How to Format a Book in Word | A Step-By-Step Tutorial 2022

[@opheliakee]

I'm not gonna lie. Atticus is much better. It does all of the work formatting the books. To format a 100k+ fantasy would take longer than writing it in Word. I recommend Atticus instead.

[@Kindlepreneur]

One of the main reasons why it was made the way it was...that and also to make sure that it works on all computers (and not just Mac).

[@droidfan]

@@Kindlepreneur Atticus looks great. Except, at least for me personally, I don't want to venture into a writing hobby having to invest $150 first. I already have Word, and if I didn't, what was beautifully taught in this video can be easily applied to Google Docs. Thanks for the video!

[@Kindlepreneur]

@@droidfan If the process above helps to create exactly what you're looking for, then rock on!

[@natalieangelheart2483]

Thank you for sharing, 🙏 you're a good teacher! 👏 As someone just starting on this journey, I need to learn as much as possible until I can raise the funds to hire professionals. Your video has been one of the easiest videos, on formatting, to follow. I have been so frustrated with word, so I'm watching all I can on using it.

[@Spitfireseven]

@@droidfan And does atticus have easy to follow videos? Does it have any videos at all?

[@joslynchase5955]

Like most everyone else, I thought the video was great--very helpful and clear, as usual. Also, like most everyone else, I'm happier to just use Atticus now. My one critique on the video is that the sound quality of Dave's voice is not on a par with the sound effects. I had to crank my volume way up to hear Dave well, but then the effects were super loud. I am continually grateful for all you guys do to help indie authors sparkle!

[@authorpreneursecrets]

Yes the volume was low

[@Kindlepreneur]

I did not realize that. Thank you ! I'll make sure we have the sound better - because you're right...the sound effects are way 'louder' than my voice. Thanks!

[@joslynchase5955]

@@Kindlepreneur Happy to be helpful! Thank you for your constant efforts on our behalf.

[@burtonvoss1744]

This is a detailed video, and you explain it well. If all a person is doing is writing one book and wants to spend their time involved with it, you're giving them a great video. But for doing the actual formatting, forget Word. Atticus gits 'er done.

[@Kindlepreneur]

Thanks Burton - and I totally agree

[@kellyevans8911]

I’m nearly a minute in and, judging by the bullet points and my own experience, I now know you’re formatting a paperback. A beginner wouldn’t know that there are differences between formatting for pb and ebook (SO much easier!! 😂) so perhaps mention in the intro that you’re doing a paperback.

[@FrankButterfield]

Want to double-down on the idea of specifically saying that this is for a paperback.

[@Kindlepreneur]

Good point

[@a.k.2280]

That is what I wanted to say. Also, that inside margins change a little depending on how many pages the book has.

[@vaibhavsrivastva1253]

E-books are fake; they literally aren't books.

[@josephbendoski4305]

Great work. I recommend adding bookmark features to the video, so if someone wants to come back, go back to the beginning of a feature explanation, or is only stuck on a certain aspect, they can simply click the bookmark and jump to that section.

[@Kindlepreneur]

Agreed - someone else suggested that too - working to get those added because you're right!

[@harjithamsafar]

Thank you for sharing, you're a good teacher!

[@emeraldbookreviews4643]

Awesome video. Like someone else said in the comments I would also recommend including bookmarks in the video. It helps to go back and find quickly a particular segment. Congrats on your oldest daughter graduating from college. 😊 Pierce

[@Kindlepreneur]

Yes, that's a GREAT idea. I'm going to add those.

[@authorpreneursecrets]

This is helpful. For page set up the word gutter appears and that is the inner margin. Creating styles makes formatting easier in Word. I would encourage or suggest you showing how to create normal paragraph styles first, then chapter styles. Styles is key to formatting in word. Discuss more on type of book being formatted and the parts of the book, how to separate front matter from the body or chapters especially for non-fiction books. Also show how you can change the headers to have each chapter title. This is missing. Yes, Atticus is easier but it does not handle non-fiction books well that have special formatting needs and different fonts, images, graphs etc. for some types of non-fiction books.

[@Kindlepreneur]

yeah, I think I'm going to make more specific videos based on type or genre - which can allow me to get into chapter theme design better.

