eBook authors eBook Software - create and publish your own ebooks
Create your own eBooks
 
   
EBookApprentice.com
Learn How To Create, Publish & Market E-Books
 
   
EBookCompiler.com
E-Book Creation Software
 
   
EBookPower.com
Add sophisticated multimedia to your E-Books
 
   
CoverFactory.com
Create E-Book covers in minutes
 
 
  EBookSubmit.com
E-Book Marketing & Promotion made easy
 
  EBookJungle.com
Search engine for E-Books
 
  EBookInterviews.com
Interviews with eBook authors
 
  EBookEnhance.com
Tools for building better eBooks
 
 
 
Archived Message:

best pdf ebook creator

 »best pdf ebook creator
 
jonnyg111 I have Activ Ebook compiler and I have found it to be perfect for creating .exe ebooks. Is there a comparable product (about the same price) where the source documents are pdf files rather than html, and the end result is a pdf ebook? Apologies if this question has been asked a million times!

Posted on: 8:51 pm on November 22, 2006
Storyman Google 'creating PDF' and you should find several low priced solutions.


Posted on: 11:27 pm on November 22, 2006
jonnyg111 I went for Ebook Creator by Bytepad. A number of problems so far: when I try to save as PDF, the file produced is not obviously a PDF file. (Right click and then Properties just describes it as 'file', although it does open happily when I choose Adobe Acrobat Reader.)

Secondly, the ebook creator doesn't seem able to reopen this file once created - If I locate it to try to open it, the program  just doesn't 'see' the file in the folder.

Thirdly the program claims to be able to open HTML files which can then be saved as PDF, but if I visit a folder with lots of HTML files in, it doesn't 'see' any of them. I would be grateful for any help.  


Posted on: 8:20 pm on December 6, 2006
Storyman Hi Jonnyg111,

Hmmm. Sounds like a bit of bad luck with Ebook Creator. It would be nice if they had a forum of users to help.


Posted on: 12:19 am on December 7, 2006
jonnyg111 All is not lost - I can return Ebook Creator within 30 days and get a full refund. Can I ask, what should I buy instead? What did you use to make PDF ebooks when you started out, Storyman? And what packages can EbookFriends help with?  

Posted on: 7:44 pm on December 7, 2006
Storyman Hi Jonnyg111,

Before getting into how I make PDFs let me first cover why HTML is often a better solution. You can create the content in Word, then export as HTML. Activ eBook is a very popular program from creating HTML ebooks and the price is reasonable.

If you still have your heart set on PDFs you can use HYPrLock to display protected PDF files within Activ eBook. An excellent solution.
http://www.hyprlock.com/hyprlock/index.htm

When creating PDFs, I use Adobe's inDesign. It goes beyond what is necessary.

If PDF is right for your project depends on several factors. If your reader is interested in "...just the facts" then it really doesn't matter if it is HTML or PDF. If the user is likely to print out the ebook, then PDF might be better.


Posted on: 2:15 am on December 9, 2006
jonnyg111 I have built ebooks out of html files with Activ Ebook Compiler, and I think they are great. You can turn a website into an ebook in minutes. However, they have been nervously received by my audience, given that .exe files can contain viruses. My answer has been two-fold: firstly, to say trust me, trust my ebook, and secondly, to attempt to make a pdf version available. Thus it is not that my heart is set on pdf, it is just that my audience is demanding it.

It seems that Activ Ebook Compiler does deal with pdf files. So I could make these freely using say Primo pdf creator, and then assemble them together using Activ Ebook Compiler. I am only making free ebooks currently, so I guess I will not need Hyprlock?

Thank you Storyman, for getting back on this.
     


Posted on: 11:24 am on December 9, 2006
jonnyg111 Having examined Hyprlock, it seems that it still operates within the .exe shell, and thus does not address my problem. (A second problem I have had is that .exe files do not run on a mac.) I am left still wanting a fairly basic way of creating a .pdf ebook that anyone will know is guaranteed virus-free where security is not a great concern and where both html files and pdf files can form the source files.  

Posted on: 11:48 am on December 9, 2006
Storyman Hi Jonnyg1111,

Have you Goggled "free pdf creator"? You'll find a slew of programs that will provide a solution.

Regarding your concerns about .exe files not running on a Mac. While true it is also true that Macs represent 5% percent of the market--and most of those in educational institutions K-12. Check your logs to see how many Mac users visit your site. Most sites find it is usually around 3%.


Posted on: 4:21 pm on December 9, 2006
jonnyg111 It seems I have been unfair on Bytepad's Ebook creator product. I have been given friendly and helpful advice there - it could be just what I need. Fingers crossed...  

Posted on: 5:22 pm on December 9, 2006
mac girl I am also a mac designer and author and I'd love to know if you came up with an acceptable solution to create e-books on a mac that have table of contents and other professional e-book functions. Thanks!

