Formatting a book for lulu

Turn your print book into an ebook in 8 simple steps. Book layout book format design a book cover bookbaby. Good formatting and a great cover design bring it all together and theyre the goto guys for all your book formatting and cover design needs. Lulu accepts only 3 fonts arial, times new roman and garamond. General tips for book formatting in word all stand. Featuring guides, howtos, and frequently asked questions about using lulu to buy books, print, and publish. Traditional comic book size with paperback and hardcover options. Word2kindle was a integral part in getting my 2nd book framer into publication as its formatting was pretty problematic.

I wont go over the basics of how to format a book for publishing, since i covered it all in a post from last year. Every section you include in your manuscript foreword, dedication, chapters, etc. The goal when youre selfpublishing is to always make your book look as traditionally published as possible, so im giving you a stepby0step guide on formatting. Even with thinner books, though, it doesnt hurt to account for the fact that the binding will eat up some of the page. Formatting your book for lulu or createspace by moira allen. Typesetting and formatting your book completelynovel. Lulu creating a full cover getting your book published. Over the years, we here at lulu have done our best to demystify the book publishing process. Lulu will take your book files and sell your book without paying you any royalties. But the design of the pages inside those covers have just as much impact and require the same amount of careful consideration. May 04, 2016 stepbystep instructions for publishing a paperback book using the online tools at lulu.

A good, basic page layout is to leave 34inch margins on the outside edges and allow a 1inch margin. March 23, 2018 give your fans the options they deserve. I highly recommend format your print book with createspace and lulu, using microsoft word. Moira allen is the editor of, and has written nearly 400 articles, serving as a columnist and regular contributor for such publications as the writer, entrepreneur, writers digest, and byline. How to format a novel in microsoft word selfpublishing. Because of format your print book, i developed the knowhow and confidence to self publish with createspace without the paid services of a formatting expert. But unless you know how to lay out a book, and how to achieve the results you want in your word processor, the result wont do your writing justice. Nonfiction book formatting for microsoft word lulu blog. M y book formatting and layout services are designed to assist authors and small publishers in transforming their manuscripts to professionally formatted books ready for printondemand publication. For the first time selfpublished authors, there is no end to pitfalls, scams, and abusers who prey on the. The blank templates have the page size and margins set. Sep 04, 2019 while id used vellum to create ebooks before, the release of vellum 2.

Create your book in five steps with our easytouse online tools. This is the printondemand service called lulu xpress, which prints and ships a. You can use it to create beautiful ebooks and print. You can earn more money with completelynovel read our selfpublishing price comparison, here. Stepbystep instructions for publishing a paperback book using the online tools at. A formatting guide to help create a print ready pdf. Five things you need to know about page layout before you self. Well have it back up and running as soon as possible. Top 10 selfpublishing companies for firsttime authors editage. Looking at a book off a bookstore shelf, its easy to miss the amount of work and time that goes into designing those pages. Selfpublishing on the lulu platform is straightforward and their process is similar to kdp, with some technical formatting differences. I do formatting and convert books to kindle and epub using files like pdf, word, indesign, etc. Jan 18, 2018 if youve selfpublished a book, youre familiar with the many challenges of book design.

If youve selfpublished a book, youre familiar with the many challenges of book design. Aug 21, 2017 lulu will take your book files and sell your book without paying you any royalties. Completelynovel specialises in helping writers create and publish beautiful printondemand books. But for nonfiction in particular, there are a few specific considerations. They saved my book and can certainly do it for yours as well highly recommended. Ive been using it to make copies of books for gifts. Get the low down on using template and designing like a pro. Format your book for kindle, lulu, createspace or ingram spark from 10,000 to 25,000 words. Taylor covers details such as starting a set of styles, fonts and typefaces, how to insert images, widows and orphans, and drop caps, all new to me until i came upon this book.

At the end of this article is a table with templates sized for each book option available on lulu. Now when you go forward, lulu will process this file for you. Whether your readers use a kindle, nook, ipad, kobo or some other ereader, you can quickly and easily create an ebook for everyone. The fast fingers is a book formatting service that will prepare or format your manuscript according to the formatting guidelines set by ingramspark, lulu, kindle direct publishing, smashwords or your own local printer. The book i formatted is called drift, by author andrew cyrus hudson. Dec 15, 2010 is a place where you can selfpublish your own books. The templates with sample content include formatted front matter e. When designing and formatting your book, these are the key terms you should familiarize yourself with. Interior book design manuscript formatting professionally formatted text is an important part of book design. Some aggregators, like lulu and bookbaby, even distribute and retail print books. How to format your word document for lulu successfully part 1.

