How to Turn a Microsoft Word Document Into an Ebook (EPUB)

Note from Jane: This station has been updated to bespeak changes successful devices disposable connected nan market.

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So your book is sitting successful Microsoft Word, and you’d for illustration to get that worldly converted into an ebook format you tin waste done ebook retailers specified arsenic Amazon.

If you’re diligent and consenting to format your Word archive carefully, you tin usage nan automated conversion processes of Amazon Kindle, Smashwords, Draft2Digital, aliases akin ebook retailer and distribution services. They want to make it easy for you to get published, truthful they’ll person your Word archive into an ebook record instantly, arsenic soon arsenic you upload it.

But nan results whitethorn look subpar if you don’t hole your archive first. I’m grateful to Dave Chesson astatine Kindlepreneur for sharing nan pursuing accusation connected really to prep your Microsoft Word record to person cleanly into an ebook file. Although it won’t person each nan bells and whistles you’d get pinch master book formatting package (e.g., Vellum aliases InDesign), it is cost-effective and utilized by galore novelists. (This method will not activity good if your activity is highly illustrated aliases has galore different styles, charts, etc.)

Side note: It’s imaginable you’ve besides heard of MOBI files. These utilized to beryllium nan preferred ebook record format for Amazon. However, successful 2021, Amazon announced that they would extremity accepting MOBI files and for illustration EPUB. 

Before your commencement formatting your Microsoft Word file

Before you begin, make judge you see each nan different parts of a book. For example, astir books person beforehand matter and backmost matter.

• The beforehand matter consists of things for illustration a Title Page, Copyright Page, and Dedication Page.
• The backmost matter could see an Author Biography, Acknowledgments, a Note from nan Author, and sometimes a CTA (call-to-action).

For your font, commencement pinch a black, 12-point modular font for illustration Times New Roman.

Update your Microsoft Word paragraph settings and margins

After nan font is group and you’re ready, alteration nan indentation successful nan Paragraph settings. When penning a book successful Word that you intend to export arsenic an ebook, you request to refrain from utilizing nan Tab cardinal and implementing difficult indentations for each paragraph because this results successful an indentation that is overmuch excessively ample for a book.

Instead, click into nan Paragraph settings and alteration nan indentation to First Line, past 0.2” aliases 0.3.” You tin effort a fewer different indentation sizes and spot which 1 looks better. The statement spacing should beryllium changed to Single and nan alignment should beryllium group to Left for nan assemblage text.

The margins should beryllium changed to 0.5”. Since ebooks are publication connected various types of tablets and integer devices and person reflowable text, nan page size doesn’t matter and you tin time off it astatine nan default, which is 8.5” x 11” missive successful nan US.

Make your section headings consistent

It’s champion to support each nan Chapter Headings nan aforesaid passim nan book. To make judge Chapter Headings are azygous for each chapters, prime nan Chapter Heading successful nan document, past navigate to nan Styles tab.

There are respective options provided by Microsoft Word, specified arsenic Heading 1, Heading 2, Title, etc. You tin modify nan font type and size if you would for illustration it to beryllium different from nan ones provided by Microsoft Word.

Then, prime nan Chapter Heading you’re modifying and use nan Chapter Heading style you created to each section successful your book. Customizing nan headings allows you to easy alteration each Chapter Headings or different types of headings successful your book without having to alteration them manually.

After nan section headings person been standardized, you tin spell to nan View tab and cheque nan container by Navigation Pane. This will let nan Navigation Pane to popular up connected nan broadside of nan document. It shows each nan section headings, making it easy to click to nan opening of each section without scrolling done nan document.

Upload your Microsoft Word record to KDP

So you’ve successfully formatted your book successful Word. Now what? Can you conscionable upload it to Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) aliases different book work arsenic is? Or do you person to do more?

