Whether you want to know what formats to create your digital editions in, whether you should have a native App or HTML5 web App, or just want to know the benefits of going digital.

The slides answers the following questions:

1.  Should my digital editions be native Apps or HTML5?
2. Should print publications be modified for online?
3. What are the benefits of going digital?
4. When is the right time to go digital?
5. How can i make money from my digital editions?
6. What are the best practices for digital magazines?
7. There are so many devices, what formats should I create?
8. How do publishers and marketers create awareness of the e-book?

So what do we mean when we say ‘creating in-house’?

Content creation will generally be carried out by a graphic designer or an agency on behalf of their client. Once this content has been created, so whether it is a virtual magazine or simple page flip book, the process of conversion can begin in-house using 3D Issue. An agency will charge for this as an additional fee unless the process takes place internally.

There are also on-line options available which will allow you to upload your PDFs to an on-line website where they will convert for you the same principals apply to that model as per the information below. Upload based services will change on a per page or per publication basis with a low entry price point.

So the question is really one of : On-line v Agency v in-house?

3D Issue will allow you to make an online catalogue interactive in ways that are not possible with flat content.

Some of the features which you can add using the software include, movies (inc. YouTube), Audio tracks, Reader comments, bookmarks, notes and a table of contents. Whilst 3D Issue will not make an on-line catalog for free….it will create such a publication conveniently and speedily in-house.

With the following type of knock on-benefits very possible in most enterprises.
Costs – the cost control possible with using 3D Issue is almost immeasurable! Unless you know exactly the amount of content you will be converting each day for the next year you can only estimate – but the savings will be substantial. 3D Issue ensures that each publication you convert costs less each time, as you purchase once and then use the software more and more. 3D Issue is sold as a lifetime license so you can create unlimited publications for content which you own past, present or future.

Staffing – 3D Issue in-house allows you to ensure that time and resources are distributed as and when required so that the entire process is managed from start to finish, using a service for the same effect might not be the best use of another key resource, capital. Service propositions will often charge multiples of the small set up cost associated with 3D Issue.

Planning – arising from the creation of digital magazines which allow you to be in control of the cost and staffing is the ability to plan more into the future and this goes for time, people and costs. 3D Issue has a clear and concise cost with no hidden surprises or add on-costs allowing for exhaustive planning even where your content creation target is not actually set in stone.

Logistics – Utilizing 3D Issue in house allows you to carry out the upload of your converted publication from your desktop direct to your intended location, no external access to your server is required – this can often be a security concern or an unfeasible practise of passing large files for upload in-house.

Search Engine Optimization – Using software in house will allow you to convert your publication and to upload it to your server which is one of the best ways to ensure that you gain as much SEO ‘juice’ for your content. When used in conjunction with an SEO strategy the HTML text which is extracted from your PDFs can be added to your site map so the search engines recognize your new content as part of your site. The on-line upload services will not offer this as they will be hosting the publication so you will gain only a link. For more information on SEO and 3D Issue see this blog post.

If you have any questions on the topics above or any feedback we would love to hear from you contact us via info@3dissue.com

Image is from the good peeps here.

Brochures
Sending out hard copy brochures via the post can be both time consuming and costly. If your brochure is in PDF format then converting it through 3D Issue will allow you to email your clients a link to view a digital version in minutes of their enquiry.

Newsletters
By converting this newsletter into a digital edition you can drive traffic to your site to view the online digital newsletter. This newsletter can contain multimedia that makes the newsletter more engaging to your audience as well as the added benefit that the reader analytics can be tracked and analyzed to see how effective the newsletter was.

Case Studies
Consider collating case studies and testimonials to create a unique testimonial publication, giving your clients the information they require in a professional, accessible format. If your customers fall into different sectors then create a unique testimonial digital edition for each sector. As you can upload multiple or single pdfs into 3D Issue to convert – collating these brochures can be a quick process.

Customer Presentations
Tired of PowerPoint? Stand out by converting your presentations into digital format. You can simply save your PowerPoint presentation as a pdf, upload to the 3D Issue software and add your interactivity. Your digital presentations will have the page turning effect, can include videos, audio and hyperlinks and be viewed online so a customer can view at a personalised url address (by calling the file by the customer name for example) at a time that suits them.

Sales proposals
Sales proposals as a digital edition can transform the static pdf proposals into an edition that can include multimedia videos and links to further related information such as associated product brochures and customer case studies.

…and if that isn’t enough, you could try these too!

- Training documents
- Event guides
- Whitepapers
- e-Books
- Company annual reports
- Product or customer reports or research material

TOP TIP:
Using 3D Issue Digital Publishing software for dynamic marketing publications

You may have seen our recent news items covering how you can now create epub files from both your PDF files and online content (your blog or RSS feeds for example) with the 3D Issue software.

Here are 4 eBooks in epub format for viewing in iBooks you can create today and give to your customers to download to view on their iPads/iPhones via the iBooks App.

Flash version of your publication for PC and MAC;

HTML5 version for iPad, iPhone and other smart phones and tablets;

.ePub and .mobi files for e-book reader devices.

Our customers and trial users too will be familiar with the ‘three tabs’, namely content design and output.

The intuitive layout in the 3D Issue software, and simple yet effective feature set, means creating your digital publication becomes less of a chore and more of an engaging experience. Your publications become the center focus and not the process of conversion and upload.

Digital publishing is on the cusp of mass market appeal and so the terminology in use varies, primarily the term e-book will refer to .epub and .mobi files which are the core files for publications consumed on an e-reader device, some popular examples of which include:

The Amazon kindle

The Barnes & Noble Nook

The Sony eReader

Other options which exist are the use of an .epub or .mobi file via an Application or more commonly referred to as an App, the use of Apps means that it is possible to load .epub and .mobi files onto non e-reader devices. Apps may be used to read .epub and mobi files on devices including:

The Apple iPad – via iBooks or the Amazon kindle App

An iPhone – via iBooks or the Amazon kindle App

An Android tablet or smart phone.

To create an e-book file in 3D Issue:

1.Import PDF content as normal;

2.Preview the pages in the content tab;

3. In the design tab select e-reader mode (not digital magazine mode);

4. Edit your text as appropriate even add an image;

5. On the content tab, uncheck the upload option;

6. Click build – your .epub and .mobi files are saved now in your output folder.

You may now wish to upload your e-Book files to an on-line marketplace like the Amazon bookstore or the iBook store. Failing that why not upload to your own website and distribute via that?

Note the same issues which one might face in the preparation of a digital magazine do not apply.

DPI or image quality is not of concern unless the addition of lots of images is a concern;

The publications created using the e-reader mode are intended for very specific devices and purposes;

PDF content for this purpose would tend to be more lengthy but less aesthetically appealing.

If step 3 above is not possible in your software contact sales@3dissue.com for more information as your software is not Version 5 or above which is required for e-reader file preparation.

Here is another blog post we did on why self hosting can be a good thing. Which is about Newsstand but the principals are much the same.

And here is a useful blog post from earlier this year discussing the various file formats available via 3D Issue.

Image is from the good peeps here.

1. Create your App icon
First you will need to get creative and create your App icon. You can use your preferred application for this, Photoshop for example.

The icon needs to be 72 x 72 pixels. You do not need to create the rounded corners or shine shade effects – These effects are auto applied.

Pick an image that will stand out well, reflect your publication and view well at a small 72 x 72 pixel size.

Save the image as a .png file.

2. Associate the App icon to your publication

Now that you have your icon, open up the magazine in 3D Issue that you want this icon to be associate with.

Once inside 3D Issue, click on ‘Options’ from the top toolbar, and select ‘ iPad / iPhone App’.

You will be presented with a pop up window showing the default 3D Issue App style icons.

Select ‘Change iPad icon’

Browse for the icon you created, save, and then repeat the process for the iPhone icon.

3. Upload the publication

Complete the publication by hitting ‘build’ This will upload the files to your website including the icons.

4. What your readers will now see

When a reader now accesses your publication via their iPad or iPhone, they will automatically be presented with the HTML5 version, with a prompt to add the publication to their homescreen:

Then when they select the icon, and to add their homescreen:

Your reader can then access the publication quickly (and in fullscreen) from their homescreen. This also means that if you make any changes to the publication and save over the existing one, their shortcut always links to the most up to date publication.

This is a homescreen showing a few of our 3D Issue help guides, all saved as HTML5 web apps available from the homescreen:

When we consider the preparation of digital magazines this becomes a very important point.

Solid SEO tactics may take many forms, for example from White papers to Podcasts.

The addition of new on-line publishing opportunities brings new possibilities. Fresh content allows search engines to see what a site is all about and determine the ‘on-line community’ it belongs in thus providing the best results.

3D Issue ensure that your new content is included and recognized as new content. To ensure this occurs there are a few areas which one must consider in the preparation of content particularly when using page flip software.

Remember – Adding new and original content to your site is the best way to establish and maintain a successful SEO campaign. “Content is King” making an on-line catalogue and following the steps out lined below will provide the link juice you need for great search engine results.

3D Issue does this in quite a few ways.

1. 3D Issue extracts the text from your e-book

3D Issue works hard for your publication the software scans every part of your PDFs before converting to Flash and HTML5. Where the text can be identified by the software as text it will be extracted and added to a page of HTML code which is then made available in the output folder.

