Luminous Landscape Forum

Equipment & Techniques => Pro Business Discussion => Topic started by: shotworldwide on July 02, 2011, 03:24:59 am

Title: My first iPad Photo Book Application - is this the right way to go?
Post by: shotworldwide on July 02, 2011, 03:24:59 am
Hi there, this is my first post.
Apple just approved my first iPad/iPhone/iPod application: http://t.co/KMccM9L I believe that I am among the first five photographers/companies (like National Geographic of course) publishing their photographs this way. Do you think this is the right way to go in the future?
Title: Re: My first iPad Photo Book Application - is this the right way to go?
Post by: Graham Mitchell on July 02, 2011, 03:36:03 am
It looks like a nice idea and I wish you luck with it. Does the app store take a cut of the sales?
Title: Re: My first iPad Photo Book Application - is this the right way to go?
Post by: shotworldwide on July 02, 2011, 03:39:14 am
Yes, of course. They take 30%. But I do not complain as they have created this new market.
Title: Re: My first iPad Photo Book Application - is this the right way to go?
Post by: Graham Mitchell on July 02, 2011, 03:52:51 am
Did you use ePub to create the book?
Title: Re: My first iPad Photo Book Application - is this the right way to go?
Post by: shotworldwide on July 02, 2011, 04:02:01 am
This is not ePub format. You need to create this application by yourself or hire someone to do it for you. This is something like a software. Apple provides a lot of "how to" videos.
Title: Re: My first iPad Photo Book Application - is this the right way to go?
Post by: Graham Mitchell on July 02, 2011, 04:14:26 am
Ok, so it's an app rather than a book
Title: Re: My first iPad Photo Book Application - is this the right way to go?
Post by: shotworldwide on July 02, 2011, 04:19:38 am
Is ePub a book? You can't create ilegal copies from my Photo Book Application. I see the future of digital publishing here. Big publishing houses do not publish their magazines or books in ePub format but they started to create their own iPad Applications ...
Title: Re: My first iPad Photo Book Application - is this the right way to go?
Post by: Graham Mitchell on July 02, 2011, 08:10:23 am
One comment about your book app - I didn't see how many pages/images I would get. It's quite normal to specify that and reassuring for the purchaser.
Title: Re: My first iPad Photo Book Application - is this the right way to go?
Post by: shotworldwide on July 02, 2011, 08:39:35 am
Yes, I was thinking about this. But I will offer several applications for same price. Obviously I am not going to keep exact amount of pictures in each one so people will start to ask me "why this application has 100 images and this one only 99?" I am looking for people who are enjoying photography ...
Title: Re: My first iPad Photo Book Application - is this the right way to go?
Post by: Graham Mitchell on July 02, 2011, 10:19:09 am
Yes, I was thinking about this. But I will offer several applications for same price. Obviously I am not going to keep exact amount of pictures in each one so people will start to ask me "why this application has 100 images and this one only 99?" I am looking for people who are enjoying photography ...

I doubt people will bother about that sort of thing. At the moment, it's impossible to tell whether it's a book of 5 or 500 images. That matters.
Title: Re: My first iPad Photo Book Application - is this the right way to go?
Post by: shotworldwide on July 03, 2011, 05:38:17 am
I am receiving a lot of positive feedback and no one mentioned the amount of images except you. I am aware that I am not able to make happy everyone. There is 89 images in my book.
Title: Re: My first iPad Photo Book Application - is this the right way to go?
Post by: shotworldwide on January 19, 2012, 07:30:08 am
Well, I am proud to announce that Apple just approved my second Photo Book Application. This time dedicated to Antarctica:

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/antarctica-photo-book/id494604106?ls=1&mt=8

Application improves device orientation support and overall user experience. You can print your favorite images on your home printer (for personal use only). Updated Santorini Photo Book version of my previous application is waiting to be approved by Apple.

I am sure that this is going to be a future way of publishing our work. You don't need a publisher. You can take things to your own hands ...

