With the demand for eBooks reaching an all-time high owing to rapid technological advancements, wide adoption of smartphones, and availability of sophisticated reading devices, the need for eBook conversion service providers is also increasing.

This is simply because creating, designing, and formatting an eBook to make it publication-ready is a very technical and time-consuming process that requires professional expertise.

Availing eBook conversion services is one of the best ways for publishers as well as authors to convert their digital manuscripts into professionally designed eBooks compatible with popular eReaders, tablets, smartphones, and other similar devices.

This blog aims to discuss eBook conversion services, including their key benefits and top factors you need to consider while choosing the best service provider.

Table of Contents:

What is an Accessible eBook?

An accessible eBook is an electronic book whose content can be modified using assistive technologies to meet the distinct reading needs of print-disabled users. The following 4 key principles define it:

  • Perceptible: Readers with disabilities should be able to grasp the content of the eBook.
  • Usable: The reader should be able to interact effortlessly with the eBook.
  • Understandable: The eBook’s content should have a sequential and simple structure.
  • Solid: The content should be durable, i.e., accessible over time.

Advantages of an Accessible eBook

Here are some advantages of making your eBook more accessible:

  • Wider audience reach and increased sales
  • Compliance with legislation
  • Better search engine optimization

Read This EXCLUSIVE Case Study: Hurix Digital Creates Accessible eBooks with Alt-text Descriptions for a Leading K12 Publisher

Guide for Creating an Accessible eBook

Building an accessible eBook is not very complex. You just have to follow some simple guidelines to design useful and accessible eBooks for all readers.

To ensure your eBook is accessible to everyone, including those who have a partial visual impairment or are blind, or have reading disabilities like dyslexia, we suggest the following tips:

Ensure the Markup is the proper kind of content in your eBook should have proper markup usage. It is important to ensure proper HTML tagging in the content. This means using proper heading tags, maintaining a logical reading order, and using HTML elements such as tables, sections, etc.

Additionally, your files must have semantic markup tags along with ARIA and EPUB attributes. Generally, all EPUB vendors take care of these details as part of their web accessibility solutions. However, in case your vendor is not following this, consider changing your vendor.

1. Select the Correct eBook Format

After you’ve chosen the platform for publishing your eBook, your next step is to pick the right eBook format. Keep in mind that not all eReading devices are compatible with all eBook formats. However, you can always use an eBook conversion tool to transform your files into any format supported by your eReading device.

The various eBook file formats include MOBI, HTML5, accessible PDF, etc. EPUB3 is one of the latest file formats that offers everything required to create an accessible eBook. In case you’re doubtful about which format to select, begin with one and then transform it later to another format if you change your mind.

2. Include Good Navigation Features

You can also put in markers that show where the corresponding print pages break and include a page list to enable readers to navigate to particular pages.

While working with illustrations, wherever applicable, ensure to include captions next to every table or image. It is better to avoid any images of tables and texts.

3. Use Videos and Images Smartly

Videos and images can go a long way in improving your eBook’s user experience, provided that you use them wisely. As a result, they are an important part of web accessibility solutions.

While including meaningful images, ensure that they have text alternatives or are explained by the surrounding text. This will help visually impaired readers comprehend them. Also, make sure you fix the alt attribute of decorative images to null.

While including videos, add transcripts so that readers with hearing disabilities can understand them. Furthermore, make sure that the videos have text alternatives for blind users.

4. Ensure the Content is Clear and Concise

Using clear and concise language while designing an eBook is very important. This will help readers with disabilities understand the content of your eBook.

Additionally, ensure that the non-textual content has text descriptions. You must also ensure that these text descriptions are meaningful in your eBook’s context.

5. Ensure your eBook Supports Multiple Languages

Your eBook may be written in one language, but it might also contain some text or phrases in another language.

For a print book, this isn’t an issue. But in the case of an accessible eBook, it is important to mark such phrases accurately to guide eReading devices appropriately.

Also, there are chances that the eReading device might not recognize the font, or the reader might not have installed the correct font on the system. Therefore, consider embedding the relevant fonts into your eBooks.

6. Choose High-Contrast Colours

Color choice is another essential accessibility consideration for both images and text in web accessibility solutions.

