Browse Category: Interactive Ebooks

Interactive Ebooks

Gone are the days of typing on a typewriter and filling the trash bin with crumpled sheets of paper.

Creating interactive ebooks requires a whole lot of creativity and a dash of tech savvy.

Learn how to create engaging ebooks and how to save time with a few quick hacks.

Best 12 Ebook Creator Software in 2023

Ebooks are all the rage these days, and it’s easy to see why. The rise of digital reading devices such as tablets and e-readers, as well as the convenience of being able to carry hundreds of books in one lightweight device, has contributed to the growth of the ebook industry over the years. In fact, according to recent studies, the global ebook market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 7.7 from 2022 to 2027.

But it’s not just readers who are benefiting from the rise of ebooks. With the surge in popularity has come a wave of ebook creator software programs that make it easy for authors, publishers, and businesses to create and publish their own ebooks. Whether you’re a seasoned author or a newcomer to the world of self-publishing, there’s an ebook creator out there for you. These ebook creator tools range from basic text editors to more sophisticated software with the ability to add interactive elements like audio, video, quizzes, and more.

best ebook creators in 2023

In this article, we will explore the top ebook creators available in 2023 and their different features, helping you to find the perfect software to suit your needs.

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What Are Public Domain Books and How to Make Money Selling Them?

Isn’t it thrilling to find more ways to make money, especially if it doesn’t require much effort? One easy method to do this is by reworking and selling already published books. But for this to be totally legit, you have to focus mainly on publishing public-domain books.

If you’d like to know more about what public domain books are and how to resell them, then you’ve come to the right place! In this article, we’ll cover everything about public domain books, how to make money from publishing them, and any possible restrictions on selling them.

what are public domain books
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Ebook Branding: How and Why to Do It

Creating ebooks is one of the best ways to share knowledge and add value to both your customers and employees. But that’s not all that ebooks can do for your brand; adding your brand identity to your ebooks or ebooks library can help you achieve so much more.

So let’s delve deeper into some tips and tricks on ebook branding, and how and why to add your brand identity to your ebooks.

ebook branding

What Does It Mean to Brand an Ebook?

To brand your ebook means to add your business or personal identity to it so that anyone who opens this ebook knows it belongs to you or your organization. This is done by customizing certain features regarding the ebook content and design, such as the colors, fonts, and even the orientation.

Why Should You Brand Your Ebook?

Branding your products, including your ebooks, will help you create loyal customers and hire and retain great talent. It forms an emotional connection with them, as it helps them recognize your ebooks once they open them and appreciate the content you are offering. Additionally, it helps your brand stand out.

In short, ebook branding can serve as a great marketing tool. You can use these ebooks to increase your readers’ engagement with your brand by delivering value. This in turn is going to elevate your brand.

ebook branding colors

How to Brand Your Ebook

In order to keep your ebook true to your brand, there are several things you need to keep in mind. These aspects have to do with both the content and the design of your ebook. 

We are going to walk you through each of these aspects and how to customize them to highlight your brand identity throughout the ebook.

1. Be Authentic

The first thing you have to keep in mind while preparing the manuscript is being authentic and true to both your customers or employees and brand. Present your content to your readers in an interesting and engaging way that shows how your ebook is different from any other. 

2. Focus on Your Niche 

It’s essential while preparing your ebook to focus on the brand’s mission and vision. The content of this book has to be aligned with the core philosophies of your business. And if this ebook is for employee training, you’ve to show your expertise on the subject matter through this ebook.

For example, if the mission of your brand is to create eco-friendly products to help reduce the impact of climate change, then your ebook shouldn’t recommend using non-degradable everyday items.

3. Use Your Brand’s Tone of Voice

Every brand has a tone of voice with which it addresses both its customers and employees. This tone could be formal, friendly, casual, etc. And just as in any content you present to your customers, your ebook should use the same tone to create a sense of harmony and help the customers easily identify with your content.

