Contact: Jeanette Zwart at 646-336-7141 or jeanette@bisg.org

(New York, NY: April 8, 2014) BISG and eBook Architects, a service of Firebrand Technologies, are pleased to announce a major new training and certification program in ebook development. It is intended to provide a high level of professional development for ebook developers, managers, publishing executives, print book designers, and production professionals involved in ebook creation, and anyone else who is interested in the creation of ebooks.

eBook Ninjas™: The Development, Design, and Business of Ebooks brings together BISG, the leading book industry organization for standards, education, and research, with  eBook Architects’ expertise developing complex content including illustrated and enhanced ebooks.

Len Vlahos, Executive Director of BISG, said, “Firebrand in general, and Joshua Tallent in particular, are among the most respected names in the industry, and BISG is thrilled to be partnering with them. eBook Ninjas™ helps BISG achieve its goal of bringing meaningful, quality content to companies and individuals operating in the vast publishing ecosystem.”

Joshua Tallent, Chief eBook Architect at Firebrand Technologies and President of eBook Architects, said, “I am very excited that BISG has partnered with us to take ebook training to the next level. This training and certification program is designed from the ground up to encourage the creation of high-quality, well-formed ebook files and to prepare students for the real-world challenges and rapid changes that are common in digital publishing.”

The training courses will cover detailed information on a wide range of topics including basic and advanced design and development, fixed layout techniques, programming, ebook sales and marketing, and more. The courses will be taught by industry professionals with extensive knowledge and experience in the relevant areas. Certification will be based on tests of relevant knowledge and practical application of the necessary skills. The course content and the certifications will be overseen by an Advisory Council consisting of professionals from across the publishing world.

To enable the greatest level of participation, the program will be offered via webcast in a pilot program of 13 courses that correspond to the Certification in Beginning Ebook Development. The program will start on May 6th, 2014.  Students can register for individual classes or for the full program. Certification will be offered after the completion of the program and will be also open to ebook developers who already possess the skills covered in the course.

More details about class descriptions, instructors, dates, location, and pricing options are available athttp://ebookninjas.com and https://www.bisg.org. Register here.

About the Book Industry Study Group, Inc.
The Book Industry Study Group, Inc. (BISG) is the book industry’s leading trade association for standards,education, and research. The mission of BISG is to facilitate innovation and shared solutions for the benefit of all companies and practitioners who create, produce, and distribute published content, and the organizations that support them. Membership consists of publishers, manufacturers, suppliers, wholesalers, retailers, librarians, and others engaged in the business of print and electronic media. For over 35 years, BISG has provided a forum for all industry professionals to come together and efficiently address issues and concerns to advance the book community. Learn more about BISG at www.bisg.org.

About Firebrand Technologies – Firebrand Technologies (www. firebrandtech.com) is dedicated to providing leading software and services to help publishers achieve success. Firebrand provides steadfast leadership and seamless information flow throughout the publishing process. Title Management Enterprise Software tracks titles from pre-acquisition through post-production, marketing and sales; our Eloquence Metadata Services are the fastest, most accurate and cost-effective way to implement ONIX. With Content Services, publishers manage, store, convert, and distribute final eBook content for discovery and sales. Firebrand eBook design and conversion services leverage the talents of industry leader, eBook Architects, now a Firebrand company. The Direct2Reader platform provides a suite of cutting edge industry applications to help publishers reach directly to readers, through enhanced website development, a Mobile First user interface, and a branded reader app for a platform-neutral, integrated reading experience. NetGalley delivers digital galleys to professional readers.