Do you have a great story to tell, research to share, or another type of project that you’d like to publish, yet don’t have the resources to publish your content through traditional platforms?

Now, you can easily create your own book with Apple’s iBook Author publishing tool for Mac, which creates multi-touch books for iPad users.

Content creators can easily choose from a variety of templates to start their book, and not only add text but also galleries, video, interactive diagrams, 3D objects, and more.

Using iBook Author

To start using the iBook Author publishing tool, you’ll need to download iBook Author for free from the Mac App Store. Then, after you choose the template for your book, you can drag and drop a Pages or Microsoft Word document to the book navigator to add it as a new section. The iBook Author app will automatically create new pages, and when you drag and drop in images, your type automatically flows around them.

In addition to adding text, the iBook Author publishing tool features the ability to add shapes, charts, tables, and multi-touch widgets anywhere on the page with a single click. The app also offers the ability to create books that people with disabilities can read and experience with VoiceOver technology. Users can add accessibility descriptions to any widget or media — including movies and quizzes — so even those with vision impairments can use them. Apple says “It’s as easy as using a word processor, but powerful enough to design more advanced layouts.” For content creators looking to create in iBook for students or presentations, these features can be exceptionally powerful.

Once you have finished creating your iBook with the iBook Author app, you just need to head over to the Sell Your Content page in iTunes to complete the online application to sell your new iBook.

Limitations of iBook Author

While the iBook Author app is an easy and fast way to publish your own content online, keep in mind the access to your content is limited to only those with an iPad, and Apple’s terms enforce that you may only sell this content through Apple’s store should you publish it through Apple’s bookstore at all. Here are the full terms that iBook authors must comply with under section 2b of the End User License Agreement of the new iBook Author program:

B. Distribution of your Work. As a condition of this License and provided you are in compliance with its terms, your Work may be distributed as follows:
(i) if your Work is provided for free (at no charge), you may distribute the Work by any available means;
(ii) if your Work is provided for a fee (including as part of any subscription-based product or service), you may only distribute the Work through Apple and such distribution is subject to the following limitations and conditions: (a) you will be required to enter into a separate written agreement with Apple (or an Apple affiliate or subsidiary) before any commercial distribution of your Work may take place; and (b) Apple may determine for any reason and in its sole discretion not to select your Work for distribution.

Alternatives to iBook Author

Sound slightly prohibitive? We think so, too. While the idea of an easy-to-use self-publishing tool is highly overdue in today’s digital 2.0 society, I’m not inclined to believe that restrictions on publishing rights and accessibility is the answer to providing a medium for the average consumer to monetize their unique and insightful content. If you’re looking for more flexibility to offer your eBook on multiple platforms, such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble (just to name a few), you may want to consider creating a slightly modified second version of your book with a different title to sell elsewhere. The iBook Author app may not actually be able to help you construct these versions of your eBook, but should you be concerned about your rights to distribution, creating alternative versions of your content may help you skirt these legalities.

If you have decided to publish on both Apple’s book store and elsewhere as well, you may want to consider also self-publishing a real book using a service like Amazon’s Create Space. We’ve mentioned before how this service allows you to actually self-publish a real book, and not just an eBook. Here you can choose your book title, description, and credit page, as well book size and paper options. Then, you’ll just need to upload your book, pick a cover and an ISBN number, and submit the book for approval.

Your Thoughts?

Have you ever considered publishing your own book, or have you already self-published your own book or eBook using one of the tools available online? What do you think about about Apple’s new iBook Author publishing tool? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.