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Scripler Lets You Craft eBooks Online

scriplerBetween eBookburn, Pressbooks, the Github Book Editor, and Papyrus, there are any number of tools to build an ebook online from scratch, and a new one just crossed my desk this morning.

Scripler seeks to simplest user experience possible. According to project lead David Birk, it’s designed so that anyone with rudimentary knowledge of word processing can make a fully functional and good-looking ebook.

A user can either import a word file or build an ebook from scratch, section by section and chapter by chapter. They can set templates, add metadata, insert the cover, and more. Many of the standard components of an ebook, including the title page, copyright page, and TOC can be automatically generated from the metadata and text of a book, saving authors the hassle of crafting one manually.

And when the ebook is finished, a user can output the ebook in Epub3 or publish it online.

Scripler is still in the alpha stage of development. It is currently free to use, but the developers plan to offer both a free tier and a paid premium tier.

It looks like it will be a useful tool one day, but it’s still missing a few things. I think the different menus could be better labeled. I’d also appreciate a list of keyboard shortcuts; as anyone who uses a word processor a lot can tell you, having to use the mouse slows me down.

But that’s just me. Have you tried Scripler yet?

Scripler

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Comments


anotherdigitalreaderfan June 11, 2015 um 11:45 pm

Nate, you plan on writing an ebook some day? I could not find on this site if you have in the past or not. Out of the 5 listed which one do you like? Thanks.

Nate Hoffelder June 11, 2015 um 11:55 pm

The only online tools I’ve used were ones to make a PDF for various uses. I’ve never been interested in distributing an Epub, so calibre was good enough for me.

Nate Hoffelder June 12, 2015 um 12:02 am

I can add that I don’t like Pressbooks, even though it is based on WordPress – or perhaps because it is based on WP.

Right now I’m building a PDF using Papyrus. I like the stock templates. They’re simple and generic but they also look nice.


David Walther Birk June 12, 2015 um 2:31 am

I’m David from Scripler – good idea with keyboard-shortcuts – it’s actually something I miss when using Scripler myself. But I’m wondering if people ever expect there to be keyboard-shortcuts in web-apps. I know I don’t use it anywhere – but maybe that’s just me.

I think there is a design challenge in letting people know about it, at least. It could be cool if small black keys was hovering over the different functions when holding e.g. CTRL.

I would be interesting in knowing if any of you are using keyboard-shortcuts in web-apps, and in which web-apps?

And thanks for the article, Nate.


AC de Fombelle June 12, 2015 um 5:05 am

Hi!

Good tool but it looks like a less beautiful and developped BackTypo, do you know this one?

Nate Hoffelder June 12, 2015 um 6:10 am

I had not heard of it, thanks.


David Birk June 12, 2015 um 1:42 pm

Full disclosure, AC de Fombelle – you are associated with backtypo right?

Nate Hoffelder June 12, 2015 um 1:46 pm

Based on what turned up in Google, I would assume so.

AC de Fombelle June 15, 2015 um 12:23 pm

Hi! yes yes, I am but as it’s free and with no strings attached, I thought I’d share it with you
btw, I subscribed to this post to get your answers or other comments and wasn’t notified (even in my spam folder), is there a way to fix this? Thanks


David Walther Birk June 16, 2015 um 12:59 pm

AC de Fombelle, sure – BackTypo looks really cool. But full disclosure is important -because there is a difference betweee a neutral user saying Scripler is a "less beautiful and developped BackTypo", and someone from BackTypo saying that.


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