There are many programs that allow you to write your book the way you want. Some people prefer to use Microsoft Word. You can easily add a title page, table of contents, and set the margins and align the text. Microsoft Word is a WYSIWYG (What you see is what you get) editor. This means that the way your type looks on the page is how it will look when exported. Some programs offer markdown language editors. This is similar to writing in a code language. Instead of hitting a button to bold or italicize a word, you would wrap the word in specific brackets of text. When exporting, the text converts to a final, view-ready version. [1] X Research source There are many apps that are aimed at streamlining the setting up and writing process. Many of these are made to be distraction free, so you can get to the important part, writing. [2] X Research source Apps like Scrivener or Ulysses III are very popular [3] X Research source [4] X Research source . These apps allow you to write in a markdown or WYSIWYG language. You can add notes, include research, and jump around your text. There’s also features that allow you to only see the page as if you were on a typewriter. There’s also an option in Chrome’s apps called Writer that is a browser based minimal writing platform. [5] X Research source
If this is your first book, try and keep it relatively simple. eReaders have made shorter, pulpier novels popular again. People can easily download your book and read it in a few hours. Consider keeping your book relatively short, give it a simple plot, and keep the style consistent. [6] X Research source Focus on building your characters. People typically want to read about the characters and the importance of the situation you put those characters in. Think of your favorite books. Chances are you loved these books because the characters were compelling. Those compelling characters drove the plot forward. Trying to throw too much into a plot, especially your first time around can be overwhelming. Don’t try to write the next Game of Thrones right now. Stick to a simple plot that has your personal spin thrown on it.
Trying to cram too much in at once will make your book hard to understand and follow.
Trying to accomplish too much can make you feel discouraged or frustrated. The key to actually finishing a book is consistency. It’s better to get something on the page every day than to put it off because you’re not in the mood. You can always go back and edit.
Go over your first draft and check to make sure that you’ve hit all the necessary plot points. Make sure your characters are fleshed out. Fix any continuity problems. Then proofread and make sure that there are no spelling or grammatical errors. You want your book to look as professional as possible.
You can participate in online workshops or read aloud workshops. The goal is to get your work out there to others in the industry. Getting your work seen and critiqued by other writers can be nerve-wracking. But these people will help you frame your story and make valuable revisions.
Not getting an editor to read over your book can make the difference between people loving it and no one downloading it. You should edit your book yourself first, then send it to an editor for a second, professional pair of eyes. Edit as much as you need to yourself, but don’t edit if you don’t know what to edit. If you don’t know how to fix a problem area, you’ll chop up your story and have a hard time putting the pieces back in the right spot. Over-editing is possible and dangerous. A big reason an editor is so valuable is because you’re too close to your book. You’ve spent a lot of time writing and editing. A second pair of eyes will help you find things you’ve overlooked.
Take the notes you’re given. You probably won’t like all the notes someone gives you. So read the notes, decompress, and after some time go back and incorporate the ones which are helpful. Don’t use the ones which aren’t.
A professional editor is better than spellcheck. The last thing you want is a glaring spelling error in your book after all your hard work. Computers are a good helper, but only a trained pair of eyes can really catch errors you and your computer have missed. [9] X Research source Your editor will bring a much needed objective eye to your work. Maybe you need to cut three chapters to shorten your story. Perhaps your title is misleading. An editor can help you find the true story underneath all the extra stuff you don’t need.
Cover art is going to be a big selling point for your book. Even in an online marketplace, people judge books by the cover. Consider hiring a professional graphic designer to create your book’s cover. Or, if you or a friend know how to design, you can take a stab at it. Your cover should be exciting and related to the theme of your story. Look at the covers of your favorite books for inspiration. Notice what the cover says about the book.
Kindle Direct Publishing will accept a variety of file formats when uploading. Kindle uses a Mobi format to output the eBook so that eReaders can read it. But when uploading you can upload your manuscript as an HTML, Doc/Docx, RTF, Mobi, or ePub. Use can use a program like Calibre to convert your manuscript to Mobi or ePub before uploading if you wish. [10] X Research source This sometimes makes the uploading easier and keeps any images or forms in your book intact.
Standard formats are typically ePub and Mobi files. These formats allow readers to adjust the size of the text in an eReader. Note that in this form, there isn’t a set pagination as the size of the text will adjust how many words appear on a page. This format is good for text-heavy books. Fixed layouts are better used in comics, children’s books, and books with a lot of pictures and graphs. This format preserves the qualities of a printed page. It’s more like looking at photos of a page on an eReader than reading “living” text.
