eBook Design & Development: The Right Way from Start to Finish

By André Akinyele and Jon O'Bergh

Save money and design, develop, and complete your own eBook manuscript from start to finish-the right way.

A step-by-step guide to understanding and creating an eBook manuscript and EPUB file, eBook Design & Development: The Right Way from Start to Finish contains all the information needed to des

• Language: English
• Publisher: André Akinyele Studios
• Release date: Aug 16, 2022
• ISBN: 9781778287022

André Akinyele

André Akinyele is the bestselling author of LoveSexy Cocktail Guide and co-author of Elliptical: The Music of Meshell Ndegeocello. His musical works has earned international recognition, including opening for legendary Latin percussionist Pete Escovedo (Sheila E's father). He's recorded and performed around the world as Michael Angelo, Marcel, Ajamu Akinyele, the band leader of Gemini Soul, Looking for Lester, and Lavender Lush. He lives in Toronto, Canada. Visit André's website at www.andreakinyele.com.

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What is an eBook?

A photo of a woman reading an eBook on an eReader device.

Figure 1 Woman reading an eBook on an eReader device. Photo by Perfecto Capucine/Unsplash.

eBooks are electronic books: publications made available in digital form, consisting of text, images, or both, readable on electronic devices. eBooks are often electronic versions of printed books, but some eBooks exist without a printed equivalent. Using a special file formatting called EPUB, the industry standard eBook format established by the International Digital Publishing Forum (IDPF), eBooks can be read on eReader devices such as the iPad, iPhone, NOOK Tablet, Amazon Kindle, Amazon Fire, and Kobo eReader. Also, eBooks can be read on any computer.

eBooks changed the way readers bought and read books. Followed by a digital publishing boom, the eBook allowed readers to instantly buy and carry books anywhere on a corresponding eReader device. Unlike printed books, eBooks give readers a certain amount of control over how text appears. Most eBooks are composed of reflowable text called dynamic layout and use text styles set in the eReader device, which allows fonts and font sizes to automatically adjust based on the eReader screen size or user preference.

On an eReader, whatever the reader sees on their screen is a page, so page numbers, page breaks, headers, and footers do not exist in eBooks. When designing and developing eBooks, a page break must be inserted to indicate the start of a new chapter or section. This will create a new entry in the EPUB file Table of Contents and allow every chapter or section to start on a new page on the reader’s eReader device.

eBooks allow indie authors to reach a wide audience, as eBooks are easy to share, cost effective to create, and less expensive to purchase than a print version of the same content.

What is Reflowable Text?

A photo of a red Sony eReader device displaying an eBook with an example of reflowable text.

Figure 2 Sony reader reflowable eBook text example. Photo by Sutherland Shire Libraries/Flickr. © 2011. License: Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)

The reflowable eBook format is the most common and preferred type. Called a dynamic layout, it allows the reader to search text and change the font style and font size (resize text). As most eBooks are composed of reflowable text, eBooks automatically adjust based on the selected font and device screen size. eReaders typically set eBook text to auto justify. In order for readers to see the author’s preferred text alignment, readers will have to switch that feature off.

Reflowable eBooks support all devices and applications, and can be read using a screen reader. They can also be read on special eReaders designed for refreshable Braille display. Key features of reflowable eBooks include adjustable orientation and font settings, dictionary look-up, highlighting, word search, and X-Ray (a Kindle eBook feature that allows readers to learn more about a character, topic, event, place, or any other term). However, eBook limitations mean that some complex layouts may be difficult or impossible to replicate.

The reflowable conversion format is best suited to text-heavy titles. eBooks with black & white text and few or no images are the best candidates for a reflowable eBook file type.

Reflowable eBooks have the widest distribution opportunity in the marketplace.

Benefits of Publishing eBooks

For authors, the benefits of publishing eBooks include accessibility, quick drafting, and formatting for free. eBooks are easy to create and format using an application like Microsoft Word. An author can design and develop an eBook as it’s being written—that is, after the editing phase, the manuscript can instantly be exported as an EPUB file and uploaded to digital retailers within minutes.

eBooks are inexpensive to make and easy to sell. eBooks do not use paper, ink, or glue. They do not need to be stored in a warehouse and shipped across the country. With eBook digital distribution, authors can instantly reach readers across the globe, thus instantly reaching a massive audience.