Instead, use the paragraphs settings in the formatting palette in word to set indents to the first line of each paragraph. In this post i explain formatting your word file for. Please follow these steps to learn how to format a manuscript for ebook conversion. Youll save yourself a ton of work and formatting headaches if you set up your formatting before you start writing. My last post led us through the process of getting rid of all the junk, hidden code, and other weirdness. Use styles, not manual formatting, to create your documents look.
In the styles and formatting menu, click the down arrow beside normal, then select your font. This resizes your pages and changes your page count, which you need to know for setting your margins. How to format your book for kindle using microsoft word in 6. There are two main types of ebook standard reflowable formats and fixedlayout formats, and it is important to understand both before deciding which format. Understand the fundamental differences between formatting for an ebook and formatting for hard copy. Selfpublishing on amazon with style kindle edition by mcmullen, chris. Let bookbaby handle your ebook conversion so you can worry about more important things, like writing and promoting. Manuskript fur ein ebook formatierungsleitfaden amazon kdp. How to correctly indent paragraphs for ebook formatting. In word, format the paper using the following settings. It provides all the necessary word skills you need to know, especially the skills for writing a kindle ebook. All of these background elements can alter the look of your ebook once it is published. How to use microsoft word to format an ebook youtube. Using styles also saves you time because you dont have to format the font and spacing for each part of your book.
It is literally the first thing you have to do if you want to publish your book. Youll be doing the actual design of your book in your word processing program, however. Its also easy to save a word file over to a pdf, which is a common file format for finished ebooks. Apr 17, 2012 microsoft word has lots of features that make creating ebooks easy. The first step in turning your publication into an ebook is to decide which ebook format is most appropriate for your project. How to make an ebook kindle, epub and smashwords this is a quick guide to formatting ebooks i hope its useful. You do this using the styles and formatting options in word to tell kindle how you want it to display your ebook. You can do this the debate continues, but im back to tell you yes, you can format and upload your ebook manuscript in microsoft word. How to format your word or pages doc for your ebook.
Some companies use ebook formatting software, which can miss things. But clearly microsoft is diabolical and changed all their formatting in their word program. Paragraphs are the cause of many problems because ebooks need absolute consistency. Special thanks to mark coker, ceo of smashwords for his permission to use material in this post. How to make an ebook kindle and epub conversion diy book. Choose the type of book youre making and click choose file. You can use styles to format an ebook or update its formatting to work on a. Key points for formatting your manuscript in word 1.
How to format an ebook using microsoft word selfpublishing. How to format an ebook using microsoft word step 1. You can use styles to format an ebook or update its formatting to work on a different platform. It will make sure that your document will be clean of background code that can affect fonts, paragraph styles and line spacing in your ebook. While many authors might think that it is difficult or even tiresome trying to get a manuscript passed by smashwords. For your ebook to display correctly on the kindle, you must format your document using the styles and formatting. Each publisher has specific requirements that need to be met to be accepted. Step 2 of how to format an ebook using microsoft word.
And if the book is formatted poorly, it could kill any interest before a single word is read. Enter your books trim size into the width and height fields. You can do it yourself and keep control, or you can hire others to do it for you. If you are planning to sell your ebook on amazon, you can convert epub format into kindle using a variety of converters. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading word to kindle formatting magic. In general, document styles should have paragraphs set for onehalf inch first line indent, single spaced lines and font set to 12point times new roman or its equivalent. Tips for formatting your book correctly in microsoft word. How to use microsoft word to create an ebook pcworld. Formatting is both an art and a science and is the first step in creating an ebook.
From a formatting perspective, while youre writing you must remember two things. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. One of the common questions authors ask me is about how to get the right formatting for an ebook for kindle, smashwords, or draft2digital. You can recognize a paragraph break in word by clicking the show formatting button its that backward p symbol i mentioned earlier. Microsoft word has lots of features that make creating ebooks easy. Theres even a free ebook conversion tool and recommended list of fonts per genre. What you need to know about formatting your own ebook.
