I have a significant set of notes and video tutorials from my teaching days. I am mulling over a strategy to convert them to interactive ePubs. I have tools to generate static PDFs to my hearts content. I have a tool to generate amateur-level video tutorials. What I lack is a tool to generate interactive ePubs.
I have discovered top recommendations include Kotobee Publisher and InDesign. My testing of Kotobee leaves me less than enthralled, indeed somewhat disenchanted. My search for InDesign suggests that I may be heading to a bait and switch by Adobe, ending with their subscription plans for a larger-than-I-likely-need Creative Suite of apps.
I am specifically interested in incorporating interactions that allow a reader to “see” actions, for example by scrolling a slider or clicking a button, as well as to answer quiz questions. The ePubs would be generated at what might be considered to be a snippet level of information, digestible (readable) in a 15-20 min session.
Anyone have insights or recommendations? Perhaps even for an agent or agency that is available to help me through a few first examples before I fly out on my own?
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JJW
I’d suggest doing it in HTML like a website. The user can use any browser on any computer, tablet, or perhaps even smart phone.
Around 25 years ago I started teaching a course in microcontrollers and was disgusted with what textbooks were available and their ridiculous prices (my students were not wealthy). So I decided to write a textbook in HTML, with embedded, runnable program examples as Java Applets (a now dead technology). I gave this away to my students but sold it to other schools and eventually had printed copies (without the embedded examples) at a low cost.
By doing this in HTML it was platform agnostic and had zero production cost. Of course this was back in the day before anyone heard of ePubs, but it would still be viable today.
I also did this for my late father’s family genealogy book. We looked at the cost of printing it and decided to sell it on a CD. After his death, I put the entire book online. Here is the link.
Why ePub? A static site does sound best for this project.
OK. Interesting thought, especially since ePub is glorified HTML. However, even through I’m versed enough in the old-days of raw HTML coding to feel reasonably comfortable with the HTML, anymore, the HTML directives just get in my way of writing. Which is why I did not include Sigil-eBook in my list of ePub creation apps. I guess that I could look for a UI-driven HTML editor and plan to convert the finished HTML → ePub (e.g. through Pandoc). Thanks for the suggestion.
To address why I would not just stay with HTML …
I do not want to be in the game of hosting a Web site, or even uploading to a third-party Website-hosting agency. I want to generate interactive content (an interactive ebooklet) for reading locally on devices.
Perhaps naively or to my own stubborn disadvantage, I am not keenly interested in creating an “available out there at this link if you search for it and your internet is working” resource. I am interested in creating an “available on your device if you collect it” resource. Also, particularly because, as a retired faculty, I am not simply free to generate a streaming flow of content for a mass of students who subsequently must read what is posted regardless its aesthetics, suitability, and focus. I am limiting myself to create well-focused, professional-looking snapshots of content that might entice a sufficient mass of students (and others) to read (eventually buy) it.
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JJW