I don’t believe in reinventing the wheel. I’ll tell you right now, if you’re serious about self-publishing in ebook format, go to Smashwords and read Mark Coker’s Style Guide. It’s free and it explains the steps to format Word documents in detail. Read it, study it, then read my easy step-by-step instructions. I’ve simplified the steps required to un-format and reformat a Word document so it will be streamlined and acceptable on the Smashwords’, Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing and B&N’s Nook Press Direct Publishing programs.
Now remember, I’m basically a techno-klutz. I do not mess with HTML coding and when I say simplified and streamlined, I mean simplified and streamlined. We’re moving from a print medium to digital. Your formatted document is not going to look like a manuscript document or a printed book. The sooner you accept this, the better.
Today’s readers are used to reading on computers and smartphones, netbooks, iPods and iPads. They are used to reading digital. Digital is different from print. It looks different, feels different, but it delivers stories to readers just the same. Readers want good stories that grab their attention and keep it. They are eager to be entertained. One of the most important jobs a writer must do is NEVER stop the reader. You never want to pull him out of the story world you’ve created. You don’t want to interrupt or disrupt his suspension of disbelief–not only in the structure of the story, but the formatting of the story as well.
Formatting doesn’t have to be perfect; it just has to be pretty. The text needs to flow, just as a story flows. Most readers don’t care whether you use smart quotes or curly, block paragraphs or indented. All they want is to be able to read your story with ease, comfort and pleasure.
I format as efficiently as possible. I use indented paragraphs, straight quotation marks and two hyphens instead of em dashes. These three simplified elements help make uploading Word documents to the various ePub platforms seamless and trouble-free.
When preparing to upload your properly formatted Word document to Smashwords, Kindle and Nook Press there are a few things you need to do in order to make the process run smoothly. You’ll need a catchy title, an attractive cover, a well-written blurb (like back cover copy) and a description, both short and long. I always include an excerpt in the long description as a matter of preference.
You also need to choose your keywords and metadata carefully. Google keywords and metadata and study how it’s done.
So now, without further ado, here are my twenty-five steps showing how to format ebooks. Please note that these instructions are written for MS Word: Mac 2008. If you are using other MS Word editions, you will have to modify and adjust accordingly.
How to Format Ebooks for the Techno-Challenged:
Before you begin, remove headers, footers and page numbers from manuscript. Adjust Margins: Top 1 in; Bottom 1 in; Left 1.25 in; Right 1.25 in; Gutter 0; Header .5 in; Footer .5 in.
1.  Save original document.
2.  Select All. Copy and paste into NotePad or Text Edit and save.
3.  Quit Word. Reopen Word.
4.  Copy and paste document from NotePad/Text Edit into new Word document.
5.  Save new document as a .doc file under new name. Ex: CowboySurrenderEbook.doc.
6.  Activate Show/Hide. (The little paragraph icon on Toolbar.)
7.  Go to Tools: Auto Correct: Check the little box: Automatically Correct Spelling and formatting as you Type. Click on Auto Format as You Type. Uncheck all boxes. Do NOT hit Okay!!! UNCHECK the Automatically Correct Spelling and Formatting as you Type BOX. Hit Okay. Box closes.
8.  Go to Format: Auto Format: Options. Uncheck all boxes under Apply and Replace. Hit okay. Box closes. Hit Cancel. Box closes.
9.  Select All. Go to Format: Style: Click Normal. Make sure it reads: Times New Roman, 12 point, flush left, single space. Hit Apply.
10. Select All. Go to Format: Paragraph: Alignment: Left, Outline Level: Body Text. Indentations: Left 0; Right 0. Line Spacing: Single.
FOR INDENTED PARAGRAPHS: Left: 0, Right: 0, Special: First Line, By: .33, Spacing: Before: 0, After: 0, At: LEAVE BLANK. Hit okay. Save.
11. Replace em dashes with hyphens. Find: ^+, Replace: –, Replace All. Save.
12. Delete tabs. Find and Replace: Find: ^t, Replace: blank, Replace All. Save.
13. Paragraph returns should only be at the end of paragraphs. No more than 3 returns in a row.
14. Replace curly quotes with straight quotes. Find: “, Replace: “, Replace All. Save.
15. Replace curly apostrophes with straight apostrophes. Find: ‘, Replace: ‘, Replace All. Save.
16. Replace two spaces after sentences with one space: Find: 2 spaces (hit space bar twice), Replace: 1 space (hit space bar once). Replace All. Repeat. Save. (Remember to clear spaces from Find box and Replace box to avoid later misery).
17. Remove all section breaks from document.
18. Remove all page breaks.
19. Make Chapter Headings 14 point, bold, centered, two paragraph returns from last sentence (enter enter ), one paragraph return (enter) to first sentence.
20. Make ****: one enter above and one enter below, then center.
For the last five steps, after you type the information on the pages, highlight the text and center it.
21. At the top of first page: TITLE (Font 14pt), enter, by, enter, Author’s Name, enter, **** enter. See examples below.
22. Copyright page: (copy and paste from samples below) center it:
23. Dedication (Font 14pt), enter, (who you’re dedicating it to), enter, ****, enter enter , Prologue/Chapter One. See examples below.
24. At the end of the story: ### About the Author (Font 14pt). See examples.
25. Other Books by Your Name (Font 14pt). See examples.
Then I save the document under four different names/versions: Smashwords, Kindle, Google Play and Nook. For example:
Adam’sTemptationSmashwords.doc
Adam’sTemptationKindle.doc
Adam’sTemptationGooglePlay.doc.
Adam’sTemptationNook.doc.
No doubt about it, the first time you do this, the learning curve is very steep. Hang tough! Believe me, it gets easier with every book you format.
Below, I’ve shown examples of title pages (front matter) and last pages (back matter) to include in your documents. Note: a Table of Contents is becoming more common for fiction. I’ll be doing a How to post on that soon. Google it to find out more.
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EXAMPLE OF TITLE PAGE: (SMASHWORDS)
You must include the Smashwords Licensing Agreement in order to be considered for inclusion in their Premium Catalog.
Adam’s Temptation

