The world of publishing has changed a lot in the last couple of years. 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. 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. Most computers and even mobile devices can open pdf files with a preinstalled pdf reader, so its the most userfriendly format you can have for an e. Most computers and even mobile devices can open pdf files with a preinstalled pdf reader, so its the most userfriendly format you can have for an e book. I made the point that, for my purposes and those of the series, an ebook was an epub file what i called a website in a box. How to selfpublish an ebook in this article, ill go through why self publishing an ebook is a good idea, how to format an ebook for publication, exclusivity vs going wide on multiple platforms, the specific sites available for self publishing ebooks and what information you need, thoughts on pricing, and piracy. To become a successful independent author, you must treat your writing as a business. How to selfpublish an ebook self publishing school. Self publishing fiction is as easy as having a word document and then uploading. Pdf format save the users from the time consuming tasks of reediting the document every time it is shared with another computer.
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. Oct 03, 2017 or do you want to convert your pdf to an editable format. Here is what it really looks like, and why it can cause. Pdf formats, which need adobe acrobat reader to view, is the most common. Smashwords was created by an author mark coker to make it fast, free and easy for any writer, anywhere in the world, to publish an ebook click here to read the profile on smashwords in forbes magazine. Simply provide them with your manuscript word, pdf or indesign format and youll receive your converted ebook in two weeks. How to format an ebook for kindleamazon publishing in. Ebooks are a quick and easy way for anyone looking to become a selfpublished author to get their book out into the world. How to self publish an ebook in this article, ill go through why self publishing an ebook is a good idea, how to format an ebook for publication, exclusivity vs going wide on multiple platforms, the specific sites available for self publishing ebooks and what information you need, thoughts on pricing, and piracy. When you publish your ebook, well automatically add the cover image you provide during title setup. Writing and publishing a book successfully by itself is a challenge but with kindle direct publishing, amazon. Vellum is an allinone ebook development tool for mac users. When it comes to ebooks, as mentioned already, there are many different formats to choose from.
Before you submit your book to kdp, you need to format it so it meets our quality standards. Weve taken all the great aspects of nook press and created one unified experience to make publishing your print or ebook as seamless as possible. I made the point that, for my purposes and those of the series, an ebook was. This article is for writers who intend to sell their book in ebook.
Then within 12 hours for english language books, your kindle ebook will be live in the amazon kindle store. Now, the e book format has taken over as most online book publishers and markets offer mostly ebook options. How to format a word document for ebook selfpublishing. Mar 02, 2016 why a pdf isnt an ebook when i started my series on ebook conversion, the first post was what is an ebook. Pdf formats, which need adobe acrobat reader to view, is the most. As you prepare your ebook, consider whether your content should have a fixed or reflowable format. Publish and sell books with ibooks author apple support. Publishing an ebook means working directly with numerous companies, each with its own formats, rules, and quirky systems.
Many writers struggle with understanding the best format for ebooks. 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. I knew about having to have the right format for an ebook to be on kindle and amazon. Sell your work on or buy the books you need immediately. Dont include your cover image in your manuscript file. How to format an ebook for kindleamazon publishing in under. Nov 15, 2018 ibooks author is a free app available in the app store on your mac that you can use to create and publish ebooks. Most of the times, you can do this through amazon kindle store which offers great features to do it. For maximum exposure of the ebook, however, you should consider uploading the ebook as epub, pdf, or text file to have you digital work available for free on other platforms. Pdf portable document format the most common ebook format is the pdf. For help formatting a quality ebook, see this stepbystep guide. Experienced indie authors often become passionate advocates of one system or another, and some are more accessible and affordable than others. How to format a book when selfpublishing wellstoried.
Jul 20, 2017 there are many different ways for self published authors to format their ebooks, from farming out the task to a specialist formatter, to doing it themselves. Pdf format save the users from the time consuming tasks of reediting the. Learning how to publish an ebook can be pretty painful without the right process. It will help you export the file formatted in words. You can upload and convert your ebook manuscript file from several supported formats. Formatting your word document or rich text file correctly is as important as using good grammar. This video walks you through steps to create files that work to publish an ebook. Use a consistent font size and format for your major headings, and the converter should be able to do the rest. Fiction and nonfiction writers alike can create, print, and sell their books through all major retail channels. Smashwords, one of the e book pioneers and largest distributors of self published ebooks, with more than 125,000 titles from over 40,000 authors, is very much a diy operation. To publish an ebook, start by deciding whether you want to selfpublish, which will be a lot of work, but will give you more control over the process. Smashwords how to publish an ebook with smashwords ebooks. Most publishing platforms automatically remove unwanted space and create flowing text in an ebook file, which is. How to format a poetry book for ebook selfpublishing.
