Kindle book formatting tips

Set your paragraph text style to add a 12pt space after. Kindle book formatting and publishing tips 1129 words. Highlight your book title on the list, go to the insert tab, and click hyperlink. This is book is good one but i think reading this book in electronic devices is not seems me satisfied as i read the book on my hand. Formatting your documents for the kindle in 8 steps the. Use microsoft words page break feature to create intentional page breaks for chapter endings and to separate sections as needed. Enter your books trim size, including bleed, into the width and height fields. It does involve jumping a few hurdles, though, and those hurdles are the reason that so many selfpublished. Formatting for the kindle is really plain formatting just like typing on a typewriter, if youre old enough to remember those days. The most common way to create a kindle ebook is to use microsoft word because itread more formatting for kindle ebooks hints, tips and tricks. So, i figured it would be beneficial if i provided a list of exactly what didnt make the cut and what tools or services i still use today to take my kindle publishing to the next. Amazon can automatically convert pdfs into the kindle format, but you get two formatting choices. Book formatting for ebook and print books the creative penn.

Any html tags inside a text file will be ignored and displayed as plain text, showing the actual html code. Mobi format, which is the preferred kindle file format. The bad news for authors is that it is time consuming and tedious, but it is worth taking the time before you publish to kindle or even to reformat a book you have online. How to format your book for amazon kindle using microsoft. There are currently two main formats in use in the industry. Jan 09, 2019 so youve written your manuscript but you have no clue how to format your book for amazon kindle. Ensure you take the time to explore the different options available for formatting your manuscript because a clean design is a vital part of publishing success.

The stepbystep guide to formatting your print book for kdp. Some common formatting issues include wacky spacing, entire sections or chapters bolded and italicized, paragraphs split up, text flowing behind pictures and more. Remember these important tips below to ensure an excellent ebook presentation. See our guides for formatting your manuscript and creating a cover.

Just like too many apps can clutter your phones home screen, an abundance of books can do the same on your kindle. A badly formatted book can draw a reader out of the. Get my free book for a limited time the self publishing blueprint. The good news for authors is that if you have the original word document of your kindle book it is easy to fix the formatting. Now, for me, i prefer to have my book start on the cover. From word to kindle by aaron shepard is a short but reasonably comprehensive guide to selfpublishing on amazon. Paperback manuscript templates amazon kindle direct. How to format your kdp ebook selfpublishing tips youtube. Word2kindle was a integral part in getting my 2nd book framer into publication as its formatting was pretty problematic. Formatting for kindle ebooks hints, tips and tricks.

They saved my book and can certainly do it for yours as well highly recommended. Go to the amazon page of each of your books and copy the url of the page. How to format a book the free and easy way ebook formatting. How to format your book for amazon kindle using microsoft word. You can find a lot more information on creating, formatting, and revising ebooks for our largest retail market directly from amazon. Well in todays video, im going to show you exactly how to format your kdp ebook. You should write your book in word or convert it to an existing source file into word. I hear this very often on kindle formatting forums. The bottom line is, the files that amazon sells to its readers are, by and large, a single file. How to format your book for kindle using microsoft word in. How to format a book for kindle using microsoft word geoff affleck.

If you want your kindle to display every page in the pdf as if it were a graphic, just email. In this free detailed guide, im going to show you how to format a book for kindle for fiction and nonfiction yes, there is a difference when it comes to formatting. Each step is explained in detail, with examples and formatting tips found nowhere else. Its not that hard to format your word document for a kindle ebook if.

How to format an ebook for kindleamazon publishing in under. So youve written your manuscript but you have no clue how to format your book for amazon kindle. Any hard line breaks that you insert into a text file pressing enter will make your text display poorly. Well in todays video were going to cover book formatting for kindle. Tips for formatting the most common mistake new digital publishers make is assuming formatted material will translate to kindle as what you see is what you get. Choose the type of book youre making and click choose file. Turn your completed manuscript into a formatted ebook with kindle create. Apr, 2016 while these are all fairly simple tips, attention to detail goes a long way when formatting books. Open kindle create and click new project from file. Highlight the address, rightclick, and select copy. Under indentation special, set first line indent to 0.