2. Update the SEO information for your flip magazine

In 3D Issue version 5.0 and above add the important Publication title, Keywords and a description to each publication. These may be customized depending on the publication in question so that your marketing collateral doesn’t necessarily end up sharing SEO data with your sales pieces.

3. Use your site map

HTML text is only of use if recognized as part of your website so you will need to connect these pages of HTML to the rest of your site somewhere – so they appear as part of your website. Then build your site map and submit to Google and Bing (Did you know that in the USA right now Bing accounts for almost 35% of search?)

For information on submitting a site map for Google check out this search result.

For information on submitting a site map for Bing check out this search result.

4. Use 3D Issue as part of your SEO campaign

Ensure that everyone is clear on 3D Issue and the capabilities above, on first inspection one might worry and even exclaim ‘Flash is not use for SEO!’ like most of the hard rules in SEO there is no hard rule out there you need good advise so get in touch info@3dissue.com for more info on how to ensure that your new content is not being missed out on!

Image is from the nice guys here.

Banner Advertising
The area at the top of the reader interface can be enabled as the top banner area. You can upload any number of banner style images that you or your advertisers create. You can then associate a url destination for each banner which the reader will be directed to if the ad is clicked on.

Intro Area (page ’0′)
The intro area is the space to the left of the front cover. This area can contain any uploaded image or swf. This is often referred to as the prime advertising spot as it takes up a unique, highly visible area. Consider selling this space for a sponsor of a particular issue, and as the file can be a swf this means a highly engaging, interactive ad.

Embedded Image ads within the e-book pages
Image ads can be placed by you as part of the PDF design. Once you upload your PDF into 3D Issue you can then use the hotspot tool to make these ads click-able. Simply draw a hotspot over the ad, set the destination url and that’s it. You can also set the colour of roll over and roll out for the hotspots as well as their opacity to draw attention to these adverts.

Embedded  Video or Flash ads
Videos are a great alternative to simple flat image ads. Video ads can communicate messages quickly and effectively, they can also be set to play from a specific area of the page or set to play in a pop up layer on top of the digital magazine. Videos can be either uploaded via a file in either .mov, .mp4 or .flv or alternatively you can stream a video in your magazine direct from YouTube, you just need the YouTube ID. This is perfect to sell to your advertisers as they may well already have ads created and accessible via YouTube.

Audio ads
If your advertisers have existing radio ads then these can be added to your digital edition. The audio ads can either start once a reader clicks on a button or hotspot, or you can set the audio file to auto start as soon as a reader lands on a particular page. Audio clips need to be uploaded to the software in .mp3 format.

Simple URL Link ads
You may simply want to add a link to an advertiser’s site. You can do this by using either the hotspot tool over any word or text in a page, add a web link button, or you can make use of the contents menu to the side of the interface to list advertisers with direct links to their sites.

The digital publishing software industry has since move more towards alternatives and as we have blogged about recently e-Book creation software will now need to focus more on HTML5 for various reasons as outlined in this 3D Issue Blog here.

There are many reasons why we need to still provide the Flash version too, mostly because it is so widely accepted and still does a solid job on desktop PC and MAC machines. If you speak with those who keep their ear close to these matters there are a few facts which imply the key reasons as to why Flash for mobile was withdrawn.

Perhaps most important of these was the fact that Apple did not provide Flash support on any of their iOS devices, namely the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch.

HTML5 does’nt require a browser plug-in and is more secure than Flash content which can be easily stolen from websites.

For more information on how to create your digital editions from your content to create e-books or magazines get in touch e-mail us at info@3dissue.com

Image is from here.

It is now more important than ever to ensure that your publications are accessible to this growing audience and with HTML5 publications this is now very easy for businesses to do. Why is it so important? Well take a look at these recent statistics:

1. Global ownership of tablets is expected to reach 760 million by 2016, reasons to turn towards the tablet are clear. There is an active market, and publishers are a focal point within that market. Source

2. 80% of tablet owners use their tablet to research and buy products. Source

3. 42% of respondents to a study said that the better viewing experience on tablets made them want to shop more on this mobile device. Source

4. Mobile internet users will reach 113.9 million in 2012, up 17.1% from 97.3 million in 2011. Source

5. More than 3/4 of the total population will be online in 2012 Source

3D Issue Version 5 will automatically generate HTML5 editions as well as flash versions of your publications. This means that the two versions of each magazine are created and uploaded to your website, then when a user comes to view one of your digital magazines their browser is checked and they are automatically shown the most suitable version for the device they are on.

So….ensure you check the ‘Mobile Devices’ and ‘Tablet Devices’ in the ‘Online’ dropdown section in the OUTPUT tab!

“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but rather the one most adaptable to change.”

This blog will look at the contrast, comparison and advantages of a fixed layout as opposed to a Liquid layout. For the purposes of this piece consultation with one of the 3D Issue developers took place for some insights into the technology which features in the 3D Issue Suite via our ‘PressJack’ Application.

What is a liquid layout?

Liquid layouts in a nutshell do away with the note most people will remember ‘best viewed in 600 x 800’ by using liquid layouts developers can provide software solutions that allow publishers to present content on any screen size.

What is a fixed layout?

A fixed layout is a design (website or similar) that is set at a particular size so will be best displayed at that size. These types of websites traditionally were consistent but would require some research on the user resolution. Fixed layout is not feasible any longer as so many resolutions and screen sizes are in use. Also research into screen resolutions has proven unsatisfactory in the past.

What does the 3D Issue Suite have?

The 3D Issue Suite incorporating PressJack is a one stop application suite which creates e magazines and as the world’s first HTML5 conversion page flip software brought desktop like experience to the tablet and smart phones. The suite includes all you need to make an on-line catalog or to distribute any information via RSS feed or from a basic PDF.

PressJack offers a level of liquid layouts which we do not see in 3D Issue in that the publication created in PressJack has additional adaptability.

Advantages of a Liquid Layout

Any Screen: A liquid layout offers many advantages in quite a few areas. One of the most beneficial is that the digital magazine can display on any screen size, Liquid layouts allow for an adaptable output in simple terms your content will always display at the optimum size for the screen.

Adapts: Small text on a small screen is always going to be difficult to read I hear you say? Not so as the content will not be small it adapts, the ability to make a window any size is a big advantage particularly as we move to the more common dual desktop environments where users are running multiple applications at the same time.

24/7: Liquid layouts offer a way to present the publication in any view and are therefore readable under any circumstances; the content will always be available. This is quite the advantage as one disadvantage app developers will cite about Android App development is that the variety of screen sizes and devices makes it difficult to program for. Whilst Apple devices with their universal (almost) hardware are much easier to program for. Liquid layout for Android will make development simpler across devices.

Other advantages include the non-existence of side to side scrolling to read (a real annoyance for anyone that has experienced this) and the fact that whilst you can re-size the publication you can also take full advantage of all the screen space available.

Hopefully this brief guide will have provided some insight into how Flexible layout can increase the cut through for your content via PressJack the RSS to digital magazine converter. If you have any questions or feedback let us know – get in touch info@3dissue.com

Image is from here.

The Design tab is the area of the software where you can customize the online magazine in terms of:

1) The look and feel of the reader pane; so backgrounds, colors and placement of features buttons etc..

2) The customization of pages; so adding interactive features such as links, videos, animations to the pages of the publication.

The advanced tab looks at some features that may need to be looked at now and again for certain publication types. It must be noted though, these features although named ‘advanced’ are still easy to use and intuitive – don’t let the name stop you taking a browse around this section!

Here is a screen shot of this advanced section:

Let’s take a look at the features in more details:

Read right to left
Simply by checking the “read right to left” option, the digital edition is completely reconfigured to handle this publication type. Along with reordering the pages, it will also change all page numbering, keyword search and contents menus to suit the configuration of the publication.

Load Control
If your publications are over 100 pages you could use the load control to ensure your readers are not waiting a long time when they first open your digital edition. The load control allows you to specify a number of pages to load at one time, so entering 20 will load the first 20 pages, then going to page 40, the 20 pages around page 40 are loaded in the background. This ensures fast loading for larger publications.

Default Language
This allows you to change the language for all the rollover text, button text and interface text that your end readers see. You can easily set up the language profile first by visiting the ‘Options’  from the top toolbar and then ‘Translations’. Once the language is set up it then automatically becomes selectable in this advanced section.

Page numbering starts on Page
Not all publications start their numbering on the cover page. Therefore with the 3D Issue software you can set the correct page numbering so that your contents menus etc will act
accordingly.

Exit URL
Enter in the url where your readers should be taken to when clicking on the exit button within the interface. This could be your website home page or a related web page.

Edit email for sharing, bookmarks and notes
If your end readers use either the notes, bookmarks or sharing option they have the option to send an email with information to either themselves or a friend. You can edit the fields or language used in these emails by clicking on the ‘Edit email’ button in the advanced section.

In the editor, select the text and edit as you see appropriate. You can also insert fields; Message, Name, URL, Email and Notes which are all entered by the reader.

Server
3D Issue uses dynamic script for the ‘Send to Friend’ feature. For this the software will recognize both ASP and PHP support. Choose which is recommended for your site.

The features in each publication however are only as strong as the software they are built with. 3D Issue Version 5 was the first conversion package available with a consistent and accurate HTML5 output. Aside from our HTML5 publication creation other features in the software make it the software package of choice.

