{"id":1911,"date":"2017-04-07T02:49:10","date_gmt":"2017-04-07T02:49:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pickmyreader.com\/?p=1911"},"modified":"2018-02-06T10:37:59","modified_gmt":"2018-02-06T10:37:59","slug":"ebook-formatting-kindle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pickmyreader.com\/ebook-formatting-kindle\/","title":{"rendered":"E-Book Formatting for Kindle"},"content":{"rendered":"

Are you ready to think about publishing your e-book?<\/p>\n

Assuming you have written your manuscript using Microsoft Word, you’re going to need to make some tweaks which we will outline in full today.<\/p>\n

Often, simply reading a chunk of text like this makes it seem overwhelming. Once you follow and implement, though, it’s not that hard at all.<\/p>\n

Change Document To Plain Text<\/h2>\n

First, you’re going to transfer the words you’ve been slaving over into plain text.<\/p>\n

This will get rid of any hidden formatting glitches that suddenly make your words appear in places on the page you don’t want them.<\/p>\n

We’ll look at performing this basic step on both Mac and PC\u2026 With a Mac, you’ll use Text Edit<\/strong> and on a PC, Notepad<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

1. Open a Blank Text Edit or Notepad Document<\/h3>\n

Mac<\/h4>\n
    \n
  • Click Finder<\/strong> then choose the Applications<\/strong> folder<\/li>\n
  • Scroll down and click\u00a0Text Edit<\/strong><\/li>\n
  • This opens the application icon (a piece of paper and a pen) in the Dock<\/strong>. Click on the icon to open a fresh Text Edit<\/strong> document<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Handy Hint<\/strong>: To find things even more rapidly on a Mac, hit Command<\/strong> and Space Bar<\/strong> together. This brings up Spotlight Search<\/strong>. Enter your search term and you’re away!<\/p>\n

    PC<\/h4>\n
      \n
    • On PCs, the plain text app is called Notepad<\/strong><\/li>\n
    • Click the icon on your desktop and open a new document<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      2. Highlight All of Your Text<\/h3>\n
        \n
      • Return to your original master doc<\/li>\n
      • Click Edit<\/strong> (right at top of screen) > Select All<\/strong><\/li>\n
      • A shadow runs across all of the text<\/li>\n
      • Alternatively, hit\u00a0Command<\/strong> + A<\/strong> (Mac) or Control<\/strong> + A<\/strong> (PC) if you prefer keyboard shortcuts<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        3. Transfer Your Text<\/h3>\n
          \n
        • Click Command<\/strong> + C<\/strong> (Mac) or Control<\/strong> + C<\/strong> (PC) which copies the text onto the clipboard<\/li>\n
        • Move cursor to your blank Text Edit <\/strong>or\u00a0Notepad<\/strong> page<\/li>\n
        • Click Command<\/strong> + V<\/strong> (Mac) or Control<\/strong> + V<\/strong> (PC)<\/li>\n
        • Your text is now on the page<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

          4. Rendering Plain Text.<\/h3>\n
            \n
          • Click Format<\/strong>\u00a0> Make Plain Text<\/strong><\/li>\n
          • All your fonts and formats will disappear leaving just the raw text<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

            Further Formatting<\/h2>\n

            Open a new Microsoft Word document.<\/p>\n

            Don’t worry about the page sizes. Opt for the standard page layout.<\/p>\n

            Now cut and paste your plain text back into this fresh Word document.<\/p>\n

            The text will appear in the font you have set in Word. Use a basic font like Times New Roman.<\/p>\n

            This is now, technically, a clean copy ready to be transferred to Kindle.<\/p>\n

            Save it as KINDLE-<\/strong>booktitle.<\/p>\n

            Now, before transferring to Amazon KDP, the Kindle sales platform, you’ll need to do the following\u2026<\/p>\n

              \n
            • Go through the text and re-insert any formatting that’s been lost like italics or boldface. Don’t mess with the spacings at all at this stage<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                \n
              • Justify the margins. Remember, this document will not appear on Kindle as you see it written on the page. The machinery transfers your text in its own way, so only do the basics and you’ll be less likely to screw up<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                Kindle automatically indents the first line of every paragraph. To keep it simple, justify your margins to the left. In your Toolbar<\/strong>, look for the rows of parallel lines (Align Left, Centred, Align Right, Justified).<\/p>\n

                Highlight all your text then click Align Left<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

                With the justification taken care of, it’s on to some further formatting\u2026<\/p>\n

