Quote:
Originally Posted by JSWolf
In terms of formatting, an eBook is not a pBook (paper book) so don't do things you would for a pBook. For example, don't make the chapter headers too large. Don't have any overall left/right margins as the software will allow us to set left/right margins. Don't use any line height as the software or fonts will allow us to set the line height. Don't use drop-caps or a large first letter as these do not work in too many cases. When you have a section break, do not use blank space. Put something in the space to mark the section break. Keep the main font size at the default size. Also, when you have offset text, use a <nblockquote> and not a <div> and doi not make offset text a smaller font size. Do not use embedded fonts. Where you want a sans-seif font, use font-family: sans-serif; in the CSS. Use a proper cover image and not a generic cover image. DO not put anything in the copyright that's related to pBooks such as the statement about the book not having a cover. Use high-resolution graphics of at least 1600 lines and this include the cover and the titlepage images.
That should be enough for now.
|
This is what I meant by differentiating between someone's
opinion and
best practice.
Legend
red = opinion
blue = ok to do under certain circumstances
green = best practice
- chapter header size can be whatever you want to express the style you are trying to achieve...just remember that a lot of people read on small screen sizes (phones) and you may have an unwanted display if your chapter header takes up the whole screen...or worse, only has on line of textr at the bottom.
- in general, don't set left/right margines and/or line-height for the entire book...it is certainly ok to use them for small sections of text.
- you can certainly use a large first letter/dropcap if that is what you need stylistically for that book. Just make sure you test on your target devices/apps to make sure they support it, or, better yet, have fall-back coding (media-queries) to cover the devices that don't look so good.
- I mostly agree with having some kind of fleuron as a section break rather than blank space. With a reflowable ePub you just don't know where the space will appear. If it's at the bottom, or top, of the screen the reader may not know that a section break has occured without a fleuron. A fixed format ePub doesn't have that concern.
- use a <blockquote> to surround a block-quote (semantically correct). A <div> is used for a generic section of text that does not have a more semantically correct tag to use.
- you certainly can make offset text smaller, especially if you are using a font that is larger by default. Again, remember some users use small screens to read, so don't go crazy with the change in font size.
- you most certainly CAN use embedded fonts, but, again, realize some devices may not support it. Test for your target market and provide fall-back coding if there is a chance it could be read on devices that don't support embedded fonts.
- I concur about the copyright page, but that is more of an annoyance than anything...it's not as if anyone actually READS the copyright page
The funniest thing I see on the copyright page is the Printer's Key.....
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Cheers!