Anne Marie Novark
***
SMASHWORDS EDITION
***
Anne Marie’s Website
Anne Marie’s Facebook Page
Sign up for Anne Marie’s New Releases
***
Millionaire professor, Adam Brant is hiding from life. When his broken engagement is plastered all over the papers and tabloids, he retreats to the only place he’s ever felt he belonged—his late grandmother’s lighthouse in Briny Cove, Florida. He vows to live in seclusion away from nosy reporters, money-hungry women and people who can’t accept him for who he is.
Ambitious wanna-be journalist, Megan O’Conner is stuck in Briny Cove, living with her family, struggling to finish her degree and working odd jobs. When she finds out the new tenant in the old lighthouse is Adam Brant, Megan believes she’s found her ticket out. But as she becomes better acquainted with the sexy professor, everything changes. Will she choose the exclusive story or the man who has stolen her heart?
***
Adam’s Temptation
Copyright © 2011 by Anne Marie Novark
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author or publisher except for the use of brief quotations in critical articles or reviews.
***
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, businesses, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, actual events or locales is purely coincidental.
***

Smashwords Edition, License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
***
Dedication
To my brother John.
Thanks for the crash course in scuba diving.
***
ADAM’S TEMPTATION
by Anne Marie Novark
CHAPTER ONE
(Start the story.)
***
EXAMPLE OF TITLE PAGE:
(KINDLE AND NOOK)
Adam’s Temptation

