I’ve published quite a few e-books. In every case, whatever the reader, whatever the format, I have to spend quite a while cramping styles into e-publishing formats mainly due to e-book reader issues.
This is about solving a problem which goes a lot deeper than just hammering away on formatting, which is why it’s important. This type of issue could be seriously hampering the development of new media in too many ways.
Let’s start with text formatting as a sort of intro to the issues. OK, it’s necessary. OK, it’s a question of text functionality on multiple platforms. OK, it relates directly to the Read function.
…And?
The limitations of formatting on e-books are a massive own goal for the sector and everyone in it. I’m not going to single out e-book publishers, because it applies to everyone. There’s no point in arguing with the obvious.
The point to be made here is very different and commercially relevant:
- Any Read function can and should be easily adaptable to any platform. Why limit your own market?
- Natural style of formatting on the author side is severely cramped. The Mona Lisa could look like Ronald McDonald doing things like this.
- Doesn’t matter how good the original style is; the e-book has to be done in such a way, regardless of appearance and in some cases writing styles.
- Formatting on the author side can be very time-consuming. I’m more familiar with it than most, but it still uses up quite a lot of time. It makes it hard to consider this use of time productive, too.
- It’s easy to argue that authors should be familiar with the issues of e-publishing. So they should. …But to micro level? You sure about that? Doesn’t that just create more things to screw up?
The major own goal, explained
In theory, I could do a latter-day Book of Kells, illuminated letters and all. The problem with that is nothing could read it. That’s the main issue with style.
To explain:
- Style matters, a lot. What is seen and how it’s presented is critical to impact. Even timing between sentences is important for the reader.
- Style entertains. Monotonous visual environments don’t. No extrapolation required.
- Use of color is pretty much mandatory on any electronic medium. It separates sections, etc. It’s good space organization. It’s also murderous on some e-pub formats.
- Font usage shouldn’t be anything like a big deal these days. 20 years ago, maybe. Some fonts are to put it mildly irritating but hardly unreadable.
- Layout and organization of text is important in books. From idiosyncrasies to just plain standout text in a different font, it’s basic layout. Any unexpected font or layout in any text is very like an illustration.
- A stale look can’t be a good look. E-books still look very much like the originals, for not enough good reasons. Presentation and interest are keys in any type of media.
Suggestions
There are many useful options:
Upgrade reader capabilities to “read anything” rather than “read and hope the reader gets it right”. Not that simple, but much more doable than the early days.
Have a meeting of the minds with Microsoft Word on idiot-proofing font translations. This could be highly productive, because a lot of publishing online does have issues with artefacts, etc.
See if AI can solve the issues. A fairly intensive examination could suggest quite a lot of options. You could also learn from how AI untangles this rather thankless mess, useful for managing Read functions.
Standardized, no-bull instant translation from source docs and pictures across all platforms. The current situation is no use to anyone, and reduces productivity in sheer tweaking and tinkering.
Input should equal Output. The Book of Kells should come out pixel-perfect as the baseline standard. Flawless and no-fuss at all. Can you auto-manage formatting to that extent?
The bigger picture – Multi-formatting has to happen, sooner or later
If there’s anything obvious in any kind of digital media, it’s the rapid integration of platforms and types of media. Sooner or later, books and movies will be the same thing. Any type of media product can be expanded and developed, but you need the flexibility to do that efficiently. The next stage for media will inevitably be multi-formatting. It’s existed for decades in various forms, but it’s messy and not even slightly well-integrated.
Multi-formatting will be the very useful, do-anything bridge between all media. These one package/ multiple formats need to be layered structures, where each operation is integrated as a function into a product package. (Sky blue, grass green…) Much simpler than it sounds, but with a lot of upside potential and lots of practical shortcuts if integration is easy.
The upgraded commercial potentials of layered, multi-formatted e-book/all-purpose media platform content could be fantastic. You could have e-books that go VR on you at some points. Imagine a story book where the kids can stroll around in it, etc. Not quite the holo deck in Star Trek, but a miniature version of it. Don’t even need VR glasses, just stroll around on the platform OR create a macro VR environment. (Scale, schmale. If you can calculate it, you can do it.) Very useful for production, literally clip-on operations if you can standardize the interface. Productivity? Through the roof.
A bottom line of sorts
The e-publishing market is in a state of perpetual upgrade. The market is already looking at “Spotify for books”, no surprise at all. Any format which is dictating to the product can’t be right. It’s just obstructive. Quick, idiot-proof formatting standards need to apply to improve productivity and production agility.
E-books would be a good place to start – They’re the perfect base for all the formatting issues. Ironically, these modest blobs of data are the incarnate form of basic media formatting, in so many ways. Worth doing.
