e-book+Publishing

Books that are published in an electronic format are commonly referred to as e-books. Grammar Girl notes that there are [|multiple ways to spell/punctuate the term, but e-book is the most desirable]. E-books come in different formats and can be read in different hardware devices and software programs. The three main formats (most widely used) are .epub, .ibooks, and .mobi (Amazon has a proprietary format but it is based on the .mobi format). Though technically not an e-book, .pdf files can often be read in e-book devices or software and are a convenient way to publish text in an electronic format. The chart below delineates some of the differences. [|Wikipedia offers a much more detailed chart.]

Reading e-books
(or on Kindle reader software on Windows, Macintosh, or iOS device) || can be read on a Nook || can be read on a laptop or desktop (Windows or PC) using [|Adobe Digital Editions] (free download) ||
 * || can be read on an iPad || can be read on a Kindle
 * .epub || yes, in iBooks || yes || yes || yes ||
 * .ibook || yes, in iBooks || no || no || no ||
 * .mobi || yes, in the Kindle Reader app || yes || [|not officially, but there are workarounds] || no ||
 * .pdf || yes, in iBooks as well as many .pdf annotation apps || ? || ? || ? ||

Some Pros and Cons

 * || Pros || Cons ||
 * .epub || * very universal--pretty much the industry standard || * feels like a paper book converted to a digital book with a few hyperlinks;
 * the same .epub file can look very different in different readers ||
 * .ibook || * this format has the potential for very interactive e-books with lots of graphics and cool features--very 21st century feel
 * iBooks Author and Pages are both fairly intuitive to use || * only readable on iOS devices
 * according to the Terms of Agreement, should only be made available to others through iTunes U or the iBooks Store ||
 * .mobi || * been around for a long time || * pretty much only readable on Kindle devices and old Palm devices ||
 * .pdf || * very universal || * pretty static; not much interactivity ||

Creating e-books
(only available on Mac--free) || Pages software (only available on Mac--not free) [|when done, click File-->Export-->iBook] || Word software and then convert using Lulu.com on the Web (Windows or Mac) || [|html, txt, odt, or lots of other formats and then convert using Calibre] (free download for Windows or Mac) ||
 * //(NOTE: hyperlinks go to tutorials or FAQ pages for that particular process)// || [|iBooks Author software]
 * .epub || yes || yes || yes || yes ||
 * .ibook || yes || yes || no || no ||
 * .mobi || no || no || no || yes ||
 * .pdf || yes || yes || no || no ||