                  \n
                • Add your front matter like title and copyright information. You don’t need a picture cover inside your document. See Amazon Kindle’s Simplified Formatting Guide for this<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                    \n
                  • Now for the spacing. Bear with us here as the procedure seems strange but it works. Have your text run continuously between each chapter. If a heading within a chapter is at the bottom of the page, don’t move it to the next page. Once it transfers to Kindle, the text will run consecutively. Keep sub-headings close together. Don’t space things out or huge gaps will appear in the Kindle doc. Insert some space between the front pages and between the chapters. When you want a new page, click Page<\/strong> Break<\/strong> at the top of your screen. Alternatively, click Insert<\/strong> > Break<\/strong> > Page Break<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                      \n
                    • Check your spacings by hitting the Backward P in your Word toolbar. You can then see where the page breaks are and make sure they’re all there<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                      Don’t worry about hyperlinking chapter headings. It’s necessary for non-fiction so readers can jump to the required chapters, but not essential with most fiction.<\/p>\n

                      Don’t put page numbers in either.<\/p>\n

                      Save the Word doc as an HTML web page\u2026<\/p>\n

                      Click File<\/strong> >\u00a0Save As<\/strong> > Save As Web Page<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

                      You’ll now have 2 files, your Master and your HTML Web Page Master.<\/p>\n

                      The latter is the one you load to KDP.<\/p>\n

                      First, though, load this onto your Kindle (or Calibre: see below) for a final check.<\/p>\n

                      Read through to monitor all formatting and spacing issues.<\/p>\n

                      Upload to Amazon<\/h2>\n

                      First, if you have any problems, here’s Amazon’s responsive help facility:<\/p>\n

                      kdp-support\/at\/amazon.com<\/strong><\/p>\n

                      Now, go to Amazon’s Digital Text Platform<\/strong>, KDP<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

                      https:\/\/kdp.amazon.com\/self-publishing\/signin<\/strong><\/p>\n

                      If you don’t have a reader account with Amazon, create one.<\/p>\n

                        \n
                      1. Sign in<\/li>\n
                      2. Click Getting Started and FAQs<\/strong>\u00a0> Publish Your Content<\/strong><\/li>\n
                      3. Scroll down to Start Here To Publish Your Content<\/strong> > Enter Your Product Details<\/strong><\/li>\n
                      4. You’ll now arrive at the first page of your dashboard<\/li>\n
                      5. Click Bookmark<\/strong>\u00a0> Bookmark this Page<\/strong><\/li>\n
                      6. Enter Details<\/strong>. The dashboard is your control panel.<\/li>\n
                      7. Add:\n
                          \n
                        • The title of your book<\/li>\n
                        • Add Contributors: this is the name of the author<\/li>\n
                        • Language is self-explanatory<\/li>\n
                        • Ignore ISBN, you don’t need that. As long as all the work is your own, click This is not a public domain work<\/strong><\/li>\n
                        • Target Your Book to Customers<\/strong> comes next. Choose two categories that most closely fit your title<\/li>\n
                        • Search Keywords<\/strong>: Enter up to 7 keywords that relate to your book. Separate each one by a comma. Think carefully as keywords really are central to bringing readers to your book sales page<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
                        • Upload Your Book Cover. Have it ready and waiting on your Desktop<\/li>\n
                        • Enable DRM<\/strong> – click Do not enable digital rights management<\/strong><\/li>\n
                        • Upload Your book file. When you get the green tick and Upload and conversion successful<\/strong> message, click Preview Book<\/strong><\/li>\n
                        • A little screen will open with your Kindle book on it. Go through the Preview<\/strong> window and see how it looks. To correct any spacings, put your original Word Master doc up on the screen, click on the backward P symbol to bring up the tab marks and other indent marks. Go through your Kindle Preview<\/strong> and your Master doc together<\/li>\n
                        • Retransfer your new Word Master to HTML, marked 2-<\/strong>titleoffile so you don’t get it confused with your earlier draft. Browse and upload. Correct again until you’re satisfied. Keep words and headings close together for best results<\/li>\n
                        • Click\u00a0Save and Continue<\/strong><\/li>\n
                        • Verify Your Publishing Territories<\/strong>\n
                            \n
                          • Click Worldwide Rights<\/strong>, assuming nobody holds rights in any other country<\/li>\n
                          • Choose Your Royalty<\/strong>. For a 70% Royalty, charge $2.99 or above. For anything lower, you’ll need to go for the 35% royalty<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
                          • Kindle Book Lending<\/strong>\n