top-notch product that is sure to put you ahead of the game. This comprehensive guide will lead you through the journey so that you know how to create an interactive ebook. You’ll also learn how to publish and distribute the ebook to different platforms. We will start together by building your content, to choosing your preferred online and offline tools. Along the way, we’ll give you the answers to the most common questions writers ask.

Learning how to create an interactive ebook is simple, but let us start first by defining what an “interactive ebook” is. This term has been overused in past years by publishers who think that inserting a moving picture in their ebook would deem it “interactive”. Although they are not entirely at fault here, it just sounds quite silly given that they didn’t even scratch the tip of the interactive iceberg. With current technologies like HTML5 and EPUB 3.0, you can go way beyond a digital moving picture. You can provide experiences rich with reader engagement as they play touch-based games, answer questions and even participate in polls or send feedback —all inside the ebook. And that’s how we would rather define interactivity —fully engaged readers.

So you want to learn how to create an interactive ebook? Let’s jump right in then!

There are countless online services and websites to help you prepare your interactive ebook (content resources and more). Some services can do a lot of the manual work for you for a small fee. They can handle the heavy work that for you might be a drag, such as designing your ebook cover, formatting your document for ebook readers, and creating custom interactivity. As we go along, we’ll point you in the direction of some of these services.

The writing

As fun as it is to add interactive content to your ebook, it’s also easy to get so caught up in it, that you almost forget the writing.

Do I have to do my writing in the software that creates interactive ebooks?

Free Ebook Publishing Software Mac Download

No. Nearly all software allow you both options: you can write your ebook directly into the software or import it from a word document, PDF file or even an old EPUB that wasn’t interactive. So go ahead and write, wherever your creative juices flow the fastest: your blog, favorite word processor, old-fashioned journal or even the proverbial restaurant napkin.

Should I write my ebook then add the interactivity? Or work on both simultaneously?

Whatever you want. Most software allow you both options. Start writing, experiment and do what works best for you.

Read more Writing Process Explained for Non-Writers.

What if I have all the ideas, but I’m not sure I can write a whole book?

If you’re worried you don’t have the time or the writing skills, you can hire a ghostwriter or editor. Ghostwriters will do the writing for you (for payment), and they won’t ask to be mentioned in your book as an author. Editors will take your writing and edit/proofread it as necessary. Where do you find ghostwriters and editors? Freelancing sites like Upwork, Reedsy or Fiverr.

What if I already have a published book, but no electronic copies of it?

Then you have two options. If the images in the book are few or not important hire a fast typist to type up your ebook into any word processor. The images can be easily scanned.

If the images are many or the layout of the book is integral and you do not want to have to redo the layout. Instead, you can have your book scanned and turned into a PDF. Then with the interactive ebook software, you can build on the PDF. One of the most affordable places you’ll find for scanning is1 Dollar Scan. By mailing a hard-copy book to 1 Dollar Scan, you can get your book converted into a PDF for as low as 1 dollar.

Ebook Assets

Your ebook assets are all your visuals, audio, and interactive content. First, we’ll answer a few general questions that apply to all kinds of interactive content, then we’ll tackle each type of content individually.

Do I have to decide on my assets and gather them all before I add them to the ebook?

Just like with the writing part, you can gather first and import at once, or you can add them gradually as you write.

Do all of my assets have to be copied or uploaded into the ebook?

The simple answer to that would be, no. Including images, videos and sound recordings inside your ebook isn’t always possible. Usually, for one of two reasons: copyright restrictions and/or the size of the file may be too big. So what do you do?

One of two things: You can just link to webpages, videos, sound recordings, etc. and your reader will go to the website to watch the video and then come back to your ebook. Or an even cooler option is to embed the visuals or sound recording. When you embed them, your readers will see/hear them as if they’re in your ebook, but in fact, they’re watching a video straight from YouTube (or wherever you’re linking to).

How do I decide whether to include images and videos, embed them, or link to them?

1) Copyrights: If the copyrights restrictions do not allow you to include them, then embed them. If they don’t allow you to embed them, then link to them. Most artists and photographers will allow you to include their work in your ebook as long as you give them credit for their work. Embedding restrictions are usually only a concern with some YouTube videos.

