Publishing a Fixed Layout eBook

Introduction

The fixed layout ePub is the ideal format when you want to create the "exact photograph" of the layout you have created for your book, starting for example from a PDF or JPG file.

You will wonder why not publish to PDF then.
The reason is that PDF is a print format, so it is not optimized for reading on digital devices and is generally not accepted by international stores. The EPub Fixed Layout, on the other hand, is accepted by all stores, including international ones.

There are 3 things to remember if you decide to create an FXL ebook:

1. The Kindle format corresponding to the Epub Fixed Layout is the KF8 format, necessary to be able to correctly sell your ebook on Amazon (with some important clarifications that you can read in point 2).
2. The KF8 is not automatically generated by Amazon (which converts all ePubs only to MOBI, the Kindle format corresponding to the reflowable EPUB 2), so we have to provide it to them.
3. For each ePub Fixed Layout published, our distribution platform automatically generates the KF8 to be sent to Amazon, but it generates it through KindleGen. The KF8 generated by StreetLib Write is better than the one generated by the KindleGen, because it contains the Kindle Text Pop-Ups and the Kindle Panel Views, so we recommend manually loading the KF8 created by StreetLib Write. To do this, after having published the ebook by following these steps, go to the "Distribute your ebook" area, open the article card of the previously created ebook and upload the KF8 file by clicking on "Add another format" in the "Formats" section "(remember to click" Save "at the bottom of the page). The KF8 generated by StreetLib Write will be sent to Amazon.

Please note: Amazon currently only accepts the following three categories of Fixed Layout (FXL) ebooks:

1. Children's books
2. Comics
3. School/university textbooks in complex formats (including sheet music books)

For all other types of ebooks with images (few or many) but mainly composed of text, you will have to proceed with the creation of a reflowable ebook in order to be sure to publish on Amazon; otherwise, the books will be blocked from the store.

The listing of EPub FXL on Google Play may take 1 week, due to issues related to the policy of Google in the management of this type of file.

How to read an FXL?

An FXL ePub cannot be read by most of the e-readers currently on the market (with the exception, for example, the Kobo Aura), but it can be read without problems on tablets, smartphones and computers, through compatible programs and applications. Here are some of them:

1) On iPad:
it is possible to read an EPub FXL file through the Apple Books app, which the user can already find within his Apple devices.

2) On Kindle Fire:
it is possible to read a KF8 file (the corresponding FXL of the mobi) through the reading app integrated by Amazon inside.

3) On Android tablet:
you can read an EPub FXL file via the ReadEra reading app, which you can download from the Google Play Store at this link.

4) On PC:
you can read an EPub FXL file using the Adobe Digital Editions reader app, available for free download on the Adobe website.

5) On Mac:
you can read an EPub FXL file via Apple's Books reading app.