Kotobee Author Reviews

“All in one publishing toolkit”

Pros

After working across adult education, Moodle course creation, LMS environments, language learning content, SCORM materials, ebook editing with more than 6000 published titles and managing educational infoproduct websites, this is honestly the most complete technology tool I've ever used! It feels highly versatile and advanced and they keep improving it with new technical capabilities. It's an all in one platform for building smart, impressive books for end users while still being powerful and easy for creators. Another big plus is the Youtube tutorials and the regularly updated documentation which are genuinely helpful.

Cons

Nothing major so far. The only thing I'd like is the option to use it on more devices. There are times when I'm away from my desktop and would prefer to work from my laptop or even my phone. That said I haven't looked into it deeply so it's possible that feature already exists.

“academic ebook freedom”

Pros

I tried all kinds of tools for creating an academic e book and ended up with this one as the final choice. It really feels like a one of a kind platform that gives e book authors a level of freedom I couldn't find in any other similar software!

Cons

While editing I did run into a few small glitches mainly around formatting but they weren't serious enough to become a major problem.

“Gives polished results”

Pros

Getting started with it was very simple and I'm really pleased with how the final product turned out. I also have to mention the customer service which has been excellent especially Nadeen who is always available whenever I need help.

Cons

Honestly I don't have any complaints about it. Even though I had never used this kind of tool before the whole experience was very positive.

“poor communication and unclear products”

Pros

At the beginning creating our interactive eBooks felt simple and convenient.

Cons

However later the biggest problem was how unclear they were about their products along with a serious lack of communication.

“Reliable epub audio”

Pros

Something that really impressed me was the support. I ran into an issue with it on Windows and I got a reply within 24 hours that completely fixed it even though it was Sunday. Based on that experience I can definitely recommend the program.

Cons

I can't point to any negatives. I use it for EPUB files with the audio feature and it does exactly what I need.

“Great support every time”

Pros

Starting off with it is fairly simple. There are plenty of features and settings so learning where everything is can take a little time but the support team has been absolutely incredible. Anytime I got stuck or couldn't work something out they were right there to help. I really can't say enough good things about how responsive and helpful they are :)

Cons

Setting up a hosted library is a little on the pricey side.

“interactive book creation win!”

Pros

There's a really good range of tools for creating interactive and engaging books which makes the whole authoring process much more dynamic and interesting.

Cons

One thing that slows me down is that deleting a photo or video from a chapter doesn't remove it from the file manager. I end up spending a lot of extra time searching for the file and deleting it manually because if I leave it there the book becomes too large to upload.

“Smooth setup”

Pros

This platform has been a great fit for what we need in our upcoming library! It can do so many impressive things and that flexibility has made a big difference for our project. The standout part of the whole experience though has been the customer service. Nadeen is honestly one of the best support representatives I have ever worked with. I've had a lot of questions throughout this process and she has answered every single one thoroughly without leaving anything unclear. We've been working on this project for months and whenever we need guidance or run into more questions she is there to help. I've had more than five Zoom calls with her to go over features in detail and every time she has been incredibly patient, helpful and positive. I really can't say enough good things about her. Having her support during the stressful process of building an online library has meant a lot and I'm truly grateful. The product itself has also been a pleasure to use. It's very user friendly and uploading content and integrating it with our other systems and website has been simple. I'm genuinely excited to start using it even more :)

Cons

At this point we haven't found anything to dislike about it!

“Publishing done right”

Pros

Getting started with it was simple and the layout of the program makes it very clear how the final book will look. It also gives us plenty of ways to add different kinds of interactive elements which has been a big plus for our books.

Cons

Sometimes after an update certain features have disappeared or stopped working properly. However whenever this has happened their customer support has been attentive and quick to respond, reaching out right away and working fast to fix the issues.

“buggy exports”

Pros

One thing I appreciated about it is the wide range of options and customization it offers like being able to edit the EPUB HTML directly and add custom CSS.

Cons

Unfortunately I still haven't been able to get an EPUB export that works properly on popular platforms despite finding those that allow editing features. I've also spent the last three weeks trying to get help from technical support and they still haven't done anything to resolve the problems. Also the software feels very buggy and keeps generating error messages in the HTML code.

“multimedia tools i'm excited about”

Pros

Putting all the multimedia content together feels very simple. The audio sync feature was especially useful and I really appreciated the anchor and linking options along with the quiz tools.

Cons

Crashes happen fairly often which can be frustrating. There were also times when my cover disappeared while I was checking the customization settings. Publishing to Google Play gave me a lot of trouble too mainly because figuring out Google's requirements for targeting and pricing is very confusing. Also not being able to work with Apple at all is a major limitation.

“Simple to work with”

Pros

After looking for years for software that could create multimedia e books I finally came across this one. It was simple to work with and performed really well. On top of that their customer support was outstanding! Very proactive and always available whenever I needed help. I really couldn't recommend it more highly!

Cons

For now I haven't come across anything I would consider a downside.