Posted on: 3:11 am on January 7, 2007
Storyman Hi Laura,

To the best of my knowledge no has a solution other than PDFs.


Posted on: 4:05 am on January 7, 2007
mac girl That's what a mac guy said just now on tribe too so I guess that's the latest news.

Posted on: 5:14 pm on January 7, 2007
Storyman Laura,

Things might change now that Apple is moving to a PC 'friendly' system. I suspect that there may be something else offered at the end of this year 'if' Sony's ebook reader gains traction.

Currently the device sells for $350 USD. Rumors hint that there will be a $250 unit later this year. The rumors also suggest that Sony will be going after the student market with a B&W only unit near $100.


Posted on: 7:49 pm on January 7, 2007
Bradley


Quote: from Storyman on 8:21 am on Dec. 9, 2006[br]Hi Jonnyg1111,

Have you Goggled "free pdf creator"? You'll find a slew of programs that will provide a solution.



Hi jonnyg111
When I first started, I purchased a "PDF Generator" for $97, a typical Internet price. As it was $700 cheaper that Adobe Acrobat 7.0 Standard, I though this is a good thing. The software created a PDF just fine, but did not pull the bookmarks with the document. Oh, the links looked live, you know blue and underlined, but that was all, no live links. Yes, I supposed it would open on a Mac, but it was useless, really.
FREE, ? ? ? Maybe, a waste of money.

Also the 7.0 Standard has some security options.

If you what an excellent product and the reputation that goes with an excellent product, do like the rest of us, and bite the bullet, or hire some one to create a proper PDF.

Just because the eBook realm has made it easier to become an author, this same ease does not mean we should offer low quality products. If your eBook is a quality product then it deserves a quality wrap.

Just a couple of thoughts, I hope it helps.

(Edited by Bradley at 11:33 am on Jan. 27, 2007)


Posted on: 4:50 pm on January 27, 2007
Storyman Hi Jonnyg111,

Thanks for the advice on the 'cheaper' PDF creator. Didn't know that.

To get really goo results with a PDF it better to move up a notch and use InDesign to create the PDF. You still need to use Adobe's Acrobat to turn on certain features in the PDF file like the ability for Acrobat Reader users to write comments within the file.


Posted on: 5:36 pm on January 27, 2007
hometutor


However, they have been nervously received by my audience,       

Why were they nervous about it? I think html is great for writing ebooks. You can include iframes etc so your readers can view updated content

Perhaps an hta with a little encryption to keep the honest folk honest?

Rick
Authors and Publishers Tools and Information New Submission All Downloads for Publishing and Publishers on One Page

http://kirkhamsebooks.com/WritersTools/index.htm


Posted on: 7:58 am on April 2, 2007
Neenah13 You could always keep an eye on eBay for someone selling a used copy of Acrobat. I have version 5 standard and am looking to go to 7 or 8 Pro. I've been told that if I want to eventually do print books, go Pro because it handles color in the CMYK mode which printers want better than the standard versions do.

But if you're not concerned with that, a standard version of Acrobat is cheaper and I've seen them going for under a hundred bucks. Version 4 and 5 still show up, and go even cheaper. For ebooks, they'll do the job.

I've checked other auction sites, too, but eBay has the most to chose from. Just be sure the seller is offering a legit copy.

Neenah13


Posted on: 8:10 am on December 16, 2007
xproc0021 Try solidata pdf creator.

http://xproc0021.myblogsite.com


Posted on: 8:40 am on January 10, 2009
bullguy ebook compiler will run on mac if they have a PC emulator. Macs come with bootcamp. You can read my instructions here:http://www.buildgolfclubs.com/macuser.htm

I figure since many programs won't run on a Mac without a PC emulator it would be necessary for one to have a PC emulator if they own a Mac. Just my opinion. I point this out to my Mac users and they still buy my active ebook because they want my book. I do suspect that I loose a few sales.

You can read my ebook reviews here:http://www.ebookfreeway.com/p-compiler-review.html

Personally I really don't like PDF ebooks but that's just my opinion. They are hard to read compared to active ebook.

If you must have a PDF (I know they currently dominate) A cheap alternative to Adobe is:http://www.create-pdf-files.com/but look around you can get it cheaper. Since the password system is weak you will have to use Hyperlock to secure your book.


Posted on: 4:34 pm on March 11, 2009
rlemire Bullguy;

You might take another look at using PDF. A new Google service called Google Books has a provision for adding new eBooks to their Book database under a Partners program.

Using Google Books, readers can search for and land on an authors "Book" page. Readers will then be able to click on a link to the authors "sales" page -- so they can purchase the authors eBook.

Unfortunately Google Books only accepts unencrypted PDF "eBooks" for the Partner program (the PDF eBooks are protected by Google security).