While designing your eBook, it is always best to choose high-contrast colors such as light yellow on dark red or black on white. This will be very helpful for readers with color blindness and low vision to view your text.

However, using a lot of colors can confuse visually impaired readers. So make sure that you stick to 2 or 3 text colors maximum.

7. Include Accessibility Metadata

Accessibility metadata can be embedded on your websites and in your ePubs. This informs the readers about the accessibility features included in the ePub and also guides them on how to access those features. Though this is not commonly done, it is an important step every publisher must follow.

Test the Accessibility of your eBook

After you complete the design and creation of your eBook, you should test it before publishing. There are many accessibility testing tools available online that help in detecting any potential errors with the accessibility of your eBook.

Hurix, DAISY’s Ace Checker, EPUB Checker tool, Flightdeck, etc., are a few of the many accessibility tools available.

4 Best Digital eBook Conversion Services

The major digital conversion service renderings include the following:

1. XML Conversion

As is known, XML is the leading digital publishing format that displays and stores information online. Any formatted document is turned into pure information, ready to be displayed virtually anywhere, making it expandable and reinterpretable across several output media.

We have immense experience in developing XML workflows for Journals and physical and digital eBook conversions for leading publishers. Some of our XML-related conversion services include the following:

  1. XML Conversion services from various source files like Hard Copy, Scanned Pages, PDF, Word, InDesign, Quark, XML, HTML, etc.
  2. DTD, XSL Development
  3. XML to PDF, HTML, Word, ePub, Mobi Conversion
  4. Online XML QA Services in HWX, Atypon Platforms, etc. (Hosting, QA, and Corrections).

We have also dealt with varied DTD/Schemas based on client requirements for several publishers. Some of the services include (a) JATS Standard, (b) NLM Standard, (c) DocBook Standard, (d) NIMAS-XML Standard, (e) Atypon DTD, (f) Relax NG, (g) Client Specific DTD/Schemas.

We offer online hosting services by ingesting and approving the content in the High Wire platform. The systematic stepwise uploading process includes the following:

  1. Uploading the final XML package (Full Text/Header) to the online platform (e.g., HWX Platform/Atypon, etc.)
  2. Performing an online QA check on hosting platforms and ensuring the package is ready to be made live
  3. Using multiple levels of validation processes, which include parsing, in-house validation (client specification), Schematron validation, PMC validation, consistency checking, and package validation to ensure 100% accuracy in the first-time upload
  4. Finally, upload the XML package to the platform and make it live within 24-48 hours of the print PDF approval.

2. Reflowable ePUB Conversion

Hurix has helped reputed publishers globally convert hardcopy, scanned images, editable PDFs, and Word documents into Reflowable ePub & Mobi, fixed-layout ePub & Mobi, and XML formats. Our well-knit team has the skill set to convert any type of content to XML, ePub, and Mobi format (Application files, Word documents, scanned pages, hard copies, PDF documents, and custom XML).

To date, the conversion team has converted more than 20 million pages of content into reflowable ePUB & Mobi formats and around 50 million pages of content in XML format based on various DTD/Schema. The key conversion projects that we have undertaken include ePUB conversion, ePUB enrichment, and eStore uploading.

Conversion services emphasize:

  • Conversion of ePUB 2.0, ePUB3, and Mobi formats from hardcopy, scanned images, print PDF, InDesign, and XML;
  • Including ePUB3 features such as video, audio, font embedding, simple interactivities, and Media Overlays;
  • Ability to handle content in different languages such as English, Spanish, French, German, and many more.

ePUB enrichments classify font embedding, video and audio embedding, word-level audio syncing, multiple-choice questions, true/false activities, image pop-up, image slideshow, and more.

We also have experience uploading PDF and ePUB files to the CoreSource platform. Our tracking platform shows more than 1000 titles uploaded to the CoreSource platform.

The process of uploading to eStore involves the following steps:

  • Uploading Final ePUB and PDF files to CoreSource URL/FTP
  • Checking for any errors while ingestion
  • Sending the ID to the Production Editor
  • Validating ePUB3 conversion services using ePUB checker

3. Content Ingestion

Content ingestion is a crucial part of the digital publishing process. At Hurix, we seamlessly integrate content into online Learning Management Systems (LMS), ensuring it’s compatible with interactive features like MathML, LaTeX, and more. Whether you need to build complex question banks or create companion sites, our content ingestion service has you covered.