We at Kotobee, for instance, use a formal yet friendly tone throughout all channels. This applies to our website, blog, newsletters, ebooks, and other communication forms.

4. Add Your CTA

A great way to remind your readers of your brand is to add a call to action (CTA) whenever there’s an opportunity. This way you won’t only add value to them through your ebook, but you can also convert those readers into potential customers. These CTAs urge your customers to hire you, subscribe, or buy your product. For the CTA to be effective, it has to be eye-catching and clear.

5. Customize the Visuals

There are many visual aspects of your brand identity that you can add to your ebook. You can choose to do this yourself as you prepare your book, or if you have your manuscript ready, our creative design experts can take care of it for you.

Here are some of the visual elements that can be customized to represent your brand’s identity:

  • Logo
    One of the essential elements of your brand’s visual identity is the logo. Some people like to add it as a watermark on every page, while others keep it in the header or the footer. Wherever you choose to place it, make sure it isn’t distracting the readers from the actual content of your ebook.
  • Font
    It’s advised to keep the fonts of your brand–and ebook–between 2 to 3 fonts. You can use one for the title and one for the main text. In case you decided to use a third font, try keeping it for special text (e.g. quotes and highlights).
    Using Kotobee Author, you can choose from a range of fonts embedded in the app. You can also import your own fonts and use them in your ebook.
  • Color Scheme
    Last but not least, it is important to include your brand’s color palette in your ebook. This can be incorporated into the design of the cover, the color of the fonts, or the graphics you include inside the book. Moreover, these colors can be used in the design of the ebook itself, including the header, menus, and bars.
    Keep in mind that, just like the number of fonts you use in your ebook, an effective design usually utilizes 3 or 4 colors. Using more than 4 colors can make the design of your ebook look too busy and distracting.

How to Customize your Ebook App Using Kotobee Author

One of the best ways to create branded ebooks is to make them in the form of applications, whether it’s a mobile, web, or desktop app. Kotobee can be your go-to ebook branding software, as it allows you to create and customize many aspects of your ebook app to help showcase your brand identity.

To add the visual identity of your brand, there are certain elements that you can customize. So let’s walk you through these elements, using an ebook app created by Kotobee Author as an example.

Startup Page

It is important that your readers see your brand identity from the very first page of your ebook app, and that is the startup page that appears while the book is loading.

Kotobee allows you to customize 5 different elements of the startup page in the ebook app. These elements are the startup image, colors, slogan, logo, and loading message.

Ebook branding startup page

Interface Color Scheme

Not only can you customize the loading page of your ebook app, but you can also change the color scheme of different elements inside your ebook to add your brand color palette. Here’s what you can customize:

  • Header Bar

The first thing you can change the color of is the header bar, where the chapter’s title, chapter menu, notes, and bookmark icons are located. Both the background and text colors can be customized to match those of your brand. You can either enter the hex code or visually select a color and shade of each element.

customizing ebooks header branding
  • Chapter Menu

The chapter menu appears in a collapsible left panel when you click on the chapter’s title. This menu is split into 2 sections: the book info on the top and the table of contents on the bottom.

Just like the header bar, Kotobee Author allows you to change the colors of both the text and the background. This can be done either by entering the hex code or by selecting the color and shade of your brand.

ebook branding side menu
  • Control Bar

You can find the app’s control bar at the bottom of the screen. This bar has all the tools your readers may need, such as the search, notes, and settings. The colors of both the control bar and the icons can be customized using the hex code or by selecting a color from the sidebar.

ebook branding bottom menu

How to Brand Your Own Ebook Library

If you have multiple ebooks then you can add them all inside one branded digital library, and control access to your content. Kotobee Library allows you to create highly customizable ebook libraries and digital bookshelves. This way you can give your readers the comfort of reading your ebooks directly from your very own branded digital bookshelf. You can host your ebook library on your own website, or export it to different app formats (desktop, web, or mobile).

