If your interior is more sophisticated, I’d advise you to hire a pro. Here’s where to access KDP’s Simplified eBook Formatting Guide. The same principles apply: as long as you follow the formatting instructions to the tee, and your book interior is straightforward, Word will suffice. If you’re self-publishing via KDP, Amazon will create a MOBI for you from your word file. There’s further guidance in the Smashwords Style Guide. If your interior is complex, Smashwords will accept EPUB files but they should be professionally designed. Make sure you follow the Smashwords guidelines on preparing your Word file, otherwise your published book will be a mess! Furthermore, you’ll risk not qualifying for inclusion in Smashwords’ premium catalogue, which gets your book in front of some big online retailers including: If you want to publish via Smashwords, Word is the preferred format. Go to to download and install the software. With it you can convert a Word file to an EPUB or a MOBI. It might be that a DIY conversion will suffice, and in that case Calibre could be your friend.Ĭalibre is free open-source ebook-management software. The same applies to commissioning various rounds of professional editing.īut let’s be honest – not every indie author has deep pockets, and some of you will have to make choices about where to invest your budget. How about if you’re making your book available for sale? Should you hire a pro formatter for your ebook interior? Yes, definitely, if you have the budget for it, because a pro formatter will do a pro job. They'll makes notes in the file in preparation for their final report or critique.ĭoing the conversion yourself gives you the freedom to distribute your book without having to jump through the distributors’ hoops. Having your own EPUBs and MOBIs will give you flexibility beyond Word and PDF.Īnd if you're sending your book file for editorial assessment, your developmental editor might prefer to upload your book to their e-reader. The devices your readers own will determine the required file format. Or maybe you want to offer free ebooks for family members and friends. Perhaps you want to send a review copy to a reader who has a Kindle. Is a Word file good enough for epublication? How about a DIY conversion to EPUB or MOBI? It depends on several factors: Once the writing, drafting, editing, and final revisions are complete, it’s time to publish. Pro editors love it for the same reasons.
Many authors create their books directly in Microsoft Word because of its excellent suite of onboard styling tools and its compatibility with a range of plug-ins and add-ins (including macros).
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