Meeting Details

Hands on with EPUBs - Mini-Workshop

Are you interested in using EPUBs as one way to deliver content to your customers? You've played around with exporting to EPUB from your authoring tool or used various EPUB conversion tools, but want to know more about how it really works? If you've tried various tools or conversion processes, you've probably found that there's always something that doesn't look quite right. Part of this is because each reader device or application will render the same content a little differently, but also the tools may not be doing what you really want.

This "mini-workshop" is intended to be a hands-on session where you'll crack open an EPUB and learn about what's going on inside and how you can make the output look the way you want. I'll present some basic information about EPUBs, then walk you through opening one up so you can fix any problems you might run into. If you've got an EPUB that you're working on, bring that and we'll see what can be done. Otherwise, I'll provide you with some samples that you can play with.

You should come prepared with the following:

• A laptop (Mac, Windows, or Linux)
• oXygen XML Editor
• HTML5 For Publishers (EPUB) from shop.oreilly.com
• (While you're at O'Reilly you might grab What is EPUB3?!)
• The Works of Edgar Allan Poe. Volume 1. (EPUB) from epubbooks.com
• A desktop EPUB reader of your choice (see epubtest.com/resources for some options).
• Also .. if you have an EPUB reader, install the EPUBs listed above and bring it with you so we can see how they look on different devices.

I can provide an extended (60-day) trial license for oXygen, but it would be great if you had it downloaded and installed. I will have it on a thumb drive just in case. The EPUBs are free, but you should download them from the respective websites.

You may also want to download and install Sigil to see how that works for EPUB editing (since it's free).

If you've created an EPUB but aren't satisfied with the way it looks, bring it along and we can discuss options ofr cleaning it up. Even if you haven't created an EPUB yet, but are interested in knowing more about this new content delivery option, you may want to attend and join in on the fun!

Scott Prentice

Scott Prentice is the president of Leximation, Inc., and has been in the technical publications field since 1991. He consults on the development of custom online help systems and offers FrameMaker plugin/application development. He has been involved with DITA for many years and created the DITA-FMx plugin for FrameMaker. Recently he's been working with EPUB development, and sees the potential of EPUB as being an ideal method for online delivery of documentation.

Location:

Petaluma Senior Center at Lucchesi Park
211 Novak Drive
Petaluma, CA

VIRTUAL ATTENDEES WELCOME! .. See below for more information.

Just south of Lucchesi Park, off North McDowell Blvd:

From 101 northbound .. turn right on Washington, left on North McDowell, right on Madison, and left on Novak.

From 101 southbound .. take Redwood Highway North (Petaluma Boulevard North) to North McDowell, turn right on North McDowell, left on Madison, and left on Novak.

VIRTUAL ATTENDEE INFORMATION

If you'd like to attend this meeting virtually (via your computer), we request that you RSVP to the webmaster at least 24 hours in advance (no later than the evening of Wednesday, June 20) so we can contact you to make sure you've got the proper software installed. We will be using GoToMeeting for the audio and video. You can use the provided dial-in number or use VOIP through your computer's microphone and speakers. We recommend using a headset or dedicated microphone if you plan to communicate with others.

When you RSVP, we will send you the conference call number. Virtual attendance is limited, so RSVP early if you'd like to attend via computer.

Please plan on calling in to the meeting by 6:30pm. We will start the call around 6:00pm so you've got plenty of time to get everything set up. Please feel free to join in on the networking and discussions as well as asking questions as appropriate. However, in order to keep the background noise to a minimum, we ask that all virtual attendees keep your call on "mute" while you're not talking.

Schedule:

6:00-6:30 - Networking and refreshments
6:30-6:50 - Announcements, round-the-table and speaker introductions
6:50-8:00 - Program
8:00-8:30 - Networking and program follow-up

Dinner:

We provide refreshments at our meetings for no additional cost. Coffee, tea, and water are also provided.

Cost:

$2 members, $4 nonmembers.
You and your guest get in FREE if your guest is a first-time visitor!