Writing a ebook is one factor, however getting ready it for publication is a completely completely different problem. Whereas many completed authors can produce distinctive written content material, they could lack the experience or instruments wanted to format an e-book for numerous digital publishing platforms.
Formatting an e-book requires a eager eye for element to make sure that it seems skilled and interesting for all readers and throughout all studying gadgets. Furthermore, correct e-book formatting could make the distinction between a easy, pleasurable studying expertise and a irritating one tormented by overlapping texts or a poor structure.
If you end up misplaced and uncertain how one can format an e-book, then you’ve come to the appropriate place! On this article, you’ll discover a step-by-step information with suggestions and instruments that will help you remodel your manuscript right into a publication-ready e-book.
Why Ought to You Correctly Format Your E-book?
When you would possibly suppose that the entire function of formatting your e-book is to make it “look good”, there may be much more {that a} well-formatted e-book can do. Listed here are among the advantages of correctly formatting your e-book:
- Higher readability: A well-formatted e-book ensures that your content material flows easily, stopping readers from getting disoriented. It additionally minimizes distractions, permitting readers to soak up data effortlessly.
- Enhanced accessibility: Formatting performs an important function in e-book accessibility. Parts like clear headlines, correct spacing, and easy-to-read fonts be certain that everybody can comprehend your e-book content material, together with these with studying issues akin to dyslexia.
- Adherence to publishing pointers: Totally different publishing platforms have particular formatting necessities that authors should adhere to. For instance, Kindle has particular pointers for parts akin to chapter titles, amongst different issues. So correctly formatting your e-book ensures that it meets these requirements.
- Model recognition: Whether or not you’re an indie writer or a company, you possibly can format your e-book in a approach that displays your model. This may be finished by rigorously choosing the font and colours that align along with your model identification.
Essential learn: E-book Branding: How and Why to Do It
Tricks to Take into account Earlier than Formatting Your E-book
There are two necessary suggestions to remember whenever you begin formatting your e-book. The following pointers will assist you to reap all the advantages a well-formatted e-book has to supply and make your content material look the most effective it may be. Here’s what it’s important to do:
- Hold it easy: Don’t go overboard along with your formatting by including too many fonts or a number of mismatched colours. Not solely would possibly this trigger your e-book to change into cluttered, however it may possibly additionally make it laborious to learn–which defies the entire function of formatting to start with.
- Hold it constant: Having constant formatting all through your e-book may give the ultimate model knowledgeable and cohesive look. For instance, use the identical font and measurement for your whole chapter titles.
Tips on how to Format an E-book Utilizing Kotobee Writer
Whereas formatting your e-book would possibly look like lots of work, utilizing the appropriate instrument will make the method a lot simpler. That’s why, for this part, we’ll present you how one can use Kotobee Writer, the award-winning e-book creator and editor, in formatting your e-book and making it look the most effective it may be. The next step-by-step information will make the method a lot simpler for you. So let’s dive proper in.
1. Choose the Proper Format
While you first open Kotobee Writer, a pop-up window will seem asking you to decide on one of many two accessible layouts: reflowable or fastened. That will help you select the appropriate one in your e-book, let’s first discover the distinction between the 2:
- Mounted structure: This structure acts like a digital lock that retains your e-book content material (textual content, picture, and many others.) in place. Consider it as a conventional PDF the place the pages stay the identical, whatever the display measurement you’re viewing it on. On this case, when a reader zooms in on the textual content, they could must scroll left and proper to have the ability to view the complete web page. This makes the fastened structure excellent for image-heavy ebooks, akin to comics and kids’s books.
- Reflowable structure: If you’d like the position of your e-book content material to regulate in response to the display measurement and orientation, then the reflowable structure is the best way to go. This structure is often used for fiction and non-fiction genres akin to biographies, memoirs, academic books, and enterprise guides. It is very important notice, nonetheless, that for the reason that content material adapts to the display measurement, the variety of pages in your e-book will probably be dynamic.
Essential learn: Greatest E-book Format Format: Reflowable or Mounted?
2. Import Your Manuscript
After choosing a structure, now you can import your manuscript into Kotobee Writer to start formatting. One of many nice options you’ll discover is you can import content material from numerous sources, together with normal Phrase and PDF information, in addition to EPUB and HTML.
The method of importing itself is fairly easy. Right here’s what it’s essential do:
- From the identical pop-up window, click on on Import from the highest bar, then choose a format from the accessible choices.
- Alternatively, you possibly can click on on File from the Menu Bar, choose Import from, then select the kind of file you need to import.
Essential learn: Tips on how to Merge and Mix Ebooks
3. Add the Entrance Matter
The very first thing your readers will see after the ebook cowl is what is called the “entrance matter” of your e-book. This will include many issues, together with the title web page, copyright web page, dedication web page, desk of contents, preface, acknowledgments, and prologue.
Whereas many of those pages are optionally available, the copyright web page and the desk of contents are essential so as to add to the start of your e-book. So let’s discover each of them in additional element.
