Love them or hate them ebooks are gaining in popularity, and with more and more ebook readers being released each year, along with the growth in download sites, the ebook is becoming an option that most self-published authors can no longer afford to overlook.
Whether you are considering releasing your book exclusively as an ebook or choosing this option to run side by side with your print sales, you might be surprised at how affordable an ebook can be, and how easy it is to make it available for download from online stores worldwide.
At Lighthouse Publisher, we can produce a professional quality ebook from your manuscript or existing book and assist you to distribute it in a reasonably quick time and without breaking the bank.
We supply all our ebooks in the following three formats for the very affordable price of one conversion:
ePub: suitable for: iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch, Kobo eReader, Sony Reader, Android devices, Barnes & Noble Nook,Acer Lumiread, BeBook, Cybook Gen3 Opus, COOL-ER, Cruz Reader, Ctaindia’s eGriver Ebook Reader, eClicto, eSlick, Hanlin eReader, Hanvon N516, N518, N520, N526, iRex Digital Reader 800, 1000, iRiver Story, Pandigital Novel, Plastic Logic, PocketBook Reader.
MOBI: exclusively used by Amazon for the Amazon Kindle device
PDF: great for reading on a computer and for downloads directly from your website.
One of the most frequent questions we get asked here at Lighthouse Publisher is “What’s the difference between a fixed layout eBook and a regular eBook?”
What is a “standard” eBook?
A standard eBook (generally in ePUB format) employs real-time flowable text so you can read it on any eReader and adjust the font size and style to fit your reading preferences. There is no set pagination with a standard eBook because the number of words displayed per page can change based on user settings and the screen size of the particular device.
Most eBooks are standard ePUB format. This format is ideal for text-based books and books with small images embedded amongst the text (which essentially creates paragraph breaks).
What is a “fixed layout” eBook?
When it comes to books that rely heavily on design elements or large illustrations/photos (cookbooks, children’s books, coffee table books, comics, etc.), fixed layout eBooks may be the better solution if you want to preserve the qualities of the printed page. To put it plainly, the pages of a fixed layout eBook are… fixed! Content (images, text, etc.) will not “flow” across the page if you change your settings, though most devices will allow the reader to zoom in and out.
Fixed layout is like the digital version of typesetting; you can embed fonts, choose the exact placement of visual elements, etc. The benefit of fixed layout is that you’re in complete control of the experience. The drawback is that readers are NOT! With fixed layout, readers lose the ability to resize text, change margins, change spacing, and change fonts.
Keep in mind that a fixed layout eBook is different from a PDF file. While the content is not re-flowable, a fixed layout eBook can make use of enhanced interactive features. Apple, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon all support derivations of fixed layout ePUB files (though One of the most frequent questions we get asked here at Lighthouse Publisher is “What’s the difference between a fixed layout eBook and a regular eBook?”
What is a “standard” eBook?
A standard eBook (generally in ePUB format) employs real-time flowable text so you can read it on any eReader and adjust the font size and style to fit your reading preferences. There is no set pagination with a standard eBook because the number of words displayed per page can change based on user settings and the screen size of the particular device.
Most eBooks are standard ePUB format. This format is ideal for text-based books and books with small images embedded amongst the text (which essentially creates paragraph breaks).
What is a “fixed layout” eBook?
When it comes to books that rely heavily on design elements or large illustrations/photos (cookbooks, children’s books, coffee table books, comics, etc.), fixed layout eBooks may be the better solution if you want to preserve the qualities of the printed page. To put it plainly, the pages of a fixed layout eBook are… fixed! Content (images, text, etc.) will not “flow” across the page if you change your settings, though most devices will allow the reader to zoom in and out.
Fixed layout is like the digital version of typesetting; you can embed fonts, choose the exact placement of visual elements, etc. The benefit of fixed layout is that you’re in complete control of the experience. The drawback is that readers are NOT! With fixed layout, readers lose the ability to resize text, change margins, change spacing, and change fonts.
Keep in mind that a fixed layout eBook is different from a PDF file. While the content is not re-flowable, a fixed layout eBook can make use of enhanced interactive features. Apple, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon all support derivations of fixed layout ePUB files (though BookBaby currently only delivers fixed layout titles to iBookstore).
Use the standard ePUB format if:
your book is mostly text (besides the cover art).
your book features small images that are embedded between paragraphs.
you want to ensure maximum usability for your book (since standard eBooks are readable on most eReaders, tablets, smart-phones, and computers).
Consider fixed layout if:
you want to preserve text over images.
you would like to set a background color.
you want text to wrap around images.
you want your book to have horizontal orientation.
you want multi-column text pages.
your pages have aspect ratios that you don’t want to change.
Since fixed layout eBooks require some extra attention during the conversion process, conversion often costs more than a basic ePUB conversion. Lighthouse Publisher can handle fixed layout ePUB conversion (for iPad only – up to 50 pages) — plus the cost of either a Standard or Premium Lighthouse Publisher publishing package. Additional pages will incur additional fees. Currently only delivers fixed layout titles to iBookstore).
Use the standard ePUB format if:
your book is mostly text (besides the cover art).
your book features small images that are embedded between paragraphs.
you want to ensure maximum usability for your book (since standard eBooks are readable on most eReaders, tablets, smart-phones, and computers).
Consider fixed layout if:
you want to preserve text over images.
you would like to set a background color.
you want text to wrap around images.
you want your book to have horizontal orientation.
you want multi-column text pages.
your pages have aspect ratios that you don’t want to change.
Since fixed layout eBooks require some extra attention during the conversion process, conversion often costs more than a basic ePUB conversion. Lighthouse Publisher can handle fixed layout ePUB conversion (for iPad only – up to 50 pages) — plus the cost of either a Standard or Premium Lighthouse Publisher publishing package. Additional pages will incur additional fees.