However, if a Reader ends up at an authors "sales" page, there is nothing to stop an author from selling an HTML eBook instead of a PDF eBook.

Google Books could be a very powerful marketing tool. The trick, as I see it, is getting the eBook into the "Book" database so readers can search for and find it.

Ron


Posted on: 12:15 am on March 13, 2009
hometutor The other solution is to not compile it

How to Make a Multi-Media Book Not Just an Ebook Free by Kirkham

Pdf is a static document which never thrilled me as a means of conveying information considering the living power of the internet to make a web page come to life. Here's a way of making a multi-media or to use the phrase I coined m-book for free.....

http://newbieservices.com/Articles/PdfIsDead.htm

Rick


Posted on: 12:40 am on March 13, 2009
rlemire hometutor;

While I agree "in principle" with the concept of multimedia eBooks and that PDF presentations are generally boring (although some PDF authors are using Flash quite effectively). In any case, The point I was trying to make was that Google Books could be a powerful marketing tool to get "readers" to your web site. -- Then you can dazzle them with your bright ideas.

Getting customers is a constant challenge and I think authors should be open to anything that will help.. including the use of "promotional" PDF eBooks -- if that's what it takes.

It's OK for an author to have artistic principles, but some of us consider selling our eBooks a business and the whole object of a business is making sales.

Ron


Posted on: 9:43 pm on March 13, 2009
hometutor Sorry I was unaware that Google books require pdfs. For PDFs I just use Open Office

Rick


Posted on: 9:50 pm on March 13, 2009
amazonnbtrader The cheapest site to download ebooks for your Kindle, Nook or other  e-reader. Nothing over $2.50. A large selection of titles are still being added. If you don't find what you are looking for, just put in a request and no matter what book you are looking for, we will have it. From the lastest releases to the classics, popular or obscure.
Check us out at:http://amazon.nbtrader.com

Posted on: 4:32 am on April 20, 2011
fors20 epubor pdf creator is the best, easy to use, batch conversion, no quality loss, no damage to source files.
http://www.epubor.com/pdf-creator.html

Posted on: 8:21 am on December 27, 2011
Wilcos I think that pressmo.com is really good one. It makes flip page ebooks from PDF files, and they look and work really nice and smooth.

Posted on: 11:10 am on February 9, 2012
Maggiedon Well, there are so many PDF e-book creator on the market, free and paid, some free e-book creator software has some
restrictions on the publication, such as watermark, or can not allow you convert the full PDF files; as personal use, if the publication just has watermark, i suggest use free software, of course, some cost effective paid PDF ebook publishing softwares also have good business and personal services, such as XFlip Software:
http://www.xflip.com/digital-magazine-software.html

(Edited by Maggiedon at 3:49 am on Nov. 28, 2012)


Posted on: 3:48 am on November 28, 2012
TomRasi05 It seems that Activ Ebook Compiler does deal with pdf files. So I could make these freely using say Primo pdf creator, and then assemble them together using Activ Ebook Compiler. I am only making free ebooks currently, so I guess I will not need Hyprlock?

**************
direct lender installment loans


Posted on: 12:26 pm on May 9, 2013
hometutor


Quote: from jonnyg111 on 8:51 pm on Nov. 22, 2006[br]I have Activ Ebook compiler and I have found it to be perfect for creating .exe ebooks. Is there a comparable product (about the same price) where the source documents are pdf files rather than html, and the end result is a pdf ebook?

I just use OpenOffice to compile pdfs

Rick


Posted on: 5:36 pm on May 9, 2013

Search

List All Archived Forums



Copyright © 2000-2021, Answers 2000 Limited.

With any business, it is up to the individual owner of said business to ensure the success of the business. You may make more or less than any sample figures or results that might be quoted on our web sites or other publications. All business involves risk, and many businesses do not succeed. Further, Answers 2000 Limited does NOT represent that any particular individual or business is typical, or that any results or experiences achieved by any particular individual/business is necessarily typical.

Disclosure: Our company's websites' content (including this website's content) includes advertisements for our own company's websites, products, and services, and for other organization's websites, products, and services. In the case of links to other organization's websites, our company may receive a payment, (1) if you purchase products or services, or (2) if you sign-up for third party offers, after following links from this website. Unless specifically otherwise stated, information about other organization's products and services, is based on information provided by that organization, the product/service vendor, and/or publicly available information - and should not be taken to mean that we have used the product/service in question. Additionally, our company's websites contain some adverts which we are paid to display, but whose content is not selected by us, such as Google AdSense ads. For more detailed information, please see Advertising/Endorsements Disclosures

Our sites use cookies, some of which may already be set on your computer. Use of our site constitutes consent for this. For details, please see Privacy.

Click privacy for information about our company's privacy, data collection and data retention policies, and your rights.

Contact Us    About and Terms Of Use    Privacy    Advertising/Endorsements Disclosures