If you’re planning to publish an eBook or a digital publication, it’s most likely that you will get stuck in the process of selecting a suitable digital publishing platform. Be it a graphic-heavy or a text-heavy book, an appropriate platform will smoothen the publishing journey.

As publishers, the focus is on device-friendly, user-friendly and better accessibility to readers.

Digital Publishing platforms help streamline the entire conversion and distribution process. Before subscribing to a platform, you should try and understand the conversion process. Evaluate whether the process is simple enough and can be carried out by other members as well. This, in the long run, can increase the conversion time and reduce the bottlenecks in the process.

The ePUB format is a widely accepted format for digital publishing. You have an option of choosing a fixed-layout ePUB3 or a reflowable one, depending on the need. Let’s say, for a graphic-heavy, tutorial or instruction book, fixed layout is the right choice.

Likewise, when your eBook is text-heavy, a reflowable ePUB is the right choice. This format will adjust itself according to the device screen size thus enhancing readability and user experience.

Make a note of the publishing platform’s compatibility with software or operating systems. An oversight on this might impact the overall process. This will further ensure your eBook compatibility with mobile devices, such as Android, iOS.

Digital Rights Management (DRM) is the technology to protect the copyright of content on your publications. Ensure that your publishing platform encrypts all the content and converts it into a DRM-locked state for secure and piracy free distribution.

To create an engaging learning experience, you should look for publishing platforms offering support to embed multimedia content, like Audio, Video, Images, Read-aloud (Text-to-speech) functionalities and widgets that uplift the reading experience.

You can add multilevel interactive elements with HTML5 and Augmented Reality. This has made it possible to create immersive and engaging content for both classrooms and corporate learning.

We have created a video guide that will give you a glimpse of the topics covered in this guide.

We recommend going through both the detailed guide as well as the video:

You should also factor internet connectivity on a reader’s devices. Some publishing platforms allow readers to download content and access it offline, which may extend the reach of your publications.

After the distribution of your books, analytics can help you gather feedback on metrics like content consumption, most viewed content. This data can assist you to improve the content based on the insights derived.

A publishing platform should provide customization options, so you can create and design your content as per your needs to convey a unique brand message. The interface of publishing platform should be user-friendly and responsive to make the entire customization process simple, yielding better results. 

Analyze the different pricing options offered by various publishing platforms. The pricing will have a huge impact on the overall cost of the project.
Here are a few types of pricing plans:
1) Revenue Sharing plans- Platforms offer free conversion in exchange for a certain percentage of the revenue you make.
2) Flexible Pricing plans- Pay as you go, can be changed as per your needs.
3) Fixed Monthly/Annual Fees plans- Flat fees are charged at regular intervals as per the package you choose.

After evaluating the plethora of options and functionalities, such tools can offer, subscribing to a digital publishing platform is a better alternative to building one in-house. This checklist will help you in evaluating and selecting the most suitable publishing platform for your needs.