Chances are you’ll simply be getting began with e book creation as a advertising software or reconsidering the position of ebooks in your present content material technique.
No matter the place you might be within the course of, you are doubtless asking your self an essential query: What are the perfect e book codecs in your advertising library? This can be a legitimate query as a result of the e book format you select will decide the success of your efforts.
Right here, we’ll cowl all e book codecs and the way to decide on the perfect one in your undertaking. We’ll additionally clarify how HubSpot’s e book templates will help you obtain your advertising group’s lead era objectives.
E-book Formatting Templates
First up, obtain our package of e book templates so you may get an concept of the e book codecs which might be accessible to you.
Featured Useful resource: 36 Free E-book Formatting & Creation Templates
Obtain Your Free E-book Templates
Our assortment of 36 free e book templates will enable you to create and format your e book content material for an unimaginable reader expertise in Microsoft PowerPoint, Adobe InDesign, and Google Slides. You’ll be able to format your ebooks to finest swimsuit the wants of your advertising group and the preferences of your content material readers.
Finest E-book Codecs for Content material Creation
In case you’re a content material creator, listed below are the e book codecs it is best to think about first.
1. Adobe InDesign
Adobe’s superior design software program offers content material creators a myriad of choices for creating and formatting their ebooks.
These superior options do come at a value, however skilled advertising designers depend on Adobe InDesign due to these options.
Click on Right here to Obtain 6 Adobe InDesign E-book Templates.
Professionals
Adobe is thought for being feature-rich. In consequence, you’ll be able to anticipate your ebooks to look their finest when made with InDesign, as you can create and incorporate unique design components proper into your doc.
Cons
For an inexperienced designer or the marketer who simply must launch a serviceable e book, the bells and whistles that InDesign affords won’t be needed. InDesign’s interface and value aren’t essentially the most easy and will require you to place in additional effort than is required in your ultimate deliverable.
2. Google Slides
Google Slides is an easier software for making an e book in comparison with InDesign. The truth that the e book lives on-line means you’ll be able to collaborate in real-time together with your group members to make a unbelievable deliverable. Oh — and it is free, which is useful in case you have a restricted advertising funds.
Click on Right here to Obtain 6 Google Slides E-book Templates.
Professionals
Google Slides is a good software for entrepreneurs who have to make e book shortly, particularly should you’re working alongside group members and sourcing suggestions from them. Google Slides’ interface is arguably extra easy than InDesign’s, that means you’ll be able to transfer and edit inventive components sooner should you’re new to each instruments.
Cons
As a result of Google Slides is primarily a presentation software slightly than an e book creation software, you could miss out on some needed options that will assist make your ebooks enticing sufficient to warrant your leads’ consideration.
Conversely, you would possibly have to make design components elsewhere, reminiscent of an Adobe software program software or Canva, and later import these inventive components into your Google Slides deck. This might create an inconsistent creation expertise if it’s worthwhile to monitor down design components after you’ve got created them.
3. Microsoft PowerPoint
A barely extra superior choice than Google Slides — however not fairly as superior as Adobe software program — PowerPoint is one other presentation-making platform that can be utilized to design an e book.
Professionals
PowerPoint has some options that Google Slides doesn’t, reminiscent of higher results for designing. PowerPoint can be an offline software program, that means you’ll be able to construct your ebooks with out Wi-Fi.
Cons
PowerPoint is a paid software program as an alternative of a free software accessible in Google Workspace. You additionally received’t be in sync together with your group should you’re collaborating with them on edits and additions. Lastly, whereas it has higher inventive options than Google Slides, it does not come near the superior options of InDesign.
Click on Right here to Obtain 6 Microsoft PowerPoint E-book Templates.
Finest E-book Codecs for Consumption
The e book codecs on this part are finest for content material consumption as you’ll be able to embed hyperlinks, mimic an actual e book, and boost your content material. The codecs embrace:
1. Interactive PDF
One of the best e book format for e book consumption is an interactive Transportable Doc Format (PDF).
PDFs are the go-to choice for content material advertising ebooks for a lot of causes. Amongst them are the consistency of their design and readability on completely different units.
We at HubSpot use PDFs for our ebooks as a result of we will embed hyperlinks to related pages and sources in them. We will additionally add them proper into our content material library and belief that the design will seem as meant, even when our leads open the e book in Chrome, Safari, or Preview. The doc may even seem the identical in the event that they open it on their telephones or on a desktop gadget.
The interactive nature additionally means we will embrace an open textual content field for readers to finish an exercise within the e book (like in our Content material Advertising Workbook). One other plus? Readers can full the exercise in no matter software they’re consuming the content material.
2. EPUB
EPUB, quick for digital publication and saved with a “.epub” file extension, is one other approach so that you can save your ebooks.