[@RosequistJared]

Maybe a video on children’s book covers (different requirements for kdp and ingramspark, difference between sofcover and hardcover, etc) A video on choosing pricing would be helpful (only instruction I’ve really found online is price comparable to competitors- which is a good starting point but I’d love to learn more) I’d love a vid with advice On softcovers on both ingramspark and kdp. Ingram takes 30% min and 55% max, kdp does 40%, can you just have softcover on both platforms and use their free isbns associates with each platform? It would be epic to have some instruction on Spanish versions of books- is it profitable, how does uploading differ, can it be linked to the English version, can kdp rocket search Spanish market in addition to English and German, etc. Just throwing out some ideas :)

[@Kindlepreneur]

Awesome - marked those down!

[@chevronross5165]

Thanks for asking my opinion, Dave. I have learned a lot from all your videos. This one tells me things about formatting a manuscript that I could never figure out on my own. I spent many frustrating hours with MSWord on my first book before deciding to hire a professional, who described MSWord as "too brittle" to be used. I think you might want to advise subscribers that certain book review services will not accept books that aren't professionally formatted, and that if they can afford it, to spend the money on a good professional service like those recommended by the Alliance of Independent Authors.

[@Kindlepreneur]

Those are really good points - I think I jumped right into the topic of 'how to' and probably should have given more context.

[@onucheabutu5002]

Thank You. this was really helpful God bless

[@warriormindsetsongsandstories]

Hello Dave. Thank you for the wonderful products that you have created. Could you please do a video on what should be the added to the front matter and back matter of print books. I have been doing e-books for several years now but I am yet to make the jump to print books. Thank You.

[@Kindlepreneur]

Great suggestion!

[@BGLENN-dp4tx]

Very, very helpful - thank you! Kind of glossed by the margin discussion on the importance of gutter settings. It makes setting the inside margin so much "safer" and eliminates the trial-and-error approach since the value is number-dependent and predefined. No? I find it so easy to use KDPs page-number-related gutter setting to give my books a very nice result no matter the number of pages. Just sayin' . 🙂 Thanks again.

[@josephtreeby5150]

thank you so much, everything looks so much more professional and neat. 😁

[@guillaumemaurice3503]

Great video Dave that was well presented. I use MS Word 2007 and as I am on a budget I am unable to buy the latest MS Word. However saying this there are free versions of MS Word that I am considering. It is because my laptop is now dying away and I will need to purchase a new one; I will definitely consider buying a Chromebook instead of a Windows one.

[@Kindlepreneur]

Thanks - as for the newer versions, I fully understand that. I was a bit reluctant to upgrade.

[@YassineMs]

Excellent, I learned a lot from the tutorial, and it absolutely escalate my writing book.

[@Kindlepreneur]

Glad it was helpful!

[@edwardarnold9321]

Excellent, all the info you need. A little too fast-paced for me, could slow down just a little. Overall yet another highly informative and useful tutorial. Nice one!

[@Kindlepreneur]

Ah super - and I'll definitely work to slow it down.

[@alexfalconer87]

Very useful video as usual, Dave, thank you. Lots of detailed instructions about setup, like the alternative to the tab button for tabbing, and fixing widows and orphans manually. Your windows setup was sufficiently different from mine that I found it a bit difficult. I can only find paper choices in cms! It seemed a bit odd to navigate to paper sizes via margin sizes. Is it possible to do paper sizes first? Lovely explanation of why inner margins are larger than outer ones. One thing that might be helpful is to have time stamps along the way so people can go directly to something they want to check on a re-watch. I can see why people are using Atticus!

[@Kindlepreneur]

You totally can...although placement will depend on version. As for time stamps - absolutely. I'm going to get those chapters added to the video asap. Great suggestion.

[@1anois]

Overall, the video is a very helpful and detailed review of using Word for formatting. I agree with other comments that Dave's audio could be louder, and the sound effects are too loud and jarring. I also much prefer Atticus for formatting.

[@Kindlepreneur]

Thanks - and I agree...we'll get that fixed :)

[@sidneywilliams1944]

I love this video! It's very informative and helpful.

[@Kindlepreneur]

Glad it was helpful!

