How to prepare your book manuscript to become an eBookWant to know how to format your Word document before converting it into an eBook?
Curious about the difference between fixed and standard eBook layouts?
Struggling to put images in your eBook?
Here are 10 articles from the BookBaby archives on all things eBook formatting:
1. eBooks 101: Standard Vs. Fixed Layout
2. eBook Formatting: How to Properly Indent Paragraphs
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Can you guess the most common mistake that authors make when they’re getting their manuscript file ready for ePUB conversion?
Thrilling quiz, I know. But here’s the answer: they use the tab key or spacebar to indent paragraphs in a Word document.
You should NOT use the tab key or spacebar to indent paragraphs in your eBook manuscript doc.
The results won’t be entirely catastrophic– the world will keep spinning, but your eBook might come out on the other end looking like a mess.
To make your eBook as pretty as can be, AVOID the tab key and spacebar for paragraph indents. Instead, use the paragraphs settings in the formatting palette in Word to set indents to the first line of each paragraph. The ePUB conversion process will go smoothly and your readers will be happier, too.
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How Should I Justify the Text in My eBook?No, that’s not a philosophical question. I assume you have perfectly good justifications for every decision you’ve made in your writing!
What I’m talking about is the justification of the content (text, pictures, etc.) of your eBook. According to Wikipedia:
In typesetting, justification (can also be referred to as ‘full justification’) is the typographic alignment setting of text or images within a column or “measure” to align along both the left and right margin. Text set this way is said to be “justified”.
In a previous post on the BookBaby Blog, we discussed setting eBook margins. But how should the text within those margins be justified?
We recommend you use left-justification or centered text. This helps ensure that the end user (the reader) can still easily customize their reading experience on their preferred eReading device.
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The short answer: small and uniform!
Unlike with print books, where the margin is bigger on the left or right-hand side of the page depending on which is nearest the spine, eBook margins should be the same on both sides of every page.
We generally recommend that you use .5″ all around. This will ensure that the reader can customize their reading experience without worrying about text loss. When your margins are larger, you risk your book looking like a receipt when it’s displayed on smaller screens.
In some cases margins will be selectable on the device, so the margins you’ve set will be overridden if the reader chooses to do so.
Also, be absolutely sure that all your margins are positive numbers. Negative margins will result in words getting cut off from your book.
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Regardless of the font you choose for your eBook manuscript, once the file is converted to ePUB format, the CUSTOMER will decide which font they want to read your book in. This fact is sometimes frustrating for book designers/typesetters, but it’s great for the end-user– and you!
To ensure maximum readability (across multiple devices, screen sizes, etc.), you will want to eliminate anything in your manuscript that might unnecessarily complicate the eBook conversion process. When it comes to fonts, we recommend that you use only ONE font in your book, and that it be a standard one: Ariel, Times New Roman, or Courier.
Fancy fonts (especially fancy serif fonts) might look great, but oftentimes they are converted into strange characters and symbols. Your eBook could look like a garbled mess. If you’re a font snob, look at it this way:
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[SPOILER ALERT: 8.5 x 11" in portrait!!!].
I’m not a particularly technical person. When I’m involved in a discussion about the ins-and-outs of eBook formatting and conversion my eyes tend to gloss over and the other person’ voice starts to sound muffled and monotone, like the teacher from Peanuts.
So when I first asked an eBook conversion expert what page size I should make my manuscript document before conversion, I was happy to hear a very non-technical answer: “Uhhh, well,… it kinda doesn’t matter!”
You see, there is no fixed pagination with eBooks. The reader gets to customize their font, font size, and spacing preferences– so a book that is 200 pages in print could be
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One of the most frequent questions we get asked here at BookBaby is, “What’s the difference between a fixed layout eBook and a regular eBook?”
A standard eBook (generally in ePUB format) employs real-time flowable text so you can read it on any eReader and adjust the font size and style to fit your reading preferences. There is no set pagination with a standard eBook because the number of words displayed per page can change based on user settings and the screen size of the particular device.
Most eBooks are standard ePUB format (or .AZW– Amazon’s proprietary equivalent). This format is ideal for text-based books and books with small images embedded amongst the text (which essentially creates paragraph breaks).
Whether you’re a rookie or an experienced pro in the eBook world, BookBaby’s newest FREE guide has something for everyone, including: * Proven eBook pricing strategies and tactics. * Why authors can’t skimp on editing or cover design. * How metadata is vital to your online sales success. …and much more. Click HERE to download [...]
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Many writers have their books saved as PDFs. But converting your PDF to ePub can be a pain! No one wants to spend their time removing header and footer options, adjusting the unwrap factor, or correcting page breaks. Writing itself is enough of a challenge, so why not make it easier on yourself and let [...]
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Publishing a book is no longer the only way to get your work distributed worldwide. With eBook distribution available to everyone, the barriers for the distribution of books have been leveled – but now a writer is faced with new challenges that traditionally were the publisher’s, like marketing, promoting, tracking sales… While the eBook revolution [...]
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