2) File size: One of the Amazon plans charges you a Delivery Fee for some international sales based on the size of your ebook. Otherwise, the main concern with a large file size is happy readers. The larger your ebook is, the longer it takes for your readers to download it, the more annoyed they are. How long they’re willing to wait also depends on their expectations for the type of ebook. For example, for a novel that is mostly text, readers would consider 10MB too big. But for a large university textbook loaded with images, videos and complex interactivity, readers would consider 10MB very reasonable, even small. Research your ebook type and try to stay within the normal range.

Images

I don’t have an illustrator, graphic designer or photographer on staff, but want lots of visuals in my ebook. Where are all these writers getting all their amazing images?

Stock photo and graphics websites.There are many professional stock photo websites such as Dreamstime, Depositphotos (the one we use), and iStockwhere you can purchase professional images for as little as $1. Dreamstimehas a free images section that you can also check out.

In case you don’t want to be tempted into buying images, you can go straight to one of the free stock photo websites. There are websites such as Freepik, Freeimages, Pixabay, Pexels and even Canva. Some of those websites may request that you credit the owner of the graphic, so play nice. You can also find free icons to use from websites such as Iconfinder or Thenounproject.

What do I do about images with large file sizes?

Optimize images as much as you can, since many ebook publishing platforms have limitations with media. Apple iBooks Store, for instance, does not accept images greater than 5MB in size, or 4 megapixels in area. If your ebook is an online app (relying on internet bandwidth), large-sized images taken straight from a digital camera without optimizing, can really lag down performance and cost you, visitors.

Here are our recommendations:

Compressor.io: Shows you the image before and after optimizing.
Tinyjpg: Good for batch processing.
IrfanView: Can batch optimize hundreds of images in seconds.

3D Images

You want to travel the world with your readers. Show them Michelangelo’s David from all angles, the bellies of exotic creatures from the Amazon Rainforest, the ins-and-outs of an old fashioned typewriter. If you don’t have 3D models, it’s ok. Sketchfab hosts the work of 3D creators around the world. You’ll find free ones and pricey ones. All of them are easy to add to your ebook.

Video

Are you writing an ebook filled with how-to videos? Or a more academic ebook about the socio-economic implications of the rising YouTubing industry? Or how video killed the radio star? Either way, you’ll need plenty of videos. If you need a custom-made video, you can hire a freelancer from a site like Freelancer or Fiverr. Once you have the videos selected and ready, comes the exciting part: adding videos to your ebook.

The best option is to first optimize your videos then add them to your ebook. If you optimize the videos well, the MP4 files should be well under 50mb. If you don’t know how to optimize videos read our blog post: How to Optimize Videos and Add Them to Your Book.

The second best option is to embed the videos from other sites like YouTube or Vimeo or your own website. If the copyright limitations do not allow embedding, then you can simply add a link to the video in your ebook. That way, your readers can watch the video directly from the hosting websites. Unfortunately embedding and linking to the video, means that your readers will need to have internet access to view the videos.

Free Ebook Maker Software

Audio

Similar to video, you can upload small MP3 files, but it would be better to upload the sound files to an mp3 hosting site like Soundcloud then embed them in your ebook.

Some ebook creator platforms provide text-to-speech for your readers, look for it.

If you want tones, sound effects, background music, you don’t need a full orchestra, band or even a synthesizer. You’ll find plenty of sounds ready to go online at sites like Dreamstime or Soundsnap.

Widgets

What can widgets do?

What can’t widgets do! Everyday ebook widgets are breaking the boundaries of what defines a book. Books are no longer static, they’re dynamic and constantly changing. So what are these magical inventions?

Widgets are like miniature apps that your readers can use while they read. They can be as simple as calculators or as complex as games. Your readers can send you messages as they read your ebook. You can have a live video from Ustream, a real-time Instagram gallery, or even a real-time Twitter feed in your ebook.

So how do widgets work?

First, find the widget you want. Check out Book Widgets or Bookry. Follow the instructions to purchase and download the widget. Then, follow the instructions of your interactive ebook creation platform. You’ll be surprised how quick and easy it is.

Ebook Cover Design

For some authors, the cover design is done while they’re still thinking about what they want to write. For most authors, who have a way with words, but not with images, it can be a daunting task. Here are my favorite three articles to help guide you. I’ll tell you why they’re my favorites.

