How To Write Your First Book In iBooks Author

Creating and Publishing Books with iBooks Author

For anyone aspiring to become a published author, Apple’s recently released iBooks Author software represents a potentially revolutionary and remarkably accessible tool.

The unveiling of iBooks Author occurred during a live event hosted at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City.

Target Audience and Versatility

Initially designed with textbook creators and publishers in mind, the software’s capabilities extend far beyond academic materials.

It proves equally suitable for crafting a diverse range of publications, including cookbooks, illustrated storybooks, interactive narratives, and practical guides.

A New Approach to E-Book Creation

iBooks Author appears to be the pioneering consumer-level software specifically engineered for the development of multimedia-rich e-Pub books.

This innovative application allows authors to integrate various media elements directly into their publications.

The software’s intuitive interface simplifies the process of book creation and formatting.

Consequently, authors can focus on content rather than complex technical details.

It offers a streamlined pathway from manuscript to published work.

This makes self-publishing more attainable than ever before.

Feature Overview

E-books created using iBooks Author are primarily intended for reading on the iPad, utilizing the updated iBooks 2 reader application. While designed for the Apple ecosystem, iBooks Author publications can also be exported as PDF files and plain text documents—though embedded images and media will be excluded in the latter format.

Users already acquainted with Apple’s Pages desktop publishing software will find the iBooks Author interface readily familiar. Both applications share a comparable design, encompassing text editing functionalities, page layout options, and the intuitive drag-and-drop inclusion of multimedia elements.

Unique Capabilities

iBooks Author distinguishes itself with several exclusive features, notably Widgets. These allow the integration of interactive visuals, three-dimensional models, Keynote presentations, custom HTML code, and even a review study guide tool specifically designed for textbooks.

The application launches with six pre-designed templates to facilitate project initiation. While new books can be composed from the ground up, existing documents created in Pages and Microsoft Word can also be imported.

Importing Existing Documents

For evaluation purposes, my Awesome Guide To Mac Automation, originally formatted in Word, was imported. iBooks Author successfully preserved the majority of the text, font styles, header formatting, screenshots, and titles. A minor adjustment was required to address additional spacing introduced between paragraphs.

Text and formatting were largely retained.
Header styles were successfully imported.
Screenshots remained in their original positions.
Paragraph spacing needed minor correction.

The software effectively maintained the document’s structure and visual elements during the import process.

Distinctive Capabilities

Given the familiarity of iBooks Author as a word processor, our attention will be directed towards its specialized functionalities.

Orientation and Interactivity

Books created with iBooks Author, intended primarily for viewing on the iPad through iBooks 2, are by default formatted for landscape orientation, diverging from the conventional portrait layout.

While the core content remains consistent across both orientations, the landscape mode unlocks enhanced interactive possibilities. Readers can be presented with photo galleries, embedded videos activated by a tap, and interactive experiences utilizing multi-touch gestures with elements like maps and 3D models.

Conversely, portrait view prioritizes textual content, relegating photos and interactive elements to a secondary position, resulting in a more static reading experience.

Glossary and Cross-Referencing

iBooks Author incorporates a textbook Glossary function. This allows for the designation of specific terms and their definitions, alongside the inclusion of related glossary entries for interconnected learning.

Review Questions

Similar to conventional textbooks, iBooks Author facilitates the creation of multiple-choice review questions. These can be strategically positioned at the conclusion of each textbook chapter.

iPad Book Previewing

Despite iBooks Author being a “What You See Is What You Get” (WYSIWYG) desktop editor, previewing your book necessitates a direct connection between your iPad and your Mac. Currently, Apple has not developed an iBooks reader application for macOS. To examine your work, launch iBooks 2 on the connected iPad and then select the "Preview" button, represented by an iPad icon, within the iBooks Author toolbar.

iBooks Author will then transmit a Proof version of your book. This Proof can be updated automatically as you implement modifications within iBooks Author.

This preview functionality provides an opportunity to assess how the layout and multimedia elements of your book will render and function on the iPad.

The iBook 2 reader incorporates features tailored specifically for books and textbooks created with iBooks Author. For example, the updated version allows for text highlighting through a simple press-and-drag action with a finger, eliminating the multiple taps still required for standard e-books.

iBooks 2 also includes a dedicated flashcard function – created within iBooks Author, naturally – alongside a notepad that compiles all highlighted passages and typed annotations.

However, Apple still restricts the ability to export highlighted text directly from iBooks. Written notes, conversely, can be emailed.

The enhancements in iBooks 2 represent positive developments, but its annotation capabilities for study purposes remain somewhat limited. Apple could benefit from examining iOS PDF reader applications, such as iAnnotate, to identify missing tools and features. For instance, the bookmarking tool within iBooks does not permit renaming bookmark pages. Consequently, reviewing bookmarks yields only page numbers, which proves insufficient for studying extensive textbooks.

Both iBooks Author, which demands OS X Lion or later, and iBooks 2, requiring iOS 5 or later, are available at no cost from their respective app stores.

We are interested in your opinions regarding these applications. What additional tools and features would you propose? Do you foresee iBooks Author revolutionizing the field of education?