EPUB From the Ground Up: A Hands-On Guide to EPUB 2 and EPUB 3

A complete, DIY guide to creating flawless eBooks for personal, self-publishing, or professional use with EPUB, the free open-source standard from the International Digital Publishing Forum (IDPF). EPUB From the Ground Up: A Hands-On Guide to EPUB 2 and EPUB 3 shows how to create eBooks using one of the most widely used formats for eBook publishing. EPUB is used by Nook, Kobe, iPad, and Nexus, and can also be ported to formats used by Kindle. The book covers the current version, EPUB 3, which allows for specialized formatting such as advanced math equations and the inclusion of media such as audio and video, and interactivity. Since many eBook readers still support only EPUB 2, both versions are covered in this practical guide. Learn how to create and modify eBooks using a variety of tools, many of them free and open source. This practical guide covers the most popular free software for EPUB creation, including Sigil, Calibre, and others, and shows how to apply HTML, XHTML, XML, CSS, and JavaScript to eBook formatting. Clear explanations and step-by-step instructions build from the ground up so that no prior experience with markup languages or programming is needed.Covers EPUB 2 and EPUB 3 Explains the basics of HTML, XHTML, XML, and CSS as they relate to EPUB development Each chapter includes hands-on exercises and summaries of key points Introduces and explains how to use the best open-source software available, pointing you to valuable free tools and online resources Explains the .OPF file, which houses the EPUB book's metadata, file manifest, and linear reading order Discusses the .NCX file (Navigation Control for XML), which contains the hierarchical table of contents for the EPUB file All examples and source code in the book are available for download Includes instructions for creating comic books, creating enhanced eBooks with audio and video, and other new functions that were not available in earlier versions of EPUB