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The Electric Book template |
home |
banner-image.jpg |
An illustration of an enormous book. It is open, and its pages are each filled with an image of a starry sky. Beside the book, a man stands and looks at the pages. The book is bigger than he is. |
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The Electric Book template is a code framework for producing web books, ebooks, and print books from a single content source. It is packed with features for professional book production, and lets team members collaborate on projects remotely. You're looking at the default website it generates. {% if output-docs == true %}[Read the docs]({{ site.baseurl }}/docs/){:.button}{% endif %}
{% include feature-box text="The template includes a blank book to add your content to." image="logo.svg" link="book/0-3-contents.html" %}
{% include feature-box text="Learn from a book of examples, with a partial translation." image="cover.jpg" image-position="0 35%" link="samples/index.html" %}
{% if site.output == "web" and output-docs == true %}
{% include feature-box text="The template's documentation explains how its features work." image="banner-image.jpg" image-position="0 65%" link="docs/" %}
{% endif %}
You'll find the open-source repository on GitHub.
To make books this way, you need some web-development know-how. You'll edit content in markdown with Liquid template tags; edit data in YAML files; commit your changes with Git; enter commands at the command line; and build and serve a static website. Design is done in Sass. Many features are written in Javascript.
If those concepts are not familiar to you, you'll need a web developer on your team to get you going, and to provide you with technical support when you get stuck.
You can also hire Electric Book Works to handle setup or book production for you.
To see how these examples look in other formats, download PDF and epub versions of the sample book.
{% include visual-toc book="samples" files="
- 00-05-contents-page
- 01-01-plain-text-1
- 01-10-questions
- 02-01-plain-images
- 02-02-figures
- 03-02-maths
- 04-02-video
- 10-02-dynamic-index " %}
{% include video id="XmZ2mn8Vyy0" image="ebt-setup-video.png" description="Arthur Attwell, from Electric Book Works, explains how to start a new book in minutes." %}
You can instantly output print PDF, screen PDF, epub, website and app versions of your books from a single content source.
Create a series or collection of books in one website or app. They can share common designs, features and [metadata]({{ site.baseurl }}/docs/setup/metadata.html).
The template generates a static website, which is secure, easy to host, and lightning fast. It's also designed to be mobile-friendly throughout.
You can use the template on Windows, Mac and Linux computers. We recommend working in your browser with Gitpod, in which case you don't need to install anything on your computer.
The docs you need are embedded in your project, including guidance on [how to edit in markdown]({{ site.baseurl }}/docs/editing/markdown.html).
Team members can contribute online by either editing files on GitHub directly, or by using Gitpod. Our built-in Gitpod support means you can instantly start editing and generating a website, ebooks and PDFs. Launch a testing environment here right now{:target="_blank"}.
Sometimes you need your book in MS Word format. For instance, an author might be working on a new edition. You can easily, instantly [export books to MS Word]({{ site.baseurl }}/docs/output/word-output.html).
Select from dozens of [built-in tags for common book features]({{ site.baseurl }}/docs/editing/classes.html), such as boxes, epigraphs, sidenotes and bibliographies.
We deliberately made this template look plain – it's ready for your design flair. Quickly change the design with [dozens of simple settings]({{ site.baseurl }}/docs/layout/design.html), from fonts and sizes to the position of page numbers and the width of your sidebar. Then add your own CSS stylesheets. See the Electric Book Works portfolio for examples of what's possible.
[Include complex maths]({{ site.baseurl }}/docs/editing/maths.html) using LaTex notation.
For high-quality print publishing, [control letter-spacing]({{ site.baseurl }}/docs/editing/classes.html#formatting) in individual paragraphs for page refinement. There are many other page-refinement tags available for advanced users.
[Automatically convert your master images]({{ site.baseurl }}/docs/images/image-conversions.html) to optimized sizes and color profiles. For instance, CMYK for print, and RGB at different sizes for large vs mobile screens.
Create back-of-the-book indexes where page numbering is automated, and the index works in website and ebook editions, too. Read more at Electric Book Works.
Easily [control colour and PDF profiles]({{ site.baseurl }}/docs/layout/colour-profiles.html) for professional, large-scale printing.
[Add translations]({{ site.baseurl }}/docs/setup/translations.html) of a book to a project, and localise (i.e. provide translations for) landing pages and button text.
Instantly generate [variant editions]({{ site.baseurl }}/docs/setup/variants.html) of a book with different content or designs. For instance, a teacher's edition of a setwork with extra teaching notes, all from the same content source.
Tag text and images for redaction, then instantly [output fully redacted PDFs]({{ site.baseurl }}/docs/editing/redaction.html) without affecting page flow.
Users can save their places, and the site will also automatically save their last location for the next time they visit.
Easily [build and refresh search indexes]({{ site.baseurl }}/docs/setup/search-indexes.html) for website and app outputs.
Add self-marking [multiple-choice questions]({{ site.baseurl }}/docs/editing/multiple-choice-questions.html), and group them into quizzes. Add [fill-in-the-blank questions]({{ site.baseurl }}/docs/editing/questions.html#fill-in-the-blanks) to any text.
Easily [embed streaming video]({{ site.baseurl }}/docs/editing/video.html) from YouTube or Vimeo.
Make long web pages [collapse on major headings]({{ site.baseurl }}/docs/layout/content-accordion.html) for easier reading. See a demo here.
Let users click through [slideshows]({{ site.baseurl }}/samples/04-05-slides.html), with useful equivalents in offline epub and PDF versions.
Do you already have a WordPress website? Electric Book websites live happily side-by-side with WordPress. Just place the generated files in a subfolder on your WordPress server.
[Turn on open annotation]({{ site.baseurl }}/docs/setup/settings.html#annotation) on website editions with Hypothesis. Useful for both public comment and private team discussions. See annotation in action on this demo.
The template is open-source software, so you never have to worry about being locked out of your own books, or finding yourself at the mercy of one vendor's pricing. You can change anything about the Electric Book software yourself, as needed.
Note that the template does use the excellent PrinceXML for PDF output. Prince is not open-source, and is available as a free trial. We are working on providing open-source alternatives.
You can host an Electric Book site for free with services like GitHub Pages and Netlify. The template works out of the box with both.
The template is designed to work with Git version control software. We recommend storing and collaborating on your project on GitHub, GitLab or BitBucket.
For books with many large images, link to [remote media]({{ site.baseurl }}/docs/images/external-media.html) and build Google Play apps with [expansion files]({{ site.baseurl }}/docs/output/app-output.html#android).
We provide setup guidance for setting up free continuous deployment with CodeShip Basic.
Need to share, copy, or archive a project easily? Instantly [create a zip package]({{ site.baseurl }}/docs/advanced/packaging-the-project.html) of your project with one command.
If you're maintaining related Electric Book projects, keep them in sync with [instant updates]({{ site.baseurl }}/docs/setup/updates.html#using-the-update-script).