Here are some of the features of Kotobee Library:

  1. Brand your ebook app with your color scheme and logo.
  2. Add your own start-up page with your brand’s identity.
  3. Customize different tools and display options to provide a unique reading experience.
  4. Change the language, header, footer, and even templates of emails that are sent to your library users. 
Ebook branding library

Final Thoughts

Ebooks can be a powerful marketing tool when used right. Adding your brand theme and identity to your ebooks can increase and improve the way your customers and employees engage with your brand, and it can also set you apart from your competitors. So head to Kotobee now to start creating and branding your own ebooks.

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The Art of Crafting a Table of Contents in Ebooks

Ebook Copyright Page: How and Why to Make It (With Templates & Examples)

Augmented Reality in Books and Publications

Creating Outstanding Interactive Children’s Books: Best Practices, Tools, and Examples

Let’s face it; whether we like it or not, tablets, mobile phones, and laptops have become an integrated part of our children’s life. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing though. When used mindfully, there are many tools that can benefit our kids and help them develop various skills. One of these tools that could be both entertaining and educational is interactive ebooks. 

In this article, we’re going to cover how to make interactive children’s books and what elements to include in them. We’ll also provide you with some great examples that are sure to keep your kids pleased and get you inspired.

children's interactive ebook
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Ebook Copyright Page: How and Why to Make It (With Templates & Examples)

Writing a book isn’t an easy task; it takes a lot of blood and sweat to get your manuscript perfected and then published. Naturally, you don’t want anyone to simply steal your work or attribute it to themselves, and that is where copyrighting your book comes in.

One way of protecting your book is to include a copyright page. This is true for ebooks as it is with printed books. So if you are wondering how to make a copyright page for an ebook, keep reading this article to find out.

ebooks copyright page
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What Is an Interactive Ebook? Everything You Need to Know

Everything in the world keeps evolving, and that includes ebooks. Although they were originally created as PDF or Kindle files which readers can download and read at any time, they can now contain interactive elements that make the reading process much more engaging and entertaining. This can be especially effective in many industries, such as education and training.

Not only that, interactive ebooks actually have many other benefits and the process of creating them is quite easy. So let’s take a look at all there is to know about interactive ebooks.

what is an ebook
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The Art of Crafting a Table of Contents in Ebooks

Have you ever been to a bookstore where you picked a book, looked at the back cover, then opened the book itself to look at the table of contents and get a better idea of what this book is about? Well, this is still true when it comes to ebooks.

While writing a table of contents for a printed book is pretty simple, it is a quite different process when it comes to ebooks. That’s why we’ve created this guide that will show you everything you need to know about tables of contents in ebooks.

Table of Contents in Ebooks
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Top Seven Sites for Ebook Templates

Creating and marketing a mind-blowing ebook is not an easy thing to do. There’s a rather long checklist to go through as you work to reach this dream. So naturally, when there’s a life jacket thrown your way as you’re struggling through the list, you’ll take it. That’s what ebook templates provide, a life jacket that will help make your ebook-creating journey an easier one.

Today, we are going to share with you the seven best ebook template resources for a variety of categories and a variety of platforms.

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Kotobee Ends the Year with a Brandon Hall Excellence Award

Kotobee wins Brandon Hall Excellence award

Kotobee, a leader in innovative authoring technology, won a coveted Brandon Hall Group bronze award for excellence in the Best Advance in Content Authoring Technology category. Kotobee’s win was announced on December 9, 2021. 

The awarded entry was evaluated by an international panel of veteran independent senior industry experts and Brandon Hall Group senior analysts and executives. The judging was based on the following criteria: value proposition, innovation, unique differentiators, technical functionality, and overall measurable results.

Brandon Hall Group operates the largest and longest running awards program in Human Capital Management. As an independent HCM research and analyst firm, they conduct studies in Learning and Development, Talent Management, Leadership Development, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Talent Acquisition, and HR/Workforce Management. These benchmark studies help organizations by providing strategic insights for executives and practitioners responsible for growth and business results.