 
Title: Re: My first iPad Photo Book Application - is this the right way to go?
Post by: jjj on January 19, 2012, 08:14:01 am
Congrats on getting this done. This is an approach I have been considering for quite some time. But trying to find out clear costs to make an app and get approved by Apple seem hard to find it seems.
As well as a content creation, that I feel will do what I want.
Title: Re: My first iPad Photo Book Application - is this the right way to go?
Post by: shotworldwide on January 19, 2012, 08:26:26 am
Thanks, jjj. I have a great solution now. If you like I can help you publish your own app. You can find my e-mail on my website http://shotworldwide.com or just add "info" in the front of my domain name :)
Title: Re: My first iPad Photo Book Application - is this the right way to go?
Post by: Gordon Buck on January 19, 2012, 09:37:28 am
Blurb now offers an ebook for Apple's iBook.  I've converted some of my Blurb printed books to Blurb ebook and the ebook is ok although I'll concede not great (obviously a Blurb problem and not a problem with the author!).  To me, the Blurb ebook feels more like a pdf than an "app" book.  Even so, I'm glad Blurb offers this new format.
Title: Re: My first iPad Photo Book Application - is this the right way to go?
Post by: sbay on January 19, 2012, 11:14:58 pm
How does having a photo app differ from the new functionality provided by ibook author?
Title: Re: My first iPad Photo Book Application - is this the right way to go?
Post by: shotworldwide on January 20, 2012, 04:25:52 am
If I understood correctly, Apple is going to create a new environment for iBook author. You need a new Apple's account (Apple's ID) which should be free. The format for iBook author is going to be similar to ePub, but it should be Apple's own format. EPub format doesn't display images in a "nice" way - it was created mainly for written books, not for image books.

You have three options, how to publish with Apple for their iOS devices now:

- ordinary apps (like I have) - published in App Store
- newsstand apps (mainly subscriptions based magazines - periodical content) - published in Newsstand
- iBooks - ePub format - mainly for text books - published in iBooks

This is how I understand Apple's strategy and I don't have to be necessary right ...

Title: Re: My first iPad Photo Book Application - is this the right way to go?
Post by: sbay on January 20, 2012, 09:59:18 pm
it was created mainly for written books, not for image books.

To be a little more clear, what I am wondering about is what functionality you used in an app photo book that couldn't be replicated in ibooks2. For example, in ibooks 2 it looks like you can now embed videos and animations which to my knowledge wasn't possible before. The summary on your link suggests that you can order prints directly from your app. Is this something that cannot be done in an ibook2? are there other functions that make using an true app desirable over ibooks if one wanted to publish a photo book?
Title: Re: My first iPad Photo Book Application - is this the right way to go?
Post by: shotworldwide on January 21, 2012, 03:29:52 am
The "Print" button is for printing on your home printer.

Well, Apple came up with their new system couple of days ago ... In the case, that your images will look OK in this kind of ePub format, you can create your books with this tool.

But I read, that iBooks can be huge as 2GB per book - my app has 36,5 MB and contains 78 pages.

People complained about the usual size of iPad magazines - which is approximately 500 MB (with videos). Who is going to download 2 GB?

I am not saying that my solution is the best ... please consider, that you need to prepare your book and it will take a time. And they came up with this new technology three days ago ... I would say in the same time  when I released may application :) 
Title: Re: My first iPad Photo Book Application - is this the right way to go?
Post by: Gary Brown on January 21, 2012, 07:59:12 am
Well, Apple came up with their new system couple of days ago ... In the case, that your images will look OK in this kind of ePub format, you can create your books with this tool.

I'm not sure if this is referring to the software under discussion here, but just in case it is, you might want to read: If you publish with iBooks Author, does Apple ‘own’ you? (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2012/01/apple-ibooks-author.html)

“This week Apple announced a new textbook App called iBooks 2, as well as iBooks Author, a new book publishing app that allows normal people with little to no coding know-how to create impressive ebooks complete with photo galleries, video, 3-D images and other super cool graphic elements.

“Nothing too controversial there, right? Wrong. By Thursday afternoon, tech bloggers began to complain  about a clause in iBook Author's End User Licence Agreement that restricts how resulting ebooks can be sold, and by Friday the torrent of anger reached a fever pitch.”
Title: Re: My first iPad Photo Book Application - is this the right way to go?
Post by: sbay on January 21, 2012, 11:13:38 am
shotworldwide -- thanks for sharing your experiences. This is helping me to understand the pros and cons of the various approaches.

Stephen
Title: Re: My first iPad Photo Book Application - is this the right way to go?
Post by: shotworldwide on January 21, 2012, 11:21:17 am
You are welcome, Stephen. I hope that digital books become a standard soon. The biggest advantage of my app is that you can't share it. The question is, how safe iBook2 format is going to be. But I would say, that it will be much easier and cheaper to create your book with iBook Author.

Filip
Title: Re: My first iPad Photo Book Application - is this the right way to go?
Post by: shotworldwide on February 08, 2012, 07:13:14 pm
I just came across this site: http://appafolio.com

here you can create your own portfolio for iPad/iPhone for free ...

Regards, Filip
---------------------------
http://shotworldwide.com
Title: Re: My first iPad Photo Book Application - is this the right way to go?
Post by: jonathan.lipkin on February 14, 2012, 11:35:55 pm
Gary - There has been a quite a bit of discussion that I've read about the iBooks Author software you are referring to (I think). From what I gather:
1. Apple does not claim copyright of your images and or your book. They explicitly say so here:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5071#3

However, the EULA for the software was sufficiently vague that many people thought they were claiming to own the copyright of the book.

