Formatting Question

Do you mean ePub or Mobi for an eReader? Or book form?

On the Amazon KDP site you can download templates that are the proper size for a hardcopy book - and these are also used when you download the Kindle version.

If you want eReader format, you can use calibre (calibre-ebook.com).

I'm moving this to Self-publishing where many people will be able to help.

Indianroads is correct--the templates will work. KDP/Amazon will convert your Word doc to a mobi file, their preferred format.

But that won't help you with giveaways unless your book is free on Amazon. You're supposed to be able to get a mobi file of your book somehow out of Amazon, but I don't know how.

What I've done for years is submit my manuscript at D2D. You don't have to use them to publish, but at the next-last step, where you're proofing your manuscript, you have the option of downloading a mobi, epub (Apple, Kobo, etc) or PDF. They even have a bunch of nifty formatting stuff--sci-fi, minimalist, art deco, that sort of thing. If you really love their formatting, you can always submit their mobi file to Amazon. You don't have to submit a Word file.

Also, if tech is not really an area of strength for you, YouTube has a series of videos on how to use D2D. Use the YouTube search or go from the D2D site. : )

I wrote and formatted my ebook on Word and will upload it to Kindle Create, and go from there.

[url=https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G200645680]KDP eBook format[/URL]

[url=https://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Create/b?ie=UTF8&node=18292298011]Kindle Create[/URL]

Good luck!

Do you have Scrivener? It can output to a Mobi file; not sure about e-Pub. You may find the following on AuthorTube useful. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1pLEjgZceQ

I would nose about on the self-pub forum on this site, too.

talktidy said:

Do you have Scrivener? It can output to a Mobi file; not sure about e-Pub. You may find the following on AuthorTube useful. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1pLEjgZceQ

I would nose about on the self-pub forum on this site, too.

Click to expand...

It can output either.

Why not just add the cover to the PDF file and give that away? Then your friends can read the book on any computer or device using the free Adobe Reader.

You can accomplish this even if you don't have the full Adobe Acrobat. There are many free programs (or "apps") that allow printing from any program to a PDF, so if you have an image of the cover, you can make it into a PDF (maybe it already is?). Then you just open the PDF of the book and insert the cover. When I was working on a project site for my state, I wasn't a state employee so I had to use my own computer, and the state wasn't about to provide me with a license to Adobe Acrobat. So I used a freeware program (for Windows) called Adolix Split and Merge. If you're on a Mac, there are probably similar freeware utilities.