4. Accessible PDF Creation

We have a separate team supporting PDF creation from various formats. Some of the key areas include:

  • Creating WCAG 2.1 AA-compliant accessible PDF from InDesign and PDF formats
  • Performing quality checks for the files using NVDA and JAWS
  • Validating the accessible PDF files by Adobe Acrobat DC Accessibility Checker, PAC (PDF Accessibility Checker), etc.
  • ALT Text creation for photos, graphs, charts, and equations, and inserting alt text into PDF

Factors to Consider While Choosing eBook Conversion Services

There are several ways that publishers can benefit from eBook conversion. However, it is important to consider the following factors while choosing an eBook conversion services provider:

1. Quality of Conversion

The quality of eBook conversion is the foremost thing you should look for when hiring a service provider. It is best to hire a professional eBook conversion company specializing in varied and complex eBook conversion projects and multimedia conversion, fixed-layout ePUB conversion, eBook formats, and more.

Further, a professional eBook conversion company will also give you the advantage of validating your eBooks on trusted tools such as ePUB check and ePUBPreflight.

2. Security

Security is one of the major factors to consider when looking for a service provider to convert eBooks into any desired format, like PDF, ePUB, KF8, and many others. It is of paramount importance to go with a service provider that assures the complete security of your data, thus eliminating the risk of theft or damage.

3. Design Excellence

Design excellence is another important criterion to look for when picking your eBook conversion service. This is primarily because, unlike the flat text versions of physical books, eBooks need to be designed professionally so that they can be read conveniently and function properly on all the important platforms.

The advantage of hiring a professional company is quality eBook conversion services with a range of features, such as:

  • Detailed table of contents in the eBook text
  • Accurate embedding and resizing of the cover image
  • Effective and accurate conversions for some specific and compatible formats
  • Formatting of paragraph alignments and indents similar to the source file

4. Layouts – Fixed or Reflowable

Most eBooks are available in two different layouts: fixed and reflowable. You can choose the layout based on your eBook content. While the fixed layout is primarily used for eBooks with numerous illustrations and graphics, the reflowable layout is mostly used for text-heavy books.

Among the examples of books that use fixed layout formatting are coffee table books, children’s picture books, and recipe books. On the contrary, when creating eBooks for K12 and higher-ed students, some of the books might contain a lot of graphs, charts, and tables. It is, therefore, important to choose a conversion service provider that can design a fixed as well as a reflowable eBook layout.

5. Interactive eBook Conversion

Another important criterion when choosing an eBook conversion service is the ability to add various kinds of interactivities. The service provider should take care of the entire process of creating interactive eBooks, along with seamlessly adding the following features to your interactive eBooks-

A. Interactive Elements

The conversion service providers should be able to add interactive elements such as assessments, exercises, quizzes, matrix completion, yes/no answers, fill-in-the-blanks, match the following, and dictionary pop-ups.

B. Audio, Video, and Animation

They should embed audio, video, and animation effects into their eBooks to deliver a complete content experience.

C. Content Linking

They should link content to various external references or internally to cross-references, annotations, footnotes, indexes, etc.

In Conclusion

Various service providers offer eBook conversion services. While the exact kind of conversion services provided may vary from one service provider to another, the process would primarily entail converting a physical manuscript to an eBook.

However, eBook conversion services aren’t just about getting a physical book into a digital one, but also about multiple other aspects, such as the font type, charts, size, bullets, tables, and other similar things, which enhance the overall outlook of the eBook.

To ensure the success of an eBook, it is, therefore, important to choose the eBook conversion services wisely. Following the above guide helps you choose the right type of eBook conversion service and enhance your eBook in the best possible way.

If you’re still confused, get in touch with Hurix Digital today. With years of experience, we offer eBook conversion services to publishers, educational institutions, enterprises, and associations worldwide. Our quality experts ensure that conversions are performed seamlessly without any issues.

So, contact us today for hassle-free eBook conversion services!