Deciding between ePub and mobile app delivery? This presentation discusses options, and gives you a decision tree to get you going in the right direction.

1. DECIDING BETWEEN TABLET FORMATS:
PUBLISHING TO EPUB OR APPS

2. Agenda
• Brief outline of roundpeg ( < 1 minute )
• My background/contact info
• Decision tree for ePub v. app
• Options for eBook production
– ePub
– app
• My motivations, decisions for eBooks
• Example using InDesign

3. roundpeg company focus
Company Focus* eBook production
• Web and Mobile Web • Training, Dev and Services
sites and applications using
• eLearning dev and – Adobe InDesign
implementation – Adobe Digital Publishing Suite
– Adobe FrameMaker
• Technical communication
– Adobe RoboHelp
including eBook
– Calibre
production
– Amazon Marketplace
– Apple Bookstore and App Store
*Supporting these 3 requires all the “usual” Adobe products

4. My focus
• Tech Comm
– FM, RH, Captivate
– Single Sourcing
– Multi Channel Publishing
• Social Media
• Print
• eLearning

5. Contact info
(QR codes on next slide)
• matt@roundpeg.com
• www.slideshare.net/mattrsullivan
• http://mattrsullivan.com
• twitter.com/mattrsullivan
• www.linkedin.com/mattrsullivan
• Search on “mattrsullivan”

6. Mobile contact info
Matt’s meCard 714 585-2335

7. eBook format -
things to consider
• “Novel” vs. traditional glossy magazine
• Cost vs. Time
• Content vs. Style
• Free vs. Paid
• Updated and Serialized vs. Static

8. Cost vs. Time
ePub apps
• Available and inexpensive • Less software options
through many channels • More intense training and
• Rapid dev time and update setup
time • Exponentially more hoops
• Monetary barriers to entry to jump through for dev
are low. More like a co-op and delivery
or consignment in terms of • Best handled as an
sales and revenue independent profit center

9. Content vs. Style
ePub app
• Solid display of content • Glossy, interactive
• Formatting mainly • Allows rich media
controlled by end user experience
• Allows for ads, in-app
purchases

10. Free vs. Paid
• Each allow monetization or free delivery
• Cost and format are project goal dependent
• Need to analyze potential market and benefit
of saturation vs. direct revenue

11. Static Content vs.
Updated and Serialized Content
ePub app
• Generally static, though • Good for Newsstand
updates are possible, even – Subscriptions and ongoing
for existing sales revenue are a typical goal

12. “Novel” vs.
traditional glossy magazine
ePub app
• Suited for focused, linear • Suited for online
text longer than magazine magazines with ads, many
or newspaper areticles independent articles or
topics

13. Example 1: Substance over style…
Documentation for a laser printer
• Text is more important that style points
• Static content, rarely updated
• Provided free of charge
• Advertising and multimedia not appropriate

14. Example 2: Style sells content
Data sheets for RE investment fund
• Presentation differentiates product, captures
attention, promotes sale
• Sophistication underscores effort and quality
of information
• Multimedia allows rich interactive
experience

15. Sampler of Options for
eBook Production
ePub apps
Just about any authoring tool • Adobe DPS
such as: – Subscription ($450/month
• Word – Single Edition (~$450/item)
• FrameMaker • Apple Developer Toolkit
– ~$100/year
• RoboHelp
– Requires dev experience and
dev software

16. Today’s examples created with
InDesign
• ePub, Kindle, iPad, Android tablet content
can be created with almost anything
• InDesign allows easy differentiation of
content with the same authoring tool

17. Getting started with folios
• Update Adobe AIR
• Download Folio Producer tools
– http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/det
ail.jsp?ftpID=5134
• Download Folio Builder Panel

18. Create custom email
per folio (project)
• fmauth.dps@mattrsullivan.com
• fmtemplates.dps@mattrsullivan.com