Once my book is uploaded, how long before it appears in iTunes?

It is not possible to "turn it into an app". However, it is possible to redo the content as an app, it just depends on what type of books it is.

Yes, I am a developer myself. Doing iOS app development used to be very difficult, if not impossible, for most content creators. iOS 5, however, introduced a new feature called storyboard which makes most of the app creation almost as simple as drag and drop, with some simple coding.

However, the main difference between books and apps is that books tends to have a lot of "pages". Apps tends to have lesser "pages" (called views). So if you are writing a big novel, app creation is probably not an option. But if you do have lesser pages but more multimedia stuffs, like a good multimedia children books, you can convert them to app. Or rethink what you want to do in your app. For example, my animal books have little videos and lots of pictures, but when converted to app, the focus is on the video, interactivity and less on pictures.

Also note that most apps are US$0.99 in nature, so you will need to consider this. For example, I got a music video books with 10 music video, but when converted to app, I only retain 5 music video and redesign the app to look less like a book and more like an app. Here is an example:

http://itunes.apple.com/app/chang-ge-yao-xue-ying-wen-1/id518266104

So not all books are convertable. Many are more suitable to convert to Kindle/Nook. Some multimedia books are suitable for app recreation.

Just coming up 4 weeks waiting now :( added to the IRS delay I've missed cross promoting at the London mac user group, royal academy, 2 pechakuchas and a half dozen other iPad art events... Next events are may 7th, 8th and 12th, hope it's up by then.

Frustratingly the book itself was written a week after the author app was released (too excited at possibilities to sleep). It's been a long wait since then... (that said I can imagine they're snowed under with a huge weight of applications but even so, hugely dissapointing every time I do an art event and have to say 'it'll be out soon...' :( 'when?' 'um...')

Thanks for the information, Thye. Anyone, is it possible to withdraw a book submitted to the ibookstore but not yet published, and do it instead as an app? I get the impression some here have done that.

Jim.

Yes, is it simple or difficult?

Don't think so. But don't do that unless you already have an app.

Doing app used to be impossible or very difficult (even for a developer like myself). Right now it is simple for developer but might still be hard or inappropriate for content authors. It really depends on the type of your books.

Our Sing to Learn English music video books are still in review after a month, and the app conversion is on sale for a few days now!

Thanks for your advice. I have created a history textbook, but it is currently on the store. I think I will keep it as a textbook.

Ya, this is not easy or appropriate to recreate this as an app. App is more suitable for lesser pages but multimedia rich books.

To give you an idea on the app creation process, here's the storyboard of a children book I am working on right now, where I will have around 10+ pages with multimedia content. This is suitable for app creation (not many pages, multimedia). You can check it out when it is approved.

You designed each page in storyboard called a scene. Then you drag lines from each scene to another (sounds familiar?) from buttons or gestures. If you need to play video, you need to write some action codes and link from the buttons to the actions.

The work-in-progress storyboard looks something like this.

thye chean wrote:

Ya, this is not easy or appropriate to recreate this as an app. App is more suitable for lesser pages but multimedia rich books.

Lesser pages? That's like comparing radio to TV...makes no sense 🙂 views contain elements and layers and controls and objects...on and on. One view can be used to display page after page after page of text....or not.

An app would knock the socks off of any book from iBA, regardless of 'page' count... I've put some pretty hefty 'book' apps in the store and I'm not the only example. 99 cents? What's that about? Means nothing here...

There is a reason it's "not as easy" - the skills needed are much higher and vastly different, of course, and the features and possibilities are too. There is no comparision that makes an iBook come close, sorry. Any ibook could be turned into an app and have the same or easily more value....very few apps could be turned into ibook files and still keep their value.

Thank you. My nex question is somewhat of a tangent.

I just checked the iBookstore textbooks top charts section on my iPad today and noticed my book, along with about 30 other books, are not listed anymore. This is quite peculiar. Is anyone else experiencing this issue? Thanks.

Still waiting for Apple to approve our music video books for kids, while the books-turned-apps (but lesser songs for lesser money, since App Store is now a primary US$0.99 place) is selling and going on well. 🙂

You can take a look here: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sing-to-learn-english-1/id518266104 - seems like having some good reviews too.

The Chinese version (Sing to Learn Chinese) is now #3 in Singapore: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/chang-ge-yao-xue-hua-wen-2/id518524324

Hope this can give some authors a way out... I am close to convert my first bird book (Jungle Feathers) to app now. If you are developing children books (like us), this is really an option.

Thye Chean- nice book! Does anyone know where the textbooks went from the top charts section? Am I alone experiencing this issue? Thanks

Probably only Apple would know. I always think textbook section is reserved for Apple partners, so I am trying to avoid those.

Of course, I am in the process of moving my iBooks to App Store (and enjoying some success so far), so I am less concern on iBookstore now.

Thanks. Is anyone else experiencing issues?

Thye,

After you redo one of your books as an app, will you also leave the iBA version in the iBookstore, so that you have both for sale? Is there a downside to doing that?

Jim.