E-Book Formatting and Uploading: A Writer's Personal Crib Sheet

By James Gould

You live in the best of times to get your book published. Self-publishing an e-book is a guaranteed and free way to make your creation available to the world without the hassles of finding an agent or publisher.
But maybe you researched the details of how to self-publish and were a bit overwhelmed. I was when I started with my first e-book. But with each of my more than 15 titles, I honed a simplified approach and wrote it down to remember all the little tricks that made the job easier. My own personal writer’s crib sheet.
This book is that crib sheet, with some added explanation, as the original was cryptic notes just for me. Following its guidelines gives a clean, professional look. My book also explains how to use the same finished document (with one minor change) to publish on Apple (an author cannot directly to Apple), Barnes & Noble, Android, etc. using Smashwords.com.
This book also explains how to include photos in your book using a zip file and how to make a high quality cover using your photo and free Picasa software. It tells how to make an interactive html table of contents like you see in the beginning of this book, so readers can click to a chapter without scrolling.
The included DO NOT tips, which I learned the long and hard way, can save you much time and grief.
For all of this, the only software you need to purchase is Word. The book assumes you have some familiarity with Word, but not much. Those fluent in Word can breeze through some of the baby step instructions.
The book also describes the KDP and Smashwords publishing steps, including tips on creating the description, choosing search words and setting the price. It even has a few tax tips for when those royalties start rolling in.
So turn the pages and start publishing.

• Language: English
• Publisher: James Gould
• Release date: Dec 15, 2016
• ISBN: 9781370519835

James Gould

James Gould is a married Boomer, a father, grandfather, motorcyclist, skier, hiker, diver, traveler and lover of Manhattan's culture. After writing as a patent litigator for over three decades, he turned to his longing to pursue non-legal writing.To date he has self-published 15 e-books on Amazon, Apple and Smashwords. The books range from travelogues (available only on Amazon because of their large file size from the many photos), how-to books, short stories, poetry and children's stories.He is now focused on writing screenplays, one of which advanced to the Second Round in the Austin Film Festival contest..

Book preview

EBOOK FORMATTING

AND UPLOADING

A Writer’s

Personal Crib Sheet

By James Gould

© 2016, 2021, 2022 James Gould

Smashwords Edition

Smashwords Edition License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction

Preliminary Warnings to Avoid Grief

Title Page

Copyright Notice

Body of Book

First Step: Add a Chapter Heading

Second Step: Set Text Font, Alignment, Line Spacing

Third Step: Set Paragraph Style

Interactive Table of Contents (TOC)

Adding Photos to Book

Creating a Cover

Uploading to Amazon and Publishing

Formatting and Uploading for Smashwords (Apple and Other Platforms)

Post-Publication

Taxes

On Demand Paperback Publishing

Conclusion

~***~

INTRODUCTION

You live in the best of times to get your book published. Self-publishing an ebook is a guaranteed and free way to make your creation available to the world without the difficulty of finding an agent or publisher.

I failed to find an agent for three of my books after sending dozens of query letters. Maybe my books weren’t good enough. Yet. Or maybe the agent wanted something special, like the one looking for memoirs by prostitute drug addicts.

While I haven’t given up on someday seeing my books in print beyond an Amazon on-demand paperback, until then e-publishing is a welcome alternative to my work gathering dust. And it is an alternative for every writer. For you.

But maybe you checked out Amazon’s kindle website at kdp.amazon.com/self-publishing (no www.) for details of how to self-publish and were a bit overwhelmed. I was when I started with my first ebook. But with each of my more than 15 titles, I honed a simplified approach and wrote it down to remember all the little tricks that made the job easier. My own personal writer’s crib sheet.

This book is that crib sheet, with some added explanation, as the original was cryptic notes just for me. Following its guidelines gives a clean, professional look for the kindle platform. The book explains how to use the same finished document (with one minor change) to publish on Apple (an author cannot directly to Apple), Barnes & Noble, Android, etc. using Smashwords.com.

This book also explains how to include photos in your book using a zip file and how to make a high quality cover using your photo and free Picasa software. It tells how to make an interactive html table of contents like you see in the beginning of this book, so readers can click to a chapter without scrolling.

The included DO NOT tips, which I learned the long and hard way, can save you much time and grief.

For