Advice on software for eMagazine

yankinlk

There seem to be loads out there... just wondering has anyone used any that are really good? Looking to put a printed Magazine (qrtly) online easily and cheaply as an alternative to the printed version.

Something like this?
http://www.epagecreator.net/index.html

Arlecchina

I'm not a big fan of flipbook-style solutions, but I think the easiest option out there at the moment is Issuu (no affiliation; I've just used it for clients).

It's as simple as uploading a PDF, and Issuu generates the reader for you. The browser-based solution is Flash, but it also creates a mobile-friendly HTML5 alternative, so it's accessible on devices that don't support Flash (i.e., iPad/iPhone). Lots of literary journals and magazines use it; just google 'literary Issuu'. While you're at it, though, you may stumble across lots of complaints about serving up text-heavy content with flipbook offerings. Some people (like me) aren't fond of digital content that attempts to replicate a print format.

Assuming the content is predominantly text, my preferred option would be a straight-up ebook via a platform like Amazon, a la Granta, the London Review of Books, etc. Either that or just provide the content on a website. The latter is fairly easy to do with a simple content management system like Wordpress.

Sorry for babbling! I have feelings about e-publishing.

yankinlk

Arlecchina wrote: »

Sorry for babbling! I have feelings about e-publishing.

Thanks so much for your advice! There is quite a lot of passion in this project - those that want to keep the print version and those that want to leverage online more. I sit in the middle, I just want to find a cheap/easy solution that keeps both sides happy.

Arlecchina wrote: »

Assuming the content is predominantly text, my preferred option would be a straight-up ebook via a platform like Amazon, a la Granta, the London Review of Books, etc.

So my content is heavy text/story but mixed with very rich photography as well. I do not want to go e-book because one of the main reasons is to drive traffic to the main website via the printed magazine content.

Arlecchina wrote: »

Either that or just provide the content on a website. The latter is fairly easy to do with a simple content management system like Wordpress.

Maybe I am looking at the wrong solution? Should I be looking for an easy way to take the PDF that is created for the printer to bring it straight into wordpress? I need all the pages to add content to help boost google rating SEO etc...

yankinlk

thanks for your help. I went with a few of the options above, testing them out. Wasnt very happy with most of the results, then i tried your issuu.com suggestion. Very impressed.

Only thing is from what i read - in order to embed it in our wordpress site i have to use iframe... i presume that means my content is not searchable?

not sure if i can find a solution that does EVERYTHING i was looking for tbh.

ailsa00

yankinlk wrote: »

thanks for your help. I went with a few of the options above, testing them out. Wasnt very happy with most of the results, then i tried your issuu.com suggestion. Very impressed.

Only thing is from what i read - in order to embed it in our wordpress site i have to use iframe... i presume that means my content is not searchable?

not sure if i can find a solution that does EVERYTHING i was looking for tbh.

Well, when you embed issuu flipbook on Wordpress, if you want to search, the publication will guide you turn to the issuu page where your publicaiton located, and you can do search on it.

So, if you want to do search active on your own website, maybe you need host your publication on your own website server, you can use other 3rd digital magazine software such as Kvisoft Flipbook Maker Pro to create your own flash flipbook magazine, and then upload it on the server, get the embed code, and then embed the magazine on the webpage, others can do search, zoom on the current page.

Hope this helps!