5 BEST EBOOK CREATORS and Software To Create Ebooks

Aurelius Tjin
25 Feb 202115:15

TLDRThis video introduces five ebook creation tools: Canva, Google Docs/Microsoft Word/Pages, Adobe InDesign, Scribble, and Designer. Each tool has its pros and cons, such as Canva's flexibility and ease of use but lack of automatic page numbering, or InDesign's professional features but with a monthly cost. Scribble offers a one-time payment but limited ongoing support, while Designer provides a lifetime option with additional features for a fee. The video helps viewers choose the right tool for their ebook creation needs.

Takeaways

  • 🎨 Canva is a versatile design tool that can also be used to create ebooks, offering flexibility in image placement and a drag-and-drop interface.
  • πŸš€ Canva allows creation of ebooks up to 100 pages, with a workaround to merge multiple PDFs for longer books.
  • πŸ“š Canva provides a range of ebook templates to start with, simplifying the design process.
  • πŸ“– Google Docs, Microsoft Word, and Pages are familiar tools for creating ebooks with automatic table of contents and page numbering features.
  • πŸ’Ό Adobe InDesign is a professional tool for creating documents, including ebooks, but it requires a monthly subscription.
  • 🌐 Scribble is a web-based ebook creator that offers templates and the ability to add content from URLs, but with limited ongoing support.
  • πŸ“ˆ Designer is a competitor to Scribble, offering import from blog URLs and a one-time payment option with lifetime access.
  • πŸ”„ Designer also provides a feature to convert ebooks to flipbooks and has a Pro option for additional features like 3D book cover creation.
  • πŸ’‘ Both Scribble and Designer offer upsells and additional content packages to enhance ebooks.
  • πŸ“ˆ The choice of ebook creation tool should be based on individual needs and comfort with the software, rather than just the features offered.

Q & A

  • What are the five ebook creators mentioned in the video?

    -The five ebook creators mentioned are Canva, Google Docs/Microsoft Word/Pages for Mac, Adobe InDesign, Scribble, and Designer.

  • How does Canva handle page numbers in ebooks?

    -Canva does not have an automatic system for adding page numbers. Users need to manually add page numbers by creating text boxes and duplicating them for each page.

  • What is a workaround for Canva's 100-page limit on ebooks?

    -A workaround for Canva's 100-page limit is to create two separate designs and then merge them into one PDF using a file merging tool like smallpdf.com.

  • What advantage does using Google Docs or Microsoft Word have for creating a table of contents?

    -Using Google Docs or Microsoft Word allows for automatic table of contents creation. Users can style headings as 'Heading 1', 'Heading 2', etc., and the software will automatically generate and update the table of contents based on these styles.

  • What is the main drawback of using Adobe InDesign for creating ebooks according to the video?

    -The main drawback of Adobe InDesign is the monthly fee, which is $20.99 per month, making it less accessible for beginners or those on a budget.

  • How does Scribble handle importing content from a URL?

    -Scribble has a feature to import content from a URL, but it requires the content to be formatted according to certain standards. The video shows an instance where importing content from a Squarespace-hosted blog failed due to formatting issues.

  • What are some of the upsells offered by Scribble after purchasing the main product?

    -Scribble offers upsells such as additional ebook templates, additional articles, stock images, the ability to sell designs for profit, and new page design layouts.

  • What is the main advantage of Designer over Scribble according to the video?

    -The main advantage of Designer over Scribble is its constant and ongoing development, ensuring that the software stays up-to-date with new features and bug fixes.

  • What is the one-time payment option for Designer and what does it include?

    -The one-time payment option for Designer is $27, which includes the ability to import from blog articles, Word documents, Google Docs, start from scratch, and convert PDFs to flipbooks.

  • What bonus does the video creator offer when purchasing Designer through their link?

    -The video creator offers a bonus of 300 pre-written articles that can be branded and used in one's own ebook when purchasing Designer through their affiliate link.

  • What additional features does Designer Pro offer compared to the standard one-time payment plan?

    -Designer Pro offers over 300 more templates, the ability to convert book covers into 3D covers, publishing to Kindle and Apple iBooks, importing from PDFs, Facebook pages, and other benefits for a price of $97 per year.

Outlines

00:00

πŸ“š Introduction to eBook Creation Tools

The speaker introduces a video that discusses five different tools for creating eBooks. They emphasize that the tools will be presented without any particular order and that all mentioned tools will be linked in the video description. The first tool mentioned is Canva, which is primarily known as a design tool but can also be used to create eBooks. The speaker shares personal experience creating an eBook titled 'Map Out Your Online Course in 30 Minutes or Less' entirely within Canva. They highlight the flexibility of Canva, allowing for easy image placement and a 'what you see is what you get' approach. However, they also point out that Canva has a limit of 100 pages per project, which can be circumvented by creating two separate designs and then merging them using a PDF merging tool. Canva also offers numerous templates for eBook covers and content, which can be a significant advantage for users starting from scratch. The downside of using Canva is the manual addition of page numbers, which can be cumbersome.

05:02

πŸ–₯ Transitioning to Traditional Document Tools

The speaker transitions to discussing more traditional document creation tools like Google Docs, Microsoft Word, and Pages for Mac. These tools are familiar to many and are suitable for creating eBooks due to their table of contents and page numbering features. They demonstrate how to add page numbers in Google Docs and mention that these tools are not as flexible as drag-and-drop interfaces but are easier to use for those who prefer a more straightforward approach. The speaker suggests that sometimes, the simplicity of these tools can outweigh the need for advanced features.

