Why Twixl Publisher doesn’t support the EPUB format

Twixl recently received a couple of requests from users to ask whether Twixl
intend to add support for the EPUB3 format in the Twixl Publisher product.

Twixl assumes these questions are triggered by the fact that Adobe is pushing
fixed-layout EPUB as ‘the’ solution for users that are left out in the cold
now that Adobe DPS Single Edition is no longer part of Creative Cloud.

The way Twixl sees it, fixed-layout EPUB 3 does not offer an added value
for users that are currently creating content in Adobe InDesign.

Here's why:

• Fixed layout
  One of the drawbacks of using pixel-perfect designs in Adobe InDesign is that
  one needs to create several versions (“renditions”) of your content to support
  different screen resolutions and aspect ratios, from tablets to phones.
  
  Moving to fixed-layout EPUB3 does not solve that problem,
  and then one might as well use a solution like Twixl Publisher to create and publish
  both single- and multi-issue apps, as it offers lots more capabilities built-in.
  Also, having your own app will still provide more visibility than you can
  generate with EPUB publishing.



• Self-publishing
  Sometimes the fact that you can control your own distribution of EPUB files,
  outside of an app environment, is touted as a big advantage. Note, however,
  that although Apple iOS provides a default EPUB reader (the iBooks app)
  that allows you to open EPUB files, there is no such thing on Android.
  
  Some devices come with an EPUB reader out of the box, but many don’t.
  Furthermore, you don’t have the assurance that the EPUB files will be
  displayed in the same way as on iOS, and the behaviour may even differ
  among different Android EPUB readers.
  
  Also, if you are distributing content yourself, and you want to integrate such
  options as payment and entitlement, you’ll have to provide that yourself.
  That way, self-publishing might quickly turn into an expensive support nightmare.
  
  Even if the process of publishing an app on one or more of the App Stores may
  take a bit of time to configure initially, and even if it means Apple or Google get 30%
  of your revenue, the fact that you have your own app provides a much better value:
  you can use the store’s built-in features like payment support, in-app purchases for
  kiosk apps, the integration of print subscriber login, analytics, push notifications etc.



• HTML-based content
  Twixl is convinced that in the long run, in order to be able to easily publish
  to a plethora of devices with different form factors, HTML-based content will be
  the most viable solution. Apps like Flipboard, Zite and Apple’s recently announced
  News app for iOS9 are a testament to that.
  



• Why is Adobe pushing EPUB?
  Because their primary focus is on their publishing solution as a platform.
  Their goal is to tie their customer to the Adobe platform so they can make
  extra money on services in addition to their traditional software products.
  
  As single-issue apps can be published directly on the app stores without
  the need for Adobe’s added services, Adobe are not interested in focussing
  on that type of publication.
  First they only supported it on Adobe iOS anyway, leaving Android out of the loop.
  Recently they stopped supporting single-issue apps as part of a Creative Cloud subscription,
  and now only offer it as part of their expensive DPS subscriptions.
  
  But the low-end (read “unprofitable”) part of the market is asking for an easy solution
  (read “no need to create an app”). This is why Adobe is pushing to export EPUB fixed-layout
  from Adobe InDesign.
  In the end, creating EPUB fixed-layout content will not allow you to become more productive,
  as it will take as much time as you’d need when creating a DPS .folio or a Twixl .publication.