How to find an Apple Mac designer/collaborator?

usignuolo

I am a published author who has recently been working on a new book (humorous) which I envisage publishing in interactive ebook form. This week Apple announced Ibook author software which is a new tool that seems to be very suitable for this purpose. Trouble is it only runs on a Mac and I am a pc user. And so are all my "creative" friends.

I know a couple of Mac users but they are not really suitable to work on a book of humour. I need to find a collaborator/designer who I can work with on, who has a Mac. I could pay expenses and a share of the profits. They don't need to be a creative necessarily but they do need up to date Mac development skills and a sense of humour.

Anyone got any suggestions on how to dig up such a person?

Myser

Try posting on Gumtree as a start.

steve1980

People Per Hour.

pledgeX

Wouldn't be easier to buy one for yourself? I have no idea in the costs involved in hiring someone to do this kind of thing, but I'd imagine it wouldn't be far off the cost of buying a mac. Especially if you're likely to be making more than one book down the line.

Unless the reason you want someone else to do it is that you're not 'creative' enough (I don't mean that to sound offensive!), but from the way you mentioned that you use a pc rather than a Mac, I took this as the only reason you needed someone else to do the work.

usignuolo

Thing is I only just bought quite an expensive PC and upgraded all my publishing software. I am still finding my way around the latest software and the 64 bit version of windows 7. And transferring files. The book will need to be on a PC platform eventually and I would plan to do that - but with the brand new release of the apple software for interactive books, it seemed a better idea to get in a collaborator than try to fill my already over stuffed head with further new information about a different platform!

steve1980

Why don't you partition one of your drives and install the Mac OS of your choice on it then make your computer dual boot.

Darksun

steve1980 wrote: »

Why don't you partition one of your drives and install the Mac OS of your choice on it then make your computer dual boot.

Because Mac OS can't legally or easily be installed on non Apple hardware.

Also to the OP, if you are a professional author then I would seek legal advice before using iBooks - there are certain concerns regarding it's license agreement - http://www.zdnet.com/blog/bott/apples-mind-bogglingly-greedy-and-evil-license-agreement/4360

usignuolo

Yes I am monitoring the license agreement. Apple has recently released a statement saying their ibook author software is proprietary and so only runs on apple macs andbooks built using can only be uploaded to the apple store but insisting they are not after copyright to authors original material. So if you want to develop and sell it anywhere else that is fine too but you just can't do it with their software.

Not sure about partitioning my pc's hd and running apple at this stage, maybe when my new pc has bedded down a bit.

macman

If you are going to use a professional graphic designer to lay out the book for you, then you will find that 90% of them work on Macs.
But they won't work for 'expenses and a share of the profits' (if any)-they'll quote you an agreed fee based on the time and work required.
If you want a proper job doing, you need to pay the going rate.

jaydeeuk1

usignuolo wrote: »

I am a published author who has recently been working on a new book (humorous) which I envisage publishing in interactive ebook form. This week Apple announced Ibook author software which is a new tool that seems to be very suitable for this purpose. Trouble is it only runs on a Mac and I am a pc user. And so are all my "creative" friends.

I know a couple of Mac users but they are not really suitable to work on a book of humour. I need to find a collaborator/designer who I can work with on, who has a Mac. I could pay expenses and a share of the profits. They don't need to be a creative necessarily but they do need up to date Mac development skills and a sense of humour.

Anyone got any suggestions on how to dig up such a person?

:rotfl: Yeah, you'll find that with Mac users.

johnnyboyrebel

macman wrote: »

If you are going to use a professional graphic designer to lay out the book for you, then you will find that 90% of them work on Macs.
But they won't work for 'expenses and a share of the profits' (if any)-they'll quote you an agreed fee based on the time and work required.
If you want a proper job doing, you need to pay the going rate.

I don't know about that, some probably would. i myself am a long time MAC user and graphic design has been part if my day job for years. For a side project I would happily do for share of profits and expenses (I have various side projects in the go regularly which does boost my income)

Having satisfying that OP I don't think this is the type of thing I could do sorry. If you decide to employ a graphic designer then I can recommend a good one. I'm not sure what his take would be on thus payment but the offers there to get in touch with him if you wish.