First, please allow me to apologize for my recent absence from posting. In early March, while attempting to add a chat service to one of my other sites, my computer crashed (or more likely, I crashed it). Anyway, I'm thrilled to be back and grateful to my loving ol man for allowing me access to his new laptop to get things rolling again. Thank you for your patience.
Let's talk about converting your manuscript into an e-book. I've recently received numerous e-mails from writers and authors asking me how to create an e-book and some even went so far as to ask me to do it for them--for money. What an easy way to make a buck! But no fear, it's really quite easy and FREE to do yourself.
First off, go to the following linked page at Microsoft and download the free file for creating a PDF file. This is the link:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=4d951911-3e7e-4ae6-b059-a2e79ed87041&displaylang=en
Once you've properly edited and laid out your book, simply save as a PDF. PDF is a fixed format where edits are not allowed. This way, readers are not able to copy or change your work.
An e-book is no different than a traditionally produced book in that it should open as such. For instance, the Bastard Title page, Table of Contents, Introduction, and the beginning of each new chapter should appear on the right side of the open book; the copyright page to the left.
Play with the file until you have the pages in proper order. Quite often, what seems to be the correct layout goes wacky once the file is converted to PDF. You can always re-save again if the pages don't line up correctly for you the first time.
If this is your first book, or you had little success with your first and are attempting another, please consider reading my book, A Book Inside, How to Write, Publish, and Sell your Story. This book explains in detailed and easy-to-comprehend fashion the proper way to layout your book along with many other important facts about publishing.
As always, your comments are welcome and encouraged!
Friday, April 3, 2009
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6 comments:
Creating an E-Book is easy - but perhaps you should consider doing it for pay! (Of course, that would suck up ever more of the time you don't really have...)
L. Diane Wolfe
www.circleoffriendsbooks.blogspot.com
www.spunkonastick.net
www.thecircleoffriends.net
I'd like to add the following comment I received from a subscriber. It's important to know and I thank Al for contributing this information..
Hi, Carol:
I just read your article on creating an E-Book, and I want to clarify something that your readers really should know. PDF files can be edited by another person if the document is not password protected. Let me state upfront that I have not tried Microsoft's free PDF download; I have a full, albeit an older, version of Adobe Acrobat that I've used in the past to convert documents to PDFs. Furthermore, there are two software programs on the market that emulate Adobe Acrobat - the full version, not Acrobat Reader. I may be mistaken, but I believe that these PDF emulator programs have the capability to allow a person to save any PDF document and then make changes to it.
The bottom line: tell your readers to ensure they password protect everything they convert to PDF ... just in case.
Al
Good one again Carol!
Useful information.
I would love to become a publish writer and there is a certain appeal to do it yourself publishing. Technology is a wonderful thing. And I understand about the computer crash. It make sit hard to work around that.
Some good information here. I might consider it.
It certainly can't do any worse than my present publisher. Their marketing is dismal.
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