That is normally one of many first pages authors put of their ebooks. It lets readers know that your e-book shouldn’t be handled as a public area. Whereas it won’t be helpful for the common reader, it protects your e-book from plagiarism and copyright infringement. It additionally offers technical details about your e-book (such because the ISBN, yr of publication, and many others.), which could be useful for librarians, booksellers, distributors, and retailers.
To format this web page in your e-book, add a brand new chapter from the left panel and edit its title to “Copyright Web page”. As soon as your web page is created, you possibly can add the wanted data, which incorporates:
- Copyright discover
- 12 months of publication
- Rights reserved discover
- ISBN (optionally available)
- Disclaimers (optionally available)
- Permission discover (optionally available)
- Credit (optionally available)
- Writer data (optionally available)
Alternatively, you possibly can copy and paste the ready-made template on this article: E-book Copyright Web page: How and Why to Make It (With Templates & Examples)
- Desk of Contents (ToC)
The desk of contents (ToC) serves primarily two functions in ebooks. It exhibits the reader what’s contained in the ebook and what to anticipate whereas studying. Furthermore, a ToC makes it simpler for the reader to achieve particular chapters.
Kotobee Writer lets you add a ToC in three other ways, and these are:
- An autogenerated ToC: This feature lets you mechanically replace your ToC each time you edit, add, or take away any of the chapter titles. All it’s important to do is:
- Click on on Guide Supervisor within the left panel.
- Choose the Desk of Contents tab.
- Test the Autogenerate Desk of Contents web page field.
- Click on on the Title field to insert a brand new title.
- Click on OK, and also you’ll have an autogenerated desk of contents.
- A static ToC: This feature lets you add an editable snapshot of the ToC to a web page of your alternative, with the flexibility to format it as you would like. On this case, your ToC is extra customizable, however it’s important to replace it each time there are any modifications within the chapters of your e-book.
To insert a static ToC, merely comply with these steps:- Click on on the three dashes subsequent to “+New Chapter” on the left panel in Kotobee Writer.
- A Desk of Contents window will open, from which you’ll be able to customise the title of this web page, font, format, and magnificence.
- Click on OK, and a brand new web page with a customizable desk of contents will seem.
- Manually constructed ToC: The final choice lets you’ve full management over the design and content material of your ToC web page. This may be useful if you wish to characterize every chapter with a clickable picture or have a flowery impact, for instance. Right here is how you are able to do that:
- Select the place you’d prefer to insert the desk of contents; then add a listing with the headings of the chapters in your ebook.
- Hyperlink every heading to its related web page by choosing the heading.
- Click on on the Hyperlink icon in the appropriate panel.
- The Insert/Edit Hyperlink window will seem, from which you’ll be able to select To Guide Location.
- Choose the chapter you need to hyperlink to from the Chapter drop-down field.
- Choose the place within the chapter you need the hyperlink to go from the Goal drop-down field.
- You will see that the Starting of Chapter is at all times an choice, adopted by any Anchors you’ve positioned within the chapter.
- Click on Create, and also you’ll have your desk of contents prepared.
Essential learn: The Artwork of Crafting a Desk of Contents in Ebooks
4. Format Your Physique Textual content
As soon as your entrance matter has been formatted, it’s time to maneuver to the center of your e-book. To maintain issues easy, we’ll deal with the primary parts that require correct formatting to present your e-book knowledgeable look and assist your readers simply navigate via its content material. These embody chapter titles and textual content font.
It is rather necessary to appropriately format your chapter titles. Not solely will this make it less complicated in your readers to navigate your e-book, however it should additionally make it a lot simpler to create an computerized desk of contents. Listed here are a number of suggestions for formatting your titles:
- At all times ensure that your chapter title is in the beginning of every chapter.
- Ensure you use heading types; your chapter titles must be H1.
- Including a prefix akin to “Chapter X” earlier than your chapter title is advisable, however not a should. Alternatively, you possibly can write the variety of your chapter on the high of the web page.
- Set the alignment of your chapter title to the heart of the web page.
- Make sure that the chapter title within the left panel matches the one within the content material. You are able to do so by clicking on any of the chapter titles and modifying them.
The font of your e-book must be acceptable in your style and audience. For instance, in case you are engaged on a kids’s e-book, utilizing the default Arial font won’t be the most effective. As a substitute, you need to use extra playful fonts, akin to Baskerville.
It is usually advisable to restrict the variety of fonts you utilize in your e-book to three or 4 fonts most to take care of consistency and coherence. Utilizing too many fonts can create visible litter and distract your readers from comprehending your e-book content material.
Whereas Kotobee Writer presents a wide range of fonts that you need to use in your e-book (which you’ll be able to choose from the drop-down menu on the highest banner), you can too add any font of your alternative. Simply ensure that any font you utilize is licensed for industrial use, to keep away from any copyright infringements.
To be taught extra about including fonts to your e-book utilizing Kotobee Writer, try this assist article: Tips on how to Add New Fonts to Your E-book. And if you need to get a greater concept of how to decide on your font, try this text: Greatest Fonts for Ebooks in 2024.