The biggest key feature which one should look out for right now is useability across platforms, so the same link to a publicaiton is useable on any device. Some other featurs are outlined below.

• HTML5 output – HTML5 solutions provide readers with the same interactive experience as the flash version.
• Mobile, iPad, iPhone compatible – HTML5 resizes the publications automatically so readers can view on any device, think ‘liquid layouts’.
• E-Book output - The eReader output option allows you to create ‘e-Books’ for the growing eReader market which includes Kindle, Nook and iBooks.
• Presentation mode - In addition to the book layout select ‘presentation view’, allowing single pages to be viewed rather than the traditional double page layout.
• Saved searches – Let  your readers choose to save particular search terms
• YouTube embedded video - In addition to adding your video files in MP4 and FLV file format to your publication the ability to stream videos directly from YouTube to play inside your digital magazine saves time and server space.
• Toolbar layout options – Select from a number of placement choices for the user controls, navigation and features to fit best with your digital publications.
• Thumbnail view – Select to show a thumbnail style navigation panel to the skin allowing a visual representation of the publication and contents enabling your audience to see an overall view of the publication.
• Advanced audio settings - Audio tracks as part of your publication so readers can now access further audio controls and settings, allowing them to take control over how they listen to audio in the digital magazine.
• Additional Info text areas - Adding ‘more’ info areas to areas in your e-publication allows you to provide readers with extra information without cluttering the pages.
• Archive – The ability to link and co-ordinate back issues so your publications are linked together for ease of access.

Image is from here.

Social networking now accounts for 22% of all time spent online in the US. Reuters reports that 62% of people around the globe communicate through social networking sites, so this is a marketing area that ePublishers need to get involved with to grow and interact with the online audience.

With more than 845 million users, Facebook remains the most popular social network. Facebook not only allows publishers to post updates, share content and provide information, but it also allows for understanding views, opinions and customer engagement on a ‘real’ level.

Check out this useful Facebook Marketing Cheatsheet from the guys at Hubspot to understand how best to get the most out of this opportunity.

Twitter became the tool that made publishers think about how to get their message across in 140 characters. Similar to Facebook in that Twitter allows digital publishers to get out into the social world and connect with new and current readers, but Twitter also has the added benefit of ‘listening’.

By setting up search terms and phrases, publishers can use Twitter to understand what people think about publications, content and views and also monitor what is being said about their brand.

Pinterest is the social network that has scene tremendous growth over the last few months. It allows users to share interests via the use of imagery to their ‘pin boards’. Users can create boards for particular categories of interest.

According to business intelligence firm RJ Metrics, via Mashable, 17.2% of all pinboards are categorized under Home, followed by Arts and Crafts (12.4%), Style/Fashion (11.7%), Food (10.5%) and Inspiration/Education (9.0%). Of those, food is the fastest-growing category. It’s also the category that gets the most repins, generating on average more than 50% repins than the second most re shared category, Style and Fashion.

Publishers could consider Pinterest to post:

- Photos from articles in publications

- E-book and digital magazine covers

- Charts, infographics or research

- Your readers’ interests

Check out Mashable’s Pintrest site: http://pinterest.com/mashable/ for some inspiration and ideas of a well put together set of boards and pins.

This blog post shall look at the idea of e-Book creation and utilizing the Notes, Comments and Bookmarks e-mail function to full potential.

So what does the e-mail function from these features allow?

The e-mail function included with these features allows readers to send e-mail directly from the 3D Issue digital publication, so they can share their notes, comments, and bookmarks.

Alongside the three options mentioned above there is also the sharing option which is only available in the Professional and Enterprise versions. The sharing option allows readers to share via e-mail, Facebook, Twitter and Google+

So with all this sharing of information from your digital edition is’nt it important to define what exactly is being sent? And thankfully you can.

To set the e-mail option click on the Design Tab and under ‘advanced’ at the bottom of the menu there is an option to edit the e-mails which are derived out of each of your publications Flash and HTML5. The e-mail is based around a form which is completed by the reader. It would be advisable to edit these e-mails on a per publication basis – why?

1. If a reader leaves you a comment wouldn’t it be useful to know which publication that comment has come from? consider adding “June Edition” to the text for example so when you get feedback it may be quickly identified – which edition of your publication it came from.
2. If a reader sends a link to a friend via the sharing option this is an opportunity to add a short tag line or a mention of special offers maybe. Sharing is a great way to create new followers, so snappy copy in this space could bring in new readers.
3. The same applies to bookmarks and notes if a reader has created a bookmark or note and wants to share with someone else or themselves a small identification of where the e-mail has come from will make it more useful – remember readers might not open the e-mail to themselves right away so a quick edit by the creator in advance will assist the reader.

Image is from here.

It has been well documented that E-books have grown in popularity significantly over the last few years. Research from Pew this year found, that 21% of adults had read a e-book in the last year, compared to 17% in December.  It is worth noting here that a rise in eReader owners occurred during the holiday season in December would have impacted this.

So why are people making this transition? What are the benefits and how will the ‘Digital Versus Print’ battle pan out?

1. Portability
The convenience factor has become a clear winner for readers. E-books are easily packed in a bag, take up little space and can be read when the reader wants to without much pre-planning of which book to take. It has been found that these E-Readers are also reading much more than those reading printed books. A Pew study found that the average reader of e-books read 24 books in the last year, compared with an average of 15 books by a non-e-book consumer.

2. Interactivity
Links, note-taking, social interactivity, video, audio and bookmarking are all popular features of electronic books that readers enjoy. These features have become very popular in publications such as educational books, marketing publications etc.. due to different learning styles of readers and choices.

3. Cost
Generally an E-book is cheaper for a reader to buy that a printed book. Printing, distribution and manufacturing costs can be significantly lower with electronic books, although some argue that the pricing model for E-books can still be unclear.

4. Environmental Factors
This advantage is often highlighted when talking about E-books, but let’s look at some stats:

- According to The Environmental Paper Network, If United States offices reduced virgin fiber copy paper use by 10% from 2009 levels, it would save 22.8 million trees, reduce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to taking 481,000 cars off the road, and keep over 60,000 trucks full of solid waste out of landfills and incinerators. (Source: Paper Calculator, 2011)

- The average North American consumed 154 lbs (70 kgs) less paper in 2009 than in 2005, an amount equal to 15,000 sheets of copy paper, or a stack almost six and a half feet high. (via The Environmental Paper Network)

5. Feel and Packaging
The E-book is still a relatively new concept. When speaking with people making the change from reading print books to E-books you often hear the reader say something like ‘But i like the feel of a real book in my hands’. Print books to many feel natural, the feel, the smell, the general sharing of a print book. Habits are difficult to change yet we saw a similar scenario in the music industry when consumers were moving from CDs to downloadable albums.

The addition of an entire new output format from 3D Issue Version 5  improved many elements of the reader experience, the biggest impact was in the improved iPad support. HTML5 allowed for the creation of digital online publications and a rich reader experience on the iPad, other tablets and smart phones. 3D Issue Version 5 supports YouTube video, Audio, and Sharing via Facebook.

In the same week as our launch Adobe announced that they were to withdraw their mobile support for Flash this has some impact on how our customers can create digital magazines, luckily our E-Book(s) software was prepared.

Note this article does not pose to be written by a programmer but rather can take a place as a beginner’s guide to HTML5.

So what you ask was the big fuss over HTML5 in aid of? In a nutshell HTML5 will allow programmers to create better and more interactive websites and software applications.

HTML5 will inevitably replace Flash technology. Why will this happen? Well Flash is an old fashioned format, in that it was resource hungry and time consuming to program. Flash though so well established some will wonder how they shall ever manage without will have it’s day eventually.

Flash is generally used to create Animations (like for example page flips!) or interactive animations, by using a HTML5 framework websites and content, movies, audio and elements of social media will work better together and more easily.

A quick search on-line shall return many results on what the advantage’s are from an enhanced capability for Client databases to Geo-location.  The new programming language will allow for advantages across many many uses.

The top 5 from some web research would appear to offer the following HTML5 features;

1. Mutuality

2. Cleaner mark-up / Improved Code

3. Improved Semantics

4. Elegant forms and web apps

5. Offline Application cache

HTML5 is set to be fully formed by 2022, and due to the complementary use of CSS and JavaScript it will allow for programmers to use the language effectively now and in the future too.

Image is from the nice folks here.

So how can you create awareness of your eBook? Follow some quick tips here:

1. Create and maintain a subscriber database
If you have an email subscriber list then this is where to start, send out the email with the digital magazine to your subscribers as a priority.  If you don’t have a subscriber list, there are lots of easy to use, cost effective email marketing solutions available. These can let your readers opt in, keep their details up to date and specify topics of interest.

2. Activate sharing options in your eBook
Your readers will often want to spread the word and share interesting content with their friends. Activate the social sharing options in your eBook so that this can happen with ease. The sharing options are then visible to your readers, allowing readers to easily select to share via Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or email, spreading the awareness.

3. Let your ‘fans’ know
Your social followers on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, are people subscribing to what you have to say, so post them a link to the edition so they too can view. Build up your social networks and keep them engaged with new and relevant news, tips, tricks and downloads.

4. Let Google find you!
Ensure that the SEO (Search Engine Optimization) properties are completed when creating your digital editions. 3D Issue users can head over to the CONTENT tab and hit ‘edit’ under ‘Profile’ then ensure the seo section contains effective keywords in the title, description and keywords section.

