Books have always been man’s best friend, and with the advent of digitalization, there has been a major change in their format. Paperbacks, hardcovers and the illustrated manuscripts all have been converted to eBooks which can be read on PCs, tablets and even on our smartphones. These eBooks are going through a transition, in the way they are presented. The simple eBooks with plain text have become a thing of past, and being interactive is the newest attribute, everyone is stressing on. An eBook today contains audio, video, 3D objects, weblinks, quizzes and much more. All these features can be added in a plain existing eBook by anyone using the right tools for the process.
The Best Tools to Create Interactive eBooks on Windows 10
ePUBee Maker
ePUBee maker is a simple MS Word add-in tool that allows users to convert Word files into an interactive eBook. It is a free and secure tool that facilitates a quick conversion. It enables users to create covers, table of contents and edit metadata of the document. You can save the final output file as EPUB, Mobi and PDF formats. Users can be assured that there is no loss of quality or content and can make a professional interactive eBook.
Sigil eBook
Sigil is an open-source free eBook creator available on GitHub. It has an easy to use interface that includes a Spellcheck dictionary along the feature to add words with numbers in them. It is available on all major platforms namely Windows macOS and Linux and facilitates importing all types of document files including HTML and text. Users can set a table of contents with multi-level heading support.
Calibre
Calibre is one of the most popular free eBook makers used by authors, who want to create their eBooks. It offers the users to add a content table and allows them to search and replace words. Calibre has a built-in cover creator inculcated in the software that allows you to design and customize your cover image. One of the special features of Calibre is that the users can add images and author descriptions in new as well already created books. It is also undoubtedly one of the best software to make an eBook cover design.
FlipHTML5
FlipHTML5 is a free eBook creator that easily makes flappable eBooks in the HTML5 digital publishing platform. Due to its integration with HTML5, it allows the users to add Hyperlinks, animation, images and multimedia in the eBooks created. It supports all major file formats like PDF, Word files and even images and converts them to HTML5. It also provides a free online hosting service where the users can publish their books and share the link with others. FlipHTML5 has a basic free version with all these features listed here. However, users can go for paid versions if they wish to avail other amazing functionalities including eBook cover designs that can create something more than just an eBook.
Pressbooks
Pressbooks is an efficient free eBook maker which helps users to create interactive eBook, make Printable PDFs and webbooks. It also the user to import a document in any format and convert it into various formats including Mobi for Kindle and other open formats like HTML and XML. Users can design a book from start to end in a few steps, ready for print or view with any eBook reader. Pressbooks is currently servicing academic institutions, news agencies, and other associations which require publishing their content in digital form. It has a subscription-based pattern that allows the users to develop all kinds of interactive eBooks like novels, memoirs, white papers, academic texts, textbooks and many other types of digital books. However, it is free for personal use and users can create interactive eBooks with most of the features.
ePubEditor
ePubEditor is another one on the list of free eBook creators that has a simple easy to use the editor to create a great interactive eBook. Users can add various interactive elements like audio, video, and animation in their eBooks. These elements are used to make the monotonous eBook interesting and can drive engagements while reading. ePubEditor can convert the interactive eBooks to various formats like EPUB2, EPUB3, HTML4 and SCORM which are playable in any computer or mobile device. A unique feature of this software is that it facilitates making interactive quizzes and exercises that can be helpful for students. It also supports embedding YouTube videos. Like FlipHTML5 it has a free version to make an interactive eBook that provides basic features only and other premium versions that provide more advanced functionalities.
Madmagz
Madmagz is digital publishing software that creates e-magazines, flyers, newsletters, catalogs and party invitations. It offers various templates that can be shared to other users who can act as contributors and write or add points to your chosen topics. Madmagz also allows you to add a table of contents, video and audio links, and weblinks to your e-magazine making it interactive. The final output can be shared on social media sites and can also be integrated into your blog site. Madmagz is compatible with all smartphones, tablets and personal computers. There are various types of plans offered as per user requirements, but the basic web magazine creation is free of cost.
Magloft
Magloft is another free eBook creator that simplifies the process by uploading any PDF and get it converted to an interactive e-magazine. It has a powerful HTML5 Drag and Drop Editor which is very simple to use and yet boasts of exclusive features like interactive widgets, building blocks and various templates. The completed e-magazine works in all devices, and also features audio and video content directly on the pages. Like other interactive free eBook makers, Magloft has different types of paid plans but the basic version is free to use, and also provides basic analytics for the published e-magazine.
Kindle Textbook Creator
Amazon’s Kindle is perhaps the most commonly used interactive eBook reader, but it did have a few issues such as not being able to support all formats of digital books. To overcome that issue, Amazon has provided a free eBook maker that allows you to convert any existing PDF into Kindle Books format. Over time, Amazon has improved the application from a simple convertor to a fully functional editor allowing users to add audio, videos, and image pop-ups. Kindle eBook creator also allows you to publish your interactive eBook through Kindle direct publishing and make it available on all devices. The application is free to download and make an ebook from Amazon’s e-commerce portal.
Bonus Paid App: Kotobee
Kotobee is an all-in-one paid software for creating Interactive eBooks. It has all the features present in the above-mentioned software. It also supports saving your interactive eBooks to cloud storage and sharing the link with your readers. It supports audio, video, weblinks and also has a lot of widgets embedded that assist the users to make an engaging and interesting, interactive eBook out of the simple text documents.
These interactive eBooks can be distributed individually or can be integrated into an app or website. Kotobee can import various formats like PDF, HTML, EPUB, MS Word, and others and after processing can export to multiple formats that are readable in all devices. It also allows users to carry out eBook cover design. Apart from the images, audio, and videos, users can include buttons, popups, quizzes, animations, self-assessment, and 3D objects.
How Do You Want To Make An Ebook?
The idea of creating an interactive eBook is to engage the users and keep them absorbed in your content. It is difficult to read books especially the educative types, with plain black and white text. However, the same book when includes audio and video with 3D images and requires a user to interact by answering a question or pressing a button becomes engrossing. The interactive eBook cover design also adds as a fascinating feature to the list. I have personally converted a few of my notes into interactive eBooks which have become interesting not only for me but were requested by many to share them. Creating interactive eBooks requires time, patience and effort but once you create the first one, it is going to be an addictive hobby.
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