2. You are only limited to selling/distributing through the iBooks store if you sell the work. If you give the book away for free, you can distribute however you want. This makes sense - Apple wants its cut of any money you make using its free software.

EDIT - looks like Apple changed their EULA from its initial form. See:

http://www.litigationandtrial.com/2012/01/articles/attorney/trademark-copyright-infringement/apple-ibooks-author/
Title: Re: My first iPad Photo Book Application - is this the right way to go?
Post by: luxborealis on February 27, 2012, 07:58:53 pm
Now that your books have been out a few months, how have sales been?
Title: Re: My first iPad Photo Book Application - is this the right way to go?
Post by: shotworldwide on February 28, 2012, 03:43:39 am
Yes, people are buying them :)
Title: Re: My first iPad Photo Book Application - is this the right way to go?
Post by: shotworldwide on November 10, 2014, 03:23:24 pm
Well, I have been working hard on my new native iOS version of my Photo Books and great news is that my new app was accepted into the App Store today. It is still just a basic version - something like a container - more apps placed within this application are on their way. This is something like a basic stone I can continue to build on.

I hope you will enjoy this free download: http://shotworldwide.com

Regards, Filip
Title: Re: My first iPad Photo Book Application - is this the right way to go?
Post by: LesPalenik on November 11, 2014, 04:10:58 am
Quote
I hope that digital books become a standard soon. The biggest advantage of my app is that you can't share it.

I wonder also what is the advantage of writing an app instead of using ePUB format and releasing it as ebook.

The digital books have been around for several years now. There are quite a few Lula members who have been publishing photography ebooks rather than creating an app.
As far as I know, the Kindle books use DRM technology to prevent copying (I don't know about iTunes / Apple format).
 

Title: Re: My first iPad Photo Book Application - is this the right way to go?
Post by: shotworldwide on November 12, 2014, 12:08:07 pm
App is interactive. It can contain a movie for example. And you can add much more functionality to app.
Title: Re: My first iPad Photo Book Application - is this the right way to go?
Post by: LesPalenik on November 12, 2014, 11:23:45 pm
Thanks.
Good point with inclusion of a movie.
 
Title: Re: My first iPad Photo Book Application - is this the right way to go?
Post by: Justinr on November 13, 2014, 04:37:59 am
I've followed the links and am still unsure quite what it is you are trying to sell me (other than photos) nor how much it is going to cost and what to do if I have no ithingy.

I know I sound a bit anti internet generally but since I'm posting here that can't be entirely true. What I do find frustrating is the inflated expectation of the web driven by those with an interest in promoting it over other forms of media. The physical book is far from dead. 
Title: Re: My first iPad Photo Book Application - is this the right way to go?
Post by: shotworldwide on November 13, 2014, 12:03:57 pm
The best thing is that I can offer whatever I wish to sell - photo books, tutorials, movies - even prints. I managed to learn Objective-C programming language so everything is up to my decision. Some content will be available for free of course.

Physical book is much more complicated and expensive to create and distribute. But I would say that apps and physical books can survive side by side.
Title: Re: My first iPad Photo Book Application - is this the right way to go?
Post by: LesPalenik on November 13, 2014, 04:26:47 pm
95% of digital books contain only pictures and some captions with possible inclusion of some web links, so the ePub, iBook or Word document formatted for Amazon will work as well and without any programming.
 
Title: Re: My first iPad Photo Book Application - is this the right way to go?
Post by: LocalHero1953 on December 28, 2014, 05:16:21 pm
Thanks, Filip, I have downloaded your (free) app - great shots! This one appears to be mainly pictures with captions; is that the same pattern in your previous (paid) apps?

I have been looking at options for online publishing, including ebooks, so I can control layout and text precisely. Although I have an iPad, I am not normally an Apple fan, and I do not like the constraints of the iBook format, which tie you, I believe to distribution only to iOS devices. I recently published a book on the Issuu platform http://issuu.com/paulashley/docs/colours_of_iceland
I like the presentation on Issuu, and the basic usage us free, but it is still relatively unknown as a platform.

I tried creating an ebook from Blurb, but Blurb's conversion tool is extremely limited and clunky: it wouldn't accept my choices of font, for example, and it was difficult to change fonts easily. I would like to create books in epub3 format, which allows good layout of images and text, but the best way to do this is with Adobe Indesign, which is expensive.

I'm still looking for the best online publishing option, and I will look at your app-creation approach.

Edit: if you follow my link to my book on Issuu, you will find it presents the book in a PC browser with neat page turning and zooming animation. These don't work in an iPad Safari browser (Issuu uses Flash) but there is an Issuu app that allows you to view Issuu books with a better user experience. I've never used Issuu from a Mac-based browser. (PS I have no connection with Issuu).