Creating Perfect Ebooks Using Word Processors

Adobe and other software companies have turned all of us into desktop publishes, with the ability (though not necessarily the knowledge) to turn our work into completed and publishable texts.

Sometimes, just writing the ebook isn't the biggest barrier to creating a good ebook; it's the technological issues surrounding the creation of a PDF file that anyone can read but not change, and the aesthetic issues around creating a book that really looks like a book. But it's not really all that hard once you know what you have to learn.

Fonts and Appearances

Start by using large simple fonts. Readability both on and off your computer screen is critical; you're selling information and it must be accessible. 14-point fonts drawn from standard libraries will always be the best choice, and headers and titles should also be standard fonts rather than fancy ones.

Keep it simple. Don't overuse colors, boxes, graphics, fancy fonts - in fact, simple black and white text using no more than two different fonts throughout the text is the most readable choice.

Learn to use heading styles. Using heading styles gives you several advantages: you'll be assured that your document has a coherent look; you can format and change formatting of the entire document with just one or two simple steps; and most importantly, you can set up your table of contents and other navigational tools simply and efficiently.

This option will be found in different places within different word processing programs, but most hold their style option under the Format menu. Before using sytles, look up instructions on how to use them in Help. Print out this section, and refer to it often when you create your first styles. This is the hardest part of creating a good-looking long document of any sort, but don't give in to the temptation to give up and just format it yourself manually. There are several critical parts of an electronic document that depend on these styles being set up properly.

Page Navigation Formatting

Use automated page numbering and footers/headers. Here, you'll want to check your help files again. Some word processors set these items up on master pages - pages that act as a template for the rest of your document - while others let you set them up on the page where your page numbering needs to begin.

Besides the page number, you should put in two things. First, the chapter name should be included with the number, like this:

Planting Sweet Peas - 34

You can automate this by setting up your header to refer back to the style with a code. In other words, you'll have the option in most modern word processors to not use text, but instead to answer a few questions about how your page number should look. This makes your computer see:

[last header 1 text] - [page number]

and it goes back and fetches that information for each page to display it. Instructions for how to do this will be in your help files as well.

The other part you want to include on every page is a small footer with a link back to your content producer page or another website you want to promote in your ebook. This should appear on every single page, and it should be a live link. If you promote yourself well within the pages of your ebook, it can be a great marketing tool as well as a salable product.

Document Navigation

Create an automated table of contents and index. This is the section that really depends on your header styles being set up properly. You can't do this without styles, but if your styles are created and set properly throughout your document, all you have to do is go to the page where your table of contents or index should appear. Next in most word processors, choose Insert, and look for an option referencing something like Indexes and Tables. Just using the default settings should generate a beautiful table that will update automatically when you change your document. As always, look for further instructions in your Help files.

Other Issues

Don't stress over the cover art. Your ebook is about its content; a catchy cover is not the most important part, as your book is not likely to be on an actual bookshelf. Just use a simple photograph with your title beneath or above it, or just center your title on the page.

While planning the book, also plan how it will fit into your advertising scheme. Not only do you want to be able to distribute this ebook, you want it to work for you in the future, selling other ebooks or driving traffic to your website. While you're still creating your book, plan how your advertising will work with and within it.

Creating the PDF Ebook

If you don't have any other way to do it, you can convert your document to a PDF file using any recent version of OpenOffice, a free office software program available online for download. For your first book, stick with default settings. Tweak them later if necessary - it probably won't be.

Once it's converted, proofread the document carefully. You'll find tha some of your special symbols may not have translated perfectly, or that some of your pages are off in some way. You can go back and replace these items in your word processor document, save, then reprocess the document and proofread again.

There's quite a bit more to creating a really excellent ebook, but these steps will give you good, readable results that are both more usable than most amateur-produced ebooks, as well as books that will work well with your personal marketing plans. At the very least, these tips will get you started on a project that can prove to be very lucrative over the long haul.