What Different Types of Formatting do I Need for my Book?
e-Book Publishing
Unfortunately, there is no one standard for eBooks and it may not get easier anytime soon as various hardware companies all want their own version of an eBook.
Make your life easy and keep it simple! Smashwords http://www.smashwords.com is your best friend in the eBook publishing and distribution world! With no cost to upload or host your book, Smashwords offers consumers multi-format ebooks ready for sampling and purchase on many eBook devices. They are as of the writing of this article:
- ePub
- Sony Reader (LRF)*
- Barnes & Noble Nook
- Apple iPad*
- Kindle (.mobi)
- Palm Doc (PDB
- PDF (Adobe
- Rich Text Format (RFT)
- Plain Text
Note: To be distributed to the above formats, you will need to be accepted into the “Premium Catalogue.” Both the iPad and Sony require that you have an ISBN for your book. Smashwords sells them (at the time of this writing) for $9.95.
Although Smashwords distributes to Amazon, you may want to “opt out” of that distribution channel and DIY directly by uploading your book to the Amazon DTP (Digital Text Platform) http://dtp.amazon.com. Because Kindle users are accustomed to their book arriving directly to their kindle without any effort, many Kindle users do not know that they can email the book to their Kindle, nor do they know that they can download it from their computer to their Kindle via USB. For this reason, I recommend using Amazon DTP, because with this option, users can shop for your book either on their Kindle or their computer and have the book delivered directly to their Kindle. No muss…no fuss. The easier it is for them to access the book the quicker they will click “buy it now.”
Print On Demand (POD)
You should also choose the Print On Demand option for your Paperback or Hardback book. The only two companies I recommend (and for different reasons) are CreateSpace (owned by Amazon) and Lightning Source Inc.
- CreateSpace – Advantage: http://www.createspace.com – They have a user friendly interface and are VERY quick to get you an Amazon page. There is something to be said for this as they are owned by Amazon. Although you can upload your book for free, in the long run it will cost you more so I suggest that you pay the $39.00 for the ProPlan. You will immediately get your money’s worth by the reduced cost of the books. CreateSpace is “forgiving” with its Adobe PDF file type and will accept a cover in RGB color. Disadvantages: (1) Their expanded distribution channel is limited and has restrictions. (2) Cannot POD a hardcover book.
- Lightning Source Inc. (LSI) http://www.lightningsource.com – Owned by Ingram they have the best distribution channel both domestic and international (including Amazon) LSI is used by traditional publishing houses, but what most don’t know is that many of the “vanity” presses today are really subcontracting out your book and having it printed by LSI. Advantage: The quality of their product is consistent and probably the very best your are going to get. Their books are printed in the USA. They print both paperback (a.k.a. Perfect Bound), Hardcover Books with Dust Jackets and Case Laminate. A customer service representative is assigned to you. Disadvantage: (1) The file type that they require is “picky” — an Adobe PDF/ X-1a:2001 (fonts must be embedded) and (2) It costs money to print your title with LSI.
It’s important to point out that LSI is a printer and does not provide author services support (besides, that’s why you have NovelHelp!).
So save yourself a headache and keep it as simple as possible. Smashwords, Amazon DTP, and the POD of your choice.
I am so frustrated (and that is an understatement) with the idea of converting my printed novel into an e-book format. I checked out Smashwords, and read their manual cover to cover. As I read, the tears began to stream until my t-shirt was soaked.
As my background is in traditional publishing, it has been drilled into me the importance of proper formatting. When I read the statement in the Smashwords manual, that “only the author’s words mattered, not the formatting,” I became physically ill.
Yet, I recently purchased a Nook, and have been downloading and studying the formatting of a variety of e-books (from self-publishers to professional publishing houses).
To my delight (and also contributing to my frustration), although the content of the “big publishing houses” vary slightly from the printed version, the traditional print formatting was retained (right and left justified edges, first paragraph non-indented, proceeding paragraphs indented, no space between paragraphs, chapter breaks, etc.).
The other point of frustration is in regards to an ISBN for “each” e-book format. Good Gravy…the thought of purchasing a separate ISBN for the numerous e-book formats is staggering.
There has to be a middle ground. Somewhere between forgoing formatting and being able to reasonably format a “professional” e-book (if a big publishing house can do a professional job of e-book formatting, a smaller houses should be able to achieve the same quality).
Help Novel Help :]
Your devoted friend,
Dee Marie
Author of the “Sons of Avalon” saga
Hi Dee Marie,
Thank you for your comment. I certainly understand your frustration – we live it every day. It is very difficult for some authors to cross-over into the eBook world, especially when they come from traditional publishing where “Book Design” is not only critical, but where artists receive notable rewards for their interior book design.
Please don’t be turned off by the term given by Smashwords, “meat grinder,” which is the name of their conversion software. Software developers come from a different mind-set (and a sense of humor). It is the “software code” that is getting re-arranged, not your words.
Congratulations on your Nook! Has it become “one with you” yet? Our company actually has the Nook, iPad, and Kindle so we can test our formatting. I still come from the “I have to see it, to believe it” when it comes to software and I have over 25 years “battling” software.
It may surprise some, but even books from the big publishing houses can produce terribly looking eBooks as many just convert the PDF file that was used for printing. eBooks have different requirements because the reader can now change the fonts and the appearance of the book for their personal enjoyment. Therein lies the frustration for the book designer. No control.
The absolute, number one secret to having your eBook turn out beautiful is to keep the formatting simple. You can still use professional standards (justified edges, first line of the chapter not-indended, proceeding paragraphs indented, chapter breaks etc. You can still have all those layout features. What you don’t have control over is the font type and you are restricted by the size.
Now for ISBN numbers…many are confused by this. You only need ONE ISBN number for an eBook. ISBN numbers are required for each different “presentation” of the book. For example, a hardback, paperback, audio, eBook – that would be 4 ISBN numbers.
I should have a sample Word for Windows file for Smashwords on this site that you can download. If you can’t find it drop me an email and I’ll send it to you.
Don’t be scared. It’s an exciting new world. The next generation of readers are electronic and they need to read “Sons of Avalon.”
I will “hold your hand” along the way. No fear, my dear.
Hugs, Claudia
a.k.a. NovelHelp