Now, the time and expense i have to invest in creating stellar books are, at the very least, halved. Mar 06, 2020 general tips for book formatting in word all stand. Vellum is the single best investment any author can make. Hence, xlibris and iuniverse can charge hundreds of dollars for the privilege of setting your margins and tweaking your fonts. If you want help formatting the other parts, see our stepbystep guides for preparing your manuscript in word for windows and mac. To ensure that no important parts of the page are cut off in the trimming process a bleed area is defined. One reason for the high cost of most pod services is the simple fact that most authors have no idea how to design a book for publication. Tips on formatting your print book for createspace and lulu. Find out more about what we can do for your book below. All this bodes well for selfpublishing authors, for whom ebooks are the preferred format. The fast fingers book formatting service design of pod. Nov 01, 2017 the thicker the book, the wider these margin need to be so that the text doesnt get eaten up by the spine. My self publishing book formatting service is an economical way to publish a book.

The problem with this is that ms words gutter option wont work when it comes to book formatting. The good news is, setting up a basic book design is not that hard. Publishing a print book with createspace or lulu is fairly easy. Youll always be able to order at cost for resale by hand, internal use, or promotional purposes. Selfpublished books now account for 30% to 40% of ebook sales. Selfpublishing on the lulu platform is straightforward and their process is similar to kdp, with some technical formatting. Hardcover or paperback book using a wide range of paper, color, and binding options. No matter where you are in the process of creating your book, you can find helpful resources in the lulu knowledge base. A bleed area will extend beyond the trim when a photo or design fills an entire page. We recommend taking your manuscript and pasting it into the correct template as the first step in the formatting process.

The thicker the book, the wider these margin need to be so that the text doesnt get eaten up by the spine. How to properly format and selfpublish your book toughnickel. I am expert in kindle, paperback, lulu, epub and createspace, book formatting services. To publish a book on lulu, authors upload their book as a pdf file to. Lulu formatting your book for self publishing lisa shea. Learn what it takes to create a bestseller on our comprehensive, free advice pages. The information we give is specific to the 2016 version of word, but the steps are similar in most versions. Part 1 covers the initial set up and text formatting for your book.

Weve got a guide here for you, with some in depth formatting too. Soft cover, hard cover, color, black and white, and so much more. Youll receive both an epub and mobi file, which can be uploaded to your retailer of choice. When many firsttime selfpublishers consider the design elements of their book they only think of the front cover. Download our free guide to typesetting and uploading your book on completelynovel. Lulu formatting your book for self publishing getting. We are open and staying safe during the covid19 crisis to. This is the second step youll explore in our free howto guide for self publishing books. Once your cover is loaded and set, its time to set the remaining details for your book. Formatting experts are more than what their name implies. The most common printondemand book, perfect for a variety of projects. In this guide, i will show you how to format your books interior. An awardwinning writer, allen is the author of eight books, including starting your career as a freelance writer, the writers guide to queries, pitches and proposals, and writing to.

Do kindle formatting, createspace formatting, ebook, epub. To prepare your book for publishing you need a well designed cover and impeccable book formatting. Choose your book size, upload your manuscript, create your cover, set your price and press publish. The standard size for most trade paperback books is 6x9. Do ebook formatting for amazon kindle paperback createspace. Drift is a novel, and ive used standard fiction layout. Using my book formatting service coupled with lulu, you can print a life story or publish a novel or other type of book, without the need to spend hundreds of pounds or order vast quantities of books. I have experience working with reflowable and fixed layout epub and mobi files, and print books as well. Ill show you proper page layout, how to set margins and font usage, cover design, and more, using microsoft word with lulu and kindle direct. Interior layout and book formatting services go published.

A clear hierarchy and readable typeface help create a layout that is inviting to your reader. Choose from the widest range of print book formats available, and make exactly the book you want including photo books and calendars. We are open and staying safe during the covid19 crisis to make sure your book orders get made. The fast fingers book formatting service design of pod and. Theyre also cover design experts, customer service expertsand the list goes on. Part 2 will cover making a book cover and putting it all together.