IDPF today unveiled a new microsite EPUBZone at epubzone.org , providing a central place for information and resources about EPUB, the globally adopted digital publication standard. The initial focus of epubzone.org is EPUB 3, the latest version of EPUB, which is based on HTML5 and other modern Web Standards.
If you have been creating EPUB files for any amount of time you know that the creation of the file itself is only a small part of the overall process. Often the most frustrating (and time consuming) part of eBook development is the Quality Assurance (QA) process.
Wiley, the international provider of scientific, technical, educational and medical content has announced that EPUB 3 is to become their standard for all Wiley e-book product in reflowable format from February 2014.
Improving the reader experience with EPUB 3 gives further details of the announcement and is testament to the ongoing strong support and commitment that Wiley have given the EPUB 3 standard both in the development and adoption stages.
HarperCollins UK thinks of itself as two things: format agnostic, and digitally thinking. Digital is part of the process right from the very start and is not considered as an add-on. They strive to publish in all appropriate format(s), simultaneously and it is up to the consumer whether they want the hardback, the ebook, the audiobook - all are available on first publication date. Customer choice is paramount and the EPUB file format allows HarperCollins to concentrate on providing maximum flexibility and maximum accessibility to content.
Hot on the heels of the acquisition of CourseSmart by Vital Source it was good to see all teams at the EPUB 3 seminar held in London on the 27th April. Both platforms support EPUB 3 for interactive rich media content and Emmanuel Benoit, President and CEO of Jouve North America posed a number of questions in his introduction including:
· What is the right balance between print and digital?
· How can we prove that digital improves learning?
Nearly a hundred technologists, publishers, and digital artists gathered on March 26 in Paris, France and via web conference for the first-ever IDPF workshop dedicated to EPUB for comics, manga, and sequential art in general. Inspiring demonstrations of interactive and enhanced digital comics were given by « Turbo Media » pioneer Balak, « Infinite Comics » authorsfrom Marvel Geoffo & Mast , and the publishers of the digital comics magazine "Professeur Cyclope".