No, you can't create a complex layout for your ebook when you're using one of our writing modes for generating PDF, EPUB, and MOBI ebook files.
However, if you do write your book using one of our writing modes, when you're done writing, you can use our InDesign export feature to create a complex and beautiful book design yourself, or to provide the InDesign files to a professional book designer.
Our thinking here is as follows:
One of the things that makes Leanpub relatively unique as a self-publishing platform is that we facilitate in-progress publishing, where you publish your book chapter-by-chapter, as you write it.
We call this process "Lean Publishing". You can read about it here, and watch a fun video about it here.
(Side Note: Leanpub is also a great platform for publishing completed books! If you're a self-published author, and you've already got your ebook file and your cover image, you can use our Upload writing mode to publish your book on Leanpub any time, and start earning 80% on every sale, in just a few minutes!)
Our opinion is that while your book is still a work in progress, your focus should be on writing, not formatting, and Leanpub's job is to save you from having to do any formatting by providing a simple, robust, readable layout.
When a book is done, you can use our Print-Ready PDF Export feature to produce the PDF file you will need to sell your book in print by using a Print-On-Demand service, such as Amazon KDP and IngramSpark.
One final note: we actually do allow the customization of layouts through the use of a "Custom Book Theme", which you can set up and save, so you can apply it to other books. For more information about Leanpub's book "Themes", please see this article.
OK, that's it!
If you have any questions or thoughts on writing and self-publishing with Leanpub, please join our global community of authors in our Authors Forum here!
Are you looking for great deals on Leanpub ebooks, ebook bundles, and courses? Sign up for our Weekly and Monthly newsletter sales here!