Simply a book?

Updated App Store Guidelines.

An updated version of the App Store Review Guidelines was released on September 12, 2012. When we create great content and can't wait to get it released into the world of iPads, it's good to be aware of the restrictions and limits that may keep it from being approved by the Apple gatekeepers.

Updated Apple App Review Guidelines now available.

As an Apple developer creating content for the iPad and iOS, you must follow these guidelines that are published to "help you steer clear of issues as you develop your App and speed you through the approval process when you submit it." That's what we all want, no issues and speed to approval!

When logging in to the Apple Developer site, you need to accept the terms of these new guidelines in order to continue. Rather than just hitting the "Yeah, OK, Whatever" button to accept these terms, it is wise to read the fine print.

According to Apple, they view Apps differently than books or songs (which they do not filter or restrict in the same way). Apple states that they "curate" the App Store, allowing entries as selectively as artwork in a gallery. While you may consider your InDesign files to be "artwork" in other ways, once they become a DPS App they are reviewed against many different criteria before being approved and allowed for release in the App Store. Basic functionality requirements like Apps that don't crash, exhibit bugs, or perform as advertised are reasonable and expected as quality control. The limits that Apple puts on violence, pornography, and other objectionable content have been variously criticized as censorship, but those are the rules and you should be aware of them. There are many ways that your App submission may not qualify, and the rejection notice will usually spell this out in detail.

Is your DPS App simply a book?

For those of us creating DPS publications for the iPad, and would like them to be available in the App Store, the "Simply a Book" criteria outlined in Guideline 2.21 is one to pay close attention to.

Apple Developer - App Store Review Guidelines 

2.21

Apps that are simply a song or movie should be submitted to the iTunes store. Apps that are simply a book should be submitted to the iBookstore.

If your publication is just captured as pages to be read, with little or no interactivity included, it may be REJECTED by the Apple App Review Board, or possibly redirected to the iBookstore as a better fit for publishing there. You may get a standard rejection response if there is not enough interactivity, saying that "We found that your app is primarily a book and is therefore not appropriate for the App Store, as noted in the App Store Review Guidelines. Books should be submitted to the iBookstore." 

Advice to overcome DPS Rejection

If this happens to you, all is not lost for your dreams of DPS App publishing. You can appeal the decision, or adjust your content and try again, but remember that each resubmission is re-evaluated against the same Guidelines. 

Advice from the Adobe forums suggests adding more overlays and interactivity to the InDesign files for the DPS App to expand it from mere book status. Buttons and Hyperlinks may not be enough to differentiate your App, so using features that are not available in iBooks such as Scrollable Frames and Multi-State Objects is a good strategy. While it might seem like adding unnecessary bells & whistles to your publication, be sure to consider all of the interactive features in the InDesign Folio Overlays Panel that may be appropriate for your content. Another suggestion from the forums is to appeal to the Review Board by submitting a list of similar apps (with the same level of interactivity) that have already been approved and are in the App Store. This kind of comparison sometimes results in an overturning of the original decision.

Too book-like?

OUCH! To be categorized as "simply a book" is harsh. Have you had a DPS App rejected by Apple for being too book-like? Were you able to successfully revise and resubmit for approval? Share your stories in the comments.