While these are all fairly simple tips, attention to detail goes a long way when formatting books. Many writers use ms word for ebook formatting but this shouldnt be your choice by default. When your book is uploaded, a step 6 magically appears in the kdp dashboard. Jul 31, 2011 from word to kindle by aaron shepard is a short but reasonably comprehensive guide to selfpublishing on amazon. The complete guide to formatting books for the amazon kindle at. Under spacing, set before and after to 0 pt, and line spacing to single.

Jul 14, 2011 yesterday, i managed to get my book properly into epub format. Use two line breaks press enter twice to separate lines of paragraphs. Nov 15, 2019 ms word is a pretty decent word processor, but it should not be used for book formatting. Once your book is uploaded, amazon says upload and conversion successful. It seems that when you set the indent to 0 in word, it doesnt actually set it to 0in, it set it to none. The publishing industry has seen a large number of changes with the advancement of technology. Use words insert function to insert images into your ebook. If youre selfpublishing a novel or nonfiction book, even though its somewhat different from a word scramble book, it involves many of the same formatting features.

They can focus on the words of your ebook instead of the formatting issues. Css, ebook html, ebook tables, html, html tables, kindle formatting, kindle formatting solutions, tables. Word is a great tool to use because its extremely easy to format. Some helpful publishing and formatting tips publishing a book on kindle involves a number of steps not easily found or readily understood by new writers. Dont use your spacebar to add extra spaces or indents. My personal choice for ebook and some print formatting is vellum. Using microsoft word styles to format a book for kindle. By putting in the time and effort, your book will look just as professional as those that are released from a bigname publishing house. Click the format list the dropdown at the bottom of the dialog box and choose paragraph. This book serves as a guide to the process of formatting ebooks that look great on the kindle every time.

The former is the actual, final, encrypted kindle format that is dispensed from the amazon store, to your kindle as a purchased book. How to format a book for kindle using microsoft word. But just specifying the cover isnt going to do that, so i had to add extra code to my html file. I still need to put it on a nook and read through it and possibly get it on my ipad and see if i can read it in ibooks, just to be sure the formatting is good, but a quick skim in adobe digital editions looked promising. 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. In order to sell your book as an ebook, you must first convert your document to a format that can be read by ereaders. But reading pdfs on a kindle requires a little help. List all your books on this page using the normal style. In the page setup section of the layout tab, click size. How to format a paperback book formatting for kindle youtube.

If you are a selfpublishing author who wants to know how to typeset a book, there are plenty of tools and resources available to you. Tips for formatting your book correctly in microsoft word. A badly formatted book can draw a reader out of the story, which is definitely something you dont want to do. By putting in the time and effort, your book will look just as professional as those. Prepare, publish, promote prepare your book format your manuscript ebook manuscript resources ebook file formatting tips microsoft word the initial formatting you chose in word may be slightly altered to conform to kindle device specifications. I like making things simple, so i just think of the kindle book format in eight sections.

Readers can choose to view kindle books in different font sizes, so page numbers, font sizes and margins dont apply. You can format a kindle book yourself and upload it to amazon for no. Nicole rodgers learning the tricks to formatting your documents for the kindle can help you push your writing career to the next level. To keep things organized, tap menu on the top right, select create new. Apr 14, 2015 the good news for authors is that if you have the original word document of your kindle book it is easy to fix the formatting. Its crucial that every part of the book appear in the right order with the right content. Its easy to turn your print book into an ebook with the. Yesterday, i managed to get my book properly into epub format.

I was trying to approach it like a print book, and insert images and special designs, and fixed fonts. Formatting a puzzle book or a workbook for kindle poses several formatting challenges. How do you format a kindle ebook how to write an ebook. If youre trying to publish your first book, it can seem daunting and overwhelming. By colin dunbar in todays self publishing world, its a good idea to have your book available in as many formats as you can.

