It has been a decade and more since eBooks have found their way into the market. There are a lot of people who are still trying to understand what exactly an eBook is and how it is different from the normal paper books.
We have had many customers asking us these questions, andwe have decided to compile a post that answers most of the frequent questions about eBooks asked by our clients.
These questions will help you get a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of what an e-Book is and how it has changed the publication landscape over the years.
So let's begin with the obvious first question
What is an eBook?
In a nutshell, an eBook or electronic book is a digital version or replica of a normal paper manuscript. Just like regular books an eBook can include texts, images or both. In order to function, it needs specialized files created from a range of digital documents like PDF or Microsoft Word. They have been very popular in the market from 2007 when the eCommerce giant Amazon first introduced its eBook reader, Kindle which was followed by Barnes and Noble’s NOOK and Apple iPad.
How can I buy and read these eBooks?
If you are going to buy an eBook you can download the digital copy of the same to any device that lets you read e-Books. There are dedicated electronic book readers such as nook or Amazon Kindle helping customers get exceptional reading experience. With the help of these eReaders, it can be read and bought.The advent of smartphones has also helped people download eBooks to their Smartphone and use it as a platform to read them. Most of the mobile devices that run on iOS or Android can be used to read eBooks. There are also other multipurpose, handheld devices such as tablets that can be used to read eBooks with certain eBook reading apps.
Customers can buy eBooks from a wide variety of eCommerce websites available on the internet including Amazon. Amazon Kindle Book Store is the most extensive and largest online eBook shop and it adds every day hundreds of new titles. There are other popular online eBook stores as well such as Barnes and Noble and Apple's iBook Store. In addition to all these, writers also have the option to sell their books and titles directly from their website to their customers.
What do I need to do if I want to change my book into an eBook?
Converting a normal nook into an eBook is an extensive file conversion process and you need the help of an established eBook conversion services in the market who can provide you with all the support you need to get an exceptionally readable and user-friendly electronic book. It is important, at the beginning of the process, that you have a digital file of the content either in its Word or PDF format. The eBook conversion services will then convert these files into two unique eBook files. One of the file types is .mobi which is used by Amazon Kindle and the other type of file is ePub which is used by NOOK and all other electronic book readers, mobile devices and handheld devices.
For those who wish to convert their book into an eBook can also do that by taking the help of third-party software applications that offers eBook conversion services. However, it must be kept in mind that eBook conversion is an extensive and complex process which can always go wrong if you do not have the expertise and experience to do it correctly.This is one of the major reasons why most authors rely on experienced and professional eBook conversion services to get the best and user-friendly eBooks.
What sorts of books can be converted to eBooks?
Any book can be converted into an eBook, and the eBook creation process becomes easier for books that have more text than multimedia elements such as images, videos and audio files. Text-based books are said to have a simple layout which is often called “dynamic layout” as the books appearance will adjust itself as per the screen size of the device used to read the same.
Books that have more images and other graphical elements on it are often difficult to convert to eBook and it needs fixed layout conversion as it will always have an immovable layout irrespective of the size and type of the electronic book reader it is rendered on. The fixed layout eBook type is used for children's books, art books, photography and cook books where image and other multimedia elements play an important role. Also the level of eBook formatting needed is high.
After conversion, will my printed book and the eBook read and look the same?
Once you convert manuscript to eBook, it will certainly retain all the content on your printed book but it will never feel and render exactly the same.
In order to understand this, you need to consider a scenario; a printed book will remain the same no matter how long you keep it in a library or anywhere else. However, an eBook will need to adapt itself to different screen sizes, specifications of eReaders, personal preferences of the person reading it and the technological advances, and it will never look the same.
How long will it take, if I want, to get my book converted to an eBook?
Well, this is a question that cannot be answered bluntly.
As the conversion process is an extensive one, it depends upon the type of the book, its layout and the time spent on reviewing the eBook proof.
However the standard procedure, a company has, for the conversion is as follows;
What do I need to do if I want to get started to convert my book?
The first step is you need to get your book completely proofread with the help of an editor who knows what he or she is doing. Once your book is edited and carefully proofread warding off all sorts of grammatical and typing errors, you can send your PDF or Word file to the digital conversion company. It is always important, in order to make the entire process easier, that you keep the layout simple as there are several devices.
We hope that the post gives you enough insights into the most pressing questions that have been pecking you at the back of your mind ever since you heard about eBooks.
Do you have any other questions regarding eBook conversions? Let us know in the comments section.
We have had many customers asking us these questions, andwe have decided to compile a post that answers most of the frequent questions about eBooks asked by our clients.
These questions will help you get a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of what an e-Book is and how it has changed the publication landscape over the years.
