ePub creation
Publishing houses today can not escape digital publishing. For textbooks ePub is currently the most common and accessible format.
ePub is an open standard file format developed by the IDPF (International Digital Publishing Forum). This organisation represents a number of actors in the graphic and digital industry (oa Adobe, Microsoft) but also a lot of publishing houses.
Being that open standard ePub doesn't require any proprietary software or installations. Seeing as ePub is (X)HTML based, it's layout is limited to what is feasible with HTML and CSS. This however is more than enough for most books consisting mainly of text. This also implies that images, tables, hyperlinks and such do not have to be a problem. Even for footnotes there are solutions in ePub.
ePub benefits:
- Low production cost
- Short time-to-market
- Small file sizes
- Wide support on many devices
- Independant of screen size and resolution
- (Social-)DRM possibilities
- Open standard
How?
Based on the initial starting point there are several ways we can create or generate ePub files.
- When Crius Group performs the typesetting we can use InDesign's built-in "Export for ePub" functionality. This requires some extra actions in InDesign and manipulation of the resulting ePub file but this still is faster and cheaper than starting from scratch.
- Based on XML-databases or Structure FrameMaker applications content can be converted to ePub source files. A general CSS template will have to be created intially and the resulting ePub will have to be enriched with the correct metadata.
- For legacy conversions we use PDF files or even printed copies as source material. You are given access to a dedicated Sharepoint environment for transfer of all files to our Indian back office. There text is recoverd and converted to ePub, keeping the layout similar to the printed publication as much as possible.
All metadata, cover images and corrections are also communicated through our online platform and immediately incorporated in the ePub files. The system allows you to keep track of al your books in process.
Adobe and Social-DRM
By applying DRM (Digital Rights Management) you can protect your publications against illegal copying or at least discourage it.
The most commonly used technologies are Adobe DRM and several Social DRM formats. Either one can be completely ebedded in the ePub file format. In both cases the publisher pays a fee per sale to the DRM provider.
Adobe DRM makes it physically impossible to copy an eBook eBoek (ePub or PDF) and read it on a device the original purchaser hasn't authorised. A buyer can authorise up to 5 devices.
Social DRM is a non-restrictive and therefor less forceful way of protection. A watermark (and usually personal buyer data like an emailaddress) are added to the file. This to bring to the buyers's attention that this he/she is reading a copy licensed specifically to him/her and that it is not freely available content. This way illegal copies can also be retraced to the original buyer hence discouraging illegal copying.
Social-DRM is slightly cheaper than Adobe DRM.
Distribution
For distribution and DRM services Crius Group advises our partner ePagine. They have extensive experience in this matter and have agreements with pretty much all major online distributors of digital books.
They were also, together with Boek.be, involved in the emergence of e-boek.org , a platform for all Dutch content available in eBook form. ePagine developed and is responsible for all the underlying technologie, including the iPad app that allows and supports in-app purchasing and Adobe DRM on iPad.
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3 weeks 1 day ago from CriusGroup
"#CriusGroup haalt innnovatiesubsidie van IWT binnen voor de bouw van een digitaal/app management systeem - thx @KurtPeys en andere collega's"