“Thanks to the many innovations from our Excellence in Technology winners, organizations have many compelling options as they make important decisions on how to leverage technology to drive their people strategies,” said Brandon Hall Group Chief Operating Officer and awards program head Rachel Cooke. 

Upon receiving the award, Ayman Abdel-Rahman, Managing Director at Kotobee, said, “As a first-time participant in the Brandon Hall Awards, we’re beyond pleased to be listed among high-caliber international companies and fierce competitors in our field. We plan to continue participating annually and enter additional categories. Congratulations to the entire Kotobee team, as this prestigious award is a reflection of your hard work throughout the year.”

Ever since its creation, Kotobee has helped more than 200,000 users with its various solutions. This includes some of the most prominent companies and institutions worldwide, such as the UAE Ministry of Education, Harvard University, United Nations Development Programme, and many others.

Other Awards Kotobee Won in 2021

One can definitely say that 2021 has been an award-filled year for Kotobee. Not only has Kotobee won the Brandon Hall Excellence bronze award, but there are several others, including, but not limited to:

Academics’ Choice Smart Media Award 

Kotobee - academics choice awards

For the second time in its journey, Kotobee has won the Academics’ Choice Smart Media Award. This award is in recognition of Mind-Building Excellence, and for producing a top-quality educational product.

It’s worth mentioning that Academics’ Choice is the only international awards program designed to bring increased recognition to publishers, manufacturers, independent authors, and developers that aim to stimulate cognitive development. A volunteer panel of product-appropriate judges, including parents, educators, scientists, artists, doctors, nurses, librarians, students, and children, evaluate submissions based on educational benefits such as higher-order thinking skills, character building, creative play, durability, and originality. Only the genuine “mind-builders” are recognized with the coveted Academics’ Choice Award™.

Here are some reviews Kotobee received from the judges of the Academics choice awards:

“This software from Kotobee is incredible! I can make ebooks, apps, interactive content – you name it! It is user friendly and allows me to easily create interactive ebooks for my teaching, especially as the world moves online. I love creating fun content for my students that keeps them engaged. I’m older but I found it easy to navigate and has a lot of options. Its features allow you to import from external sources, smart preview, export to any format, LMS integration, and branding.”

“Formatting, presentation, flow, and logical sequence are learned and practiced when creating a product with Kotobee Author.”

WITSA Global ICT Excellence Awards

Kotobee - WITSA award

On November 13, 2021, Kotobee Author was selected as the first place winner for the E-Learning and Education Award from WISTA. Candidates for these awards were nominated by ICT experts from around the world who span over 80 countries/economies.

According to the official website, “The 2021 WITSA Global ICT Excellence Awards were presented to select individuals, academic institutions, corporations, NGOs or governments whose use and applications of digital technologies exhibit exceptional achievement.”

The EdTech Awards 

Kotobee - Edtech Digest award

As the largest recognition program in all of education technology, The EdTech Awards from EdTech Digest recognizes people in and around education for outstanding contributions in transforming education through technology to enrich the lives of learners everywhere. 

This year, Kotboee Author was selected for this award based on various criteria, including pedagogical workability, efficacy and results, support, clarity, value, and potential. 

Final Words

As much as 2021 has been a good year for Kotobee, the best is surely yet to come. With its constant strive for excellence, Kotobee will continue developing its technology and providing users worldwide with solutions that meet all their needs. Just stay tuned!

How to Enrich Your Interactive Ebooks With Kotobee Mini-apps

If there’s one thing technology has taught us, it’s that nothing remains the same forever. Everything changes as new innovations come to light. Things become more advanced, have multiple functions, and keep evolving. That includes ebooks. From basic interactive elements to book widgets and now Kotobee Mini-apps, ebooks have come a long way.

While many ebook formats prevent this technology from evolving in some aspects, others, such as the EPUB3, are constantly giving ebooks room to grow. We’ve gone beyond static ebooks and limited options. We’re now at a point where anything is possible.

Kotobee mini-apps
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