by
 Anne Marie Novark
***
Anne Marie’s Website
Anne Marie’s Facebook Page
Sign up for Anne Marie’s New Releases
***
Millionaire professor, Adam Brant is hiding from life. When his broken engagement is plastered all over the papers and tabloids, he retreats to the only place he’s ever felt he belonged—his late grandmother’s lighthouse in Briny Cove, Florida. He vows to live in seclusion away from nosy reporters, money-hungry women and people who can’t accept him for who he is.
Ambitious wanna-be journalist, Megan O’Conner is stuck in Briny Cove, living with her family, struggling to finish her degree and working odd jobs. When she finds out the new tenant in the old lighthouse is Adam Brant, Megan believes she’s found her ticket out. But as she becomes better acquainted with the sexy professor, everything changes. Will she choose the exclusive story or the man who has stolen her heart?
***
Adam’s Temptation
Copyright © 2011 by Anne Marie Novark
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author or publisher except for the use of brief quotations in critical articles or reviews. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
***
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, businesses, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, actual events or locales is purely coincidental.
***
Dedication
To my brother John.
Thanks for the crash course in scuba diving.
***
ADAM’S TEMPTATION
by Anne Marie Novark
CHAPTER ONE
(Start the story.)
***
BACK MATTER
EXAMPLE OF INFORMATION AT THE END:
###
(You must use these three marks (###) after the final story sentence in the Smashwords edition. I use it in every edition.)
For more eBooks by Anne Marie Novark
Go to Amazon.com, or Barnes&Noble, or etc.
***
For email alerts about upcoming releases:
Join AnneMarie’s Mailing List
Visit her at www.annemarienovark.com
and Facebook.
***

About the Author . . .
(Optional)
Anne Marie is a Texas girl, born and raised. Romance is her passion. She loves to read and write about men and women falling in love, overcoming life’s obstacles, and living happily ever after. She writes spicy contemporary novels, usually involving a cowboy or two, as well as Regency historicals.
Anne Marie lives just outside of Houston with her husband who is her best friend and her own special hero. They have two grown children, two mischievous cats and one sweet puppy dog. Besides reading and writing, Anne Marie enjoys puttering around in her flowerbeds, going to garage sales, collecting antiques and watching old movies. Visit her at www.annemarienovark.com.
***
Other books by Anne Marie Novark:
Her Reluctant Rancher

Midnight My Love

The Doctor Wears A Stetson
The Cowboy’s Surrender

A Match Made in Texas

Adam’s Temptation
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Marketing Tips:
1. In both the front and the back of your ebook, include links to your website, mailing list (you do have one, right?), and Facebook Author Page.
2. Include links to your other works in the back matter of each book. Naturally, make sure the links are consistent to each edition. I don’t use links in the Smashwords edition because it gets distributed to Apple, Kobo and several other sales channels. This makes a little extra work, but it’s one of the easiest and most profitable forms of advertising/promotion/marketing you can utilize.
FOR EXAMPLE:
 (After the links to website, mailing list, etc. say something like:)
You might also enjoy:
Return to Stone Creek Series
Book One: Her Reluctant Rancher
by Anne Marie Novark
Living with his stern grandfather taught Trevor Callahan one important lesson: Caring makes a man weak. Now the old man is dead and Trev returns to Stone Creek for one reason and one reason only–to sell the Rocking C Ranch. Maybe then he can put his past behind him and move on.
Beth Evans once confused lust for love and vows never to let it happen again. The bookmobile driver is trying to raise funds to build a new library. The late Hank Callahan bequeathed a million dollars for the project, but he attached one stipulation: Do not let his grandson sell the ranch.
***
Return to Stone Creek Series
Book Two: Tall Dark and Texan
by Anne Marie Novark
Former bad boy Mitch Defalco roars into Stone Creek, Texas, on the back of a Harley with his newly discovered daughter riding behind him. Single mom Sarah Cooper cannot believe he’s moved in next door. She had a secret crush on him years ago when he dated her older sister back in high school.
As Mitch tackles the responsibilities of fatherhood, Sarah admires the way he’s turned his life around. She asks him to help her with a personal problem: Her fear of men. Mitch knows he’s bad news for sexy Sarah, but how can he refuse her dangerous request, when she’s determined to move forward with or without his help?
***
Midnight My Love
A Regency Romance Novel
by Anne Marie Novark
For years, Damien Avenall loved Alexandra Turlington like a little sister; or so he thought until she grew into a lovely and desirable young lady. In a moment of madness, he kisses her and everything changes between them.
Alex often wonders why the dangerous viscount betrayed their special friendship. His kiss awakened her to passion, but she knows better than to give her heart to a libertine. Or does she?
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HAPPY READING!!!
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The publishing world is changing as we speak. New opportunities abound for writers. You can now put your work directly before the readers. Take control of your writing career. Live your dream!!!
Happy Writing!!!
Anne Marie 🙂
