It started with an idea. Then it turned into a manuscript. Maybe you used one of the eight tools we highlighted to write and edit that manuscript. Now it’s time to publish. How can you transform and format your text into an attractive, sellable e-book? Whether you’re a design pro or a design no, these five tools will help you create a stunning, professional layout for ePub and Kindle formats.
Pages
If you’re an iWork user, you’ve already got Pages on your Mac. The good folks at Apple provided a digital book template that exports to ePub. Simply open the template, adjust the typefaces for titles, subtitles, headers, subheads, and copy in paragraph styles, and export.
Jutoh
Jutoh is more robust than a word processor such as Word or Pages, with a cover designer feature and a table of contents wizard. It also offers more formats to export your book, and you can add viewer applications to preview what your book will look like on various devices. There is a one-time fee for purchase, but Jutoh offers a demo version to try before you buy.
CreateSpace
CreateSpace is Amazon’s foray into publishing software. It offers free tools like Cover Creator, with access to 2,000 stock images, and Preview, where your friends and family can download an excerpt of your book in order to provide feedback. CreateSpace works for both printed and digital book formats. Amazon also offers file conversion, editing, and layout for a fee.
Blurb
If you want to create your layout in Adobe InDesign, then Blurb is a plug-in to help you create both print and digital books and magazines. Templates are created automatically based on your book size and page count, including appropriate bleed, trim, and safety areas. Blurb offers a print-on-demand service and enables authors to sell books on the Blurb website.
Wordzworth
Not interested in designing or formatting your book yourself? Outsource it to Wordzworth, a team of designers who will create a cover (not from a template), typeset your text, and format your images to produce in print or on screen correctly. Each book receives a quote, which is payable in two installments — one at the beginning of the project, and the other at the end.
