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Build Your Own ePUB eBooks in OS X Lion

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Concurrently with my experimenting to prepare Tablets to be used as my scripts in rehearsals for Southern Crossroads at Totem Pole Playhouse, I was eager to test out this new Automator feature in OS X Lion. Essentially the Automator action Text to ePUB File does exactly what its name says it does. It allows you to create an ePUB file out of text.

If you go to this site, Mac OS X Automation, you can read all about it and download four ready to go files that will allow you to turn files or text into ePUB files. Those files can then be used in various eBook readers. You can also insert media, as an example, a picture for a book cover.

I’ve downloaded the service files and had success with the CREATE FORMATTED EPUB BOOK FROM SELECTED TEXT service. That service doesn’t work with the latest version of Microsoft Word for Mac, but it does with Pages. I’m guessing whenever Microsoft gets around to updating its Office Suite for Mac we’ll see that change.

The result is a nice clean printing of the script with all of the formatting preserved. The eBook now appears in the Books section of your iBooks Library. Although I’ll probably still use the PDF version because it has the same page numbers that the actors will have in their hands. You know that old saying, it’s always good for everybody to be on the same page.

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