Overview

Our team were hired by Mr Andersen, from Andersen Bowe to design the third ebook in thier investment series.

As the ebook contained financial matter, it included a large amount of tables, charts, figures and formulas which required special formatting.

The design was to be be consistent with the other two ebooks in the series and their company branding.

Our Suggestions

• Following on from the other ebooks we have designed for them, we continued using Adobe Indesign CS5 for the design and production of the ebook. The benefits included having a superior quality ebook which would enable high quality printing in the future for a print version
• Large chapter title headers with a corresponding quote
• Important text to be included in their own text box so they stood out
• Consistent colour scheme throughout
• Consistent heading, body and bullet points styles

Features

• 44 pages (PDF)
• Chapter Header Titles
• Tables, Charts, Figures and Formulas
• Quotes

Client’s Feedback

What can we say? — Karen and the team at That’s Creative! have done it again! We would strongly recommend using That’s Creative! to anyone who would like to see their design project handled intuitively, seamlessly and professionally — at a value price!
Peter Andersen, www.andersenbowe.com.au

Overview

Ms Garrett-Young engaged That’s Creative! to design her first ebook Home Building Made Easy.

Even though this was Ms Garrett-Young’s first ebook, she well researched the ebook process and only required minimal guidance.

We were asked to design an ebook, a 6 x 9 book version, and also convert the ebook into ePub and Kindle formats.

The design was to be minimilist, clean, easy to read and very effective to match company branding already in place.

Our Suggestions

• As the ebook was over 100 pages, we recommended using Adobe Indesign CS5 for the design and production of the ebook. The benefits included having a superior quality ebook, easier conversion into other ebook formats and 6 x9 book format.
• Wide left column layout to allow for call-outs
• Individual chapter title pages with an image to break up the text
• Examples and tips to be included in their own text box so they stood out
• Consistent colour scheme throughout
• Consistent heading, body and bullet points styles

Features

• 134 pages (PDF, ePUB + Kindle, 6 x 9 Book)
• Index and Glossary
• Call Out Boxes
• Chapter Title Pages
• Quotes

Client’s Feedback

As a first time author, this has been a brand new experience for me. Karen has created a fantastic, well designed book and eBook that well exceeded my expectations. I cannot compliment enough her attention to detail and energy, especially given I didn’t always know what I wanted.
Thanks Karen!
Donna Garrett, www.homebuildingmadeeasy.com.au

Download Ebook Extract

• Download a free PDF Extract of Donna Garrett-Young’s Home Building Made Easy.

Overview

Dr Parker was referred to That’s Creative! through a colleague of his. He had an ebook that was due for a second edition but this time around he wanted to take it to the next level and increase sales with a professional design.

Dr Parker did not have many specific requirements other than he wanted the ebook to look polished, very clear and easy to read, engaging and professional.

The overall design of the ebook was bland and unimaginative. It was a very text-heavy ebook with only a few images throughout. There were many hyperlinks throughout that we in the same colour of the text – making it difficult for readers to know they were active hyperlinks. Headings and sub-heading were similar sizes making it difficult to differentiate between the two.

Our Suggestions

• As the ebook was over 100 pages, we recommended using Adobe Indesign CS5 for the design and production of the ebook. The benefits included having a superior quality ebook, easier conversion into other ebook formats and it enabled the document to be professionally printed at a later stage.
• Landscape format for easy full size-viewing (pdf)
• Individual chapter title pages with a full page image to break up the text
• Examples and tips to be included in their own text box so they stood out
• Consistent colour scheme throughout
• Consistent heading, body and bullet points styles
• Call out boxes to emphasise important phrases
• Table of contents link on every page for easy navigation

Features

• 146 pages (PDF, ePUB + Kindle)
• Landscape Format
• Call Out Boxes
• Chapter Title Pages
• Quotes
• Table of Contents Link on every page

Client’s Feedback

Karen took my ebook with poorly integrated everyday appearances and created a bold and inviting, truly polished ebook—with super internal navigation and outstanding pictures to maximize interest and follow through. At times in the process it seemed she was telepathic, and her taste matched my deepest expectations, in record time! The best part: she connected both fresh art and my pivotal message in a way that connects both public and professional concerns. No doubt about it, we will be working together again soon!
Dr Charles Parker, Premium Ebook Design, ADHD Medication Rules
http://bit.ly/medrules

Ebook Design Mastery with Karen Wickham

Roger C. Parker, best-selling $32 million dollar Author and owner of Published & Profitable Blog, interviewed our very own Karen Wickham to discuss some of the specific design techniques she employed to make ADHD Medication Rules stand out from its competition.