5. Give your readers the mobile optimized eBook
As 3D Issue Version 5 automatically generates HTML5 web apps, use this to reach your mobile readers. When a reader comes to view one of your digital magazines their browser is checked and they are automatically shown the most suitable version for the device they are on. This means you can reach readers on the move.

6. Allow new readers a ‘subscribe’ route
Once a new reader is in the publication, it is important that they have a way of subscribing. This way when then next edition of the publication is released they can receive their own copy without relying on a friend to share with them. Placing a subscribe button in the design of your eBook is a great way of doing this. This button can then be linked to a landing page on your site which allows new subscribers to sign up.

7. Make older issues available
Ensure you add your publications to your digital archive. This means that readers of future and older publications in this series can access this edition too with the click of the mouse (or tap of the finger!) Here’s some more information about adding your digital publication to your archive.

Investigations by the US department of Justice (DOJ) which were to look at disputed collusion to increase ebook prices involved t5 publishers namely Macmillan, Penguin, Hachette, HarperCollins and Simon & Schuster. Since the action by the DOJ three have settled (April 11th) out of court whilst further investigations are afoot for the final two. The three settlements were reached with Hachette, HarperCollins, and Simon & Schuster. Apple, Penguin, and Macmillan continue to contest the charges.

So the question is will Amazon become a monopoly if Apple were to lose their case? The answer would have to be no but wholesale selling from Amazon will be a threat.  The settlement has assured that the three who have settled are free to lower ebook pricing and the re-introduction of the Wholesale model.

Apple are joint defendants in the proceedings so for them only to lose out would be difficult, the final two publishers involved have a lot to lose too, but all will return to the market to sell further ebooks so nothing too huge to be lost. The final outcome would be some form of damages and a refund which could only be a logistic nightmare.

The question abounds though as to whether this will draw down the expectations of the consumer when it comes to epublishing, Amazon have thwarted opportunities in some ways in this market before, selling ebooks initially at lower than cost, but unless they were to make some very unusual decisions over the coming months their chances of success are unlimited.

Whilst Apple will not be leaving the market it is as likely that Amazon will end up in a monopoly.  Meanwhile Apple strive ahead and of course one is not to forget their plans to also provide content for ebook stores via ebook creator iAuthor which are destined for iBooks only due to more small print.

For more see this article.

The image above was created by digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net who are here.

Whilst the market has seen significant growth since 2008, the last 12 months in particular has shown a substantial rise. Between January 2011 to January 2012, sales in adult eBooks grew by 49.4%, while sales in children and young adult eBooks grew by 475.1%, according to the AAP.

The good news for digital publishers is this trend is expected to continue. James McQuivey, Forrester noted that a survey with Digital Book World found, that at the end of 2011 82% of publishing executives surveyed were optimistic about the digital transition and 54% of respondents believed print sales will go down.

eBook market share figures were also revealed in an article on USAtoday stating that sales of eBooks doubled from 10% of the overall market to 20% in 2011. USAtoday reports that Michael Norris, an analyst with Simba Information “estimates that one in five U.S. adults are reading e-books on a variety of devices, from dedicated e-readers to tablets (like the Kindle Fire) that can be used to download movies, music, video games and more.”

Further stats were revealed by APP and BookStats, a comprehensive statistical survey of the U.S. publishing industry — capturing size, scope, revenue and rapid strategic expansion across multi-platform content and sales distribution channels.

Highlights from their survey include:

- Publishers’ net sales revenue has grown 5.6% from 2008 to $27.94 Billion in 2010.

- Scholarly publishing experienced 4.7% growth since 2008, with $191 Million net sales revenue for 2010.

- The Professional market’s $3.7 Billion net sales revenue was +6.3% over 2008.

Dominique Raccah, Founder and CEO, Sourcebooks and Chair of the BookStats Committee was quoted in the press release

“Publishers in every sector of our business have made significant investments in content and technology to better serve their audiences’ needs and those efforts seem to correlate with the results we’re seeing.”

Here at 3D Issue one of the core principals behind the V5 software is that it creates pageflip publications in minutes – so in this blog post we’ll take a quick look at some of the reasons why 3D Issue offers an advantage when it comes to digital publishing over the more traditional print.

There is a well know mnemonic for planning which is a real Business 101 tip and it goes that all plans should be ‘SMART’. So what exactly does that mean? It stands for:

S- Specific

M- Measurable

A- Agreed

R- Realistic

T- Timed

Look at any good plan and you’ll see these elements, we thought it would be a novel way to look at digital editions. SMART is also a tidy way of pointing out 3D Issue’s advantages as an online magazine or maybe for marketing communications, or indeed in any of the multitude of ways you might use the software.

Specific – Digital publishing is accurate in way that will never be achieved with hard copy editions why is this so? Digital publications allow for clarity where other options cannot, consider a reader prompt for example “Sign-up here” or “Share me on Facebook”  all options that allow for a way of communicating specific and targeted information in way not possible not long ago.

Measurable – possibly one of the most important part of any eBooks or publication is that each and every (practically) action by a reader is recorded and tracked, this level of control has never been seen before, this is not tracking it is a recording – ready for playback as and when a publisher sees fit for more information on Google analytics and 3D Issue see this blog post.

Agreed – The digital publication is never a ‘make-do’ publication many reader’s of magazines and newspapers around the world are part of readership figures but did not purchase the publication. With a digital publication each reader and purchaser is a choice maker more likely to share and not a 2^nd hand user.

Realistic – The digital edition makes sense the measure-ability and the choice making involved by the reader (no accidents) ensures that the findings and facts from each publication are real in a way that old fashioned readership figures cannot be, down to the date, time and IP location.

Timed – Delivery of a digital publication is instantaneous, the best type of timed delivery! Automated and accurate. The speed possible with a digital edition allows for content creation as and when it is required in as responsive a way as possible, something which is just not possible with a hard copy publication.

Historically, cost and distribution have been two key factors of businesses moving to digital. However, there seems to be an increasing number of education and training publications moving to digital editions to enhance the ‘learning experience’.

Here we look at how many business and schools are using features of eBooks to engage readers:

Learning on the go
Time, place and convenience are now key factors of a learner. With digital editions, students and readers are enjoying the freedom that digital gives them. Students can pick up a publication when it suits them, on their preferred device; whether at home, on a journey or during a spare, unexpected free 30 minutes.  It also doesn’t require the reader to carry around multiple copies of large publications on the ‘off-chance’ they may have time to view it.

Using the right media
One of the key reasons we see schools and training companies turn to digital editions is the ability to present the reader with a range of different media options. Giving students a video, audio clip or interactive diagram as part of the material can often be a much more engaging way of communicating information than plain text descriptions. Of course different rich media elements can be used throughout a publication; therefore the material really can be presented in the best way possible.

Creation and storing notes and bookmarks
Digital editions can allow readers to add and store notes to the publication. As these notes are in digital form too, they can then email the notes or even add them to their wider study notes.  This ability to add notes and bookmarks means that the student can stay within the same publication rather than having to stop, find pen and paper and switch between the two.

Linking archived publications
Study and training material can often require the student to look a reference material, archived publications or related articles. This is very easy to do from a digital edition. By creating hotspots, links and completing a publication archive file,  you can ensure your readers can access this additional or bonus content quickly and easily.

One of the key features that also landed was the “App icon” feature in the software. This is a real must have for any HTML5 publication. We blogged about this at the time and created a video too, which demonstrates the process of specifying your iOS icons – iPad and iPhone.

Another neat feature we felt worth sharing, was the ability of viewing the publication in full screen mode. Some of you will be aware that Safari lacks a full screen mode, a gap filled by alternative browsers like SkyFire etc.

Luckily, with 3D Issue publications and the addition of the iOS icon,  your readers’ enjoyment is not hampered. They can now enjoy your publications in full screen with no need to install and pay for an expensive browser.

For more information on this topic checkout this  ‘Change the content not the Icon’ blog post from a while back. This article also has a link to our YouTube iPad App icon video which is all about adding your icon.

The combination of a full screen mode via your own App icon makes non-App store HTML5 a real alternative for fast publishing beyond those Apple guarded eco-system walls!

For questions or queries get in touch via info@3dissue.com

So here you can download this free eBook that brings all these together.

View the eBook in your browser with this flash version by hitting the image below:	Download the eBook to your iPad or eReader using epubs by hitting the image below:

Apple are well known for constructing deals which change markets look at what started with iTunes. Apple negotiated to a position so that they could dictate the price for a song to the music industry. (Getting to yes – hello) The iTunes experience has since culminated in another model – the Agency model. In the Agency model the seller determines the price and this as it was expected by the late Steve Jobs and it happened – the customer paying a ‘little more’

“We told the publishers, ‘We’ll go to the agency model, where you set the price, and we get our 30%, and yes, the customer pays a little more, but that’s what you want anyway’.”

Source article here which is a good read too.

On this blog we argued before the holidays that a little more expense might not be such a bad thing (…more for a better product – right?), but what has actually occurred in the aftermath is that consumer’s have ended up paying more much more to the tune of US$100 Million approx.

The publishing houses included are Macmillan, Penguin, Hachette, HarperCollins and Simon & Schuster, the real nugget in the facts is the way in which this deal was carved out there is mention (and proof TBC) of secret meetings and a theme of a lack of written documentation it is rumoured that Apple and Amazon may have even conspired to carve up the digital content market between them.

