How to create an ePub? - Simple Steps to follow!!

ePub / eBooks Evolution

With the increase in demand of eBooks. Every author or publisher is striving hard to create their own epub files at cheap rates. ePub is an evolving standard for eBooks. ePub is specifically designed for sony reader devices. ePub can also be used as a mediator format for conversion to other eBook standards like mobi or prc using kindlegen software. Also, ePubs can be used for automated conversion to other ebook formats like Microsoft LIT. We will discuss the conversion of ePub to Mobi and LIT in other articles. Following are the main steps for creation of the ePub:

1. First of all convert your file(s) for the book to xhtml. For converting a file to xhtml, please view our tutorial at XHTML Creation Basics.
2. After you have created the XHTML files of your text. Now you create the cover file named cover.html and copyright file.
3. Create content.opf file for providing meta information about the current ePub file. It has three main sections. You can get detailed info on content.opf file from : OPF Specs

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  • First section is for meta data i.e. <metadata>. Here you specify general meta information about the ePub in simple text format. Main tags include <dc:Title>, <dc:Creator> and <dc:Identifier>. You need to specify any text values for this data.
  • Second section is for manifest i.e. <manifest>. In manifest, you have to list all the files that are used in this ePub including html, images and other meta files. Provide unique identifer for each file here.
  • Third section contains the <spine> and <guide> elements. Spine actually forms the table of contents inside the ePub. When an ePub is opened in any reader, table of contents in displayed alongside it. In spine, keep the order of the referenced files same as you want your TOC be created.

4. After creating opf file. You need to create the ncx file. Ncx is an xml file containing the playorder of the files. It bascially determines the play order of the file. It determines that how the ePub content flows from one section to another. e.g.

• <navMap>
      <navPoint id="navpoint-1" playorder="1">
        <navLabel><text>Chapter 1</text></navLabel>
        <content src="chapter1.html"/>
      </navpoint>

5. After creation of this file, you need to zip the folder of the current ePub and change the .zip extension to .epub and now your ePub is ready for QA and Validation. For ePub validation check our article at ePub Validation.

In this article, we have discussed briefly about creating the ePub files. I hope you must have found it very simple and conceptual. Please let us know your comments about this article. We have more articles about ePub and other formats of eBooks on the website. I hope you will check them out as well.

Have a great day!

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