writing ebook in Xara

[properez]

Hello,

I just wanted to let everyone know the following.

Xara can be used to write an ebook. When you use Xara to write an ebook as a pdf for publishing, make sure the font is safe. Dont use to many images or the file will bloat.
when you export the xar. as a pdf make sure to choose this option: "email distribution or web download". this will keep your file small. If you go with the 300dpi it will make your file so huge.

again this is for those who want to write an ebook that may contain a bit of images and have the freedom to place things where they want them on the page. I tested this and i actually got
a smaller file than i did with word. Again: to many images will make the file bigger so be restraintful.


enjoy guys.

[gwpriester]

Great advice.

[properez]

thanks gwpriester, i wanted to be helpful.

[jon404]

Properez, you are on the right track. I'm an author. There are a lot of ways to make e-books... formats for Amazon, for Apple, for Barnes & Noble. But the best of all is to a make a PDF. Because you have total control over the graphics, the page layout, and the fonts. And your customers get a product that is instantly useful -- with scalable vector graphics if you want, readable on any PC or tablet. And, for self-help books with lots of source hyperlinks, like my Drawing for Money, the PDF format is absolutely perfect.

But even better is that you can sell the PDF from your own website. This makes you the most money. When I started selling books three years ago, most of my sales were from Amazon and Barnes & Noble. But now, I'm at 75% from my own website, which is a goal I recommend to my readers in my book, Self-Publishing Secrets. The internet is a Godsend for e-book authors -- you can cut out the distributors, the middlemen.

I can't think of any better program than Designer Pro for producing a highly-graphical work. If you are making a PDF e-book with Xara, keep us posted!

[Gamerprinter]

I've published 10 books (RPG gaming supplements and adventures) using Xara to export both as an Ebook download and for high end printing by making PDF/X with 300 dpi art and printers marks, sometimes to the same book. When I use oddball fonts, I convert to curves, though that adds a bit to the file size. My books are being sold on Amazon, RPGNow/DrivethruRPG, Paizo Store and many bookstores worldwide. I've not tried to view the PDFs on tablets/phones what have you, but have not received any complaints.

Unlike the OP art vs. file size issue, all my books are art heavy - some full page art, and a goal of 1 art piece per four pages, but then this is standard and expected for RPG gaming material - unlike many of you, even though I am an artist/cartographer, I actually commission several artists in the creation of my books. Art is necessary for games.

While you may not have interests in RPG gaming products, here's a link to a Xara created PDF adventure module that is available as a free download - really just to check out the book design setup and quality. This same publication is available as an inexpensive softcover printed book, printed by LSI out of Tennesee for $6.99 from the same website.

Edit: I am in fact doing final page layout for my next release (and the first with my name as author, the other books I was developer and outline writer, but sent to known authors for the work). Haiku of Horror #1: Autumn Moon Bath House. This uses my bath house maps from my Fantasy Maps created in Xara Xtreme thread). It should be available in April from those same sales platforms above.

[fusion]

Hi guys

Just out of interest how do you protect your ebooks (if you can)?

Its not something I do myself (write ebooks etc) but I have been involved in software security (protecting my apps - mainly via hardware dongles)

I suspect that you use the pdf security? but, ultimately, what's to stop someone creating/distributing a copy of your work?
I guess thats a big issue for ebooks.... I'm still a 'paper' guy tbh and have never bought/read an ebook in my life (yet) :-)

As an aside I find Xara great at 'taking apart' PDF files (even, semi-protected ones).

Julian

[Gamerprinter]

Hi guys

Just out of interest how do you protect your ebooks (if you can)?

Its not something I do myself (write ebooks etc) but I have been involved in software security (protecting my apps - mainly via hardware dongles)

I suspect that you use the pdf security? but, ultimately, what's to stop someone creating/distributing a copy of your work?
I guess thats a big issue for ebooks.... I'm still a 'paper' guy tbh and have never bought/read an ebook in my life (yet) :-)

As an aside I find Xara great at 'taking apart' PDF files (even, semi-protected ones).

Julian

Realistically, nobody can truly build a 'secure' PDF publication. There have been cases of book pubilcations being distributed across torrent sites, followed by law suits in some cases.

However, it depends upon your distribution platform. I mentioned DrivethruRPG.com and other sites for selling RPG game publications. When someone purchases a game product from such a site, the buyers personal information (name, address, etc.) is placed into a 'microdot' of information hidden in the border of one of the products pages - that can be retrieved. So if a given product is distributed illegally, it can be tracked, at least to the person who originally purchased the distributed product. This is by no means 100% secure, but it is some level of 'reasonable' security. Of course this is a bit difficult for a small time distributor - such as selling the product from your own site.

[fusion]

Realistically, nobody can truly build a 'secure' PDF publication. There have been cases of book pubilcations being distributed across torrent sites, followed by law suits in some cases.

However, it depends upon your distribution platform. I mentioned DrivethruRPG.com and other sites for selling RPG game publications. When someone purchases a game product from such a site, the buyers personal information (name, address, etc.) is placed into a 'microdot' of information hidden in the border of one of the products pages - that can be retrieved. So if a given product is distributed illegally, it can be tracked, at least to the person who originally purchased the distributed product. This is by no means 100% secure, but it is some level of 'reasonable' security. Of course this is a bit difficult for a small time distributor - such as selling the product from your own site.

Thanks for the reply...... yes I can see it's difficult (very)

The microdot idea is ok-ish (similar to the way British Standards are watermarked) .... I guess if the document is copied (perhaps by someone using the originators machine -- as could happen here at work), it's the poor guy who legitimately had the document that would get chased-- eek

I protect my, albeit expensive, software by 'wrapping' it with security code that then needs a physical dongle to make it work. Obviously inconvenient for ebooks...

Then again if we could think of a better/great/foolproof solution I guess we wouldn't be sitting here on a xara forum but on a beach drinking coctails looking at our yacht.

[Manoj]

I agree that Xara is great for creating ebooks...I've been working on one with illustrations myself, for a client. It reads perfectly on the PC, but on an ebook reader the formatting unfortunately gets messed up, especially with the images. I think one needs to bear in mind that more and more people are reading ebooks on tablets and ebook readers so we need to make sure what we create works on as many platforms as possible...

Incidentally if one could output to epub that would be fantastic :-)

[ad1066]

The epub format is basically a collection of html and image files zipped up. Definitely something to ask for in Dear Xara (though I think version 9 is probably on its way very soon, so if it wasn't already being worked on, we're probably looking at next year).

-- Ben