“easy to install”

Pros

Buying and installing it was very easy and as a solo user I didn't have to deal with any real setup at all. The best part is that it's not a SaaS product. I was able to download an actual application with a one time payment which felt really refreshing. There are optional extra features available through subscription but they're not required to create really good books.

Cons

This is barely even a downside but the purchasing process could be better if it were completely touchless instead of relying on the current manual steps.

“interactive content done right”

Pros

The thing I appreciate most about this software is how well it lets me embed all kinds of interactive content from different sources.

Cons

Like many platforms especially while they're still maturing it does run into issues for users. The part I've enjoyed the least with it is that it can sometimes close unexpectedly.

“Pop ups shine!”

Pros

Being able to use LaTeX natively in my publication has been a big plus and the output looks really good. I'm also a fan of the pop up feature since it lets me hide answers until the learner chooses to reveal them. My only small wish is for the pop up editor to offer a bit more flexibility.

Cons

I'd really like a more effortless way to place two or even three image blocks side by side. I know it's possible because their support team walked me through it before but I've since forgotten the steps and haven't been able to figure it out again.

“flexible ebook powerhouse”

Pros

Putting together interactive e books feels very complete with this system because it already includes just about every tool needed for the job. I really appreciate how flexible the output options are. The finished content can be published in several formats whether as an embeddable resource inside different LMS platforms, as a standalone mobile app or as standard ePub material. Another big plus is how engaging the features are. It supports integrating third party activities into the e book including tools like Hot Potatoes, Eclipse Crossword and Word Search Puzzle Maker. Also with some basic coding it becomes possible to add virtually unlimited materials through HTML5 Package support. Another reason I value this software is that it gets updated quite frequently and those updates usually bring noticeable improvements. Customer support also deserves praise because they offer free one on one demos or tutorials that can be scheduled at whatever time works best for the user. That level of support is excellent!

Cons

The software already covers everything I was looking for in a quality authoring tool but there is still room to improve its offline accessibility to more elements and features. I am not always connected to wifi so when the internet connection is weak or unavailable it can be difficult to keep working on the platform. The good part is that once the connection is back the application automatically syncs and saves the work so nothing is lost.

“excellent features and integrations”

Pros

A big plus is the feature set and how well it integrates with other apps.

Cons

I didn't run into any downsides at this point and the customer support team really seems to value their customers.

“Offline interactive ebook freedom”

Pros

Being able to create interactive ebooks anytime and any day without spending anything is amazing especially since it works offline. That's something I really appreciate particularly during the pandemic when it's so important that learners don't get left behind academically.

Cons

Nothing negative to mention because the system already has everything I need and it feels like a complete package to me!

“affordable pricing”

Pros

Compared with other tools that lock you into ongoing subscription fees this is a much more affordable choice. It's a one time purchase which is a big plus and the support team has been very helpful. The interface is well designed and the software is simple to work with.

Cons

On Android ebooks made with this sofware have to be opened through the reader app. It functions well but it would be better if those epub files were also compatible with other epub reader apps.

“versatile authoring with handy integrations”

Pros

From the start it feels easy to move around in. Its features are simple to figure out and it also supports collaboration along with the use of other helpful applications. Compared with similar tools it stands out because you can run it as a standalone program or integrate additional software as attachments.

Cons

A free version would really help people who want to explore how useful the application is before deciding to pay for the full version.

“Accessible design tools”

Pros

Has been a really solid tool for creating ebooks and e learning content. The features and functions available are very useful and I especially appreciate how well it handles ebook page design whether I need a fixed layout or a reflowable one. I mostly work with the reflowable format since the font sizing stays consistent. Another thing I appreciate is the built in interactive media, like audio, video, simple interactive quizzes and more. All of these functions feel practical and important for e learning. The customization options are also a big plus because they help me improve the look and design of my ebook across different devices.

Cons

A part I like the least is the interactive test section mainly because it does not have equation editing. That becomes a problem whenever I need to add Mathematics questions or content from Science subjects like Physics and Chemistry that involve calculations. I'm still hoping a future update to the software will add equation editing for questions because that would make the interactive tests much more useful.

“Publishing made simple”

Pros

Picture this: one tool that feels as familiar and easy as a word processor yet lets you publish in all kinds of digital formats. That is exactly what the software is! It makes becoming skilled at creating digital documents quick and effortless.

Cons

There are still a few bugs in the system but the tech support team responds quickly and fixes them fast.

“helpful interface”

Pros

The ebook interface language options have been really helpful for putting together an ebook for my learners especially during this new normal.

Cons

It can feel difficult at times but it gets better with practice.

“student-friendly and very usable”

Pros

It's very user friendly and even students can use it without much trouble.

Cons

The downside is the subscription cost and the quiz feature is limited for people using the free plan like I am.

“Feature-rich writing layout”

Pros

Layout felt nicely spaced and organized and there are plenty of features that helped me structure my writing and make it more engaging.

Cons

A big downside for me is that there's no Linux or web client since I usually work across both.