So let's begin with the obvious first question
What is an eBook?
In a nutshell, an eBook or electronic book is a digital version or replica of a normal paper manuscript. Just like regular books an eBook can include texts, images or both. In order to function, it needs specialized files created from a range of digital documents like PDF or Microsoft Word. They have been very popular in the market from 2007 when the eCommerce giant Amazon first introduced its eBook reader, Kindle which was followed by Barnes and Noble’s NOOK and Apple iPad.
How can I buy and read these eBooks?
If you are going to buy an eBook you can download the digital copy of the same to any device that lets you read e-Books. There are dedicated electronic book readers such as nook or Amazon Kindle helping customers get exceptional reading experience. With the help of these eReaders, it can be read and bought.The advent of smartphones has also helped people download eBooks to their Smartphone and use it as a platform to read them. Most of the mobile devices that run on iOS or Android can be used to read eBooks. There are also other multipurpose, handheld devices such as tablets that can be used to read eBooks with certain eBook reading apps.
Customers can buy eBooks from a wide variety of eCommerce websites available on the internet including Amazon. Amazon Kindle Book Store is the most extensive and largest online eBook shop and it adds every day hundreds of new titles. There are other popular online eBook stores as well such as Barnes and Noble and Apple's iBook Store. In addition to all these, writers also have the option to sell their books and titles directly from their website to their customers.
What do I need to do if I want to change my book into an eBook?
Converting a normal nook into an eBook is an extensive file conversion process and you need the help of an established eBook conversion services in the market who can provide you with all the support you need to get an exceptionally readable and user-friendly electronic book. It is important, at the beginning of the process, that you have a digital file of the content either in its Word or PDF format. The eBook conversion services will then convert these files into two unique eBook files. One of the file types is .mobi which is used by Amazon Kindle and the other type of file is ePub which is used by NOOK and all other electronic book readers, mobile devices and handheld devices.
For those who wish to convert their book into an eBook can also do that by taking the help of third-party software applications that offers eBook conversion services. However, it must be kept in mind that eBook conversion is an extensive and complex process which can always go wrong if you do not have the expertise and experience to do it correctly.This is one of the major reasons why most authors rely on experienced and professional eBook conversion services to get the best and user-friendly eBooks.
What sorts of books can be converted to eBooks?
Any book can be converted into an eBook, and the eBook creation process becomes easier for books that have more text than multimedia elements such as images, videos and audio files. Text-based books are said to have a simple layout which is often called “dynamic layout” as the books appearance will adjust itself as per the screen size of the device used to read the same.
Books that have more images and other graphical elements on it are often difficult to convert to eBook and it needs fixed layout conversion as it will always have an immovable layout irrespective of the size and type of the electronic book reader it is rendered on. The fixed layout eBook type is used for children's books, art books, photography and cook books where image and other multimedia elements play an important role. Also the level of eBook formatting needed is high.
After conversion, will my printed book and the eBook read and look the same?
Once you convert manuscript to eBook, it will certainly retain all the content on your printed book but it will never feel and render exactly the same.
In order to understand this, you need to consider a scenario; a printed book will remain the same no matter how long you keep it in a library or anywhere else. However, an eBook will need to adapt itself to different screen sizes, specifications of eReaders, personal preferences of the person reading it and the technological advances, and it will never look the same.
How long will it take, if I want, to get my book converted to an eBook?
Well, this is a question that cannot be answered bluntly.
As the conversion process is an extensive one, it depends upon the type of the book, its layout and the time spent on reviewing the eBook proof.
However the standard procedure, a company has, for the conversion is as follows;
- Once they receive your PDF file or Word file, experts will inspect the same multiple times to understand that everything on the book is correct.
- After the review, they will convert your eBook into the ePUB Conversion and .mobi conversion formats and will send you the digital proof of the same. You can expect to get the first proof in 5 to 10 business days.
- Once you receive the digital proof that they have sent, you need to review the same and ensure that everything is as you wish. If you need any changes to be incorporated, you can contact them.
- Dependingupon the time you take to complete the review process, the conversion will take a day, a week or even months to complete.
What do I need to do if I want to get started to convert my book?
The first step is you need to get your book completely proofread with the help of an editor who knows what he or she is doing. Once your book is edited and carefully proofread warding off all sorts of grammatical and typing errors, you can send your PDF or Word file to the digital conversion company. It is always important, in order to make the entire process easier, that you keep the layout simple as there are several devices.
We hope that the post gives you enough insights into the most pressing questions that have been pecking you at the back of your mind ever since you heard about eBooks.
Do you have any other questions regarding eBook conversions? Let us know in the comments section.