A quick guide to formatting your microsoft word manuscript. First, only use the formatting styles youve already set up. These files can be distributed to the widest possible range of retailers, libraries and subscription services, and they are readable on all ebook reading devices and apps. How to format a book for kindle using microsoft word i published my first indie book years ago by uploading a microsoft word document to my kindle account. Step by step instructions for formatting an ebook in microsoft word. How to format ebooks in word selfpublishing advice. Using word styles is the easiest way to prepare your word file before you publish your ebook. The software is excellent, the features are as follows. If youve followed steps 14 carefully and dont have much if any extra special formatting issues such as bullet points, images, tables, etc. They want to make it easy for you to get published, so theyll convert your word document into an ebook epub file instantly. Ive discovered there are a number of things that authors are struggling with when it comes to formatting, so i thought i would share with you some of the questions i see most often asked. Professional ebook formatting is required to get proper chapters tagging, clickable table of content, and a flexible layout compatible with all ereaders. What file size, aspect ratio and file type you will need for your book cover images. Now open word, and this is the scary partclear all formatting.
Ms word is a pretty decent word processor, but it should not be used for book formatting. Most ebook manuscripts are typed using microsoft word. How to format an ebook in microsoft word using styles. How do i remove hard returns from my word document. Still, this hasnt stopped it from becoming one of the most commonly used tools in selfpublishing and the reason why a lot of indie books look terrible. In todays self publishing world, its a good idea to have your book available in as many formats as you can. The most common file format for an ebook is adobe acrobat pdf. Select the calltoaction text, click on the insert tab and click hyperlink. If you have a complex design that includes lots of illustrations, you may wish to use a desktop publishing program such as pagemaker or quark. You need to see the formatting marks, so turn them on, as well as the navigation pane and the ruler, by clicking the backtofront p sign the paragraph symbol used by proofreaders. In this stepbystep video guide, we walk you through formatting a paperback manuscript in microsoft word. Apr 09, 2016 fulfilling some requests on technical questions involving ebooks, microsoft word, and the format of writing in general. There are font sizes larger than 18pt in your document.
However if your ebook does not contain these formatting issues, here are 6 easy steps to turn your microsoft word document into a kindle book. See our separate guides for formatting a paperback in microsoft word for mac and pages for mac. Open kindle create and click new project from file. Top tips for ebook formatting in word learn to view your document correctly. Preparing your manuscript for conversion to standard ebook file formats. Consider cost and timings for publication, as well as options for updates later as there will be an inevitable typo or two. Line breaks, on the other hand, are laughed off by ereaders.
Would i be too dramatic in declaring it the bane of the selfpublished authors existence. When hitting the enter key in word, you are forcing the line to break to the next line. This stepbystep guide shows you how to turn a manuscript written in microsoft word into a file ready to be uploaded to. Open a new word document by clicking the file menu and select new from the dropdown menu. Format in microsoft word and convert to ebook in calibre udemy. Word doesnt export epub files the most common ebook format, but most digital publishers will. Using the styles function in word can help you ensure your books font and spacing is consistent. Importing a document with unnecessary hard returns into our design software will cause formatting issues, such as creating a paragraph where one wasnt intended, and will affect the overall look of your manuscript. The video below will show you how to convert from word. Formatting for the kindle is really plain formatting just like typing on a typewriter, if youre old enough to remember those days. How to format your book for kindle using microsoft word in. On the layout tab, in the page setup group, click size, and then select more paper sizes.
Book formatting for ebook and print books the creative penn. Aug 23, 2017 online retailers provide style guides on formatting your ebook read them. By colin dunbar in todays self publishing world, its a good idea to have your book available in as many formats as you can. This is a short step by step guide to formatting an ebook in a microsoft word document. Free templates and tutorials on formatting your book in word or indesign. Ebook formatting is the preparation of a digital file, to ensure that it meets the publishers requirements and is an enjoyable reading experience. Paragraph breaks are marked by that same backward p symbol. Click the circled p sign to view all the formatting marks in word. In the apply to list, select whole document and click ok. How to format a book in word a stepbystep tutorial. Styles in microsoft word is the easiest way to perfectly format an ebook the stepbystep procedure for using word styles to format an ebook file.
How to format a manuscript for ebook conversion publishdrive. How to format a manuscript for an ebook working writers. Book formatting for ebooks and print the creative penn. Every section you include in your manuscript foreword, dedication, chapters, etc.
The science part is the technical aspect that makes the ebook work as it should and enhances the user experience. It is this latter part we will go over in this step. Free book formatting templates in ms word and indesign. Just uploading an unformatted word file does not give good results.
