A tool to understand ebook quality

Qualebook has launched as a shared, open-quality reference for digital books, designed to support both day‑to‑day production and long‑term skills development across the publishing sector.

Qualebook – “The digital book quality reference list” – is a quality assurance framework created by and for the digital publishing industry, jointly developed within the French Publishers Association (SNE) and EDRLab. It provides 87 concrete rules, derived from the Opquast web quality checklist, that define what a high‑quality ebook should deliver in terms of reliability, usability, and value to readers, libraries, and other stakeholders.

The project establishes a common, practical quality reference framework for digital books, usable by publishers, service providers, platforms and public institutions. It also aims to build a skills ecosystem for digital publishing professionals and to underpin continuous professional development, enabling teams to maintain and improve their competencies over time systematically.

Need, context and approach

Ebook technologies and formats such as EPUB have reached a mature, robust stage, but publishers face increasing external requirements related to regulation, public policy, and societal expectations. To stay competitive while meeting demands for accessibility, environmental impact, data protection, and interoperability, digital production teams must coordinate diverse expertise rather than treating typography, performance, accessibility, eco-design, security, and personal data management as separate silos. Additionally, the rise of AI technologies poses a new copyright challenge, as they often rely on content pirating, making it crucial for publishers to defend copyright and protect original works from unauthorised use.

Qualebook translates these multifaceted requirements into an operational checklist that can be embedded in design, production, distribution and cataloguing workflows. The rules are openly published, available in JSON and CSV formats, and licensed under CC BY-SA, allowing them to be integrated into tools, internal guidelines, training materials, and certification schemes without business limitations.

Expected outcomes and next steps

By providing a shared language and methodology, Qualebook aims to support better decision-making, risk management, and governance across all digital publishing roles, from management to production and QA. This collaborative framework not only facilitates clearer communication among various stakeholders but also fosters a culture of transparency and accountability within the industry.

In the long term, we expect the framework to anchor continuous training and skills certification, helping to cultivate a highly skilled workforce. By offering a structured base for learning paths and resources, Qualebook encourages professionals to stay up to date with the latest developments and best practices in digital publishing. This ongoing education is critical in an ever-evolving landscape, where technological advancements and shifting consumer preferences constantly reshape the industry.

Moreover, by strengthening the overall competitiveness and innovation capacity of the digital publishing ecosystem, Qualebook aims to empower organisations to adapt and thrive in a competitive market. As companies embrace this framework, they can leverage standardised practices to streamline operations, reduce errors, and enhance product quality.

To achieve these outcomes, it is essential for Qualebook to be embraced and implemented by various stakeholders within the industry, including other actors and publishers’ associations. We recognise that collaboration is key to fostering a widespread culture of quality and innovation in digital publishing. Therefore, we are excited to build partnerships and projects with these organisations to ensure that the framework is integrated into their practices. By working together, we can create a more cohesive, robust ecosystem that benefits all players in the digital publishing landscape.

For more information, visit the QUALEBOOK website.