[@pasqualepalmieri3844]

Aloha Dave, I'm replying to your email. The video is very helpful and clear, as per your usual style. I guess you are specifically addressing the formatting for a paperback and that were assuming it would be obvious to upload the finished product as a PDF rather than a Word file. That said, the final mention to Atticus made Word look like a revisitation of Jurassic Park. Just one more comment: the audio level was rather low, even if pushed to the max, but this could only be my MacBook Pro. (Worth mentioning?) Regarding your request for suggestions re future videos. there is one I'd love to see... A clear step by step guide (your style, you are the best) on how to build an email list from scratch, or several ways. All I have seen around the internet seem to focus on how to increase on what already there, but nothing on how to start from zero potential addresses. (I have family and friends both very disinterested in my writing, and replacing them would take too long and be quite painful). Thank you, ciao. PS: congratulation to your daughter for her outstanding results! What a champion!

[@Kindlepreneur]

Thank you for that. Yeah, I had someone else say that my voice was lower than the sound effects which caused problems. I'll have to adjust for that. As for the Email List, I've really be toying with this idea. I am a HUGE fan of email lists, and guide like that should include how to get them, and then how keep them engaged. Plus there are so many things you can do with the list. This subject is dear to my heard :) And thank you - she's pretty awesome, just like her momma :)

[@s.m.gillespie2470]

When I uploaded with kindle create. The preview looked fine but when I published it and ordered it much of my ebook has large chunks of text randomly highlighted. What happened and better yet how can I fix it. Thanks. Love your work

[@tcpip9999]

Enjoyed it a lot ...can't think of anything to even tweak

[@Kindlepreneur]

Awesome - and glad you liked it.

[@KarinaKantas]

I think a tutorial on how to launch a book effectively would be ideal. Many know how to write and publish a book, but they haven't a clue about what to do next.

[@Kindlepreneur]

Great idea

[@MuzMURRAY]

Excellent explanations, as usual, Dave. But a little too fast as others noted. And you jumped too quickly to the margins chart so I missed how to get to it.

[@Kindlepreneur]

Good point!

[@marywoodward7855]

First time writer. Do you have to format your book pages and save them into docs first? Before the ebook?

[@Kindlepreneur]

It's best to write your book first. Then after you're done and have worked in editing it, it is time to focus on formatting your book. If you own a book formatting software, like Atticus, you can enter that into the software then and start making it look the way you want. IF you don't and are using Word to do it, then start following the instructions above. Hope that helps.

[@marywoodward7855]

@@Kindlepreneur Thank you for answering my question.

[@BradPetersonArt]

I like to use word for the printing format so I don't have to juggle files. if I need to fix something in word, its already formatted to print. very useful tut. thanks!

[@Kindlepreneur]

Absolutely!

[@api.m11]

Hello. I'm a new author and I was wondering if I've formatted a part of my book by pressing the TAP, do i have to deleted all of them in order to do the indentation correctly?

[@robynwideman9793]

Good and informative video, but formatting paragraphs, line spacing, and indents should all be done using the style guide. Life is much easier when you embrace the style guide!

[@Kindlepreneur]

Good point!

[@josephgilbert1864]

so grateful for this video!

[@Kindlepreneur]

Glad it was helpful!

[@victorcesena9155]

Thank you. This was very helpful. If you can add how to enter pictures or drawings. I have a family tree in one of my stories and would like to know the best method to do it.

[@Kindlepreneur]

That's a great idea!

[@lilywan7876]

What can we do when the manus;creiptwas already formated in the progrm different from the AmazonKDP? How can we corredt it to fit into the Amazon KDP to ;get it properlu uploaded for publishing?

[@michellesillato4863]

Thanks Dave are you using metric? I'm from Aus. Our MS Word is all metric.

[@rjj1965]

Hi, If anyone can help??? I am writing a reference book with checklists. Each list needs to stay on one page. How do I keep the list from going onto another page. For example, a list of ten needs to stay on one page instead of breaking up with three items on one page and seven items on the next. The reason I need them one page is so they are not accidentally missed. Is there a way I can do this? No matter what I have tried the lists keep bleeding over to the other pages and it's a total mess.