Technically, you don’t person to do immoderate conversions. However, salary typical attraction erstwhile previewing your file. Complex formats specified arsenic tables, images, and truthful connected whitethorn not person well. Verify everything looks bully earlier publishing. You whitethorn besides want to usage 1 of nan devices mentioned beneath to person your Word record into EPUB extracurricular of KDP and make nonstop changes to nan EPUB record (which you tin past upload to KDP).

There are much precocious aspects of book formatting, specified arsenic adding driblet caps to nan opening of each chapter, creating fancier section headings, etc. As you go much comfortable pinch book formatting, you tin research pinch much precocious style choices.

If you would for illustration further accusation astir book formatting cheque retired Dave Chesson’s afloat guideline connected each things book formatting.

If you don’t want to messiness astir successful Word

Here are workable options that don’t impact buying software, pinch 1 exception. Again, these methods will only beryllium due if your book is predominantly text, pinch fewer images and circumstantial formatting requirements.

Use Calibre

Calibre is simply a free package that tin person your Word record into immoderate ebook format. You tin download Calibre here. Converting your book is painless, but preview your record extensively to make judge each your formatting translated well. You’ll apt request to make further changes.

Start pinch Draft2Digital’s free conversion tool

Authors often study nan Draft2Digital conversion from Word to EPUB to beryllium nan smoothest and easiest they’ve used. Fortunately, you don’t person to administer done Draft2Digital successful bid to return advantage of their conversion; their position of work let you to group up an account, upload your Word doc, export nan EPUB file, past return it elsewhere, to different retailer aliases distributor. (Not each ebook distributors are truthful benignant successful their terms.)

Once you’ve downloaded nan EPUB record from nan automated conversion process, you whitethorn beryllium happy pinch it precisely arsenic is, aliases you whitethorn want to unfastened it up successful Calibre to make adjustments.

Use Amazon’s free Kindle Create software

Amazon offers Kindle Create to thief you creation and format ebook files utilizing Word, but there’s 1 immense caveat: They will create ebook files that activity connected Kindle, but they will not beryllium EPUB files. That intends that nan files you hole utilizing Amazon’s devices will not activity astatine different retailer aliases distribution sites.

Use Reedsy’s free cloud-based editing tools

Reedsy is champion known arsenic a freelance marketplace wherever you tin find editors and different publishing professionals to thief you edit, publish, and beforehand your work. They besides connection a suite of editing and collaboration tools that tin thief you format and export EPUB (and people book) files retired of their cloud-based system. Then you tin load up your EPUB successful different software, specified arsenic Calibre aliases Sigil, to make further adjustments if you don’t want to support moving successful Reedsy.

For Mac users: Vellum ($)

One of nan astir beloved devices of indie authors, Vellum is an intuitive package that helps you design, format, and export great-looking ebooks, successful EPUB format. It allows you to commencement by uploading Word documents (among others). However, it will costs you. While nan package is free to download, being capable to export ebook files will costs you a one-time interest of $199. This action makes nan astir consciousness for authors who expect to beryllium producing aggregate ebook files complete galore months aliases years.

Dump your Word doc into immoderate different connection processor that tin export EPUB files

If you ain aliases usage immoderate of nan pursuing tools:

• Apple Pages
• Scrivener
• Google Docs

… past you tin export your archive arsenic an EPUB file. Sometimes it’s not a bad thought to return your Microsoft Word document, import it into aliases unfastened it wrong different 1 of these systems, past spot really good it exports arsenic EPUB.

For nan unafraid and adventurous: Sigil

Sigil is simply a free, open-source editor for EPUB (ebook) files. Probably nan astir difficult portion of utilizing Sigil is identifying really to download and instal it, since it’s connected Github and isn’t precisely marketed to nan mean non-tech consumer.

However, erstwhile you person nan exertion installed, it’s not difficult to activity pinch if you cognize a small HTML. If you tin usage WordPress—or moreover if you’re comfortable pinch Microsoft Word’s quirks—you tin astir apt grip Sigil erstwhile your contented is imported properly. It’s a very lightweight software.

Your turn: What tricks aliases tips do you person to stock astir creating and editing EPUB files? Let maine cognize successful nan comments.