self help ibooks

I'm excited about the announcement of both the ipad and the new ibooks store which Apple launched last week. I had a quick look into how easy it might be for smaller publishers and independent authors to sell ebooks through ibooks and the good news is that Epub will be the standard format for the ibooks store. This isn't as simple as creating a pdf but most designers will be able to create an Epub format as it's a function of Adobe InDesign. I'm also looking into the various Epub converter software programmes available to see which is easiest for the self publisher.

And as a self help publisher I'm even more excited by the ipad/ibooks announcement because of the multimedia opportunities these now present. For me, a novel is purely about words and my own imagination but when it comes to 'how to' books - from cookery to diet to meditation - the thought of producing books that can also integrate audio and visual content creates a new range of possibilities. I can't wait.