The ePub format, if you're not familiar, is just a zip file with a bunch of XML and HTML content. The problem was trying to figure out what some things wouldn't work. Apple also supports non-standard features like embedded audio and video. Searches revealed information that was often a few years old and targetting older versions of the spec. Trying to find accurate and up-to-date information on creating an ePub file targetted for iOS proved to be surprisingly difficult. I went from free to e-book to (maybe one day) print. This feels rather backwards from how a publisher would normally do it: print to e-book to free. Once I stop writing new content, I may very well do a print version, too. Lastly, I also went with PDF, which has great support across most platforms.
ePub is the format that Apple uses and was a format that I wanted to push the limits on-even if maybe just a little bit. It lacks a lot of control over formatting and was the lowest common denominator. Mobi is the format used on the Kindle and other e-ink readers. Knowing my preference, I decided to try and put together the e-book in different formats, since each format has its own pros and cons. And so I started down the path of converting the HTML content into other formats. However, an e-book could be created and updated over time. With my intention to add more content, a printed format just wasn't (and still isn't) a practical option. Right away, though, many people asked for the site in an e-book and even a printed format. However, I also released it with the intention of continually adding new content to it until I had reached a point where I had a "finished product".
After months of writing and not getting enough written, I released what I wrote as a web site. When I first started down the path of writing the SMACSS e-book, I had intended it to be either an e-book or a printed book. It has been an interesting experience and I thought I'd share a few random thoughts on how things have gone so far.
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