[@FrankButterfield]

1. If an author will be creating more than one paperback, I would show how to set up paragraph styles in case there's some tinkering to be done later on. Maybe that's a later video, but formatting each paragraph one-by-one isn't a good idea unless you are locked into your formatting. 2. I would write my books in Atticus but there's one issue I have that isn't addressed yet (not relevant here other than I can give Atticus a shout-out). I'm 90+ books in so I've played around with all sorts of possible permutations. I use Word for ebooks (I'm KU only, so I can submit Word directly to KDP). For paperbacks, I transfer content to LibreOffice. Word does some odd things at times that I've never been able to figure out how to prevent. LibreOffice doesn't have the same issue. I also do a couple of other work-arounds but they're not relevant to what you're doing here. 3. All that said, this video is excellent and what it covers is clear and cogent. Great job!

[@Kindlepreneur]

Great points - I'm adding these to my list. I'll probably do a LibreOffice tutorial later.

[@cinniafinfer9577]

Well done.. you cover a lot of material in a clear and digestible way... Couple of thoughts of the actual video --at 3:30 you have a typo--you dropped an i from writing.(writng) at 5:59 "Per Page" is hard to read--should be higher of the screen --there was also a screen that has three lines in all Caps.. hard to read/ that much info should be upper and lower case or be broken up into three cards at 8:09 "The Paragraph is" is against white . At 8:11 "Chapter Styles --Styles ins placed over white and is hard to read and at 11:29 "Add Another Page" is under other copy...these are just refinements and easily addressed. You have done a major service with the information and having the visuals, narration, captions and screen copy you really drive the info home

[@Kindlepreneur]

OH - thank you - I'll try to fix some of them...although some I can't without taking the entire thing down. But thank you for these details!

[@SCCunningham8]

Great video, thank you.

[@Kindlepreneur]

You're welcome and thank you for checking it out.

[@rkennedy7916]

Excellent video as always from Dave Chesson. For this one, it might be helpful to clarify the scope up front: chapter books (high text, low image content). I write and illustrate children's picture books, so I've been looking for a better solution than Kindle Kids Book Creator for fixed-layout eBooks. It's very cumbersome to include hyperlinks with KBC, and it only outputs .mobi, not .epub. If Word or Atticus can generate .epub for fixed layout books like mine (full-page images with text overlays), maybe a companion video? PS Congratulations to Jaelynn Chesson--Go MountainHawks.

[@Kindlepreneur]

Great suggestion. And same about the companion video - I'll look into that. As for MountHawks, absolutely!

[@omidfarshi]

Do you advise outsourcing formatting to a professional? Also, do you have a coaching program besides your courses?

[@Kindlepreneur]

I used to a long time ago...but back then the book formatting software wasn't as good as it is now. Now, it's pretty easy, and cheaper than hiring someone.

[@omidfarshi]

@@Kindlepreneur Thank you for the response. I'm a big fan of you and about to publish my first book thanks to your videos. I've sent you an email about a co-op offer to turn your courses into a lucrative coaching program to increase your revenue with no upfront investment. Let me know what you think.

[@sphchurch]

I wite pamplets in 4 X 6 size, facing pages. I want to create booklets to self print on my HP ColorLaser Jet printer. I try and do this in Affinity Publisher When I try to get the booklet to create I get a print workflow error. Any ideas there. I also want to learn how to setup ebooks. Any help appreciated. This is for my congregation use not trying to make my first Million, Hi.

[@ashleyflores5886]

Is this only pertaining to chapter books? I'm trying to create a children's book, wood I still need this information for a horizontal design?

[@Kindlepreneur]

Creating a children's book in Kindle Create probably wont' work - it wasn't designed for that and is limited in features that can handle that.

[@davidfaux4487]

Thank you!

[@creatinghappiness9669]

I chose single line spacing is that appropriate spacing for both ebook and paperback?

[@Kindlepreneur]

It can be - depending on your preference and if you think it looks good. There are varying perspectives on this.

[@lori-annclaude8954]

You don't really control spacing in an ebook. In a paperback, either indent each paragraph and use single space, or separate each paragraph with a line but do not indent. Look at a book in the genre you're writing and imitate what they do as this will vary based on genre.

[@creatinghappiness9669]

@@lori-annclaude8954 Thank you so much 💓

[@MahdiehFuladvand]

Hello im children's story writer but have no budget for publish have any idea for me

[@casimir613]

Hey, I like the video and the information given is great. But at a first glance I found the camera position a little bit irritating since the camera is pointing down a little bit and it looks like the viewer is looking slightly down on you, Just my impression. Otherwise: Great job!

