Basic Formatting Steps Using Google Docs for Ebook Formatting

I had downloaded and printed the ebook guide on Lulu.com for self-publishing my short stories on this website. I understood everything until how to get the table of contents to upload during this step of the process of submitting my latest short story.

Since I don't have Microsoft Word on my Mac, I was having issues with using Apple's Pages to make that part of the process work. I also don't have Open Office downloaded either which would have worked in place of Microsoft Word.

I went to Google Docs and attempted it there. After having to reformat everything after copying and pasting my short story to Google Docs, I began setting up the headings that are mentioned in the Lulu.com ebook guide.

One thing I should let you know is I figured this out after doing the format that I thought was right the first time in Google Docs. Once I saw the notes after the conversion on Lulu, I realized that I needed to do the following steps to get the conversion to take so I could sell my ebooks through the other outlets on this self publishing site.

Setting the Headings in Google Docs

NOTE: Don't use any of the headings to format the title of the book on the first page of your document in Docs. Bold the title using the tool in the toolbar. Also use the left, center, right, and regular formatting to format the first page where your title, copyright, written by, and any other information on the first page of your ebook.

The following four steps will help you get the basics of your ebook formatted in order to pass the guidelines needed for Lulu.com. These steps may also help with other self publishing sites on the Internet.

Step One: Chapter Title Alignment

Use the left justify to have your chapters and introduction or preface set. This is one thing that I found to work the best to get the Table of Contents to be included in the conversion on Lulu for my ebook.

TIP: Do not use the bold icon on the toolbar for any chapter headings in your ebook.

Step Two: Setting the Heading 1 for the Chapters

NOTE: You can only have three headings in use for your Table of Contents for ebooks on Lulu.

TIP: If you are uploading your document as a book submission, you can use the center align to move the chapter title to the center of the page.

On the Google Docs tool bar, the heading setting is the sixth icon from the left. In the docs normal loading, the heading settings will read "Normal text."

Highlight your chapter's title. Click on the normal text icon and choose heading one for your main chapter title. If you have any subtitles or chapters for each chapter, you will choose heading 2. The same thing will need to be done if you have a third item you want to have listed in your Table of Contents in your ebook on Lulu.

The titles and subtitles will automatically bold your chapters and any subheadings for your ebook. This doesn't include the subheadings for any subsequent text for your chapters in your ebook.

For example, a subheading will be used to show the reader a new section for how to ebooks and cookbooks. In a how to ebook, there would be a heading for materials if you are writing about how to build a dog house. Materials would be a subheading rather than a subchapter.

Step Three: Bolding Subheadings

NOTE: The headings found in the normal text tool will not be used for this portion.

Using the bold, the letter b, on the toolbar, highlight your subheading and click on the letter b to bold. You will need to continue through your document until you have finished all of your bolding; this includes the title of your ebook on the first page if you have it included.

Step Four: Paragraph Indents

NOTE: This step is for those who are wanting to use paragraph indents in their ebooks. This is often used when you are telling a story that has conversations between your characters.

TIP: If you are copying and pasting from another word processor and have set your paragraphs, the formatting will most likely be lost when pasted into Google docs.

TIP: If your ebook doesn't have this, a block style document can be used and upload and this step can be skipped over.

On the ruler above your document, you will see an upside down triangle with a rectangle over it. You will be using the rectangular portion of these two formatting items on the ruler.

Place your cursor in front of the paragraph you want to indent and click. Your cursor should be blinking in front of the paragraph.

Using your mouse, move up to the ruler. Click on the rectangle and drag it over to the fourth, the longest mark between the rectangle and triangle, mark. You will see your paragraph indent to match the indentation you are requiring. You will need to continue through the rest of your document until you have finished the paragraph indentions.