How to convert a microsoft word document into an ebook using the calibre conversion tool. How to format your book for kindle using microsoft word in 6 easy. The epub conversion process will go smoothly and your readers will be happier, too. The convention in ebooks, as with printed books, is to start a new chapter on a new page and to set the chapter name or number in larger type. The art part has to do with layout and changes that make your book visually appealing. How to format a book for kindle using microsoft word. Getting rid of the junk code requires a solid knowledge in xhtml programming and bundling in epub and mobi formats. If youre patient and willing to format your word document carefully, you can use the automated conversion processes of amazon kindle, smashwords, draft2digital, or similar ebook retailer and distribution services. What if youve already indented every single paragraph in. Choosing an ebook format reflowable or fixedlayout. Beautiful formatting draft2digital easy selfpublishing. The information is specific to the 2016 version of word, but the steps are similar in most versions. Amazons word doc conversion process will create a lovely basic ebook, as long as you format your word doc correctly and do not have a bunch of extra code to. Nov 15, 2019 ms word is a pretty decent word processor, but it should not be used for book formatting.
Previous post how authors can create a basic writing template in word. Theres loads of free, quality software you can use to convert your word doc, rich text file, or pdf into an epub or mobi file. Above is a video explaining the basics of ebook publishing, formatting and conversion. This is a very basic tutorial on formatting a word document to load to kdp for an ebook. How to format an ebook using microsoft word how to write. We will send a pdf proof for approval before printing. Then click the save button, provide the file name and save your document in the desired location. Formatting print books with word selfpublishing advice. How to format an ebook using microsoft word how to write shop. Its not that hard to format your word document for a kindle ebook if you know how. The information we give is specific to the 2016 version of word, but the steps are similar in most versions. Ive discovered there are a number of things that authors are struggling with when it comes to formatting, so i thought i. As well as having a formatting role, they are the key to establishing an easy navigation system for the ebook. We will turn your word document into a beautiful, professionallooking ebook and spare you the frustration of dealing with style guides and pre formatting.
Using the steps in this video you should be able to format for just about any printondemand publisher. Styles are word s way to standardize the treatment and appearance of words, characters, and blocks of text. Standard ebook file formats are the best option for books that contain mostly text content. How to format ebooks quickly and easily in microsoft word, enabling indie authors to produce their own books without additional software or. I started doing ebook and paperback formatting for a small publishing company a couple of years ago and now i also have my own formatting company. You can use the preset styles in microsoft word or modify them for a custom look. Styles are what gives every line in your document their properties. Here i show you how to manage paragraph and heading styles to generate a. Apr, 2016 i started doing ebook and paperback formatting for a small publishing company a couple of years ago and now i also have my own formatting company. How to quickly create an epub file from word jane friedman. Jul 20, 2017 top tips for ebook formatting in word.
The best way to format an ebook is to prepare your word document for ebook publishing by using word styles. Simple ebook formatting using ms word molly greene. This includes kindle direct publishing, ingram spark, book baby, blurb and lulu. Although your word doc formatting looks correct when you use the tab button to indent and the space bar to create multiple extra spaces, etc. Word to epub converter can convert a word file docx or doc directly into a epub format ebook. Make sure you visit the homepage and sign up for the free book formatting templates. Styles are words way to standardize the treatment and appearance of words, characters, and blocks of text. For the stylesheet to work properly and your books formatting to be consistent, you will have to format using general styles instead of using local formatting. How to format your book for amazon kindle using microsoft. You can save periodically to avoid losing your content.
Word is easy to format and manipulate, which is why so many ebook authors choose to use it. Vellum is the single best investment any author can make. To create chapter headings, insert a section break at the beginning each chapter. Word file to print manuscripts on standard computer paper, and youll be able to convert it to an easilyprintable pdf for any readers who prefer that format. Fulfilling some requests on technical questions involving ebooks, microsoft word, and the format of writing in general. How to format a novel in microsoft word selfpublishing. The book is not about how to organize your ebook, but about how to use ms word to write your ebook, and it is superhelpful for formatting the table of contents its a helpful book for ms word beginners.
For an ebook, though, youll want to indent your paragraphs and remove the space between them. How to format your book for amazon kindle using microsoft word in only 30 minutes 0 comments one of the factors that decides whether your book will be successful or a flop on amazon kindle is the formatting. Formatting the parts of an ebook digital publishing 101. These include details of your ebook such as what format it will be, where you plan to sell and promote it, who is your target audience, and other important factors that affect your ebooks success.
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