How to Create a Book Cover for Free. Here you’ll go through the main steps and learn what you should consider as you make your choices. You’ll find this article helpful even if you decide to hire someone to make the cover for you.

Book Cover Design Mastery. More good advice and a couple of collections of links make this article valuable. You’ll find a handy chart with the basic dimensions and file requirements for the most popular self-publishing book sites. You’ll also find links to different software options for designing your own ebook. That’s in addition to links to sites that can help you hire someone to do the ebook cover for you.

15 Ebook Covers: Success and Failure in the Kindle Store. Even if you won’t be selling your ebook in the Kindle Store, you’ll want to read this article. Joel Friedlander explains what works and what doesn’t, particularly when your ebook cover turns into a tiny thumbnail.

Layout

The first layout decision, you’ll need to make for your ebook is whether to create it using a fixed layout or a reflowable layout. At first glance they may seem similar; however, they are so distinct that you can not switch back-and-forth midway through your project. So, unlike most layout decisions, this one is final and changing your mind means restarting from the beginning. Kotobee allows you to set the layout for each chapter/page individually, you’ll see why in a moment. Let’s make sure you understand how each one works, their uses and benefits. We’ll also give you examples of the types of ebooks that work best with each layout.

Fixed Layout

With fixed layout, you will set precisely where everything will be on the page and everything will appear on the page exactly where you place them. Their location will be fixed and will never wrap or change. You can overlap elements or place them side by side and when your readers zoom in or out, it will be like zooming in or out, on a photograph. So, when your readers zoom in, the whole page will expand beyond the borders of the screen. The reader will need to use the vertical and horizontal scroll bars to see the rest of the page.

When should I choose a fixed layout?

When the layout of the page is critical, especially if your readers will be reading your ebook from a computer, like some LMSs that deny mobile access. If you’re writing magazines, comics or children’s storybooks, you’ll probably prefer a fixed layout.

Reflowable Layout

The second type of layout optimizes the content for the viewing screen’s dimensions so that readers simply scroll through each chapter. This option focuses on the content, not layout. You will simply determine the order of the contents for each chapter, and they will appear in your ebook in the same order. An advantage of reflowable layout is that each user can adjust the font size according to personal preference. The same can be said for the screen size. The layout and interactive content will automatically adapt by wrapping and increasing page length, thus enhancing user reading experience, especially on smaller screens. Most blog posts and news articles are reflowable.

When should I choose reflowable layout?

This is the more popular form of layouts for reading on mobile devices and for a reason of course—viewing comfort for readers. If you’re writing a short story or novel, your readers will want you to choose reflowable layout.

Why do we at Kotobee Author allow you to use both layout options in the same ebook?

Because you and your readers want both. Reflowable layout is the most comfortable for your readers, no doubt. But sometimes you’ll want or need to include a design rich page. Like the first page of a history chapter, with an interactive timeline, that extends horizontally. The rest of chapter will be reflowable to make reading easier. Or annotated before and after side-by-side images. The uses are endless, but they shouldn’t ruin the reading experience of the rest of your ebook for your readers.

Read more Best Ebook Layout Format: Reflowable or Fixed?

Defining the Platform

As a company in the ebook creator business, we receive many requests from customers wanting to create interactive ebooks. They have a clear plan of their ebook, and most times the content is ready. However, when we ask what platform/devices they are targeting for publishing, all that can be heard is the chirping of crickets. Since your ebook will target a certain audience, it’s important to know how to reach them. The end-product should be clear and well-defined. Here are some options for defining the platform/device to put in consideration.

WebApps: As a web app on your personal website. Your readers will simply go to the website and read.
Mobile apps: They’ll be published on the respective app stores (Apple App Store, Android Playstore, etc.) The ebook will have its own dedicated icon and name, in the app menu.
Desktop apps: They’ll be distributed by email or on hard media. The ebook will run independently (no need for a separate reader software).
LMS Component: A component to publish on your school or university’s LMS (learning management system). Interactive ebooks are a serious added value when it comes to education.
EPUB files: An EPUB file to give away independently or publish to popular ebook stores (Apple iBooks, Amazon Kindle, B&N Nook, etc.)