Roger and Karen also discussed elements of ebook design success and often overlooked book marketing opportunities.

Use the 7 tips to help build your brand and create an ebook that stands out from the competition!

Over the coming months, the team at That’s Creative! will be releasing a series of ebooks aimed at helping authors learn how to successfully self publish an ebook.

These feature-packed ebooks will include tips, examples, answers to our most frequently asked questions, screenshots and instructions to help even the novice of authors new to the self-publishing game.

Here is a list of planned ebook topics:

• Planning Your Ebook (including information on ISBN’s & Copyright, Target Audience, Mind Mapping)
• Choosing the Right Format for your Ebook (includes all popular formats, benefits of each and how to price accordingly)
• How to Market and Sell Your Ebook Effectively (includes information on selling your ebook on your own website, setting up automated payment processors and marketing your ebook with social networks)
• Top 5 Ebook Websites to Sell Your Ebook (detailed information on the pros and cons of each website, including fees and rules)

As they become available we will have them available on this website to purchase and download instantly.

Let us know of any topics you would like more information on…

Overview

Technology today makes it very easy to copy, share and distribute content that is found online, whether it is in the form of images, songs, videos or text. Many users don’t understand copyright and what they can and can’t do. Just because it is on the Internet does not mean you are free to steal it or make money from it.

Even if you credit the owner of the material, this does not necessarily mean you are free to use it as you wish. Unless it comes under “Fair Use”, you must seek permission from the author to use the material.

Simply changing a few elements of a design or content, does not automatically make it your own. It could land you in serious hot water.

Even though copyright can be a very gray area, ignorance of the law does not make you exempt from legal action. If in doubt, or if you cannot locate the owner, assume it is protected by copyright. You can always contact a Copyright Lawyer for advice.

Our Experiences

There is also the moral aspects of stealing other people’s work. If you put hard work and effort into writing an ebook or creating a design, would you like someone else profiting or receiving praise for it?

On many occasions we have found other designers posting our designs on their website and stealing content from our websites. Sometimes it may be a single image or a few lines of text, and other times it has been a 90% duplication of our website.

In all cases, each offender was claiming our work as their own, which is a serious breach of copyright. We created the material and do not receive any royalties from what they make off of our designs. Furthermore, each visitor to their website assumes the designs were created by the that company and would expect the same level of high quality. In this circumstance, if someone needs to steal designs, you may be right to assume their quality or skills would not be on par with ours.

Upon notification of each offence, we have sent a Cease and Desist letter via email. All except one removed the material immediately and apologized.  We hired a company that performs takedowns for the one offender who did not respond or comply.

We may never completley stop people from stealing our designs or content, but we have put in place measures to minimise the amount stolen by disabling the right click option and putting a Copyspace banner in the footer of our website, which enables us to check if our content has been copied.

It may be flattering for someone to steal your work, but it is also illegal and very frustrating. If someone does steals your work, protect it.

Copyright for Ebooks

Google Images

Many people assume that images available via Google Images are automatically free to use. This is not the case. When you preview an image, a disclaimer comes up on the right (under the image details) saying “Images may be subject to copyright.”

From time to time we are asked to format ebooks that contain images downloaded from Google Images. Unless you contact the original owner of that image and seek permission to use it, you have no right to include it in your ebook. We cannot format ebooks containing images without a proper licence nor can we design an ecover using an unlicenced image. If you were caught, we would be liable as well.

Logos & Trademarks

If you do not have permission to include a logo or any trademarked item, we cannot use it as part of your cover design or the design of your ebook.

