Create Your Own E-Booklet with Bookletsworld

Create Your Own E-Booklet with Bookletsworld:
A little over a year ago, I remember reading an article about how eBooks have finally taken over paperback books here in the United States. We’ve all known that sooner or later this was going to happen, and there’s no turning back. With tablets and eReaders gaining more traction each year, as a teacher, I needed to start to look toward how I can embrace the eBook rather than ignore it. And as you can probably tell, I am not the only one thinking this too. Authors, journalist, bloggers, and other professionals are also thinking and strategizing for the eBook revolution, so to speak.
One thing that hasn’t necessarily evolved just yet is the ability to create an ebook. Of course there is Apple’s iBook Author app, but that is limited to making books for the iPad. But a new web app, Bookletsworld, is working in its own way to democratize eBook publishing. Yes, I say that with hesitation because what they provide is not necessarily the ability to create your traditional eBook that we all know, but more of a way to create booklets on the web. Sound interesting?

Creating Your Booklet

The app makes it very simple and intuitive for you to start your very own booklet on the site. You first start by creating your title page, which you can type in the title, subtitle, and then insert a background picture. The one thing that you will notice right away is that you’ll want to find pictures that are already in portrait orientation, as everything in the booklet will be in portrait mode.

Creating Title Page

Then, when you are ready to work on the inside of your booklet, you are given five different types of layouts to choose from. You can make it simple by just entering text, or add a picture, or a combination thereof. You are also given the option to have a song play as one of your pages, by choosing one from SoundCloud. Then, there is even a form you can enter into your eBooklet, to make a contact form or collect any info you want from your readers. I like that you are given a variety of layouts to choose from and use throughout your booklet.

Creating a text page

Using SoundCloud to create an audio page

Social Interaction

After you are done creating your booklet, you of course want to be able to share it with others. Bookletsworld does a pretty good job of giving you a wide variety of sharing options. You can decide to make it public, where any one can see it and search for it. If you want some privacy ,you can make it so that a link is created and you can share the link with the people that you want to see it, but it won’t be shared with Google. Then lastly, if you want total privacy, you can make your booklet hidden so that no one can see it but you.

Sharing Options

All the booklets that are public and semi public can be commented on, and also shared on Facebook and Twitter. One sharing feature which I thought was kind of neat was that each booklet also has a QR code that you can share with others. Booklets can also “liked” by others that are using the service and you can also follow other people you are interested in.

Social features of Bookletsworld

When you first sign up for Bookletsworld, you are also given your own profile page, where it has your name, profile pic, the people you follow, comments, etc. I definitely like the idea of this as it is handy to have everything you need to access on the site in one location for you to go to.

Profile Page

Still Early

One of the things that I love is to get in on the ground floor, so to speak, when it comes to apps. I love to see what they were like when they first started out and then see them grow. This is one of those apps that is definitely in its early stages, where it doesn’t look like much now, but if the developers can keep it up, they can get something going here. When you try out the app, you won’t come away impressed; there is lots of work to be done. It works fine, and doesn’t have many bugs, but the overall experience leaves you wanting more.
I would love to see different types of layouts and maybe a landscape mode. It would also be nice to see more text editing features as well as the integration of video, maybe through YouTube. Lastly, it would also be nice to see the integration of some kind of page transition actions.

Conclusion

All that to say, I can definitely see how Bookletsworld can meet a need for people that want to make a simple web based booklet. As I started to use it, I could see a variety of different uses for it and how it can come in handy in many instances. As I had mentioned, the app is still in its early stages, so you don’t have many users, but there is potential here for this app.
Definitely go and try it out and see for yourself whether you would like it or not. You can sign up for free using your Facebook account or just creating your own account on the site. Books are evolving and moving toward the web and I think this is just the beginning of apps like this.