newbie questions:iauthor

Question

Level 2

406 points

newbie questions:iauthor

Hello,

I am creating a digital books of family stories, The idea is that once produced that other family members can contribute via me.

I hope someone can answer these questions:

1. Once produced, can only those people that I permit, see the book online and will it appear as a book or thumbnail page as a work in progress?

The book would only be of interest to a small group and can it not be accessible only to them?

2. If that small group wants to download the book as an ebook, can they?

3. Can this small group publish the book in hardcover form via Apple.com (like books in iPhoto)?

4. Is is easy for someone to add a story in the future by sending it to me and having me alter the ebook?

Thanks in advance,

GJ

Posted on Sep 29, 2013 12:59 PM

Reply

Answer 1

K T

Level 7

23,865 points

Sep 29, 2013 1:26 PM in response to GH

1.) If you distribute via emal or your own server, you can control who gets it to that point.

2.) If you give them output from iBooks Author as a .ibooks file, it will function as an ebook, but only for iPad with iBooks.

3.) Not unless they have the PDF version and find a shop with will print in the form they desire. If having a printed book is a requirement, iPhoto may be your best friend instead of iBooks Author

4.) That depends on them, the form of the content and you. Are you willing to take their content in whatever form, update the .iba file and then repeat the original distribution efforts?

Do you require the interactivity that iBooks Author provides? Do all involved have iPads and know what to do when they get your file/book?

Reply

Answer 2

GH Author

Level 2

406 points

Sep 29, 2013 1:32 PM in response to K T

Thanks, KT

Just to be clear, family members cannot view the book on their desktop, laptops or other none Apple products. Kindle or Kobo will not work?

GJ

Reply

Answer 3

K T

Level 7

23,865 points

Sep 29, 2013 1:44 PM in response to GH

The next version of Mac OS X will include the ability to view an .ibooks file, which iBooks Author outputs (hybrid epub from Apple), on the computer same as on iPad now.

No non-Apple products are supported, otherwise.

For the devices you listed, consider making a standard epub using Pages, as an example. That or output a PDF from iBooks Author, but doing so means ignoring the interactivity it otherwise provides. Note that Pages and iPhoto can also output PDFs.

If you just need pictures and text across the most general distribution with the least work, I'd suggest standard epub, PDFs and/or hardbound photo books via iPhoto.

Reply

Answer 4

GH Author

Level 2

406 points

Sep 29, 2013 2:25 PM in response to K T

I have a photo book from iphoto for a photo book but this one will be mainly text and the ability to increase the text boxes is important, iphoto is limited in this regard. Thanks. I'm sure what I will do now.

Do you mean Maverick as the next version?

GJ

Reply

Answer 5

K T

Level 7

23,865 points

Sep 29, 2013 2:41 PM in response to GH

Yes.

Good luck, sorry I couldn't help more.

Reply

Answer 6

GH Author

Level 2

406 points

Sep 29, 2013 2:46 PM in response to K T

You were a big help. On final ? if I use Pages for the epub, can I insert video into the file?

GJ

Reply

Answer 7

GH Author

Level 2

406 points

Sep 29, 2013 7:52 PM in response to K T

Now I have been enthusiastically inserting text into page layout document and find that I can't create an epub?

How to I end up with a epub from where I am at??

Thanks,

GH

Reply

Answer 8

sb0117

Level 3

556 points

Sep 30, 2013 7:10 PM in response to GH

Are you using the iOS version of Pages? You can only export to EPUB format using the Mac version. Also, yes, you can embed movies in an EPUB using Pages, but I believe that there is still a bug where you can only add 1 movie. Any more than that and the movie files get messed up. It was the case a few months ago, so you may want to check with in the EPUB community forum. Good luck.

Reply

Answer 9

Tom Gewecke

Level 10

115,836 points

Sep 30, 2013 9:29 PM in response to GH

GH wrote:

How to I end up with a epub from where I am at??

You should see that option in File > Export unless your Pages version is too old.

Reply

Answer 10

GH Author

Level 2

406 points

Sep 30, 2013 9:36 PM in response to Tom Gewecke

I am using the desktop version of Pages 09 and I used the page layout format and it does not give the option to send the file to epub. Should I not have used that format?

GH

Reply

Answer 11

sb0117

Level 3

556 points

Oct 1, 2013 5:50 AM in response to GH

The page layout doesn't matter. Make sure you have the latest version of Pages '09 (4.3). As mentioned above, you should see File -> Export -> epub

Reply

Answer 12

Tom Gewecke

Level 10

115,836 points

Oct 1, 2013 6:28 AM in response to GH

In Pages > About Pages, what is the version?

Reply

Answer 13

Tom Gewecke

Level 10

115,836 points

Oct 1, 2013 9:58 AM in response to GH

GH wrote:

I used the page layout format and it does not give the option to send the file to epub. Should I not have used that format?

As long as your Pages is not too old, you should still see the option, but indeed it is not possible with that format:

Reply

Answer 14

GH Author

Level 2

406 points

Oct 1, 2013 10:10 AM in response to Tom Gewecke

I am using Pages 09 v4.3 and if Epub "continue" is greyed out so can't use it. Do I have to convert it to something else ie. word? Originally, I chose " travel journal" from the templates maybe I should have chosen "document'"?

GH

Reply

Answer 15

Tom Gewecke

Level 10

115,836 points

Oct 1, 2013 10:17 AM in response to GH

You need to transfer your content to one of the templates in the Word Processing category.

You could export to Word and then open again in Pages and see how it looks and then Export to epub.

Reply