How to write well is not the topic of this tutorial, but obviously it needs to be written. How to quickly create an epub file from word jane friedman. A word doc file formatted for upload to smashwords a cover is not inserted, as you will upload this separately when you publish your ebook. But before you start converting word doc to epub or mobi, make sure your word document is correctly formatted using word styles. How to use microsoft word to create an ebook pcworld. If you know how to click buttons and highlight text, then youre perfect for this job. What file size, aspect ratio and file type you will need for your book cover images.
Would i be too dramatic in declaring it the bane of the selfpublished authors existence. How to convert a word document to epub or mobi for kindle. Certainly some diy authors like to keep to the familiar programs. Here are the basics steps on formatting your manuscript in microsoft word for self publication. Word doesnt export epub files the most common ebook format, but most digital publishers will. The smashwords e bookpublishing service transforms words doc files into the epub, mobi, and other e book formats, but only if you shun text boxes, tables, and other common formatting elements in. Request an ebook formatting quote by clicking the button below. 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. On the layout tab, in the page setup group, click size, and then select more paper sizes. In the upper right corner of this screen find the output format menu, select mobi or epub. How to format your book for amazon kindle using microsoft. The first thing that need to understand when formatting your book for amazons kindle with microsoft word is the following. This article will show you how to create an ebook, specifically, a standard reflowable ebook from an existing word. 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.
Getting rid of the junk code requires a solid knowledge in xhtml programming and bundling in epub and mobi formats. Remember these important tips below to ensure an excellent ebook presentation. Design your ebook in word within word, you can save your file in. How to make an ebook kindle and epub conversion diy book. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. It does involve jumping a few hurdles, though, and those hurdles are the reason that so many selfpublished authors dont have print versions of their books. Then, go back to save as, navigate to the same folder and this time, select the dropdown under the filename and select pdf. The stepbystep guide to formatting your print book for kdp. Build your book format a paperback manuscript word for. 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. Ms word is a pretty decent word processor, but it should not be used for book formatting. Step by step instructions for formatting an ebook in microsoft word. How to format your book for kindle using microsoft word in. And if the book is formatted poorly, it could kill any interest before a single word is read.
In addition to that, some of the original contributors are even generous enough to provide these ebooks in different popular. Although word doc can be used it doesnt mean that word doc should be the first choice. Go to the file menu in word, choose save as, navigate to where you want your document to be saved and save it first as a standard word. All of these background elements can alter the look of your ebook once it is published. On the bookmark window, type toc in the bookmark name field see below. If you are willing to learn some new technology, and you dont mind putting in the time, you can do this for little or no cost. How to format your book for self publication bookstand.
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. This book is a goldmine for anyone trying to learn how to format their own books. How to convert your word document into a kindle ebook. I hope the free resources are useful, but if youre looking for more flexibility and a larger selection of formatting styles, you can upgrade to the epic book design package. This free package of formatting templates is unsupported, and a little dated. You cant do both at once, but you can do one then come back and do the other. Download your free guide 102 pages of pure awesomeness. Beautiful formatting draft2digital easy selfpublishing. On the home tab, in the font group, click clear all formatting in powerpoint. By doing this, your table of contents will be automatically created in your ebook. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Easiest way to convert word doc to epub on the mac.
You dont need any special skills to format your book. Online retailers provide style guides on formatting your e book read them. Kindle formatting secrets that will convert your ebook into a perfect kindle book. Choose the type of book youre making and click choose file. These steps include including setting up the correct trim size, setting up the correct margins, formatting the text, and numbering the pages. 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.
I use heading 2, for heading 1 seems to add an extra empty page at the end of each chapter. In order to turn your book into a functional ebook, your manuscript document. On the home tab, in the font group, click clear all formatting in outlook. Top tips for ebook formatting in word learn to view your document correctly. For an ebook, though, youll want to indent your paragraphs and remove the space between them.
Word to epub converter can convert a word file docx or doc directly into a epub format ebook. How do you format a kindle ebook how to write an ebook. Good formatting in your word document will make your ebook look and read much better for your potential ebook readers. External hyperlinks to websites, social media, andor email. The video below will show you how to convert from word. Above is a video explaining the basics of ebook publishing, formatting and conversion. Using word styles is the easiest way to prepare your word file before you publish your ebook. You can upload and convert your ebook manuscript file from several supported formats. My last post led us through the process of getting rid of all the junk, hidden code, and other weirdness. Click the circled p sign to view all the formatting marks in word. Though the cost was key, the latter is the reason i will use them over and over.
After searching many other companies to transfer my word doc to ebook format there was no question that w2k had both the best price half of the quotes i was receiving from their competitors and the fastest response to my inquiry. The left side menu has several items, but youll only need look and. You should write your book in word or convert it to an existing source file into word. The directions below are for ms word 7 and 10 the most. Understand the fundamental differences between formatting for an ebook and formatting for hard copy. As you prepare your ebook, consider whether your content should have a fixed or reflowable format.
A quick guide to formatting your microsoft word manuscript. Simple ebook formatting using ms word molly greene. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading how to convert your word document into a kindle ebook. 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. Click the insert tab, then click the bookmark button. The information we give is specific to the 2016 version of word, but the steps are similar in most versions. Hit ok to exit back to the main screen and hit convert booksthe convert books window should pop up. This is a very basic tutorial on formatting a word document to load to kdp for an ebook. Turnaround time for your custom book within 7 days 3 days for rush jobs. For the best results, we recommend a microsoft word doc docx or a kpf file created with kindle create. When i try to choose a page size in page set up, 6x9 is not available. Free ebook template preformatted word document what. 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. While there are several excellent ebook writing and conversion apps availablefrom free to hundreds of dollars for every platformmost people still prefer writing in a traditional text editor.
How to correctly format an ebook for amazon kdp with. The software is excellent, the features are as follows. 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. What you need to know about formatting your own ebook.
Formatting a print book for kdp can be learned quite quickly, and you can do everything in microsoft word, or indesign if you want to make it extra professional. Open kindle create and click new project from file. You need to create a different style to define each element. Styles are words way to standardize the treatment and appearance of words, characters, and blocks of text. The most important formatting element is to make sure you use heading 2 for your chapter titles. They want to make it easy for you to get published, so theyll convert your word document into an ebook epub file instantly.
On the message tab, in the basic text group, click clear all formatting onenote. Follow this stepbystep guide to format your manuscript for ebook conversion. In the apply to list, select whole document and click ok. To create chapter headings, insert a section break at the beginning each chapter. In fact, maybe even hide the editing menus for now. Free book formatting templates in ms word and indesign. Its similar to printed book interior design and formatting, but focuses solely on your book in the digital space. You can follow the question or vote as helpful, but you cannot reply to this thread.
I customized this word document easytoread fonts, pretty page numbers, and standard chapter headings so my future ebooks will be a breeze to create. Learn the basics of formatting your book using microsoft word. It is literally the first thing you have to do if you want to publish your book. Enter your books trim size into the width and height fields. What is included in ebook launchs ebook formatting service. Word is a great tool to use because its extremely easy to format.
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