Book formatting on hugeorange is an affordable and fast way to get your book professionally formatted for print and kindle. Be sure to try it on the different kindle types, and to scroll through every page. In the busy life of an indie author, thats a good thing. And, even if you could, you cant upload that format at the kdp, the kindle digital publishing platform. How to format your book for kindle using microsoft word in 6. Mar 24, 2018 word to kindle formatting magic i will share some kindle formatting tips and also introduce my newest book, word to kindle formatting magic, which is available in both paperback and kindle editions. Formatting for kindle ebooks hints, tips and tricks php. Shepard offers a plethora of handy tips for formatting your document in word, regardless of which version you have. If your kindle book has bullet points, graphics, tables, block quotes or. Our formatting service will make your book look great on any device or trim size, because our graphic designers speclize in book design.

Electronic publishing has made it easier and more acceptable for authors to selfpublish. Every book has standard parts, from the front matter and table of contents to the core matter and the back matter. By implementing the seven tips above, youll develop an ebook that works like kindle owners want it to work. Using these tips will help you create a print book that can easily convert to a kindle ebook. We recommend the following to prepare your manuscript for conversion. How to put free ebooks on your amazon kindle pcmag.

Apr 10, 20 using these tips will help you create a print book that can easily convert to a kindle ebook. Amazon kdp have kindle create, a kindle only formatting tool. Here are several different ways to convert and read pdfs on a. How to format your book for kindle using microsoft word in 6 easy. However, the text formatting the kindle requires can be hard to decipher and even harder to implement. If your kindle book has bullet points, graphics, tables, block quotes or any other special formatting issues, this tutorial may not work for you. Apr 28, 2015 formatting for kindle ebooks hints, tips and tricks posted on april 28, 2015 by paulv no comments v there are a number of articles on formatting an ebook for kindle so i thought i would contribute my thoughts and ideas so far. Styles are simply preformatted settings for your chapter titles, subheadings, second level sub headings, bullet lists, numbered lists and quotes. The sad truth is that if you set your first line indent to 0in in word, you will get indents in your final kindle book. I like my cover, and i want everyone to see it when they start to read the book. How to make an ebook kindle and epub conversion diy book.

These are great tips for anyone that is new or getting use to publishing on kindle. Word doesnt export epub files the most common ebook format, but most digital publishers will. Word to kindle formatting magic i will share some kindle formatting tips and also introduce my newest book, word to kindle formatting magic, which is available in both paperback and kindle editions. Requirements for the kindle book cover image may 10, 2012 by suzanne parrott amazon updated their recommendation 42012 for a books cover file to be 1500 to 2400 pixels with a 1. Ebook formatting tips print books formatting tips formatting services if you plan to publish your book electronically as well as in print, make sure you read the section on ebook formatting below as early as possible. A free stepbystep guide for formatting your paperback manuscript in microsoft. Using microsoft word styles to format a book for kindle before you start typing your ebook you should set up your word document using microsoft word styles. Jun 02, 2015 formatting for kindle ebooks hints, tips and tricks euop posted on june 2, 2015 posted in blogs, your books there are a number of articles on formatting an ebook for kindle so i thought i would contribute my thoughts and ideas so far. When i first started learning ebook formatting, it was frustrating.

How to format and ready your book for the kindle platform. Amazons kindle or kindle app supports not only ebooks, but also pdfs. These tips will help avoid common mistakes in the conversion process. Tips and tricks for writers and authors february 23, 2015 author marketing experts, inc. There are a number of articles on formatting an ebook for kindle so i thought i would contribute my thoughts and ideas so far. The latter, azw3, is a file format, created to emulate whats called kf8, the moreadvanced kindle formatting by a piece of free library software called calibre. Click here to watch my tutorial on how to use vellum to format an ebook and a print 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. If youve written other books, you can include them on. Book formatting tips going from print book to ebook.