[@Kindlepreneur]

Sorry about that - I'll keep that in mind. Thanks!

[@renepoggenpoel1711]

Can you import your Word manuscript with the pictures already into Atticus or do you have to add the pictures manually after importing? My book has 400 pictures.

[@Kindlepreneur]

Yes, you can import a word doc with images and the images will show up in Atticus.

[@renepoggenpoel1711]

@@Kindlepreneur thank you much.

[@ShoshanahShear]

Is there a low price option than Atticus? Also, what do you think of the templates that KDP offers? I started to work with one but their formatting does not hold. If I use your video and tweak their settings, will it work?

[@Kindlepreneur]

Not with that same level of capability. Adobe Indesign in much more expensive, and Vellum is $249.99. As for templates, it depends on what you need to change - but many won't got through the system.

[@ShoshanahShear]

@@Kindlepreneur Hm, my goal is to get to Adobe Indesign, if I am on a tight budget can I start with using word or is it not professional enough? The biggest detail I see that is not holding from the template is headings mostly distance from top of the page. Also, line spacing at times goes out. Do you have a video that explains the themes in Word? When do I use a theme and when set up my own styles?

[@Kindlepreneur]

@@ShoshanahShear For print only, you might be able to do that. I'd say give it a try and see if Amazon accepts it and that the author copy looks good. Adobe Indesign is great but it has a steep learning curve. As for videos, no - I don't have anything on that.

[@fractalnomics]

Perfect.

[@estrellaramirez6435]

I need to find a way to download my Atticus document back to my laptop and can't find one single article or tutorial on how to do this process. The only thing I can find is uploading from my laptop to Atticus. If this is so complicated, I want my payment reimbursed, please.

[@Kindlepreneur]

Well, that's strange considering there is a video on it in the tutorial page, and also when you go to the support page, there is a FAQ titled: Can I export to Word of Doc? Here is what they FAQ says: You can export to .docx! To export a .docx file, you’ll want to click on the book details section from inside your book, just at the top of the left navigation panel. If you scroll down to the very bottom of the popup you’ll see the button for .docx. However, Word doesn’t have the ability to display the complex coding Atticus uses to format and design your book so it will only retain basic formatting, such as chapter titles and, of course, all your content. It’s ideal for editing and a back up version of your manuscript, but if you need a fully formatted version, you’ll have to export to either ePub or PDF. If for some reason the above doesn't answer your question, or you need more support, please contact Atticus' support. They're pretty good at what they do.

[@TamaraGalloway1]

Thank you for a very useful video!

[@Kindlepreneur]

Glad it was helpful!

[@patriciadaly9496]

I was taken by surprise at the end when you promoted Atticus. I can't figure out why you spent most of the video explaining Word formatting, only to recommend Atticus instead. It sounded like an upsell. If you want to include the plug for Atticus, mention at the beginning that you are going to offer an alternate formatting option at the end.

[@Kindlepreneur]

Well, I figured since it is called how to format a book with Word, that I should show them exactly what they were looking for immediately - which is how to format a book with word. Then after that, I figured it was best to let the viewers learn about the limitations that exist and show them another option in case those limitations are important.

[@patriciadaly9496]

@@Kindlepreneur Thanks for your response. That makes sense. It's just that your intention wasn't clear to me when I watched the video. I experienced your explanation of Atticus as an alternate method included at the last minute. I'll watch the video again and see if I come away with the same reaction. I'm giving you the honest feedback you requested. This is no way affects my total admiration and appreciation for all you give so generously to help all of us out here. Thanks, Dave!

[@Kindlepreneur]

@@patriciadaly9496 Thanks and sounds good!

[@TimothyOBrien1958]

How do you create a copyright page?

[@Kindlepreneur]

Use this to write it: kindlepreneur.com/book-copyright-page-examples-ebook/ As for formatting, the easiest is to just put it on its own page. However, if you want to do it professionally, it needs to be on the left page, and at the bottom for a book. Using Word, this is a bit difficult. If you have a program like Atticus.io - it's automatic.

