How to Publish an eBook

Writing Your eBook

Many authors choose to write in Microsoft Word. The second most-used writing tool is Google Docs. Either one produces a manuscript that can be converted to an eBook. We can provide eBook templates for Microsoft Word and Google Docs. Before you start writing, follow these steps:

How to Publish an eBook: Basic Do & Don’t for eBook Formatting

• Use Heading 1 style for chapter titles.
• Use Normal style for body text.
• Don’t make more styles. They are usually stripped out.
• eBook paragraphs use full justification.
• Use Section Breaks (Word) to start a new chapter.
• Fiction/novels need a Table of Contents.
• Don’t add headers or footers (page numbers) to eBooks.
• Choose the finished size of your book early in the process.
• We have the Word Template(s) to use for your book size.

Sections of an eBook

There are required and optional pages that you can include when you publish your eBook.

• Title page (required)
• Copyright page (optional)
• Before the first chapter optional pages
  • Epigraph
  • Preface
  • Introduction
  • Prologue
  • Foreward
  • Dedication
  • Short Reviews (if you have pre-publication reviews)
  • Table of Contents (required for eBooks, not needed for fiction paperbacks)
• After the last chapter optional pages
  • Acknowledgements
  • Epilogue
  • Afterword
  • Disclaimer
  • Research References
  • About the Author
  • Other Books by the Author

How to Publish an eBook: Setting Page Margins and Gutters

Choose the size of your eBook before you begin writing if possible. Popular sizes are 5″x8″ and 6″x9″ and 8″x10″. There are many more sizes available in both inches and centimeters. Of course, an eBook size doesn’t matter on a phone, Kindle Reader or tablet but every eBook has an option to create a print book from the same copy and then size really matters.

How do you set margins for eBooks?

For eBooks with no illustrations or pictures, there is no “bleed.” This chart shows the margin settings for novels and fiction eBooks without bleed.

Your top, bottom, and outside margins do not have to be the same. For example, you can set the top and bottom margin to 1 inch, and the outside margin to 0.375 inches as long as they all meet the required minimum.

How to Publish an eBook: Fonts and Paragraph Formatting

The fewer fonts and simpler formatting used in a fiction/novel eBook, the better.

What fonts should I use in my eBook?

eBook Fonts: Keep the Fonts Simple

Don’t use multiple fonts and fancy font formatting in an eBook manuscript. KDP will strip out a lot of formatting and change unusual fonts to ‘regular’ ones. If you really want a “fancy” font, make it a high resolution image. If you’re writing a novel or fiction for older teens and adults, those fonts aren’t needed and don’t translate to devices like Kindle Readers or smartphones.

Serif vs Sans Serif Fonts when publishing eBooks

In general, the copy in your eBook can be either serif or sans serif fonts. When you read a newspaper or paperback book, in general, the body text uses serif fonts like Times New Roman (12pt).

A common sans serif font is Arial. Web pages (like this one) often use sans serif fonts. If you’re not sure which to use, look at some eBooks and paperbacks and decide which is easier to read.

How do you format paragraphs when publishing an eBook?

Paragraph Line Height in eBooks

The recommended line height for eBook paragraphs is “1.” You can increase it a little, such as 1.02 (in Word), but most eBooks use “1.” Line height is the space between lines of the same paragraph. This means there is not extra space between paragraphs in eBooks.

Paragraph Indents in eBooks

In eBooks, the first paragraph of a chapter does not indent the first word. All other paragraphs in a chapter do indent the first word of the first line of each paragraph. Looking for a dropcap in an eBook? They’re tricky and generally you don’t add them in Word or Google Docs. They are added during publishing.

Dialogue Formatting in eBooks

Dialogue, where people are talking, is treated like a regular paragraph. Line height remains at “1” and you press ENTER after each paragraph.

How to End a Chapter in an eBook

At the end of a chapter, add a section break in Microsoft Word. (Layout >> Breaks >> Next Page). In Google Docs, choose Insert >> Break >> Section Break next page.