Turning Writing Freeform Larps into an ebook

I've been learning to make an epub file (for e-readers) from an MS Word document using Calibre. I've been asked for an epub version of Writing Freeform Larps, so I thought it was time to learn how to do it.

It turned out to be relatively painless - although I found myself going around in circles several times.

The essentials

So the process consisted of copying the MS Word document I used for Writing Freeform Larps and:

• Replacing the fonts with a simple Arial font - e-readers have their own fonts.
• Removing headers and footers.
• Removing the page breaks and white space I'd inserted to make the pages look right.
• Remove cross-references within the document.
• Review formatting for bullets - my first attempt was a bit weird. I think they're still a little weird, but they're not as weird as they first were.
• Change tables to be in % width rather than an absolute width. (The first time I did this, they were wider than the page, and I couldn't read them properly.)

Then:

• Import the docx into Calibre
• Turn it into an epub
• Email it to my Kindle
• And check

And every time I spot an error, I delete the file from my Kindle, amend the docx and go through the process again. (Happily, this doesn't take long.)

So I think I'm there, and last week, I uploaded the file to Itch.io and DriveThruRPG.

Of course, I now have two versions of Writing Freeform Larps to maintain...

Gaming books on e-readers

I'm not sure how useful an epub version is, as I don't like reading gaming books on my Kindle. I've read a couple (Fate Core and The Esoterrorists), and I found the experience, um, sub-optimal.

E-readers are great for novels and books where you start at page 1 and continue through to the end.

But I don't read RPGs that way. (Does anyone?)

And I don't use my Kindle for reference books. I'd rather have a physical book.

RPGs are full of art, tables and complex formatting - which my Kindle also struggles with. (I don't like reading pdfs, either... Maybe the problem is me?)

What would I want from an e-reader RPG?

When I use my e-reader, I read from start to finish. So, what would my ideal game ebook look like?

First off, it would NOT be a regular rulebook. It’s not something I would expect to consult at the table.

Instead, it would accompany the rules – something to read to introduce the game. Maybe explain the setting and what the characters are supposed to do.

It would cover the main principles and rules of play - but exclude the detailed skill lists and tables. (Reading skill lists, or tables of equipment, is just tedious on an e-reader.)

Maybe it would be free – a promotion piece for a game.

As ebooks are usually read sequentially, I would think carefully about the order in which everything is presented. I would want everything to flow from first principles so it makes sense.

(And now I feel I’ve set myself a challenge. Is it possible to create a good ebook version of an RPG? I want to try.)

What about Writing Freeform Larps?

I hope Writing Freeform Larps makes sense as an e-book. I start the book with the process, then build the rest of the book around that. I have a couple of lists, but they’re tucked away in the appendices and don’t interrupt the flow.

Click here to learn more about Writing Freeform Larps.