Stock Images

All images we use in ebooks or any marketing material we design (ie. brochures, business cards etc) are paid for and downloaded from stock image websites. These images have what’s called a “Royalty Free Licence” applied to them.

This licence, as defined by www.Dreamstime.com, means

What You Can Do

Download images from a stock websites with a Royalty Free Licence:

• www.istock.com
• www.depositphotos.com
• www.dreamstime.com
• www.bigstockphotos.com

If you download images from a Free Stock Website, be sure to check what you can and can’t do with those images. Each website’s licence may vary.

Ebook Content

You can quote other sources in your ebook content, use facts and ideas and use a company name or logo if you are talking about it. For more information read “Copyright Law: 12 Dos and Don’ts” http://www.dailyblogtips.com/copyright-law-12-dos-and-donts/.

Protect Your Ebook

We recommend to all our clients to have a Copyright Disclaimer included in their ebook content (especially if you have a health, medical or finance related ebook). This protects your rights as an Author and it also provides information on what the reader can and can’t do with your ebook.

Research what your individual copyright notice should include as it depends upon your ebook topic and content. An example copyright disclaimer can be found at the bottom of this article.

Conclusion

Do your research. If in doubt, it’s best to assume the material is protected by copyright law or it might result in illegal and costly mistakes. There are many articles on the web discussing copyright law. By reading these articles, you will have a better understanding of what you can and can’t do.

More Information

• Copyright Explained http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2007/07/07/copyright-explained-i-may-copy-it-right/
• Fair Use http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_use
• Creative Commons Licence http://creativecommons.org/licenses/
• What You Can Do When Someone Steals Your Content http://lorelle.wordpress.com/2006/04/10/what-do-you-do-when-someone-steals-your-content/
• “Copyright Law: 12 Dos and Don’ts” http://www.dailyblogtips.com/copyright-law-12-dos-and-donts/

This article is not a legal document and was not written by a lawyer. Please seek the advice of a Copyright Lawyer if you have any questions or concerns.

Ebook Design Mastery with Karen Wickham—Interview With Roger C. Parker

Karen Wickham, from That’s Creative! Ebook Design, a firm that helps authors fuse design as a strategic selling tool for ebooks and online brand-building, reviewed the elements of ebook design success and discussed often overlooked book marketing opportunities.

Use the 7 tips to help build your brand and create an ebook that stands out from the competition!

Click here to read the article on the Published and Profitable Blog.

Most Popular Formats

The most popular ebook formats (other than pdf) are ePub and Mobi.  Both formats come in both standard and fixed layouts.

With these formats each user can control the text size and zoom in on images. There are no actual “pages” when viewing these formats. They have a “linear” flow.

ePub is the most widely-supported vendor-independent e-book format that is XML-based. It works on Kobo eReader, Blackberry Playbook, iBooks, Barnes and Noble Nook, Sony Reader, Adobe Digital Editions, among others.

You can view Mobi files on the Kindle, Kindle Fire, Kindle Viewer, Mobipocket Reader, Calibre, Stanza Desktop and Smartphones (by downloading the Kindle app).

Formatting Restrictions

It is important to note that both ePub and Mobi formats have formatting restrictions.

Mobi Standard

1. Tables are displayed differently on various Mobipocket renderers, especially when tables cross more than one screen. Nested tables are not supported. Therefore tables need to be converted into images.
2. Individual items of text can’t be displayed in monospace font.
3. Inserts, text boxes, drop caps and sidebars are not displayed properly.
4. Left margins can only be specified in 2em increments.
5. Hanging indent is only possible if there is no left margin.
6. Images are currently only available in grayscale.
7. Text cannot flow around images that are taller than one line of text.
8. Most measurements, including indents, can’t be specified in em.
9. Footnotes are converted to endnotes (appear at the back of the ebook).

ePub Standard

1. Tables are usually shortened in the reader and therefore need to be converted into images.
2. Inserts, text boxes, drop caps and sidebars are not displayed properly.
3. Formatting may be lost. Special symbols may not convert properly unless characters used are in a standard font set.
4. Embedded photographs may appear grainy.
5. It may not be suitable for documents that require specialized formatting or precise layout.
6. Footnotes are converted to endnotes (appear at the back of the ebook).