There is no crime in holding a dominant position in any marketplace, this is of course the price we pay for living in the ‘free market economy’ but abuse of a dominant position is unfair and generally quite illegal.

The image above was created by digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net who are here.

Techcrunch reported on Gartner’s latest findings in an article yesterday. The key findings were:

- This year, Gartner says there will be sales of 118.9 million tablets, growth of nearly 100 percent on a year ago.

- Whilst the competition in the tablet market is increasing, this space is very much still Apple’s as they hold on to 45% sales. It is worth noting though that Apple’s market share was 83% in 2010, so the competition are catching up.

- Tablet usage figures highlight that 50% of owners replace with 2 years. However, could this be due to early days of the device where significant changes being more frequent require more frequent updates during this phase?

The report certainly highlights that this is no ‘phase’. Today it can be very straightforward for content marketers to convert their content into tablet optimized publications. Reading and consuming media on the go can be enabled in just a few steps to provide readers with a unique reading experience that best suits their device.

Here are some useful resources to get started:

HTML5 Web App or Native App?
Digital editions pre-publish checklist
7 free tools to help with your digital publishing projects
Digital Publications – Part 1 Beginners guide to output formats
Digital Publications – Part 2 Beginners guide to devices
Digital Publications – Part 3 Beginners guide to digital publishing considerations

Also…Don’t forget you can join us for one of our daily webinars. These show you how to get started with 3D Issue, starting with adding your PDFs, adding interactive elements and then publishing to your website. You can even ask questions along the way. Register for a live demo >>

Next issue is a collaboration between 5 specific major publishers Time Inc., Conde Nast, Hearst, Meredith, and News Corp. Included in the line-up are Time Inc’s People, Fortune, Sports Illustrated, and Time; Conde Nast’s Vanity Fair, Allure, and Conde Nast Traveler; Hearst’s Esquire and Popular Mechanics; and Meredith’s Better Homes and Gardens and Fitness. There are 32 magazines in total available at launch.

So what is Next issue? A platform that offers a one time payment model where a flat fee provides access to magazine content from some of the biggest publishers in the business so basically it is unlimited digital magazine access.

Is it for iPad? Not yet though this is in the pipeline, at present the App is only available on Android. iOS launch is expected around June.

Is it all-you-can eat? Yes indeed for a one of payment per month of either $9.99 or $14.99. The premium package at the higher price point allows subscribers to access a range of ‘higher grade’ materials premium brings publications such as Time and the New Yorker into the mix. There is also a one off subscription available for $1.99 per month.

Next Issue is already being touted as the publishing world’s first step into a Spotify model for magazines so we thought a quick look at the ups and downs for this solution would be worthwhile.

First up – No iPad version, this has to be a strange call generally the first App released will be the iPad followed by Android so we suspect that the App is already finished and this is Apple delaying the process. Next Issue are going to play ball with Apple for in-App purchases so it is in Apple’s interest to co-operate here. Next Issue could have provide an Amazon-esque model of Safari based purchasing to keep Apple out of the picture on iPad, as Next Issue will work with Apple the latter will benefit from the 30% share of revenue.

To add to this faults are already appearing where iPad user sign-up is concerned, thought you said there was no iPad version I hear you cry? – We did. If there is one thing which Apple get right each time it is their execution (except for MobileMe?) iPad users can actually sign up for Next Issue but not read a thing even post Credit Card Checkout etc. Take note Next Issue you’ll need to alert iPad users that this is (Google) Android territory only for now.

Next Issue really is for the Blue Bloods in the market – A completely closed shop, if you’re a self pubber, Niche publication or a content creator who is not affiliated with a major publisher then you’re never going to be on Next Issue, the market place is for big players only.

So it would appear that for now Next Issue is not quite the solution which it will probbably become, there is a limited selection of content at present and teething problems are there too but in time the proposition is sure to be a well utilised platform for the publishers involved.

Image is from the nice folks here.

1) Allow new readers to sign up

2) Link to related publications
One great advantage of digital is that it is much easier to direct readers to older or related editions. Think about which other publications this audience could be interested in and add these as links from the edition they are reading. Don’t let your older content go to waste.

3) Offer a trial, download
Engage readers of your digital edition by providing them with enticing offers, content or promotions. It could be a download of a whitepaper, a free trial of a service or entry to a competition. These offers can be linked to a well optimized landing page on your site to capture information and then provide them with the advertised offer.

4) Banner or in magazine advertising
If you are looking to generate revenue from your publication then it can be very easy to set up advertising in your digital editions. You may look at offering your advertisers banner advertising or ads within the page. Don’t forget with the tracking information available in digital editions you can then provide your advertisers with full performance reports so they can determine the ROI.

5) Let them take it away with them
Digital readers often want to download the edition so they can take it with them on the go. You will need to keep in mind that readers may be accessing content from different devices, so PC, Mac, Laptop, iPhones, iPads and other tablet devices. Therefore ensure that you have your digital edition in different download formats to suit the audience. More information can be seen here about whether to create HTML5 or ePub files. So let your reader read the publication when and where it suits them.

There is one format which is asked about time and time again so in this blog post we will take a brief look at the reader option – Download.

What is the download option? In a nutshell the reader download button allows the reader to download a copy of the publication to their desktop.

How do you offer a version of the publication so my reader has the option of downloading?

1. Select Download on the Design Tab under the Menu Option;
2. In the Output tab ensure that you have checked the off-line version box;
3. Select whether your readers should have the option of Digital edition, basic PDF or both
4. If the PDF is selected then you’ll need to navigate to your file when prompted
5. Note that the PDF you select need not be the same as the one imported originally
6. If you have not selected the Download option from step 2 you’ll be alerted to this and offered the opportunity to switch it on – there is no point otherwise!

Can I email the downloaded file? Due to the nature of the publication once downloaded, it takes the form of an .exe file or an executable file; they can therefore be sometimes unfairly recognized by security software as potential viruses so they cannot be e-mailed. (Best send the original link via email so they can download their own)

Are they for eReader devices? These files are from the digital magazine mode of the software so they are not for the eReader devices out there; they are purely desktop bound and allow for colourful page flip publications as opposed to the epub and mobi files.

How can I create ePub and Mobi files? Check out this blog post for more information on this.

Is the PDF file based on the file I imported on the Content tab? No you will need to specify the PDF files for the offline version which you will be prompted to do when you select off-line on the output tab.

Does the offline version open in a browser? No the off-line editions are self-contained files which open even where a web browser is not installed making them particularly suitable for auto-start.

Look out for a future blog post on our off-line version and how to add this to USB or CD.

Image is from the nice folks here.

So is your digital publication a success? and first how do you know if it is or is not?

1) Know what success looks like
It is important to identify and set targets, without having a target you can’t begin to identify how successful a publication or campaign was. Success may look different to different publications; for example if the end goal is to attract new subscribers then success would be measured by the number of new readers. If however it is a promotion that includes a ‘share to win’ type promo then the total number of readers may be a more accurate measure. So identify what success looks like for you and set targets.

2) Add the tracking ID
To ensure you are able to track reader numbers, stats and analysis ensure that you add your Google Analytics tracking ID into the 3D Issue software. More information about how to insert the tracking number and what information can then be discovered from reader statistics can be found here.

3) Check for hidden problems
Although there are a stack of statistics that can be extracted from Google Analytics there are a few key figures that can highlight potential problems. For example if you notice that your Bounce Rate is particularly high one month then perhaps consider checking the elements of the front cover (are the key articles highlighted and engaging?). Also check that the speed versus quality of the publication is at a good balance – people don’t like waiting for a publication to load so perhaps you could reduce the quality to enhance the speed or enable the load control if it’s a large publication.

If you have a high proportion of new users then consider using the ‘intro area’ space to include introduction instructions of how to use the digital magazine.

4) Think more than the number of hits
Just because your publication has had a record number of hits may not necessarily mean that the publication was the best yet. Is it quality or quantity of readers you are looking for? Check other stats such as how long the average person spent reading the publication, how many shares and likes were received and how many referrals the publication sent to your advertisers.

Highlights this month:
- 3D Issue magazines fully compatible with the New iPad
– Why sometimes not using Apple Newsstand can be a good idea
– 8 ‘to-do’ tasks after completing your digital magazine
– 10 Digital Magazine Customization Elements
– What does 3D Issue do for my SERPS?

View the newsletter:
We have used the 3D Issue software to create our own newsletter, and have this available in two formats depending on your device.

Desktop users
View the browser viewable digital magazine via this link.
Browser based digital magazine

iPad/iPhone users
We have also created a .pub file of the newsletter which you can download and read on your iPad or iPhone via the iBooks app. Download the file from here and sync to your iPad/iPhone.
Download epub version for iPad/iPhone

Kindle users
We have also created a .mobi file of the newsletter which you can download and read on your Kindle.
Download mobi version for Kindle

Top tip: Create your own digital newsletter from your blog! You too can create one of these browser based or/and .epub versions. Check out the tutorials here:

PDF to iBooks: part 1 of How to publish your content to iBooks
Blog and RSS to iBooks: Part 2 of How to publish your content to iBooks

This latest launch from Apple of the ‘new’  iPad however has caught the attention of many online magazine readers as the new retina display and 2048 x 1536 resolution seems to have caused a disruption. Many readers are noticing that magazines just don’t look as good on the new iPad.

