Become a Self-Published e-Book Author!
In January 2012, Apple released a beautiful free program called iBook Author, which allows you to create rich and beautiful e-publishable books to upload to an iPad's bookshelf. Despite being a free download, the program has its drawbacks:
- MAC device-only
- steep learning curve
- EULA (End User License Agreement) concerns
This PC-user was disheartened, especially knowing that a similar program (i.e. Adobe InDesign) could cost as much as $500. A little iPad App Store search brought me across this gem, Book Creator. While I normally like to keep my app purchases below $1.99, I took a leap of faith and picked up this $4.99 treat. So far, I am not disappointed. Book Creator allows you to create digital e-Pub books to upload to your iPad Library. After a quick tutorial, I set out in full pace. 5-10 minutes of playing around should make you a Pro...or at least comfortable enough to use it. The features are limited, which helps minimize the learning curve, but I was still impressed by how much I could do! Here's a quick list of features available on my current version of the app:
- Font editing (size, font, color)
- Change background colors
- Adding images
- Hyperlinks
- Embed video clips
- Add/Remove/Reorganize pages
- 3 Layouts (Portrait, Landscape, Square)
- Animated Page-turning features
- Import to iPad Library, send to Printer (app required), Email, or send to Google Drive (app required)
What drew me to this app is how easily I imagine using this with a group of students. They can quickly learn the features and create their own work adding interactive content. I quickly saw limitless potential with a group of students. My first brainstorming lesson ideas were:
- Demonstrate a process/steps for a task
- Short story
- Informational Book using Web-search images
- Reinforce writing process (Publication phase)
Alas, this app is not all gold. As stated earlier, this app sells at a mid-range price ($4.99) that can really add up when downloading to multiple devices. The features are limited, which means for some (like myself) this hinders creativity and what you can do, but that is at the sacrifice when making a very user-friendly app. Also, typing long expositions using the iPad keyboard is tedious. I would recommend copying and pasting from another document or using a Bluetooth accessible keyboard for lengthy works. Red Jumper Studio seems to take care of this app and provides regular upgrades and maintenance. They have created something fun, imaginative, and inspiring. Time to put all those great novel ideas to pen!
To learn more about this app and its developers, visit the
Red Jumper Studio website.
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