I wasn’t sure where to place this step because I sort of format as I go along. I have a template that I use all the time and it’s just easier to write the ebook according to that format. However, even after all of the text is finalized, there is still a lot of work to be done in order to make it look good.
However, you may adopt a method that has you formating the book completely after it’s done. That’s okay – there are pros and cons to each method.
Finding the Template
For me, I use a template that is written in Word. You can create the template yourself and use your favorite ebooks as a guide or you can search for one online. There are also ebook formating software programs. I’ve never considered any of those to be necessary.
Formatting with the Template
Once you find a template you want to use, it’s just a matter of setting things up. That’s why I actually like to write the ebook from the beginning according to the template. Then, after I finalize the text, I go back through and tweak the formatting a little bit so that the pages line up and the ebook is easy to read.
Write a Detailed Table of Contents
I do this after the text is finalized and the formatting is all set. The template I use comes with a Table of Contents page. I just plug in the new information. I advise making the table of contents as detailed as you can. Usually I include the chapter names and all the major headings within the chapter.
Convert to Jpeg Format
No matter which template you choose, you’ll want to eventually convert it to a .jpeg file. If you buy a lot of ebooks you’ll notice that most of them are in .jpeg format. I found a helpful link that teaches how to convert a word document into a .jpeg.
If you are writing the ebook for a client, you may not need to do this step. In all of the ebooks I’ve written for clients, I used my word template, finalized the text, and made sure the pages lined up in a way that made sense and the client took care of the rest.
This concludes the series! I don’t have any experience selling my own ebooks yet. Once I do, I’ll start a new series on that.
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=9beed2fb-be96-47e6-a586-5b2195ccc0de)