So why do some digital magazines look poor quality on the new iPad? A recent article on Mashable! stated that the problem stemmed from the way publishers exported the publication.  Most publishers have always created digital editions by exporting the publications as image based PNGs. This was fine with the previous iPads where the resolution was lower, but now with the new iPad many of these Magazine Apps are not looking so sharp. Koch, senior director of product management,  Adobe digital publishing explained to Mashable! ““When the [new] iPad came out, you were now dealing with a device with four times as many pixels.”  This results in the text of these iPad Apps created for the iPad 1 and 2 looking ‘fuzzy’

So as many publishers rush to make adjustments to their affected digital magazine Apps, there are some that have no changes to make as their publications still look great on the new iPad. Why is this? Well, whilst Native Apps use the 2048 x 1536 display, HTML5 web apps viewed through the Safari browser will still display the publications as 1024 x 768 (or 768 x 1024 in portrait mode). This means that publications like this iPad magazine sample look great on the iPad 1, 2 and the New iPad.

So don’t panic, if you are a current 3D Issue version 5 customer your publications are iPad optimized. 3D Issue customers running version 4 and older can contact us for information on upgrading to this iPad compatible version by contacting the sales team at sales@3dissue.com

Whilst we’re on the iPad publications subject, here is another related article you may be interested in publishing for iPad free ebook.

The basis for this argument is of course the well known marketing rule of thumb – if you are a Niche product you should use this to your advantage, your market is smaller but interested people will work harder to find you.

Newsstand requires that each application has a subscription model in place and that there is the capability for in-App purchasing – even where your publication is a free one. Readers are required to set up an iTunes account the reader must ‘purchase’ the free editions, this is entirely in Apple’s interest as if your content is free you probably do not want to irritate people with receipts with ‘nil’ on them.

Apple like this process as it builds the list of credit card details for them providing potential for purchases elsewhere in their stores which covers the full marketplace, Newsstand, iTunes, App Store and iBooks.

Newsstand requires an iOS5 based device, this requirement will not be a problem for new users so readers on iPhone 4S or the new iPad are all good – however there is a significant number of users out there who are using iOS4 and will not be upgrading to the latest iOS whether out of feat or near bricking their device or lack of interest. Users on older operating systems will only see an App in the App store. By the end of 2011 80% of iOS users were expected to be on iOS5 (really?…)

Newsstand requires that you must build an App which is Newsstand compatible and that you upload everything via the application which will sit ‘neatly’ inside the Newsstand folder on an iOS device, the publication icons are individually styled and come with badge notification for new content, but what if and there is a possibility here you do not want to compete in this market place?, if you’re a niche publication chances are that your target market will seek you out regardless and access your publication in other ways.

Newsstand is a competitive place to be the publishers on board invest heavily in high cost production the possibility for distraction is much higher so Niche publications may well be best sticking to a sole publication on their site with their own pay wall – remember Apple will take 30%* of the transaction for their services and that sure is a lot of extra sales margin to make up.

*may vary from location to location

Image is from the nice folks here.

Here’s our quick check list:

1. Inform and distribute to staff
It’s important that your colleagues across the business are aware of the publication and can gain access to it quickly so that they can promote it too. Staff in different areas of the business with customer facing roles could pass on details of the publication to prospects and customers inquiring about areas covered by your publication. You may also find as staff get more involved in learning about the publications you create they can add vital contributions to future editions.

2. Create your landing page
How do new subscribers get access to your publication? It’s important that you have a good performing landing page where you can let new members register for your publication so they can receive future or related releases instantly next time round. It also gives you the chance to gather the all important subscriber data for your intelligence.

3. Create an iPad offline version
Is your digital magazine an online digital publication? If so then you should consider creating a version for offline iPad readers. With 3D Issue you can also create epub formats – eBooks which can then be downloaded to then accessed when the reader needs it in the iBooks app. Here’s some more information about creating offline iPad digital publications

4. Add it to the archive
Ensure you add your publications to your digital archive. This means that readers of future and older publications in this series can access this edition too with the click of the mouse (or tap of the finger!) Here’s some more information about adding your digital publication to your archive.

4. Shorten the url
URL shortening tools are great as they allow you to provide a more usable link when sharing the link via Twitter etc.. One example is bit.ly, it not only gives you a much shorter url to post using fewer characters, but you can customize the link and then track it’s use too.

5. Status and tweet posts
As soon as your publication is ready, ensure you inform your loyal social followers. These followers should feel that they get something extra from following you on Twitter or Facebook, so giving them access to your publication as soon as it is ready is a great way of achieving this.

6. Create teasers
If you have related product or topic sections on your site, then provide a snippet or teaser to the publication in this area to gain interest of your publication. Post an intro to an article or survey findings, then provide a link for them to get access to the full publication download.

7. Broadcast to subscribers
Your email subscribers should receive an email notification that the publication is ready as soon as possible with a link to download the edition.

8. Check the tracking
Don’t forget to keep an eye on the performance of your digital publication via the tracking. This tracking can not only alert you to potential problems (fewer than expected views or downloads for instance… does the promotion around the publication need to be increased?) but also to highlight strong performing articles, pages or multimedia elements. Check out this quick video all about analyzing the data from your digital magazines

So are you putting your own stamp on these areas:

1. Button Colours
Select any colour of your choice for your menu buttons. You can ensure they stand out against your chosen background image

2. Background image or colour
Upload your own image file (png, jpeg or gif) to be displayed in the background area. This image is best if it is a pattern as the image will be stretched to fill the end readers’ browser. Alternatively choose a plain colour.

3. Intro Area
This is the space to the left of the front cover. You can use this default intro which is the quick start guide. Or you can upload your own image of swf to sit in this place.

4. Top Banner
The Top Banner area allows you to upload your advertisers banner ads which can then link to their site. You may also use this area to upload banners containing notices or feature highlights for your readers.

5. Navigation View
The navigation area can be displayed as thumbnail options (as shown in the image above) or simple navigation next / previous buttons. Choose the option that best suits your publication.

6. Menu items
Change the order or remove any of these menu items from the reader viewer.

7. Buttons / Hotspots
Set your preferred rollover and rollout colours (and the opacity) for the hotspots. Alternatively you can have these clickable areas as buttons, which again you can customize.

8. Page Transition
Select whether the reader should experience a page ‘flip’, ‘slide’ or even ‘presentation’ view (show one page at a time)

9. Page Flip ‘sound’
This feature can be set to on or off.

10. Publication / Company logo
Add in your company or publication logo which will then be automatically inserted into the skin of all future publications.

Traditionally flash conversion software didn’t work any favours for search engines, Flash is difficult for the search engines to scan as the spiders at work like text – plain old text and not the ‘jazzy’  Flash files which to be fair 3D Issue has created it’s fair share of but fear not…also don’t forget that we do HTML5 publications too for your mobile editions.

Since the initial release of 3D Issue the software has been conscious of the above fact and worked to alleviate the potential loss of search juice which is available when a content curator adds new information to their site. Adding new and original content to your site is the best way to establish and maintain a successful SEO campaign.

3D Issue helps in quite a few ways.

1. By extracting all text in the publication

3D Issue works hard for your publication the software scans every part of your PDFs and if the text can be read (acid test here – if you can highlight in the PDF then your good) it will be extracted and added to a page of HTML code which is then made available in the output folder.

2. Adding Search Engine Optimization information

In 3D Issue version 5.0 and above there is also the opportunity to add the all important Publication title, Keywords and a description to each publication. These may be customized depending on the publication in question so that your marketing collateral doesn’t necessarily end up sharing SEO data with your sales pieces.

3. Use your site map

HTML text is only of use if recognized as part of your website so you will need to connect these pages so they appear as part of your website – then build your site map and submit to Google and Bing (Did you know that in the USA right now Bing accounts for almost 35% of search?)

For information on submitting a site map for Google check out this search result.

For information on submitting a site map for Bing check out this search result.

4. Use 3D Issue as part of your SEO campaign

Ensure that everyone is clear on 3D Issue and the capabilities above, on first inspection one might worry and even exclaim ‘Flash is no use for SEO!’ like most of the hard rules in SEO there is such a combination of information out there you need good advise so get in touch info@3dissue.com for more info on how to ensure that your new content is not being missed out on!

Image is from the nice folks here.

A key finding from the report was that users are not using just one single device for their media consumption; instead they are accessing content across their other devices such as desktops to tablet devices to mobiles devices.

PewResearchCenter states “about a third, 34%, of desktop/laptop news consumers now also get news on a smartphone. About a quarter, 27%, of smartphone news consumers also get news on a tablet. These digital news omnivores are also a large percentage of the smart phone/tablet population. And most of those individuals (78%) still get news on the desktop or laptop as well.”

The time of day is a key factor in which devices readers use to access digital content. The image below from ComScore shows the trends of times of day and device, whilst the computer is used most often during the typical working hours of 9am to 5pm, users then switch to their mobile and tablet devices after 7pm.

The full report is available here which also includes findings on:

- The growing influence of technology giants on the future of news
- How new devices may be helping magazines
- The role of social media in news
- Which media sectors experienced revenue growth last year
- How a visually oriented year helped TV news in 2011
- How Native American communities are turning to cellphones for news

We speak with new and existing customers each day about how they are using the software to create digital editions of their marketing material, brochures, magazines, reports and publications. This information is both very interesting to us as it allows us to understand our customers’ needs / uses of features but also interesting to other customers looking to see how other businesses use the software for inspiration and ideas.