EPUBs rose in reputation after turning into a outstanding e book format for e-readers. However, given its accessibility on Apple macOS and iOS merchandise by way of Apple Books, the format can be a viable — although considerably limiting — choice for content material advertising ebooks.
One distinctive characteristic of the .epub file format is its scroll capacity. To imitate the studying of an precise e book, readers can view one web page at a time and should scroll or swipe horizontally. That’s in distinction to vertical scrolling with PDFs. The epub format offers your readers the sensation of studying a e book versus interacting with web site content material. Nevertheless, this additionally means readers may need to do extra work navigating the content material and discovering the knowledge they want.
Moreover, video and audio recordsdata might be embedded within the .epub format, in contrast to PDFs, which suggests your readers can eat extra interactive content material with out leaving the e book.
In case you’re uninterested in the PDF choice and wish to spruce up your content material format, it can save you your InDesign ebooks as a .epub file. Simply be ready for some readers being unable to learn your content material, which is one thing you doubtless do not wish to be the case. It is because the format is proscribed. For instance, Amazon Kindle units can’t learn .epub recordsdata. Readers should convert your e book into one other format in the event that they wish to learn it on their Kindles.
Select the Proper E-book Format
The e book format you select straight impacts how your e book performs after publication. Listed here are a number of ideas that can assist you select the proper one in your undertaking for finest outcomes.
1. Think about your audience.
Who’re your customers? That is the primary query it’s worthwhile to reply earlier than selecting an e book format. Your content material must be accessible to your readers. For instance, should you’re focusing on an enormous viewers, you’ll want to contemplate an e book format suitable with a number of digital units.
2. Determine the way you’ll market your e book.
How you intend to market your e book can be a big issue when selecting a format. In terms of promoting an e book, you’ll be self-publishing as a result of it’s worthwhile to quicken up the method. You are able to do so both by yourself web site, or on a platform reminiscent of Amazon.
Self-publishing means you get to make use of your assets to market your e book. Subsequently, you’ll want a technique to attain an enormous viewers, which can imply utilizing an e book format like AZW that’s suitable with completely different platforms. This gives you the best degree of flexibility by way of the variety of platforms that your viewers can comfortably learn your e book.
3. Think about the character of your e book.
One other issue it’s worthwhile to think about when deciding on the perfect e book format is its nature. Is it largely phrases, or will there be graphics and pictures? Will you be including useful sensible digital merchandise like Google Sheets that readers might want to obtain? All of this can decide the perfect e book format in your undertaking. If doable, provide you with a listing of all of the various kinds of content material that your e book will include to make sure the e book format you select helps all of them.
In case you’re promoting an e book containing digital photographs and illustrations with sound or video, you’ll want a format that helps these options. For instance, the EPUB format helps movies, colour photographs, and different interactive components, whereas MOBI doesn’t.
Keep away from the temptation of assuming what an e book format will appear to be when you’re achieved. Generally, the tip product might be very removed from what you anticipate it to be, and correcting it will likely be costly. Inquire and do thorough analysis on all options earlier than settling for any format.
4. Think about the safety or privateness of your e book.
Writing an e book from begin to end takes a number of time and vitality, so the very last thing you need is everybody modifying it as soon as it’s launched. This could have a number of implications in your model. For instance, your viewers could find yourself receiving false details about your undertaking, and the false content material could give undesired outcomes. In the event that they’re editable supplies in your e book, guarantee there’s a approach for the reader to create a separate doc first to keep away from modifying the complete doc. This additionally protects your readers’ privateness by stopping them from unknowingly filling of their private data on a public doc.
You additionally wish to make sure the safety of your e book by stopping unlawful sharing, printing, and copy-pasting. That is particularly essential for high-ticket ebooks, because it limits readers from sharing your content material at no cost. If limiting sharing is essential to you, it’s advisable to make use of a format like EPUB that’s protected by Digital Rights Administration (DRM). The latter locks recordsdata in a selected platform and protects them from unlawful sharing.
5. Take into consideration the funds.
If in case you have two or extra e book codecs that work nicely together with your undertaking, one of the best ways to interrupt the tie is to contemplate the fee. How a lot will it price you to launch your e book utilizing every format? Is it possible? As well as, think about how a lot it could price should you wished to broaden. One of the best e book format is cost-friendly firstly and in the long term. If it is low cost initially however limits your development, it isn’t price it. e book format mustn’t solely make launching your product simpler, however it also needs to be cost-friendly while you resolve to broaden.
Select the precise e book format and get began.
There are a number of e book codecs out there which might be widespread for publishing ebooks. Nevertheless, like the whole lot else in enterprise, what works for one writer won’t be the best choice for one more. Take your time and analysis the options each format affords and see which one most closely fits your undertaking.
As well as, think about the fee, the type of content material your e book has, and most significantly, the supply methodology that works finest in your viewers.
Editor’s observe: This publish was initially printed in December 2020 and has been up to date for comprehensiveness.