[@clarebills366]

I watched the video and I felt the margins were still too small. I took Jerry Jenkin's class and he suggested larger margins and also more line space so the books are easier on the eyes as you read. OK. He also said to use Times New Roman font in 12 point type. That's my 2 cents worth.

[@Kindlepreneur]

In truth, the margin size should depends on the number of pages in the book - because of binding purposes. Then after that, you can expand future based on preference.

[@kathylondon9918]

Typo on "page size depends on style of writng" I see the word "gutter" used a lot so perhaps include that here for the inside margin Fiction and non-fiction have some different standards... maybe mention this is for fiction Amazon uses a particular "Heading" to create and find the Table of Contents. Maybe include the link. Your widow & orphans solution for the occasional left-over line is clever - but if the author does any subsequent editing in that chapter, they may need to revise it. Perhaps mention that. I notice you don't try to use "section breaks" and my version of Word is a tad glitchy on those - I swear the document loses the settings from time to time and that it's not my fault. Some gurus advise using sections to remove the header and footer/page number on the first page of each chapter. That's a choice on your part... so no change needed, but some viewers may wonder. Good video! Doing the steps out of order can lead to grief and re-dos, so good organization. Thanks

[@Kindlepreneur]

Oh - thanks for the heads up on that and the points.

[@mohamadsaleih6287]

Hey Good morning Or good evening Thank you for these videos Really i wrote an impact book about (islam) for humanity to read and save themeslf The book Need to be formatted, the book about 700 pages but i can make it 3 books separtely or series. We can make a deal together,so as the book show up. Iam sure you will get more money,it is valuable book My deal is that to format it and hrlp in publshing,get paid from every purchase till you get your double fees What is your idea? I watch anf read more about publishing,key word caygories,(no kdp slect).

[@s.m.gillespie2470]

When I uploaded with kindle create. The preview looked fine but when I published it and ordered it much of my ebook has large chunks of text randomly highlighted. What happened and better yet how can I fix it. Thanks. Love your work

[@tambikhai3601]

This and the previous video are excellent introductions for using Word to format a POD book. I use Word to format my own and my client's books, but I'm an advanced user, so I have other tips and tricks I use. For anyone wanting to use Word to format their book, I would highly recommend learning more about how to use styles, and to create a full style for each type of book you want to format (things like never hitting "enter" between lines, but setting line heights for each paragraph). It's a process that takes some time to master and set up, but it is worth it. That said, it might be too much for those who want to get their book formatted and don't want to add the learning curve for how to use Word. I'm considering Atticus myself because I do like what I'm seeing from the examples. I have to admit that I'm pretty picky, so I'll keep looking to see if it would include the little nuances I would want. Overall, though, great job

[@Kindlepreneur]

That's excellent and I totally agree!

[@patriciadaly9496]

Yes, I also recommend the use of styles.

[@leahdee9547]

I'm using Atticus as well, although if I weren't, this video would be a tremendous help. One thing I didn't see addressed (apologies if I missed it), after formatting, I assume you would save as a PDF for uploading into KDP. Otherwise, this is a great overview of Word formatting in general, no matter what you're working on -- book, research paper, etc.

[@Kindlepreneur]

Awesome - Atticus is a LOT easier than using word. As for PDF, I thought that was in there at the end...but I'll have to check.

[@jlhendricks2090]

I'll just echo that you should note this particular tutorial for for pbk only, not for ebook. But, I use Atticus now. I write in Word and then upload to Atticus. Can you do an Atticus tutorial about making changes to the manuscript once it's all formatted? I am finding that a bit difficult.

[@Kindlepreneur]

Very true. As for Atticus, absolutely - I've got a couple coming soon.

[@johnegreek1617]

Hi Dave and oldest daughter, great info regarding book formatting. I'd also suggest a short discussion about templates from KDP. They can be a bit tricky to setup for full formatting as suggested, especially the title and author name in the header and where to start them...

[@Kindlepreneur]

Great point - I also created a free online Word Template generator that I probably should have mentioned too - kindlepreneur.com/formatting-templates/

[@guilherme_castro32]

Could have left a metric reference when mentioning inches when editing....

[@andreaglass1067]

Great tips. A few comments: I never created a new style so I wonder how that would work with the automated table of contents feature; using the Amazon page template seems a lot easier than figuring the correct margins; does Amazon actually accept a Word doc as I thought it had to be a PDF.

