Writing an eBook on any OS (Teachers Writing for students)

whiteandlight

I'm spending my summer writing iBooks for music for my students as we are going 1:1 next year. If anyone has any questions feel free to ask, thought it might be interesting to discuss.

Writing Platform: MacBook Air, iBooks Author
Deployment: New iPad (mine), IPad 2 schools (version students will have)

Biggest issue I'm having at the moment is copyright for prescribed music. I've drafted the theory section of the book from scratch.

So far it's mainly example, practice questions in the form of a workbook. However as I'm getting more comfortable with the platform Im starting to link to YouTube videos and adding in interactive quizzes.

Positives: I get to create it exactly the way I want and can edit at will during the year

Negatives: very very time consuming

Crazyteacher

Will be very interested to hear how you are getting on May I ask is it very difficult or was there a specific book or course you did to get started? You know you can use author's work 70 years after their death , is it not the same for composers?

whiteandlight

It is yes, the problem is that several of the prescribed pieces on the music syllabus set B are in copyright including The Beatles, Aaron Copland, Fr. Tom Egan and Jerome Kern. I've contacted everyone I can think of this weekend so hopefully they get back to me.


Honestly its really not, I didn't do any course. I installed the program (free) used a template and got stuck in. Its very self explanatory and the layouts etc come pre done. Still getting my head around widgets but I figure construct the full basic book first, then worry about the interactive elements

Crazyteacher

That's unfortunate . Hopefully you'll have their permission in no time . It's great that you have the summer to work on it . Don't forget to take a break too ! Which program did you use?

whiteandlight

Its called iBooks Author

mathepac

Musicmental85 wrote: »

Its called iBooks Author

I'm in a similar situation myself. My book (not a music book, nothing even remotely as useful or creative) is "finished" but copyright issues have raised their ugly heads. We'll soldier on though.

I'd encourage anyone using iBook Author (a great program) to download Writers [sic] Kit from the App Store.

Best of luck to all you "Writers at the Techo Edge", a long and anceint Irish tradition.

teacherhead

Fair play musicmental I really think that teacher created content is the way to go. The book publishers are getting up on everyone with the cost of their ebooks.

We are hoping to go 1:1. In Sept 2014 but teachers will have devices this Sept and should be comfortable by then.

We are using a Windows tablet ourselves but the apps seem to be coming out reasonably fast so hopefully there will he a similar program for Windows use.

whiteandlight

Well I worked out if a Leaving Cert Music student was to buy new the scores and book they need it would cost over €110 which is insane! We're only introducing LC music this year so I'm constructing my own instead. I can't get the Beatles scores or the Irish composer deanes piece out of copyright but I can do everything else. So first years and fifth years, no pressure!

mathepac

For anyone interested in writing for formats other than iBooks and OSes other than OS X, maybe have a look at http://www.jutoh.com/ which can format output for 7 or 8 different types (e.g. epub, Mobi, HTML,) and 3 Oses OS X, Windoze & Linux. See how I never used "platform" even once. I'm a bit surprised that Android isn't supported directly, but maybe with the proliferation of readers for a range of formats there is no need.

I have no connection with the writers / owners / publishers, I ran across Jutoh when researching Writers Cafe from the same stable.

whiteandlight

Actually since there's interest I'll edit the title for all OS's.

For anyone looking for images try http://pixabay.com/
They have waived copyright to the images and has some really nice stuff up there

Pro Hoc Vice

Musicmental85 wrote: »

It is yes, the problem is that several of the prescribed pieces on the music syllabus set B are in copyright including The Beatles, Aaron Copland, Fr. Tom Egan and Jerome Kern. I've contacted everyone I can think of this weekend so hopefully they get back to me.


Honestly its really not, I didn't do any course. I installed the program (free) used a template and got stuck in. Its very self explanatory and the layouts etc come pre done. Still getting my head around widgets but I figure construct the full basic book first, then worry about the interactive elements

Copyright in this case may carry an exemption, see sections 49 - 58 of the following Act http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2000/en/act/pub/0028/. Not in any way a legal opinion but as the iBook is for educational purposes created by you the teacher and once you clearly acknowledges authorship you maybe ok, see sections 53 and 54 especially.

whiteandlight

I think because it will go live to the iBooks store that won't cover it. I've got around it for the moment by not including any links to YouTube or any sheet music. Hopefully if some of them come back to me I might be able to add them at a later date

Pro Hoc Vice

Musicmental85 wrote: »

I think because it will go live to the iBooks store that won't cover it. I've got around it for the moment by not including any links to YouTube or any sheet music. Hopefully if some of them come back to me I might be able to add them at a later date

I thought it was only for your students. I believe there is a way to directly install ePub books directly on an ipad.

whiteandlight

Oh and for anyone not on an IOS device. I had originally written my music theory workbook for junior and leaving cert through Microsoft word and exported as a PDF. This would allow it to be deployed to any device or computer than can use a PDF.

This is what I plan to use with the senior cycle as they don't have iPads and I can print the booklet chapter by chapter.

Actually it's very liberating to do this because normally I have tons of different worksheets all over the place. This is forcing me to rethink and regroup everything

whiteandlight

infosys wrote: »

I thought it was only for your students. I believe there is a way to directly install ePub books directly on an ipad.

It was originally just gonna be a PDF for my students but much easier to deploy free to the iBooks store. I've no problem with other teachers using my stuff, particularly as a non permanent teacher when I'm listed as the author.

whiteandlight

First two books sent to iBooks store. Offering for free as the tax implications were way too awkward. You would need a US tax id and need to file to Irish revenue each year. Sign up as a free author is very easy using iTunes connect (just google it).


First book was submitted Saturday night and is still pending

Second Book submitted last night and already live.


I believe the difference may be because I forgot to include a copyright page on the first book explaining that the images are mine or from pixabay.

mathepac

iCongratulations.

Crazyteacher

Congrats !!

whiteandlight

Just as an update for anyone working on iBooks.

Be very careful when you paste an image into an ibook. If the ibook is a rotation enabled book you have to paste the image into both rotations. Had to jump through a lot of hoops to fix the file and it took 8 days for my resubmission to be approved