Ebook distributors will often require your file be a certain file type such as. Self publishing a kindle ebook on kindle direct publishing is really easy. Feb 10, 2020 to publish an ebook, start by deciding whether you want to self publish, which will be a lot of work, but will give you more control over the process. Publishing takes less than 5 minutes and your book appears on kindle stores worldwide within 2448 hours. Jan 24, 2017 do you know that you can format your own ebook for kindle publishing in under 10 minutes and save yourself tons of money. Writing an ebook can be a good way to demonstrate your expertise. As a selfpublisher, that first thing you need to do is publish your book. If you see any issues or if your book doesnt look the way you want it to, we recommend converting your pdf to a word document and formatting it according to our ebook formatting guide. Most publishing platforms automatically remove unwanted space and create flowing text in an ebook file, which is perfect for fiction. It can be very frustrating when all your poetry book formatting in microsoft word is stripped. Smashwords how to publish an ebook with smashwords.
There is a wealth of knowledge available online, shared by authors who have developed proven. In this video, i show you exactly how i format my own ebooks. Oct 17, 2016 how to selfpublish and sell your ebooks. There are many different ways for selfpublished authors to format their ebooks, from farming out the task to a specialist formatter, to doing it themselves. Selfpublishing a kindle ebook on kindle direct publishing is really easy. How to self publish a book home self publishing school. We convert every document into pdf to retain the original contents of the file. Since epub is the standard format, most ereaders will display an epub. For the best results, we recommend a microsoft word docdocx or a kpf file created with kindle create. Theres more to selfpublishing than throwing your book up on amazon and calling it a day.
You need to prepare a word document for selfpublishing because over the time you took to write your book, your word file is full of background code. Remember that your word document will form the basis. It includes everything you need to know about making your ebook. Mar 20, 2012 unfortunately, the ebook sales market is fragmented. Learning how to selfpublish a book and getting your ideas into the world is easier than its ever been. To upload your manuscript, it first must be saved in a supported kindle format.
Youll be doing the actual design of your book in your wordprocessing program, however. When the general settings are displayed, change the default page size from letter size to custom size, such as 6 x 9, 5. You can also export epub files that you created in a different program to ibooks author, and then sell them on apple books or distribute them for free. The best format for ebooks guide for self publishing writers. Remember that your word document will form the basis of your ebook. Have you ever had problems using your pdf to publish an ebook. This requires you to complete an online application. A couple of the commenters pointed out that a pdf was also an ebook.
It takes a few minutes to fill in your details and upload your files. Those distribution centers are a bit way off for me right now. We empower you to reach more readers with our professional publishing and distribution tools. So many writers get overwhelmed with the abundance of information about the selfpublishing process, what itll cost, how to do it right, how to come up with a. Go to any website offering a free ebook, and youd usually get the freebie in pdf form. Amazon kindle direct publishing kdp is a free epublishing site that allows you to publish your ebook without paying a single penny to the publisher.
The most common file format for an e book is adobe acrobat pdf. Why a pdf isnt an ebook when i started my series on ebook conversion, the first post was what is an ebook. And just like the epub vs mobi vs pdf battletheres a few angles to consider when choosing the right tool. The epub is an open format that means that is it not owned by any one company or device. Selfpublishing fiction is as easy as having a word document and then uploading. Using the tools in the app, you can add artwork and metadata to a book. Ebook distributors will often require your file be a. From choosing the right format to pricing and promotion, follow these steps to self. Self publish ebooks and paperbacks for free with kindle direct publishing, and reach millions of readers on amazon. Open acrobat distiller, click settings, select edit adobe pdf settings. Do you know that you can format your own ebook for kindle publishing in under 10 minutes and save yourself tons of money. Lets just define selfpublish a little more clearly.
And remember that your ebook can basically be divided into three slices. Here are just a few programs that you can use to format these types of files. Turn your completed manuscript into a formatted ebook with. And weve seen tremendous changes to the ebook publishing format, so keeping up with all the changes in the industry may be a challenge for most people. Turn your completed manuscript into a formatted ebook with kindle create. To format your plain text word document and be ready for uploading to an online ebook publisher, refer to our article on how to format an ebook and how you use styles to make your book absolutely perfect for ebook readers. Publishing an e book can be pretty complicated for inexperienced publishers. Smashwords was created by an author mark coker to make it fast, free and easy for any writer, anywhere in the world, to publish an ebook click here to read the profile on smashwords in forbes. Then, edit and proofread your book, or hire a professional editor to do these tasks. There are plenty of online tools to help with the publishing and distribution process. You can publish your ebook to ibook store for free through itunes connect. The standard format, as recommended by the poshsounding international digital publishing forum is the epub. Or do you want to convert your pdf to an editable format. It takes a few minutes to fill in your details and upload your.