A preamble to a major forum of webinars on digital books, Mutations – Le livre à l’ère numériqueTOPO offers a hands-on workshop online to create a digital book using a web publishing platform.

Due to the popularity of the course, we are opening a second group to welcome a further 10 participants in March 2021. 

How to create a digital book easily? The aim of this two-day workshop led by trainer Antoine Fauchié is to discover and master a digital book production tool (digital books in EPUB, PDF and HTML formats). There's no need to install any specific software, as the manipulations will be based on an online interface (via the GitLab platform, a code-sharing platform to which various tools can be connected). Programs such as static site generators, code-sharing platforms and content management systems will enable us to edit text, add images and see the results live.

At the end of these two days, we'll be able to create, configure, customize and publish (on the web) a multi-format digital book (website, EPUB, PDF). No technical prerequisites are necessary, and practical exercises will be adapted as far as possible to the level and projects of the participants - we recommend that you come with your project, otherwise we'll provide you with book templates.

At the end of the two-day workshop, we will have achieved the following:

• understand digital publishing strategies
• understand the challenges of digital book creation and production
• keep control of your content without depending on centralized platforms
• master digital book production and distribution tools
• create a usable website
• adjust graphic details of publications (HTML, EPUB and PDF)

Here's what this workshop doesn't take into account:

• discovering and mastering self-publishing platforms
• marketing strategy
• PDF creation for professional printing
• creation of templates for content formatting
• model customization (learning css would be necessary and will not be taken into account)

This training is offered with the support of Emploi-Québec, so participants must be residents of Quebec.

Detailed Program

Day 1
9 h 15 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Morning :

9 h 15 : Round table and presentation of projects
10 h : Break
10 h 05 : General presentation of the two days, objectives, organization
10 h 35 : Overview of digital publishing factories
11 h 05 : Break
11 h 15 : Panorama of digital publications
11 h 45 : Editorial issues and exercises
12 h 15 : Lunch break

Afternoon :

13 h 15 : Introduction to the factory used during training
13 h 45 : Presentation of book models
14 h : Discovery exercise
14 h 30 : Exchanges
15 h : Break
15 h 15 : Content structuring exercise
15 h 45 : Feedback and discussion
16 h : Getting to know the factory
17 h Review of the day and exercises for next time

Day 2 
9 h 15 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Morning :

9 h 15 : Tour de table: impressions and expectations
9 h 45 : Detailed presentation of book models
10 h 15 : Model discovery exercise
10 h 45 : Break
11 h : Presentation of possible customizations
11 h 30 : Parameter modification exercise
12 h 15 : Lunch break

Afternoon :

13 h 15 : Round table and presentation of current projects
14 h : Migrating the projects
14 h 30 : Break
14 h 45 : Publishing the projects
15 h 15 : Publication exercise and feedback
16 h : Assessment of the two days and presentation of other projects