Publishing Formats and Online Distribution

One of the challenges associations face in determining an eBook format for their educational publications is assessing the benefits of the various publishing formats and distribution options.

• What’s the difference between ePub and Mobipocket?
• Do I want to distribute via Amazon or my own bookstore?
• Will it work on an Android device or smartphone?

We can help you answer those questions, as well as give insight into Big Ideas you’ve never thought of. It’s important to remember regardless of which publishing format you eventually choose, your eBooks provide the following capabilities:

• Linking text to figures and tables
• Directly linking citations to passages in text
• Optimizing and sizing images, tables and equations for appropriate display
• Adjusting image resolution for eBook viewing
• Linking to external websites for additional information

ePub vs. Mobipocket

Okay, you’ve decided to offer eBooks. Now, which format will you choose?

Regardless of the format you choose, your members are used to the high quality of your print publications. They are going expect the same in your eBooks. They will expect a seamless, flexible reading experience. Our Team can guarantee your members’ reading satisfaction. We can convert your association’s printed publication library to either ePub or Mobipocket file formats.

	ePub ePub is the default format of eBooks today. It's open source, non-proprietary. Nobody owns it. The ePub format allows for reflowable content making it readable on any sized screen. ePub is supported by most eReaders, smartphones and applications.
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	Mobipocket Mobipocket, or Mobi for short, is the proprietary file format used on the Amazon Kindle and the Mobipocket Reader Desktop. It can also be read on Android devices, iPhones and computers using the Kindle app. It cannot currently be read on iPads.

Choosing eBooks Over Standard PDFs

Converting a document to Adobe PDF is still a useful way to share files if retaining the page integrity of original document is important. However, eBook formats have evolved far beyond PDFs and are much more versatile as can be seen in the table below, which contrasts eBook format capabilities with those of PDF:

If your association’s content needs to be viewed exactly as appears in print, such as a PowerPoint presentation, PDF may still be the best option.

If you want the content you are sharing to allow for the flexibility of reflowing text and adapting graphics or tables for optimized viewing across eReaders, eBooks will offer a more personalized reading experience for your members.

Delivering eBooks to Your Association Members

Once you have decided on the file format and publishing model, we will help you choose the best distribution method for your association’s publications.

This table illustrates the main features of the three most common eBook distribution methods:

We will help clarify your distributions options: from a simple link on your website, to eCommerce solutions, to distribution on Amazon and iTunes. We will discuss all these options in depth and help you select the one that best meets your members’ needs.

Still Confused about eBook Distribution?

We can clarify any questions on distributing via Amazon, iTunes or your website’s online bookstore. Just ask.