In early January I took stock and decided to turn my energy to revising my out of print “Kantha – A Primer” book. Having taught my Kantha workshop countless times I realized that there might be interest in an e-book version. With iBooks Author on my computer I set out to explore this free publishing app. I even downloaded a tutorial app on my iPad. Since then I have been exploring the wonderful and challenging world of e-book writing.

I am not trying to be cynical. I am learning a lot. First of all: I am learning that it is not as easy as importing a previous document and image into a page. I am also learning that I have infinite possibilities. My previous book was 20 pages. The new e-book edition is up to 50 pages already and I am not finished yet. I am able to include additional samples and stitch diagrams to provide a wide range of possibilities for the Kantha enthusiast. The longer I work on the content, the more I get excited and the more information I can share.

Most of the images and written content are in place. I am presently working on this amazing feature that comes with iBook Author, the glossary. Those of you who have taken my in-studio design workshops know how much value I put on a glossary. This iBook Author app features such a glossary option and I am busy adding definitions. As the tutorial states,  a glossary will add value and professionalism to my book. The best part is that the word is highlighted and the definition can be accessed by just tapping on the word. Now, this is the magic of e-publishing…

When it comes to other work in the studio – writing seems to be taking over for the moment. Between the Kantha book and handouts I have done precious little in terms of creating textile art. This is generating personal pressure as I have not posted much to my website gallery this year or last. Hopefully I can get the writing situation to a point where my energy can be redirected to the sewing machine.

Back to the topic at hand: My goal is to get the book’s first draft ready for editing within the next couple of days. I will keep you posted on my progress.

Enjoy your weekend.

22 Feb This entry was published on February 22, 2014 at 3:07 pm. It’s filed under Art, Creativity Update, Design, In the News, Journaling, Networking, Special Project and tagged e-book pulishing, first draft, glossary of terms, iBooks, iBooks Author, iBooks Author App, Kantha - A Primer, Kantha Embroidery, writing a book about Kantha. Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post.