August 18, 2014, Newburyport, MA–Firebrand Technologies, a leading publishing industry technology services company, announced today that FlightDeck, the new EPUB quality assurance tool from Firebrand’s eBook Architects team, has been officially launched out of Beta testing. FlightDeck gives publishers and authors clear and actionable information on the quality and salability of their EPUB 2 and EPUB 3 files.

The FlightDeck web app extensively tests EPUB files, going beyond standard EPUBCheck errors with deeper validation and best practices clearly explained.

FlightDeck’s unique Retailer Acceptance Grid tells users whether their EPUB files will be accepted by eBook partners, including Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, Google, Kobo, and NetGalley. The Grid, developed with direct input from retailers, includes the same validation checks performed by their ingestion systems and will bring potential problems to the forefront before files are uploaded for sale.

FlightDeck also allows users to edit their EPUB metadata, and gives valuable stats and information to production departments about the contents of EPUB files. The FlightDeck Handbook, available to everyone on the website, includes helpful tips and example code for common issues found in EPUB 2 and EPUB 3 files.

During an open Beta period over the last two months FlightDeck has been used extensively across the publishing industry, including individual authors, small and large publishers, freelance eBook developers, and large overseas conversion houses.

Joshua Tallent, Firebrand’s Chief eBook Architect, said, “Our Beta test was an unqualified success, with over 850 users registered and 7,500 EPUB files tested, and we are excited to be able to officially launch FlightDeck. We know that EPUB quality is important to publishers, authors, and retailers, and FlightDeck is the most robust EPUB quality assurance tool available. We look forward to increasing the quality of EPUB files across the industry, creating better reading experiences and minimizing development frustrations.”

Find out more info at eBookFlightDeck.com.

###

About Firebrand Technologies – Founded in 1987, 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. Direct2Reader 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.

About eBook Architects – Distinguished as an authoritative leader in the industry, eBook Architects helps publishers and authors create high-quality eBooks through innovative tools, exceptional teaching and consulting, and award-winning development and design. The eBook Architects team advocates for amazing eBook reading experiences while offering solutions and training to make eBook development less frustrating and more effective.

Contact Firebrand for more information.