The directions below are for ms word 7 and 10 the most. Jun 29, 2017 the simplest way to format a book is to use the existing templates provided on self publishing websites, or to create a plaintext file which you can format using a dedicated book publishing tool more on formatting tools below. Set your text to doublespaced lines, press enter twice and begin typing your manuscript. There are many options available to authors these days, for both print and ebook formatting. You have now put your book in the correct basic format. Once your book is written and ready for edits and production, the template will come in handy since itll already be in a common format and file for you to start the book production and publishing process. To sign up to sell your books on the book store, set up itunes connect for apple books. Choose a popular format or create your own customized book. The issue with these three sections is that only the story part should have the title and page numbers in the header andor footer. Follow these steps and youll also be able to format your manuscript for many selfpublishing opportunities as well. Build your book format a paperback manuscript word for. Learning how to format a book for publishing is easy, but doing the formatting may take some time.
On the layout tab, in the page setup group, click size, and then select more paper sizes. These steps include including setting up the correct trim size, setting up the correct margins, formatting the text, and numbering the pages. How to format a book for publishing gatekeeper press. Rather than starting from scratch, this guide to indesign formatting will assume youre using one of my indesign book templates. How to write and publish a book yourself selfpublishing cheatsheet how to format your book with free templates how to make a book cover design your own with these free templates. 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. Aug 03, 2017 ricardo fayet of alli partner member reedsy explains the ins and outs of their new tool to help indie authors format ebooks and print books for selfpublishing a simple and free process. Under spacing, set before and after to 0 pt, and line spacing to single. Do the same for any credit text you have at the beginning of the book by selecting the text and then clicking the centred style. Once the file has been inserted, view the page size on your as two pages. We are open and staying safe during the covid19 crisis to make sure your book orders get made. Since this is the nanowrimo month, and im using it to finish this book and blog series on selfpublishing, you can expect a new post tomorrow. Find out more about what we can do for your book below. As youll know, books are typically printed with smaller pages, so if you are selfpublishing the first thing youll need to do is adjust your page size.
Moira allen is the editor of, and has written nearly 400 articles, serving as a columnist and regular contributor for such publications as the writer, entrepreneur, writers digest, and byline. Transform your manuscript into a wellformatted book. Again, avoid the temptation to get too fancy with fonts. If your publisher provides guidelines, their guidelines should supersede these instructions wherever the two are contradictory. How to format a book when selfpublishing wellstoried. Build your book by creating sections and parts from the sidebar. If youre self publishing, itll save you a lot of time and money. Now, select an area of text, such as the title in the image above, and then click on the style and your text will be changed to the new format.
A format used for displaying highly designed books because each page is fixed, like a pdf. If you are a selfpublishing author who wants to know how to typeset a book, there are plenty of tools and resources available to you. Formatting your book for selfpublishing is one of the easiest steps and will save you money. Consider cost and timings for publication, as well as options for updates later as there will be an inevitable typo or two. Generally, keep these three rules in mind while you write so youll have to do less work when its time for book formatting. Enter width and height fields for your trim size with bleed added. Even better the book templates listed in this article are absolutely free.
Jan 15, 2020 once your book is written and ready for edits and production, the template will come in handy since itll already be in a common format and file for you to start the book production and publishing process. Theres more to selfpublishing than throwing your book up on amazon and calling it a day. Aspiring writer, dont neglect the formatting process. Typesetting and formatting your book completelynovel. Its easytouse interface and various templates designed with specific genres in mind make formatting for print and e book a cinch. You can publish to apple books with pages, itunes producer, or our web publishing portal. To become a successful independent author, you must treat your writing as a business. Use the name or pen name here that you want to appear on your book. Then, decide whether you want to publish a digital book or a paperback book, or both. We provide both mobi and epub versions ready for publishing at amazon, nook, smashword, apple, etc. Your books are your products, and to sell well, they must rival books produced by traditional publishers. Before you submit your book to kdp, you need to format it so it meets our quality.
Next, log into your kindle direct publishing account, and upload your book and some cover art. Every section you include in your manuscript foreword, dedication, chapters, etc. Its currently in beta, but will soon be rolled out as completely live. How to format a book the free and easy way ebook formatting.
Sell your work on or buy the books you need immediately. Apr 06, 2017 amazon makes it very simple to format a paperback book for publication, and the process is absolutely free. In a few clicks, it can help you format your title page, table of contents, and individual paragraphs and change your book s look and feel by applying themes. How to write and publish a book yourself selfpublishing cheatsheet how to format your book with free templates. Jane dixon smith jane does my own interior book design for print.
After you format your manuscript in word, add finishing touches with kindle create. Word processors usually default to a4 or us letter size, which is most common for home printing. Mar 23, 2017 writers often obsess about the correct way to format a manuscript before they send it to a publisher. The goal when youre selfpublishing is to always make your book look as traditionally published as possible, so im giving you a stepby0step guide on formatting your novel.
Here are the basics steps on formatting your manuscript in microsoft word for self publication. Writers often obsess about the correct way to format a manuscript before they send it to a publisher. Its fast and easy to independently publish your print book with createspace, your digital book with kindle direct publishing and create an audiobook with acx. Therefore, knowing the proper book format you need is crucial. Most ebook readers also support the pdf and plain text formats. You can learn about the 10 steps to publishing your own book, the six key foundations of marketing, the best way to launch your book, and more. Learn how to format a book for publishing with these tips and resources. Publish your book for free and reach millions of readers. Before, you were at the mercy of your publisher on how your book format looked, but today, you have control over this entire process.