Fixed Versus Standard Layouts

Fixed layout ePub and Mobi formats are starting to become a more popular choice for e-books.

Unlike the standard layout, it preserves the designs and layout of the printed page, regardless of the device used or the size of the screen. It allows readers to see an exact copy of the printed page on the screen.

It can also include enhancements to make e-books more interactive and interesting.

While the ePub fixed layout can be viewed on any device that supports its standard layout, the KF8 format can only be viewed on Kindle Fire and Previewer. This obviously limits the amount of people who can view it (at this stage).

The Bottom Line

Among the formats discussed above, the PDF still tops the list when it comes to preserving the design and layout of printed pages. Other formats are following suit but still need work on perfecting their systems.

Formatting for pdf ebooks allows the designer to be much more creative in terms of layout and style. When converting those ebooks across to epub or mobi formats, a lot of that formatting is stripped and the ebooks can look completely different (unless you choose to go with a fixed-layout option).

If your document requires special formatting, or has a large number of tables and/or charts, choosing a fixed layout might be your best option.

Novels and mainly text-based documents are well-suited for ePub and Mobi standard formats.

Apple’s iBooks, the popular eBook reader for iPad owners, has been praised for its interactivity, portability and ease of use especially with its advanced features such as creating notes, highlighting words and learning vocabularies with its searchable dictionary or through the internet. Even texts sizes and fonts can be changed with a tap of a finger.

iPad fanatics enjoy the vast collection of best-sellers and rare books in the iBookstore which often offers free books for download. The smooth page-turning capability of the iBooks which is similar to printed books has always been a fun and enticing feature of this widely beloved application.

Engaging and Encouraging Students

The media frenzy over the newest version of the iBooks, the iBooks 2 which was launched last January has been met with mixed reactions from iPad users as well as from the education sector. With the iBooks 2, Apple’s bookstore will now include textbooks aimed at making learning easier and more accessible for students.

At the moment, the iBooks only has a few selection of textbooks available but it is seen to expand in the future and especially when the clamor gets louder.

This dynamic app encourages students to be highly engaged in colourful graphics, animations, 3D images, study cards and engrossing videos instead of flat and boring textbooks. Instead of obsolete and brick-heavy textbooks, iBooks 2 allows its content to be updated when needed with iPad’s lightweight feature growing as an advantage for on-the-go students who wouldn’t want to suffer from back strains.

The Downside

At an economic price of $14.99 or less, Apple’s textbooks could be a huge help for struggling students buried in debt. However, the steep price of the iPad itself could be cumbersome, making the app less accessible for students who can’t afford this gadget. Slow downloading of enormous textbook files could also be encountered especially if the internet connection is not as fast and reliable. The exclusivity of these textbooks to the Apple company could also be quite limiting for users.

For classic textbook lovers, iBooks 2 could be a distracting medium since the interactivity could tempt the student into browsing the internet instead of actually studying.

iBooks Author App

Intertwined with the launch of iBooks 2 is the iBooks Author app for aspiring writers and teachers who would like to publish any type of book. Authors can create multi-touch and interactive books the way they want to without suffering from the tedious publishing process. With just dragging, dropping and manipulating the different features, authors can add widgets, insert vibrant pictures, develop a movie or practically any word, diagram or graphics in the ebook.

Apart from being free for Mac users, this app could also produce PDF files if needed or preferred. Not only can teachers engage their students more with valuable content but also through an innovative and creative presentation.

The Downside

Criticism may focus on the iBooks Author being solely available on the iPad which is naturally limiting especially for those who prefer other devices or don’t have the budget for this big-ticket item. For those who wish to generate an income through this app, be the first to know that iBook Author books can only be sold thru Apple. So it would probably be easier to have the book for free in order to distribute it without this restriction.

Others found some glitches into the iBook Author such as difficulties in copying pictures from the internet or a slightly different format from the EPUB.

But no matter where you stand in Apple’s new money-makers, the improvements to address all these issues would surely take place in the near future before you even finish publishing that ebook of your dreams.