Reader Interface Branding

If you decide to publish your ebook on a platform with a ready-built reader (like iBooks or Kindle) you won’t be able to change anything in the reader’s interface. If you choose to publish an ebook app instead, you’ll have full access to build your reader from the ground up.

Why care about a Reader interface?

The upside of going through the trouble of creating your own reader within your platform of choice is the ability to brand it and theme it for your audience. This would be perfect for companies that have their trademark that need to be in tune with the look and feel of the interface. On the other hand, if you are creating an ebook for the mass public without a target audience in mind, then accepting an external reader is okay for you.

Updates

Since most people are aware that usually no content is final or absolute. You may decide to make edits after publishing. You need to understand how updates are reflected on the platform you chose. For instance, if you publish your ebook on your personal website, updating that ebook is a straightforward approach. Unlike if you have chosen to publish on mobile or LMS.

There are a number of tools you can use to create/edit your interactive ebook. Just watch out: as many websites (not on this list) claim to offer interactive ebook conversion services, where they actually mean digital, not interactive. There are literally hundreds of online services in this industry, but here is a list of the most popular and useful ones to keep handy.

Kotobee Author is our free software for Windows and Mac. You can use Kotobee Author to create interactive ebooks from scratch or by importing your book from anywhere else. When you’re ready to publish your ebook, Kotobee Author will turn it into a customizable EPUB, web app, or desktop app. There is a nominal fee to export your ebook as a native mobile app or for SCORM integration.

iBooks Author is Apple’s popular ebook creation software, exclusively for Mac. This easy software allows you to create interactive EPUB-based ebooks that would run exclusively on Apple iBooks (on Mac and iPad), but not on other EPUB readers. Ebooks created by this tool would strictly have a fixed-layout.

Aquafadasprovides a free plugin for Adobe InDesign which allows you to add interactive components to your existing InDesign projects and export them in multiple formats. You will need to pay only once you publish your ebook.

Atavist is a web-based tool more focused on creating interactive ebooks for the web, but also have the option of exporting EPUB in their Pro plans. They do provide excellent controls for reflowable layout content.

Talespring is a web-based tool for creating children’s storybooks to be published as a native mobile app for iOS and Android. They do not offer EPUB format.

Kwik allows you to create interactive storybooks directly from Photoshop. With this plugin, you can add animations, interactivity, even entire physics simulations. Obviously the resulting ebooks are fixed-layout. They can be published only as native mobile apps (iOS and Android).

Tigercreate uses layers and time-frames for animations, and hence provide flexibility with whatever you want to achieve. Again, this software is targeted towards interactive children’s storybook. They can be exported as mobile apps (Android and iOS).

Italy-based Pubcoder provides a software for Windows and Mac, and allows various interactive components in the ebook. Ebooks are fixed-layout and can be exported as native mobile apps (iOS and Android), as EPUB files, or kindle format.

Paid or Free

It’s not a must, but deciding early on whether your ebook will be available for free or through purchasing will give you different ideas for promoting and marketing your ebook.

If you think this will affect the ebook in terms of quality, you’re wrong – you should always aim for higher quality, nonetheless. Free ebooks get the highest downloads on any ebook store. As for sales, a credible study done by Smashwords showed that ebook prices falling within the range of $.299 to $3.99 get the highest sales. Sounds like peanuts? Never compare prices of ebooks with printed books. There is no overhead when it comes to publishing ebooks – they can be reproduced infinitely. If the purpose of your ebook is to promote an idea, it may be better to offer it for free, otherwise, choose a reasonable price. A popular marketing strategy, when it comes to selling ebooks, is to publish a free excerpt of one of your chapters. This is something to have in mind in the early stages.

Copyrights and DRM

The world of copyrights is growing in possibilities and complexities. You’ll want to spend a little time studying the options to decide exactly how you want to protect your work. Regardless of which option you choose and when you choose it, laws state your work will be copyrighted protected the moment it’s published.

Marketing budgets and resources

Your ebook will not be sold off shelves in dozens (metaphorically speaking) as soon as you publish it. Without a good marketing budget paired with patience and effort, chances are people will not get to read it. You can’t sell your ebook if no one knows it exists. You need to create awareness however and whenever you can. Paid advertising is most effective.