5. Add Multimedia and Interactive Options
What makes ebooks stand out from printed books is the flexibility to incorporate multimedia parts and interactive options. Including them to your ebook can interact your readers and make them immersed in your content material. Fortunately, Kotobee Writer makes it very simple to realize this purpose. So let’s take a look at how you are able to do it.
Kotobee Writer offers you full management over the photographs of your e-book. By clicking on the picture icon on the appropriate panel, a pop-up window will seem from which you’ll be able to select to add or embed your picture. Furthermore, you’ll have the choice to animate your picture or make it seem in a pop-up window upon clicking on it.
Earlier than you add any picture to your e-book, you will need to be certain that it’s optimized so it doesn’t improve your e-book’s measurement. To know the way you are able to do this, try this text: Tips on how to Optimize Pictures for Your E-book.
Together with movies in your e-book can assist convey your content material to life. And you’ll merely add them in Kotobee Writer by clicking on the video icon on the appropriate panel. A pop-up window will seem; from this window, you possibly can select to add or embed the video of your alternative. You too can customise the structure, design, and settings of your video.
Essential learn: Tips on how to Optimize Movies and Add Them to Your E-book
Similar to the photographs and movies, you possibly can add audio information to your e-book by clicking on the audio icon on the appropriate panel. It will open a pop-up window from which you’ll be able to add or embed your file. You too can select the dimensions of the audio button, and whether or not to autoplay the audio or not.
Essential learn: Tips on how to Optimize Audio for Your E-book
One of many helpful options you can add to your e-book is questions. They are often particularly useful should you’re engaged on a non-fiction or an instructional ebook, as they’ll maintain your readers engaged and centered as they undergo your content material.
Kotobee Writer offers you lots of choices relating to including inquiries to your e-book. You possibly can choose from numerous query codecs akin to A number of alternative questions (MCQs), true or false, or drag and drop. So as to add a query, merely click on on the query icon in the appropriate panel and select your most popular kinds of questions from the pop-up window.
Essential learn: The Energy of Questions in Interactive Ebooks
Why cease at multimedia content material when you possibly can add interactive mini-apps to your e-book? These apps can lengthen the performance of your e-book and enrich the studying expertise of your readers.
Utilizing Kotobee Writer, you possibly can add several types of apps, together with video games and Google Suite apps. So as to add these apps to your e-book, merely click on Customise on the highest panel, then select Mini apps from the left panel.
6. Preview on Varied Gadgets
By now, your e-book is formatted and able to be exported. Nevertheless, earlier than exporting, it is best to preview it to see the way it will look on the assorted gadgets your readers are seemingly to make use of. It will permit you to establish potential formatting points, font readability, picture decision, and some other visible parts that will want changes. It additionally offers you an understanding of how your e-book will seem in several display sizes and facet ratios, guaranteeing that it appears constant and optimized for every platform.
To do that, merely click on on the Customise tab within the high panel, then select the machine you need to preview your e-book on from the dropdown menu within the high proper nook. After getting chosen the specified machine, your e-book will probably be displayed in a simulated view that intently resembles the precise studying expertise on that specific machine. You possibly can then navigate via the pages, zoom out and in, and work together with the e-book as should you had been studying it on the chosen machine.
7. Export to the File Format of Alternative
Right here comes the ultimate step: exporting your e-book to publish it and share it along with your readers. Selecting the best format will depend on many elements, together with the place you propose to publish your e-book, the studying gadgets your readers will probably be utilizing, and whether or not your e-book content material is interactive or static.
For instance, in case your e-book contains many interactive options, select a format that helps interactivity, akin to HTML or EPUB. Furthermore, sure publishing platforms solely settle for particular e-book codecs, such within the case of Kotobee Books the place it solely accepts the EPUB format.
Essential learn: The Newbie’s Information to E-book Codecs
To export your e-book on Kotobee Writer, click on on “Export” from the highest panel, then choose the export format of your alternative, and eventually, click on on the “Create” button. Now you’ll have your e-book file able to be shared along with your readers.
Get Skilled Steerage
In the event you really feel overwhelmed by the data we talked about on this article, we’re right here to assist! The truth is, there are a number of methods we will make this course of a lot simpler for you, and these are:
- A FREE session in your e-book undertaking: Select a handy time and schedule a gathering with one in all our e-book consultants. They can assist you navigate the above-mentioned steps, and reply any questions you will have. All it’s important to do is head to our web site and schedule your free dwell demo.
- Enlist the assistance of our service groups: In the event you want any additional help along with your e-book, you possibly can at all times enlist the assistance of our skilled e-book providers crew. Not solely can they format your e-book for you, however they’ll additionally add any designs you require and assist with publishing it to your platform of alternative.
Conclusion
Formatting your e-book correctly is the ultimate step earlier than sharing it with the world. With the appropriate instruments and steerage, this course of can change into manageable and easy. By following the steps outlined on this information, you’ll be well-equipped to create a sophisticated, skilled e-book that provides an interesting studying expertise on any machine. So get began at the moment, and watch your manuscript remodel right into a superbly formatted e-book that captivates readers in all places.
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