How to Create an E-Book
There are many approaches to creating an e-book. For instance, you can make an e-book by simply reproducing an exact copy of a public domain work, and there are many ways to go about this:
- You can obtain a digital copy of the complete book and redistribute it;
- Or you can scan the pages of the physical book yourself and compile them into one file (usually in PDF format)
An alternative would be to make changes to the public domain work. This is called “modernization,” which is really no more than rearranging the text or the presentation to make the content of the work appear new.
Whichever approach suits you, just remember to make your choice based on what is more convenient and easily accessible to you.
Creating E-Books with HTML
HTML stands for HyperText Markup Language. It is a type of web programming language which is the de facto script all web browsers are based on.
HTML lays the groundwork for the World Wide Web as most web pages are based on HTML files. In addition to that, HTML files, when compiled, also make up a considerable number of e-books. Plus, the script is so simple that you do not even have to learn it to generate an HTML code.
Here are some tools you can use to make an HTML-based e-book:
- Word Processor – This includes word processing programs like Microsoft Word. The “Save As” feature of most of these programs (usually found under the File option) will allow you to save the documents you write as HTML files. All you need to do is to make sure that the documents look exactly like how you want your e-book format to be, then click “Save.”
- E-Book Creation Software – If you are not comfortable using a word processing program to create HTML files, another option you have is an e-book creation software – a special program designed solely to generate or produce e-books.
E-book creation software ranges in price from free to a few hundred dollars. It is up to you if you are willing to spend your precious bucks for the extra features paid software usually have. Or perhaps, you are satisfied with the features you are already getting from the programs free of charge.
Most e-book creator programs are easy to use, which, of course, translates to increased productivity. Again, it is up to you which one you prefer.
If you feel that you can produce more e-books with an e-book creation software and you do not mind the extra cost so much, then go ahead. Whatever is more convenient for you.
For starters, you can use the following e-book creator software samples to start creating e-books and start making profits:
eBook Compiler Software – A free e-book creator available for download at eBookCompiler.com. Only after you have fully explored the system and tried out all its features and decide to start selling your e-books will you be asked to pay a one-time registration.
eBook Pack Express 1.7 – A free to try e-book creation software by Caislabs Software available at Download.com. The program is very user-friendly and supports HTML, JavaScript, Flash, MP3, and video files. The beauty of e-books is that they can be easily downloaded from the Internet, whether direct from a website or as an email attachment. However, downloading can be slow for some consumers, especially if they are not using broadband connection.
E-books that are particularly long can take quite a long time to download and can be a source of hassle for your consumers. Aside from cutting your e-book into mini, easy to download file sizes (which would totally defeat the whole purpose of having an e-book for a product in the first place), the best option you have is to zip your e-book into an archive. This will compress your e-book into a smaller file and will make it easy to download.
A free to try e-book creation software by Caislabs Software available at Download.com. The program is very user-friendly and supports HTML, JavaScript, Flash, MP3, and video files.