When it comes to eBooks, there are primarily two kinds of formats – ePUB and PDF. With the rise in digital technology, publishers are increasingly converting their static PDF files into interactive eBooks to better suit their online readers and provide them with an entertaining and immersive reading experience. The PDF is basically the electronic version of the print book and in today’s digital age, fails to live up to the readers’ expectations. Added to this is the fact that it is not readable on all devices implying that if accessed on a mobile device, the readers would have to scroll horizontally to read the end part of the sentences. Besides, you can’t customize a PDF eBook and add interactive features, which is the need of the day in the digital world to attract and engage readers.
Impact of advanced technology
Advanced digital technologies such as VR, AR, and big data are enabling readers to publish and distribute faster and reach a new audience. All these factors together build the case for publishers to convert their PDFs into interactive eBooks. Converting bulk PDF files into interactive eBooks is relatively simple and cost-effective if you have access to the right eBook software.
It is important to mention here that the most popular format for digital publishing is the ePUB format which is easily readable across all device types and supports a host of highly interactive features. This format is also highly dynamic in nature enjoying the support of several emerging technologies such as HTML5 and CSS3. The ePUB is an HTML 5 format, which means that you can hyperlink the text in the eBook to both internal and external content. Besides, it also has inbuilt SEO capabilities implying that your eBook will show up in search results for dedicated keywords.
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The ePUB-based eBook software supports both fixed layout and the reflowable format. The fixed layout, as the name suggests, is a strict rendition of the printed page and it defines the size of the page in pixels. In this type of page, images are exactly positioned relative to the text. The fixed layout works well for image-heavy eBooks. On the other hand, the reflowable format, as the name suggests, flows the content to match the size of the screen, which means that readers don’t have to zoom and scroll to read the text. In this context, the best eBook software for converting bulk PDFs into interactive eBooks are those that are ePUB-based. With this said, we now let us look at some of the best eBook software for converting bulk PDFs into eBooks.
Kitaboo: Kitaboo is one of the world’s leading eBook software that can efficiently convert bulk PDF files into highly interactive eBooks. As a first step, the software will first automatically scan your PDF files and convert them into a master document. You can then add interactive digital elements, such as audio, video, infographics, 3D diagrams, graphics, and more to bring alive your content. This eBook software offers a complete range of templates that you can customize and use in multiple formats such as HTML5 and SCORM. Kitaboo is highly scalable and apart from interactive features also allows you to add third-party content like animations and Google Maps. The drag and drop functionality of this eBook software makes adding interactivity a breeze. Besides, you can also gamify your eBooks to allow your readers to interact with the content. It may be that you are digitizing your training manuals. In this case, you can add audio-video presentations, gamified features, hyperlinks, 3D diagrams, branching scenarios, and advanced features that allow readers to learn by trial and error in secure settings that replicate real-life situations.
Online Convert: This is another eBook software to convert PDF files into eBooks. It supports various formats such as ePUB, MOBI, AZW, LIT, PDF, PDB, and FB2. As with Kitaboo, you can add interactive features such as audio, video, document converter, and image converter to name a few. This eBook software offers both free services and paid subscriptions. With a free account, you can convert up to 20 PDF files per conversion. With a paid subscription, you gain access to more features and higher-speed eBook conversion.
Epubor Ultimate: With this eBook software you can convert PDFs into eBooks in your preferred formats such as ePUB, PDF, and AZW. The software is compatible with Windows and Mac. This eBook software can convert Word to PDF, JPG to PDF, and ePub to PDF. The software also serves as a basic PDF reader and has built-in technology to support password-protected files. You can convert as many files as you like to and from PDF. The software has an easy-to-use intuitive interface and is available for all versions of Windows.
Hamster Free eBook Converter: This easy-to-use eBook software converts PDF files into eBooks in just a few simple steps. The eBooks after conversion can be accessed on several popular readers such as Kobo, Sony, Kindle, iRiver, iPad, and Nook. It supports various formats such as LIT, TXT, PDF, HTML5, LRF, and PDB, among others.
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Conclusion
In the digital era, you can no longer drive your audience with PDF files that are simply electronic versions of their print counterparts. Interactive eBooks are what tempt the readers immersing them into the experience such that they are not just passive onlookers but rather active participants, and sometimes, even heroes taking the story forward towards a logical conclusion. As a publisher you have much to gain from converting your bulk PDF files into highly interactive eBooks, embellishing them with features such as audio, video files, 3D diagrams, infographics, gamified features with branching scenarios, and more.
If you are dealing in children’s storybooks, you can leverage digital media technologies to create a magical, fairytale environment to support the story; however, this is not possible in the case of static PDF books. Similarly, you may be publishing eBooks for the education sector. In this case, you can leverage advanced technologies, simulations, and gamification to bring alive difficult and sometimes abstract concepts allowing readers to visualize the concepts and see their progression and applications in real life. However, all this is not possible with PDF books. Therefore as a publisher, you have much to gain from converting bulk PDFs into eBooks. Fortunately, there are several eBook software than can help you achieve this conversion.