Want to get involved? Please fill out the short form below and let us know your digital edition journey so we can let other users see in our up and coming showcase section of the website.

The table of contents option is in the ‘Design’ tab under ‘Table of Contents.’

To add a table of contents into a 3D Issue publication you have a few options.

1. Ask your graphic designer to add Bookmarks to the PDF – as with many of the automatic features in 3D Issue adding elements to the flat PDF prior to importing can save time when it comes to conversion with 3D issue this will not save time for all (if for example you are the designer as well as the designated 3D Issue user..!)

Bookmarks in a PDF are automatically detected and used to populate the 3D Issue table of contents.

2. Manually enter the parts of your table of contents piece by piece. The software has the ability to add in each part of your table of contents in a ‘mind map’ style, so you enter your Root Section which might be Chapter 1 then add in the Additional Sections building your table as you go.

3. Use the table of contents for URLs, the Table of contents also allows you to enter a section or a few sections with URLs so that your readers can navigate from your publication to some recommended sites or even to other 3D Issue publications but you may prefer to use the Archive for that. We’ve blogged little on this before here.

4. Use the table of contents templates if your publication has a similar layout or section names each week or month save the template in the table of contents then re-load each time you need to use it this is a sure fire way of saving time though not quite as fast as the embedded bookmarks via InDesign. Remember that the roll over text for bookmarks will be extracted from the information entered when the PDF is being built and cannot be edited in 3D Issue itself.

5. Tip if you have used the ‘page numbering starts on’ feature and set to a page other than the front cover,(done via the Design > Advanced option) when building your Table of contents this is not relevant the links from the table of contents will be according to the number of pages imported not where the reader navigation starts ‘a counting.

*3D Issue Professional only.
Image is from the nice folks here.

We understand this transition to digital requires an element of learning the new digital editions software and so here we have put together a few resources that can help you get started with 3D Issue very quickly.

Live demo
Join us for one of our daily webinars. These show you how to get started with 3D Issue, starting with adding your PDFs, adding interactive elements and then publishing to your website. You can even ask questions along the way. Register for a live demo >>

Video Tutorials
Check out the specific video tutorials that focus on particular areas of the software. You can view specific videos or watch the entire series. Watch video tutorials

User Manual
A complete user guide to how to use and get the most out of 3D Issue software. This is useful to have as a reference guide if you need to quickly look into a particular feature. Download User Manual >>

Guides
We have a number of guides and articles below that can give you inspiration, tips and tricks. You’ll be creating first class digital magazines in no time!

Stuck for content creation ideas?
HTML5 Web App or Native App?
Digital editions pre-publish checklist
7 free tools to help with your digital publishing projects
Advertising opportunities for your digital magazines
Formatting your digital publications
Digital Publications – Part 1 Beginners guide to output formats
Digital Publications – Part 2 Beginners guide to devices
Digital Publications – Part 3 Beginners guide to digital publishing considerations

Or, feel free to contact us if you need any guidance at info@3dissue.com

So to follow on and complement our recent blog on:

“Brand 3D to work with your brand Guidelines”

we’ve plucked out #3 which to refresh was ‘Add custom buttons for readers’ and wanted to flesh the topic out a bit so content owners can feel more comfortable in adding this key feature.

All 3D Issue users will know that in the Professional Version of the software you may add in reader buttons directly onto the page and the hotspot is not to be forgotten in this piece it still has a role to play e.g. in the use of creative content + hotspot they are vital (see our iPad screen video on this sample to see page one to what we mean)

In order to add new buttons to your publication you’ll need to make a purchase or you’ll need to get some designed. The latter option is quick and relatively inexpensive whilst the latter will offer more scope as the piece can be directed as you require and amended where necessary.

1.    When choosing your icons bear in mind that the allocated space for each button image in 3D Issue is 128×128 pixels.

2.    A good provider of icon kits which we use from time to time is www.istockphoto.com there are thousands of images available on this site and the pricing model in use is very competitive you purchase a number of credits with kits ranging in price from 15 credits to 20 a credit roughly equates to US$1

3.    A good approach to take is start with the goal of being consistent with the most prominent colour in your logo or brand identity, then that colour will be instantly recognisable and more effective – imagine Coca-Cola for example changing their red colour? Even a slight variation on the shade of red would be deemed dangerous to brand equity, hence Coke go to great lengths to keep this exact red shade correct throughout all their branding.

4.    On the other hand, the goal may be for your buttons to ‘work the publication’ rather than the brand this can be achieved quiet easily too. By choosing a good contrasting colour – your buttons will stand out. Examples or contrasting colours are: grey and yellow, orange and blue, purple and green, refer to ‘the color wheel’ pick the colours that are opposite to each other on the wheel as they are proven to work best.

5.    Note the wide range of button options available – There are circular, square, rectangular, etc…There are even matte looking shades (perhaps you’re looking for that stainless steel effect) or there are very glossy looking buttons, with a reflective glass-like appearance, thus making it more ‘pushable’ via click and on iPad or other tablet with a finger– all the time motivating the person reading your digital magazine to click on it therefore increasing interactivity.  Think texture and feel.

6.    Remember it is not a good idea to make a complicated button – or one too small – remember above all it has to be functional. We could have the most beautiful buttons – but if the eye is not drawn they will be redundant, so discreet may not necessarily work.

7.    Remember too that in 3D Issue V5.1 we added the iPad and iPhone app icon image option which we blogged about here so when adding new icons for the buttons be sure to add one here too for more inforamtion on this icon and a video check out adding an app icon to your 3D Issue publication .

If you are using the trial version of 3D Issue and you are seeing dots rather than buttons select options from the menu toolbar then buttons and change the option to button.
We hope you find this article useful and for more information or tips on button choices let us know your thoughts at info@3dissue.com

If you’re stuck for ideas, then check out our top tips here!

6 content creation ideas..

1. Research based articles
Collect interesting industry or user research and write about your findings. If you are in the tourism industry, then perhaps create a poll to discover your readers’ key event or element that influences their holiday destination choice. Polls are actually very easy to set up, here’s a good solution we’ve used. Once your poll is set up and the results are in you have some great research that you can share with your readers.

2. Look through your emails
Of the emails you receive daily are there any trends, any frequently asked questions that customers and prospects continue to seek your advice on? Contact your customer service department or other customer facing colleagues and see if there are any subjects they get asked about frequently. Once armed with this information you can create articles, guides or blog posts answering these questions, these will not only assist readers but also gives you and your colleagues a related article to send along with an email reply next time they are asked the same or related question.

3. What does your data tell you?
Website statistical analysis can be fascinating, next time you go and take a look at your visitor data, look for patterns in your visitor behaviour – is there a subject that is becoming increasingly popular? If so then write more content on this or related subjects. Perhaps you discover that you’re receiving more visits from a certain geographical location than you have before? If so then consider writing targeted information for these local areas.

4. Consider other presentation methods
Instead of just text-based articles consider including images, photos, diagrams, infographics and charts. These different ways of portraying content can interest more readers and enable you to add some variety to your posts.

5. Keep a list
Always keep a list on your computer where you can note down interesting stories or news that you come across each day. If you find you’re having one of those days when nothing is jumping out then refer to your trusted list for inspiration.

6. Share tips
Whilst speaking with your customers or readers you will often come across a case where you are faced with a challenge that needs a little more thought, you find solution and then have a happy customer. Have you thought there could be others out there with the same problem? Sharing tips is an excellent way of engaging with your readers and also encourages them to come back for more useful tips and hints.

Hopefully this gives you some inspiration for articles, guides and eBooks that you could create today!

Many joined this debate of native versus web app after Apple introduced new subscription rules, requiring publishers to handover 30% of revenue generated from their apps sold in the App store.

So would the publisher be better off in losing the 30% revenue cut but gaining a successful and well known distribution platform to take advantage of? Or would it be better for them to create web apps which can be distributed via their own website, viewed any browser and keep this 30% revenue cut?

One of the most publicised web app launches came from the Financial Times. This HTML5 web app was released in June last year. The FT HTML5 web app suited FT as their subscriber and reader data was significantly important to them. A native App distributed via the Apple App store only requires subscribers to opt-in whether to pass on data to the publisher. This data would contain valuable demographic information that publishers often rely on to sell advertising.

So how is the FT HTML5 web app performing? Just a few months after its launch, the FT web app was hailed a success, when it became more popular than its native iOS apps in just a few months.

The true answer as to which route is best for a publisher or marketer depends on their requirements, their publication and their audience. Are subscriptions an important revenue model? What data does the publisher need to extract to be able to sell advertising? Does the publisher have an ecommerce platform where the web app could be distributed? What platforms and devices do their audience use? And what level of interactivity offline is required?

It’s still early days in the debate and it will be interesting to see how publishers on both sides create the right version for their particular business model.

You may also be interested in this article:
iBook or Digital Magazine HTML5 Web App?

Highlights this month:
- E-Books and selling publications via your site
– Freemium applications to help digital publishing
– Digital editions pre-publish checklist
– iBook or Digital Magazine HTML5 Web App?
– Male interest titles lead digital editions charge

View the newsletter:
We have used the 3D Issue software to create our own newsletter, and have this available in two formats depending on your device.

