In my last post, I mentioned that I teach Writing Workshops. Well, this week is all about self-publishing so I thought I'd share one of the documents I created for it. I'm going to work on a more in depth version for the future, but this is skipping the top and not necessarily beholden to a single distributor or program (that's a future post).
Self-Publishing Formatting Tips
Formatting tips:
- Separate documents or save files for ebook and
print (and it helps to keep one file that’s just the text file just in case)
- Take your time. Relax. Maybe do one thing at a
time, like add the header formatting, then take a break and focus on other
bits.
- Don’t forget to include “front matter”. It will
vary depending on the distributor. Read through their guidelines. “Front
matter” is the copyright information as well as the title page.
- 300dpi image for cover – size depends on the
requirements of the distributor – bigger is better and remember a lot of
eReaders only show black and white, not color
eBook:
- eBook formatting can be done in Word
- Strip all the formatting first – copy/paste
entire text into a Wordpad/Notepad (not Word, but the plain text pad) document
to strip all formatting. Copy/paste the text from Wordpad into a new Word
document. (Known as “going nuclear”)
- Styles
are
your friend in Word when it comes to formatting. Create one for chapter
headings and one for main text at a minimum.
- Basic
settings for paragraphs in eBooks:
start with “normal” and then “modify” to:
- Single spaced lines
- Times New Roman, 12pt font
- .3” first line indent
- For first paragraph to make text appear flush: .01” special first line indent (make this a
separate style)
- Header
text
is good around 14pt – can use another font like Arial. Stay away from kooky
fonts
- Add space of 30 or 40pt both before and after
header to keep spacing even and give it a small barrier between the chapter title
and the text
- “insert > page break” at the end of each
chapter
- Do not add page numbers or headers to an
eBook - text needs to be flowable.
- Italics, Bolding, and Underlining can all be
directly done on specific pieces of text – they don’t need a style unless you
prefer it.
- Glyphs as paragraphs breaks add a professional
touch to your ebook, but can be tricky to pull off since you’re almost
inserting a picture into text rather than a symbol.
- Table
of Contents are required and need hyperlinks. There is a two-step
process – first you have to create the links within the pages (highlight the
chapter heading, “insert >bookmark”, name it) and then in the TOC (highlight
‘Chapter One’, etc, “insert > hyperlink > place in this document >
your creatively named link from step one”).
Print:
- Can be achieved in Word with patience and lots
of work (there’s lots of tutorials online including: https://jamigold.com/2015/06/formatting-from-manuscript-to-a-print-book-with-ms-word/
and https://selfpublishingadvice.org/production-6-tips-to-help-indie-authors-format-prints-book-with-word/
and a video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FzvtxK686c&t=1s
)
- Adobe InDesign works well if you have a
non-formatted version of your work (do not use the same file as you did for
eBook or you will be very, very sad). (More on Adobe: https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/using/creating-book-files.html
)
- Look at a print book to help with this stage.
- You should have page numbers and header/footer. This is a professional looking tip.
- What you see is what will print. You can use
fancier fonts in print, but keep them readable.
- Don’t have too many fonts going on: three is
good in general (one for title, one for headings, and one for main text)
- 12pt font is usually good for main text
- 14-16 or higher pt font for headers
- Add space before and after chapter titles
- Generally, do
not include page numbers or header/footer on the first page of a new chapter. Chapters
usually begin on the right page.
This might mean adding blank pages (also without page numbers/headings) to get
it correctly balanced.
- Your left
and right pages with have different headings. For example, the left might
be your name and the right the title of the book. Page numbers can be in the
heading or on the bottom of the page.
- Section
Breaks are important for print formatting in Word.
Posts
Also, these are eBooks only and won't accept a lot of fancy formatting. Even some of the formatting I normally do for Kindle freaks out Kindle Worlds. Downside? It's a Kindle Exclusive. You can't upload those works anywhere else for sale. It's all in the fine print agreement.
The first novella, Splintered Shadow, takes place at the beginning of Season Three, starting with Elena's 18th birthday party. The timing works since (spoiler) Elena's biological father died at the end of Season Two. This is the reason that her half-sister comes to town: to find out what happened to John Gilbert.