10:03

πŸ’Ό Professional eBook Creation with Adobe InDesign

The discussion moves on to Adobe InDesign, a professional-level tool for creating documents, including eBooks. The speaker notes that InDesign comes with a monthly fee, which may be a barrier for beginners. They suggest that InDesign is best suited for those who are already familiar with design work and are looking for a more advanced tool. The speaker also briefly touches on the next tool, Scribble, which is a web-based eBook creator that does not require installation on a user's system. They mention purchasing Scribble for the purpose of reviewing it and sharing their experience with the audience.

15:04

🌐 Scribble: A Web-Based eBook Creator

Scribble is introduced as a web-based eBook creator that offers a range of templates for users to start with. The speaker demonstrates how to create a new project in Scribble and mentions the various templates available. They discuss the ability to add content from a URL, although they encounter a system error when trying to do so. Another feature of Scribble is the option to start from an article collection, which can add pre-written content to an eBook. The speaker also mentions the one-time fee for Scribble and the lack of ongoing support, which can lead to software becoming outdated over time.

🎨 Designer: A Competitor to Scribble

The final tool discussed is Designer, which is a competitor to Scribble. The speaker prefers Designer due to its continuous development and support. They demonstrate how Designer can import content from a blog or URL, which was a feature that failed in Scribble. The speaker also mentions the pricing options for Designer, including a one-time payment for a lifetime access with limited features and an upgrade option for additional features. They highlight the new feature of converting PDFs to flipbooks and the ability to save eBooks formatted for Kindle. The speaker concludes by stating their preference for Designer over Scribble and encourages viewers to check out the linked tutorial for more information.

πŸ”— Conclusion and Additional Resources

In the concluding part, the speaker summarizes the five eBook creation tools discussed in the video and reiterates that the choice of tool depends on the individual's needs and preferences. They encourage viewers to ask questions or leave comments if they have any and remind viewers to like the video and subscribe for more content. The speaker also mentions that they will link additional relevant videos for further viewing.

Mindmap

Keywords

πŸ’‘Ebook Creators

Ebook creators are tools or software applications designed to assist users in creating electronic books, or ebooks. These tools often provide templates, design elements, and formatting options to help authors compile their content into a digital book format. In the video, the speaker discusses various ebook creators such as Canva, Google Docs, and Adobe InDesign, emphasizing their unique features and suitability for different user needs.

πŸ’‘Canva

Canva is a graphic design platform that also allows users to create ebooks. It offers a drag-and-drop interface and a variety of templates, making it accessible for users with little design experience. The video mentions that Canva is flexible, allowing for easy image placement, but has a 100-page limit, which can be circumvented by merging multiple PDFs.

πŸ’‘Templates

Templates in the context of ebook creation refer to pre-designed layouts that users can customize with their content. They save time and ensure a professional look. The video highlights how ebook tools like Canva provide templates to help users start their ebook projects quickly.

πŸ’‘Drag and Drop

Drag and drop is a user interface feature that allows users to move items, such as images or text, by clicking and dragging them to a new location. This feature is mentioned as a benefit of using Canva for ebook creation because it offers more flexibility compared to traditional word processing software.

πŸ’‘PDF

PDF stands for Portable Document Format, a file format used to present documents in a manner independent of application software, hardware, and operating systems. In the video, the speaker discusses how to merge PDFs as a workaround for Canva's page limit, showcasing the PDF's role in ebook distribution.

πŸ’‘Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word is a word processing software that is widely used for creating and editing documents. The video mentions that Word, along with Google Docs and Pages, is a familiar tool for creating ebooks due to its robust features for document formatting and table of contents generation.

πŸ’‘Adobe InDesign

Adobe InDesign is a professional desktop publishing software used for creating works such as flyers, posters, brochures, and books. The video points out that while InDesign is powerful, it comes with a monthly subscription fee and a learning curve, making it more suitable for advanced users.

πŸ’‘Scribble

Scribble is a web-based ebook creator tool mentioned in the video. It allows users to create ebooks without installing software on their computers. The speaker notes that Scribble offers templates and the ability to add content from URLs, but also mentions encountering issues with the URL import feature.

πŸ’‘Designer

Designer is another ebook creation tool compared to Scribble in the video. It is praised for its ability to import content from blogs or URLs, offering a more seamless experience than Scribble. The video also discusses the one-time payment option for Designer, which includes a lifetime access to its basic features.

πŸ’‘Flipbook

A flipbook is a digital representation of a printed book that allows users to flip through pages on a screen, mimicking the experience of reading a physical book. The video highlights the new feature in Designer that allows users to convert their ebooks into flipbooks, enhancing the digital reading experience.

πŸ’‘Kindle

Kindle refers to both the e-reader device and the Amazon Kindle platform for ebooks. The video mentions the ability of certain ebook creation tools, like Designer, to export ebooks in a format compatible with Kindle, indicating the importance of considering the target platform when creating ebooks.

Highlights

Canva is a design tool that can also be used to create ebooks.

Canva offers flexibility with drag-and-drop image placement.

Canva has a limit of 100 pages, but workarounds are available.

Templates in Canva can be used to start creating an ebook without starting from scratch.

Page numbers in Canva must be added manually.

Google Docs, Microsoft Word, and Pages are familiar tools for creating ebooks.

Document publishing systems like Word automatically update table of contents and page numbers.

Adobe InDesign is a professional tool for creating documents but has a monthly fee.

Scribble is a web-based ebook creator that doesn't require software installation.

Scribble allows the use of templates and has an editor for adding content.

Scribble has a feature for adding content from a URL, but it can be error-prone.

Designer is a competitor to Scribble and allows importing content from a blog or URL.

Designer offers a one-time payment option with limited access to features.

Designer Pro offers additional features like 3D book cover creation and publishing to Kindle.

The choice of ebook creator tool depends on the individual's needs and preferences.

The video provides a comparison of different ebook creation tools to help viewers decide which is right for them.