That said, do not underestimate the value of organic marketing via social media outlets. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest can spread the word about your ebook to your targeted audience efficiently and save you money.

Distribution

When it comes to distribution, it’s important to understand how it works. There are service providers known as aggregators. They can distribute your ebook to international online retailers, as well as their own book stores for a fixed fee and/or commission out of your sales. They handle all the hard work of submissions and ensure that your ebook gets the right exposure.

But it’s better if you have the time and the effort to distribute the ebook yourself. Then you’ll have the freedom to choose which platforms you want to sell your ebook on. This does not mean that you will keep 100% royalties since all major retailers will still take royalties, but there will be no aggregator commissions eaten away from you.

Distributing to individual platforms

Those are your choices if you decide not to go with an ebook aggregator and rather publish your ebook yourself. Of course, depending on the software you have used from the previous list, you may only publish to platforms that are supported in the software. The platform categories are mobile apps, desktop apps, web apps, EPUB ebooks.

Ebook mobile apps

1) Google Play App Store: $25 one-time fee. They take 30% royalties.

2) Apple’s App Store: $99/year annual store fees. They take 30% royalties.

Ebook desktop apps

Set-up online-selling functionality on your website to sell ebook downloads, using any one of the following services:

Ebook web apps

If you want to distribute your ebook for free, you can simply upload the web app to your server. If you want to sell it, this one’s a bit tricky. You will need to develop custom functionality for your website. Or you can use our Kotobee Cloud solution to encrypt the ebook on the server and have customers pay you using different payment gateways.

EPUB ebooks

This is a must-have format if you’re going serious into the ebook selling business. Let’s breakdown the different available options.

Google Play Book Store

Not very popular. Just like the case with app publishing, registration costs $25 one-time fee, and they take 30% royalties for each book sold. But given its lack of popularity, it would be better to only distribute here through an aggregator (more on aggregators later).

Apple’s iBookstore

Unlike the app store, registration to Apple’s iBookstore is free. They take 30% royalties for each book sold.

Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP)

Amazon giants, who own roughly half of the ebook market, provide you with two royalty options: 35% or 70%, with different requirements for each. Read more about this here.

Nook Press (by Barnes & Noble)

Your royalty options are either 40% or 65% depending on your list pricing.

Distributing through ebook aggregators

Ebook aggregators will help you distribute to all the different retailers in return for a fee and/or commission. The common practice we’ve seen in ebook publishing is to manually publish to Amazon (KDP) and then publish to all other retailers using an aggregator. This is because authors experience over 50% of their sales through Amazon – they own roughly half the ebook market. Since they are the dominant retailer, it’s best to avoid giving away part of your Amazon revenue to an aggregator.

Besides the support provided by an aggregator, there are usually other optional paid services such as cover design, copy editing, etc.

Smashwords

Probably the most popular automated aggregation service and value. Don’t be let down by their website’s humble design. Smashwordshas been in business for a long time and distribute to tens of ebook retailers across the world, including their own Smashwords store. Registration is free, and your royalties are 60% when selling through major retailers, or 80% when selling through their own store.

BookBaby is also extremely popular, but following a different model. Instead of giving away royalties, you make a fixed payment of $299 instead, to have your ebook handled from start to finish. BookBaby takes 0% royalties. Your ebook is distributed to major retailers, including Amazon’s Kindle.

BookTango offers an impressive package. Free registration, and no commission whatsoever, which is a really good deal. Distribute to B&N Nook, Apple iBookstore, Kobo, Google Books, and Amazon Kindlestore. They make money by selling optional complementary services, like design and formatting.

Lulu, a large name in the self-publishing industry, entered the ebook publishing market and offers distribution to the Lulu store, B&N’s Nook store and Apple’s iBookstore. Your sales royalties are 90%.

In this article, we looked at steps and resources need to create an interactive ebook. While there are many other tools and services for creating ebooks, the resources mentioned here are focused on interactive ebooks. In a highly competitive and expanding field, it’s your content that defines you. And this guide is here to help you showcase it to its full potential. If you’re new to ebooks, things may get messy at first, but in the end, we know you’ll love your ebook.

Too much to take in? I agree. So feel free to bookmark this page, and use the resources mentioned whenever you need to. If you have any comments or suggestions, feel free to drop us a comment below.