Desktop users
View the browser viewable digital magazine via this link.
Browser based digital magazine – Newsletter March 2012

iPad/iPhone users
We have also created a .pub file of the newsletter which you can download and read on your iPad or iPhone via the iBooks app. Download the file from here and sync to your iPad/iPhone.
Download epub version for iPad/iPhone – Newsletter March 2012

Kindle users
We have also created a .mobi file of the newsletter which you can download and read on your Kindle.
Download mobi version for Kindle – Newsletter March 2012

Top tip: Create your own digital newsletter from your blog! You too can create one of these browser based or/and .epub versions. Check out the tutorials here:

PDF to iBooks: part 1 of How to publish your content to iBooks
Blog and RSS to iBooks: Part 2 of How to publish your content to iBooks

This tutorial uses two 3D Issue features:

1. Translations
2. Digital Archive tool

So let’s go through the steps..

1. Change the text from ‘archive’ to ‘Change Language’
When you are in the 3D Issue software creating these, head over to the top navigation bar and hit ‘Options’ then ‘Translations’

On the left column you will see all the original text, if you click on ‘Features’ you will then see ‘Archive’ this is what we need to change, so in the right column next to ‘Archive ‘ change the text to ‘Change Language’ This is what the end reader will then see in their 3D Issue interface when hovering over that icon:

2. Structuring and renaming the tabs that appear in your archive.
This is the next item we can change the text of to change the ‘use’ of the archive feature. By changing the tabs and structure the end reader sees this feature how you want them to see it.

So to change the names of the tabs and format the structure, this is again done from in the 3D Issue software. Go to ‘Edit’ and then ‘Edit Remote Publications Archive..’ Then simply click on the titles and change the text.

Then all you need to do is digitise each language PDF using 3D Issue. Ensure in each language version points one and two above are applied. Then when you upload your 3D Issues you can give your readers access to the individual publications by perhaps linking a flag to the url of that corresponding publication. The reader can then also change the language version from inside the 3D Issue too (if you only want to provide one entry point to one publication for example)

We’ve been speaking with a few customers about possible uses and how they can connect specifically the offline reader to the online version using this concept.

First things first, what is a A QR code?

Wikipedia states “A QR code (abbreviated from Quick Response code) is a specific matrix barcode (or two-dimensional code) that is readable by dedicated QR readers, smartphones, and, to a less common extent, computers with webcams. The code consists of black modules arranged in a square pattern on a white background. The information encoded may be text, URL, or other data.”

So how could this be used by publishers?….

1. Direct readers to a niche publication, back articles on a defined subject.

Introducing print readers to your digital versions is certainly a viable option. If you think about it, your print readers get a full version of the publication, say it’s a magazine on focussed on Home & Garden.

This magazine may include a number of different sections or categories on different areas of the home….what if a reader wanted to know more and delve deeper into a section? If a QR code was printed on say the ‘Gardening’ section of this printed magazine, a reader scanning this QR code could be directed to your PressJack digital magazine publication all about just the ‘Gardening’ section… perhaps a full archived publication just on that one subject.

2. Direct print readers to your digital version

If you run both print and digital editions of publications, then why not print a QR code on the printed version that links them to the digital enhanced version? With this digital version they could access enhanced features not available in the print version such as audio interviews, videos and animations. They can then also have access to this digital version when they are on the move, perhaps travelling for example.

3. Promote your publications at offline events, meetings or seminars

Perhaps you are off to a trade show, you have your printed brochures and materials at the ready, but how about also have QR codes at the stand that enable visitors to get direct access to your digital publications via their mobile device. It not only allows them to access the publication later in the day or on the journey home, but it also saves them carrying around printed copies.

4. Link interested in-store purchasers to relevant ‘take away’ material

Perhaps you have a store, customers in your store can browse the products but what if they are not ready to make the purchase but want to remember this product and see more information later when they get home? Say a customer is looking at a TV in your store, what if you had a printed QR code next to this TV which they could scan with their mobile device, which then presented with the customer with a digital brochure or product specification guide of that product?

It seems fairly straight foward to get your QR codes set up too – there are several QR code generators that can be found, including http://qrcode.kaywa.com/

It certainly presents some great possibilities of being able to link your offline audience to your digital editions. If you have any other great uses you are implementing with QR codes and digital magazines we’d love to hear from you at info@3dissue.com

There are reasons why it can be a good idea to host your publications and to sell via your website directly.

Your Content – your sale

The top reason is that you create and host the publications yourself on your
website so you do not have to pay any of the revenue generated to Amazon.

Administration

There are no ongoing fees or administrative issues to work around if you
want to remove a book you can take it off the site and likewise if you want to add one you simply add the book.

Planning

There are no surprises for your future revenue, software solutions like 3D Issue have a clear policy on the software there are no ongoing fees whatsoever you can purchase and use forever for no future costs ( and we do release paid upgrades from time to time!) – Amazon will not promise this of their store their policy could well change as time goes by.

Cut-Through

Selling via your own site is better as there is less competition if you can drive traffic to your site for purchasing it is less distracting for the customer as only your content is available for sale, whilst in the major ebook stores there is huge competition for attention so potentially less chance of a purchase!

Number 1 in a Niche is a nice place to be
The rise in popularity for niche publications which has been spurred on by the ebook rise in popularity of late means that if your content is very specific to your readers they will be able to find you anyway and purhchase via your site this in turn is more engaging for your followers and generates more revenue. You can of course do both if you want and see which you prefer 3D Issue is still useful even if you do want to add books to Amazon as it creates the file you need.

PS DYK that Amazon charge customers based on the KB size of the download too? so for the author with a larger manuscript their profits can be eaten away for data charges!

Image is from the nice folks here.

All you’ll need are a few hours from a graphic designer and a little imagination to get started allowing your content to be whisked away around the web.

First up is Tiny Letter, tiny letter allows you to create newsletters and e-mail lists which are easily managed, you can compose and send to a large mailing list and keep track of who responds and who does’nt  so you are not contacting those who don’t appear interested. The great thing about the new service from Tinyletter is that it is free and although branded will offer a convenient way to send out your weekly or monthly newsletter containing a 3D Issue link of course!

Tiny Letter also has a big brother Mailchimp (Tiny Letter was recently acquired by Mail Chimp). Beta sign up for Tiny Letter is fully booked at present but sign up is available for when the service launches. ( PS ya just gotta love that Mailchimp monkey!)

Google Translate, lots of companies say that they must ‘look global’ we say at least speak a little of the lingo! many customers are reaching out to new markets and faced with the costs of a full translation service it can of course be prohibitive, whilst not for the faint of heart (we’ve tested with a few languages and natural speakers) if you keep the copy simple and clear Google actually does a pretty good job in this useful tool.

Rememeber too that in 3D Issue all reader interactions can be translated into a custom language too so you can adapt to your target audience.

PressJack– OK this is one of ours….but PressJack really still is the simplest and easiest way to convert your RSS feeds to digital magazines and with the upgrades and new features which we added in V5 you can create epub and mobi files too so that your content is always up to date – PS watch out for the upcoming automated feature coming soon which will allow PressJack to build a publication automatically at a set time every day/week/month and upload too.

Oh and lest we forget no graphic designer required for PressJack. For PressJack samples follow this link and scroll to the bottom.

Feedback as always is welcome so why not get in touch? E-mail us at info@3dissue.com

Image is from the nice folks here.

It’s fair to say that the last few years has seen some great changes in digital publishing, and the iPad has fundamental to that. This latest eBook explores some tips, hints and trends for iPad publishing, we hope you enjoy!

Download the eBook to your iPad or eReader using epubs via by hitting the image below:

Want to view the eBook on a desktop, laptop or netbook instead? No problem, here’s a version for you:

1. Embedding your Links into the PDF using InDesign

One option is to embed your Page links in the PDF itself using InDesign. 3D Issue will then read these links and automatically place hotspots over the link so that you don’t have to in 3D Issue. The text which you specify in the PDF preparation stage will appear on the roll over text once recognised this cannot be edited after though you can remove the hotspot and place a new hotspot of course.

2. E-mail addresses and URLs

3D Issue Version 5 also detects e-mail addresses and URLs in the publication text you’ll notice that when you import your PDF the software advises that it is ‘extracting text’ this is a good thing… so if there are URL and e-mail addresses in your PDF and they are readable ‘highlight-able’ text (i.e. if you can highlight the text prior to importing) then 3D Issue will add a hotspot over the URL or e-mail address so you don’t have to.

3. What if your e-mail address is part of an image?

In this instance you will need to add a hotspot over part of the PDF to send an e-mail when the reader clicks the e-mail address this is because the software cannot identify the e-mail address as it is part of an image. Technology is catching up with this and advances in OCR will mean that in future releases this could well be possible.

4. Table of Contents

The table of contents can also be populated automatically if your PDF has embedded bookmarks in the PDF prior to importing you can then save this template in 3D Issue for use again. You can also tell if your PDF has bookmarks already added if you click on the bookmark option in Adobe Reader.

Image is from the nice folks here.

So here you can download this free eBook that brings all these together.

Download the eBook to your iPad or eReader using epubs via by hitting the image below:

Want to view the eBook on a desktop, laptop or netbook instead? No problem, here’s a version for you: