iBooks, Softchalk Cloud, and ePublishing

In preparation for a workshop on using iBooks Author this week in Las Vegas, I published five lessons on ePublishing created by members of the Georgia College faculty learning community to the Softchalk Cloud website at http://softchalkcloud.com/.  You do not need to be a member to access the lessons.  In the search box on the top upper part of the Softchalk Cloud window, type iBooks Author.  You should see the five lessons. 

CG, a member of the learning community edited an eBook created by students in his Maymester course.  He submitted it to the iBookstore for publication, but has not been notified that it has been reviewed.  Apple has been criticized because of the slow review process.  I had hoped that the eBook would be available for the workshop participants.  At any rate, CG uploaded it to my Dropbox.  I transferred it to the iPad last evening.  The eBooks is so awesome!! 

Reaction to an eBook Publisher Post on iBooks Author

iBooks Author is now a hot topic with many bloggers.  I read one by Steven Sande, iBooks Author: An eBook Publisher Looks at Apple's Textbook Creation App, that was especially insightful.  Sande is an eBook publisher.  He provided excellent insight into the power of the iBook Author widgets that I had overlooked in my preview.  I had not noted the ability to create quizzes in iBooks and the differences in the iBook templates.  He also wrote a succinct and helpful description of the section of the license agreement and contrasts the restrictions with Amazon Kindle bookstore. 

My take on the issue to that eBook authors need to decide what they want to accomplish.  If they want iBook Author interactive features, they have to limit distribution of their books in the iBookstore with the realization that the eBooks can be viewed only with the iPad2. If iBook Author features are not necessary, authors can create the eBooks with Microsoft Word or Apple iWorks Pages and distribute the eBook in both eBookstores.