First, before we answer any questions, here’s the most important tip: read an eBook!
For folks who don’t know how line-spacing, font size, pagination, and word-count work in eBooks, I can’t suggest strongly enough that you go to Barnes & Noble or Best Buy or a Mac Store and try out an eReader. Even a little experience with a Kindle, Nook, iPad, Kobo, or Sony Reader will answer 75% of your formatting questions right off the bat!
The top 5 questions about eBook formatting
Question #1: Why are the images in my ePUB file HUGE??
A: Most likely, you didn’t actually resize the images. You probably dragged them into Word and then used the square scroller in Word to adjust the image size. That’s going to create formatting problems. Why? Click HERE to read more about information on why you should resize your images FIRST.
Question #2: Why are the paragraphs and indents formatted weirdly in my ePUB file?
A: You probably used the TAB key to indent paragraphs in your Word document. It’s not as bad as pressing the big red button in the president’s office, but it’s close! If you want your eBook to be as pretty as can be, do NOT use the tab key or 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.
Question #3: Why do my fonts look weird?
A: Most eReaders only play nice with standard fonts. Instead of some whacky font, stick with the basics: Times New Roman or Courier New.
Question #4: Does my file name affect ePUB conversion?
A: Yes. You should NOT leave spaces in your file name. Click HERE to learn why.
Question #5: Why is text near an image displaying in a strange way?
A: You should NOT wrap text around images. All images (except full-page images) should be set in-line with text.