Indent each paragraph onehalf inch, the usual default setting for any word processor. The simplest way to format a book is to use the existing templates provided on self publishing websites, or to create a plaintext file which you can format using a dedicated book publishing tool more on formatting tools below. Amazon makes it very simple to format a paperback book for publication, and the process is absolutely free. Then change the style of the first chapter heading. A socalled industry standard ebook format because it is supported by virtually all publishing industry stakeholders. With amazons self publishing services you can reach millions of readers worldwide and keep control of your work. Interior book design manuscript formatting professionally formatted text is an important part of book design. You can do it yourself and keep control, or you can hire others to do it for you. How to use reedsys book editor to format ebooks and print.
Ebook software can be used to convert ebooks from one format to another, as well as to create, edit and publish ebooks. A clear hierarchy and readable typeface help create a layout that is inviting to your reader. Since im writing this for people who have no budget and have to learn how to do everything themselves, i recommend formatting your book for. If youre selfpublishing, itll save you a lot of time and money. But if your publisher does not provide guidelines, if the guidelines are incomplete or if. Oct 23, 2018 the goal when youre self publishing is to always make your book look as traditionally published as possible, so im giving you a stepby0step guide on formatting your novel. An awardwinning writer, allen is the author of eight books, including starting your career as a freelance writer, the writers guide to queries, pitches and proposals, and writing to. Easily publish textbooks, course materials, and research.
It will help you export the file formatted in words as a professional printready pdf, and it will also be about images and how to prepare them to avoid rejection by the selfpublishing platforms. Fiction and nonfiction writers alike can create, print, and sell their books through all major retail channels. An eyecatching, professional cover design is one of the most important keys to the success of your ebook. However, those page sizes arent standard for the book publishing industry. Press enter twice, and then type by your name here. The following is a comparison of ebook formats used to create and publish ebooks the epub format is the most widely supported ebook format, supported by most ebook readers except by amazon kindle devices. The epub format is the most widely supported vendorindependent xml based as opposed to pdf e book format. Format chapters place your cursor next to the first paragraph of your first chapter and click chapter first paragraph. So when it comes to your book format, youll have to do some research. Ensure you take the time to explore the different options available for formatting your manuscript because a clean design is a vital part of publishing success. This adds a drop cap a large capital letter to the first letter of the first word in a chapter.
Click the format list the dropdown at the bottom of the dialog box and choose paragraph. How to format your book for amazon kindle using microsoft. Preparing your book for publishing step one import your writing. Use these resources and information to format your book and prepare it for its debut. How to format a novel in microsoft word selfpublishing. To publish a book on amazon, start by creating a kindle direct publishing account and formatting your book according to amazons standards. Check out this video walkthrough showing you how i format a book for kindle right on my computer screen. Your book will be divided into three main formatting sections the main one is the story itself, and then there are the mandatory front matter and optional back matter.
How to format a paperback book in ms word for amazon kdp. Ricardo fayet of alli partner member reedsy explains the ins and outs of their new tool to help indie authors format ebooks and print books for selfpublishing a simple and free process. Completelynovel specialises in helping writers create and publish beautiful printondemand books. In fact, you have the final say over everything in your finished manuscript is displayed. Under indentation special, set first line indent to 0. And you will have the ability to transform your manuscript into a beautiful book which is ready to be published. A series of terms is commonly used by libraries and publishers for the general sizes of modern books, ranging from folio the largest, to quarto smaller and octavo still smaller. So, later on, you can select the best practices and which tools to use in your book design. Jul 19, 2019 learning how to format a book for publishing is easy, but doing the formatting may take some time. Many writers use ms word for ebook formatting but this shouldnt be your choice by default. If your book is in separate files, for example each chapter in its own file, you must insert chapter one, then place the cursor at the end of chapter one and insert chapter two, and so on, into the main book file. Nov 15, 2019 ms word is a pretty decent word processor, but it should not be used for book formatting. You can earn more money with completelynovel read our selfpublishing price comparison, here.
If youre contemplating selfpublishingwhether via a printondemand or traditional printerits vital to keep that in mind. If you run your own publishing company and have a logo, use it here but dont bother including the logo of the company that is printing your book. This is the second step youll explore in our free howto guide for self publishing books. The following is a comparison of e book formats used to create and publish ebooks. The size of a book is generally measured by the height against the width of a leaf, or sometimes the height and width of its cover. Nov 01, 2017 since this is the nanowrimo month, and im using it to finish this book and blog series on selfpublishing, you can expect a new post tomorrow. How to format a book for print in adobe indesign make sure to visit the homepage and sign up for the free package of formatting templates. Before, you were at the mercy of your publisher on how your book format looked, but today, you have. While this article attempts to offer standardized recommendations, some editors, agents or publishing. How to format a book for publishing pen and the pad.
For this and more amazing training videos, head on over to ebook publishing school. May 09, 2017 a socalled industry standard ebook format because it is supported by virtually all publishing industry stakeholders. Additionally, take advantage of the great resources provided by gatekeeper press. Sep 06, 2019 vellum is a fantastic app designed specifically to help fiction writers format their books. May 07, 2020 you can create a book in ibooks author in epub. Publish and sell books with ibooks author apple support. As youll know, books are typically printed with smaller pages, so if you are selfpublishing. Historically, these terms referred to the format of the book, a technical term. Mar 18, 2020 to publish a book on amazon, start by creating a kindle direct publishing account and formatting your book according to amazons standards. Book layout book format design a book cover bookbaby. Book formatting for ebook and print books the creative penn.
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