[@FrankButterfield]

For paperbacks, it has to be PDF. For ebooks, you can submit a Word doc.

[@Kindlepreneur]

Thanks - as for your question, what Frank said

[@LucasColeBooks]

Got your email asking for feedback (under my real name, not this pen name). 1. Drop the transcript (if you have the option.) 2. Provide timed subject headings in the main video that pop up below. I’ve seen this done elsewhere. 3. Slow down. 4. Offer common wrinkles folks have along the way; they are plentiful. Word is a standard. I appreciate it. I hate it sometimes. I hope to make Atticus my new standard. For Atticus, please provide a detailed reference in text/pdf, not video. Thanks. Good luck to your talented daughter.

[@Kindlepreneur]

Great points - especially the timed headings.

[@l.martin2119]

Hi Dave, good stuff. Maybe include fact that Word file should be virgin, so strip out all formatting before starting? Also, how to set up a TOC s/b a tutorial all in itself (if you haven't already done one already). Best, Loretta

[@Kindlepreneur]

Yeah, each of those particular pages will get their own Tutorial. Like how to format a copyright page, ToC, etc.

[@aveguevara]

My Word version is 15.36 aka "old" and I'm having a helluva time applying what you've taught regarding setting up margins, etc. As time is money here, and I have another book waiting to come out after this one, I think Atticus might be a smart decision. I've been at this almost all day and my left & right brain hemispheres are sizzling on overwhelm. Writing is not just a hobby for me. Then of course there's the marketing aspect, etc. So I don't want to spend a fortune of time/energy trying to figure out margins "the hard way on an old version of Word" if I can zip through it on Atticus. I really like your style of teaching, I actually can understand what you're saying!!! Thank you!

[@gecm1948]

It was a little too fast for me, but I've always hired my formatting out since I prefer writing over the tedious task of formatting. But maybe it wouldn't be so tedious if I took the time to learn. I've been tempted to purchase Atticus and would love to hear if it's easier to learn than formatting with Word.

[@Kindlepreneur]

I can absolutely say it's easier to learn than formatting with Word. As for the speed, I will definitely keep that in mind in the next tutorial. Thank you!

[@ForbiddenHistoryLIVE]

THANK YOU GREAT JOB !!! Peace & Enlyghtenment Alwayz A Micah Hill Dezert-Owl Search Name

[@MichelleScarberry]

I've seen a lot of modern book releases (especially YA) who choose to omit indentation and add double-space between paragraphs.

[@SandraKerns]

Looks good. I have always used Word but did purchase Atticus a while back (though I haven't been writing recently). I will probably try it to redo some of my past books and also for new ones. I'm not a fan of the extra space you have between all of the paragraphs, especially if you're going to indent, too. The whole idea of the extra space is to show it's a new paragraph. Personally, it makes it easier for me to put a book down when the paragraphs are spaced like that. Anyway, enjoyed the video and always appreciate your guidance.

[@JPMcLeanAuthor]

I too noticed the extra line after the paragraphs. The rule of thumb I was taught is to leave a line when there is no indenting on the paragraph (block formatting), and remove the line when the paragraphs are indented.

[@Kindlepreneur]

Good points

[@WorldPrimeTime]

ہم اردو کتابوں کا ویڈیو ریویو بناتے ہیں۔ کبھی تشریف لائیں، مایوس نہیں ہوں گے۔

[@alexander_sinclair]

why does me page look so much smaller than yours? Also I chose the same font and size but it looks so much bigger.

[@dkokol]

Thanks Dave. Very helpful. Since many of us have books available in both electronic and pirnt versions, I suggest you discuss the difference in formatting that might require.

[@Kindlepreneur]

Great point!

[@BetaAlphaa]

How can we copy and paste paragraph with rolling page in word

[@Kindlepreneur]

I'm not sure.

[@argentgrove]

Thank you for making these tutorial videos, Dave. Even if we aren't using Word, the concepts carry over nicely. Needs more sci-fi references, though. I'm still all warm inside from the Logan's Run reference in a previous video.

[@Kindlepreneur]

Glad you like it. I'm going to be doing more tutorial styled videos. As for Logans, haha..I'll see what I can do

[@TaniasWritingRealm]

Good video. How do you feel about the extra spacing between paragraphs? Sometimes i feel it looks strange, especially in a fiction book. Why are so many authors doing this extra spacing more? Also, in word you can also add images and designs at the beginning of chapters, etc.

