Formatting word doc for ebook

But before you start converting word doc to epub or mobi, make sure your word document is correctly formatted using word styles. Build your book format a paperback manuscript word for. 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. The stepbystep guide to formatting your print book for kdp. The left side menu has several items, but youll only need look and. 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. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. What is included in ebook launchs ebook formatting service. Though the cost was key, the latter is the reason i will use them over and over.

How to make an ebook kindle and epub conversion diy book. Using word styles is the easiest way to prepare your word file before you publish your ebook. The video below will show you how to convert from word. This article will show you how to create an ebook, specifically, a standard reflowable ebook from an existing word. In addition to that, some of the original contributors are even generous enough to provide these ebooks in different popular. Top tips for ebook formatting in word learn to view your document correctly. Click the circled p sign to view all the formatting marks in word. 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 convert a microsoft word document into an ebook using the calibre conversion tool. Beautiful formatting draft2digital easy selfpublishing. The first thing that need to understand when formatting your book for amazons kindle with microsoft word is the following. Although word doc can be used it doesnt mean that word doc should be the first choice. All of these background elements can alter the look of your ebook once it is published. They want to make it easy for you to get published, so theyll convert your word document into an ebook epub file instantly.

The directions below are for ms word 7 and 10 the most. On the layout tab, in the page setup group, click size, and then select more paper sizes. On the home tab, in the basic text group, click clear all formatting. Word is a great tool to use because its extremely easy to format. 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. External hyperlinks to websites, social media, andor email. The software is excellent, the features are as follows. 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. 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. 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. Easiest way to convert word doc to epub on the mac. This book is a goldmine for anyone trying to learn how to format their own books.

Choose the type of book youre making and click choose file. On the home tab, in the font group, click clear all formatting in powerpoint. For an ebook, though, youll want to indent your paragraphs and remove the space between them. Understand the fundamental differences between formatting for an ebook and formatting for hard copy. Getting rid of the junk code requires a solid knowledge in xhtml programming and bundling in epub and mobi formats. Here are the basics steps on formatting your manuscript in microsoft word for self publication. Follow this stepbystep guide to format your manuscript for ebook conversion. This free package of formatting templates is unsupported, and a little dated. For the best results, we recommend a microsoft word doc docx or a kpf file created with kindle create.

Check this quick guide on how to clear formatting in word for pc or mac. My last post led us through the process of getting rid of all the junk, hidden code, and other weirdness. You cant do both at once, but you can do one then come back and do the other. Each of your heading 2 headers will show up in the table of contents toc. Would i be too dramatic in declaring it the bane of the selfpublished authors existence.

Click the insert tab, then click the bookmark button. Download your free guide 102 pages of pure awesomeness. 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 book for kindle using microsoft word in. How do you format a kindle ebook how to write an ebook. You need to create a different style to define each element.

On the home tab, in the font group, click clear all formatting in outlook. Then, go back to save as, navigate to the same folder and this time, select the dropdown under the filename and select pdf. Above is a video explaining the basics of ebook publishing, formatting and conversion. In the upper right corner of this screen find the output format menu, select mobi or epub. How to use microsoft word to create an ebook pcworld.

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. 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. As you prepare your ebook, consider whether your content should have a fixed or reflowable format. Free book formatting templates in ms word and indesign. Its filled with stepbystep instructions, pictures, and a hyperdetailed process for. You should write your book in word or convert it to an existing source file into word. Enter your books trim size into the width and height fields. Word to epub converter can convert a word file docx or doc directly into a epub format ebook. Styles are words way to standardize the treatment and appearance of words, characters, and blocks of text. By doing this, your table of contents will be automatically created in your ebook. On the message tab, in the basic text group, click clear all formatting onenote. Remember these important tips below to ensure an excellent ebook presentation.

Certainly some diy authors like to keep to the familiar programs. What file size, aspect ratio and file type you will need for your book cover images. Formatting a 6x9 book i am trying to set up a 6x9 template for a self published book. The information we give is specific to the 2016 version of word, but the steps are similar in most versions. 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. 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. Learn the basics of formatting your book using microsoft word. In fact, maybe even hide the editing menus for now. To create chapter headings, insert a section break at the beginning each chapter. You can upload and convert your ebook manuscript file from several supported formats. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading how to convert your word document into a kindle ebook.

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. A quick guide to formatting your microsoft word manuscript. 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. These steps include including setting up the correct trim size, setting up the correct margins, formatting the text, and numbering the pages. In order to turn your book into a functional ebook, your manuscript document. Design your ebook in word within word, you can save your file in. What you need to know about formatting your own ebook. If you know how to click buttons and highlight text, then youre perfect for this job.

How to convert your word document into a kindle ebook. Request an ebook formatting quote by clicking the button below. You can follow the question or vote as helpful, but you cannot reply to this thread. This is a very basic tutorial on formatting a word document to load to kdp for an ebook. How to write well is not the topic of this tutorial, but obviously it needs to be written. Step by step instructions for formatting an ebook in microsoft word. This resizes your pages and changes your page count, which you need to know for setting your margins. I use heading 2, for heading 1 seems to add an extra empty page at the end of each chapter. Hit ok to exit back to the main screen and hit convert booksthe convert books window should pop up. Open kindle create and click new project from file. How to correctly format an ebook for amazon kdp with. How to convert a word document to epub or mobi for kindle.

Kindle formatting secrets that will convert your ebook into a perfect kindle book. I customized this word document easytoread fonts, pretty page numbers, and standard chapter headings so my future ebooks will be a breeze to create. 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. On the bookmark window, type toc in the bookmark name field see below. Online retailers provide style guides on formatting your e book read them.

Good formatting in your word document will make your ebook look and read much better for your potential ebook readers. How to format your book for self publication bookstand. 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. How to format your book for amazon kindle using microsoft. Word doesnt export epub files the most common ebook format, but most digital publishers will. In the apply to list, select whole document and click ok. Its similar to printed book interior design and formatting, but focuses solely on your book in the digital space. Find all the books, read about the author, and more.

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. When i try to choose a page size in page set up, 6x9 is not available. Ms word is a pretty decent word processor, but it should not be used for book formatting. Simple ebook formatting using ms word molly greene. The most important formatting element is to make sure you use heading 2 for your chapter titles. How to quickly create an epub file from word jane friedman. The stepbystep procedure for using word styles to format an ebook. And if the book is formatted poorly, it could kill any interest before a single word is read. Free ebook template preformatted word document what. You dont need any special skills to format your book. Turnaround time for your custom book within 7 days 3 days for rush jobs. It is literally the first thing you have to do if you want to publish your book.