Is it hard creating eBooks? Not if you use a service like BookBaby or Smashwords. Just upload your Word file and you're done. The file will be converted to the various formats required for posting to online bookstores such as Amazon or Apple's iBooks and that's all there is to that. However, firm 180g believes it sees an opportunity by providing a Mac-specific solution that goes beyond this by offering dozens of book styles that include features such as drop caps and ornaments.

Users can import a Word document, complete with images, and then employ a full editor to navigate the document and edit the document to fix typos, rewrite a chapter or even start a book from scratch — although isn't this what Word is for? It's also possible to add front and back matter, although again this is typically simply included in the Word file.

What's interesting is that Vellum not only offers some classy templates but provides an instant, as-you-type preview of how an eBook would display on supported devices, making it possible to replicate the reader experience with settings for such parameters as font size and color scheme. Once complete, users can create publications with a single click for sale on a variety of platforms. Vellum itself is a free download and users can import documents, explore styles and use the program's preview to visualize how their book will appear on a range of eReaders. Actually generating a saleable eBook currently costs $24.99 (regular $29.99), with Vellum taking no percentage of sales. Or you can pop for Vellum Unlimited, currently $149.99 (regular $199.99). On the other hand it's up to authors to upload their books to the many available online bookstores, a task that's handled by such services as BookBaby.

Vellum 1.3 extends support from iBooks, Kindle and Nook to Kobo and Google Play. New Part and Volume elements make it possible to organize books in "box sets." Also new is the ability to write books in foreign languages, with automatic chapter numbering for German, Spanish, French, and Italian; the ability to change indentation, hyphenation and justification via a new Body Style Editor; customization of the font used in the Text Editor; and the ability to output generic EPUB files for smaller stores and aggregators.

More information is available on the Vellum site.