[@12thDecember]

I agree. Blank lines between paragraphs is weird. I indent the first line of the first paragraph of the page and the first line of the first paragraph at section breaks, then indent subsequent paragraphs. I think authors are doing it for the same reason people are using apostrophe s to write plurals. I'll leave it at that.

[@TaniasWritingRealm]

@@12thDecember could be to get a higher page count to

[@JuniorCid-b2f]

How can I erase the page number on chapters, title page, copyright page etc. I mean, how to erase the page number on specific pages?

[@Kashifnasir89]

templates are long as ten chapters what do I do next if I have more text... I want a template of around 200 pages

[@TheBigCityOfLove]

You know we can't see that faded-out tutorial of Word lol

[@jimmynzioki6647]

Great and timely video Dave. Feel like it's been a crash course on book formatting but great video overall.

[@Kindlepreneur]

Awesome and glad it came when it did then.

[@dr.carmencaltagirone5868]

I am asking you this because I find you to be an expert on formatting for manuscripts. Is there ever a way that one can make corrections and modifications to one’s manuscript while it’s in PDF form on the KDP website and being viewed there as an upload? That would make things so easy. Just a question…

[@bryant221]

Hello, great video. Is there line spacing requirements for paperback and ebook on KDP. Spend some time researching no definite answer like margins or page size.

[@dr.carmencaltagirone5868]

Your video is excellent. You are very clear in your delivery and your visuals are outstanding. My only concern is that you said nothing about gutters that I recall. While I understand what gutters are in formatting, I do not understand how you determine the size you assign to the gutter. Please tell me how I choose a number that can work for me in terms of gutter or do I just leave it blank? Please. Sup with a great videos.

[@obrienjonathan1988]

Thank you for this video. This is my first book and this video was the most helpful one I've come across.

[@stevechapple4246]

this was a great tutorial xcept for one thing PAGE NUMBERS. No matter how hard I follow what you said, the numbering stops after the first section. Then a mysterious O appears at the beginning of the next, and then NOTHING. At one point we had all the odds but lost the evens. Everything else is purr-fect. Page numbers suck! can anyone help?

[@JuniorCid-b2f]

What I don't understand is, why kdp suggests a margins in the web page different from the template they provide 🤔

[@stephanieclayton3804]

I publish a quarterly (genealogy) journal that requires footnotes and index. I know how to create footnotes but now that I am using Mac, can you recommend a video that shows how to do section breaks so that there is not continuous footnote numbering from one article to the next? Also an indexing video would be great.

[@EmunahFL]

I have to use Word ONLINE. I hate it. I'm not so sure any of this applies to Word ONLINE. I am having the worst time formatting and I have a deadline.

[@sheryltupa4289]

I’m trying to create a song listing book for karaoke. I want two columns on left and two columns on right side of each page, and would flow from page to page.

[@john.wick1]

Do you offer 1 on 1 tutorial or assistance? I am writing a book right now, but my book is intended for be submitted as a Audio-book primarily, but I definitely want the option to submit it as a paperback book for manual reading as well.... This is my first book, so I am having loads of issues with learning this stuff, and I typically learn much better with 1 on 1 instruction. I am having issues with delivering an effective presence of WHO is doing the talking in the book; Do I use quotations? If so, when and where? Also, I am wanting to write AND release my book in segments, kind of like seasons & episodes of a television show. The reason I am wanting to do it this way is that that I can invest a little time writing a single Episode, then release it... if it gets a good response, then I will take the time to release another Episode and so on. But I don't want to waste several months writing an entire book and no one even like it.

[@staynavytom2963]

good video. is step one determining what size paper to use? I normally write in normal sized paper but for my kindle book i want 6x9 format. do i start with 6x9 pages, convert to pdf and upload the pdf?

[@JULIOAIS]

Your videos (and I watched two of them) have a problem with sound . I CAN HARDLY LISTEN TO THEM. They are too soft.

[@lyndamcdaniel]

Hi Dave, Great job ... and very generous of you, like always. You do a great job of building confidence and explaining WHY. But since you asked, I did find a few minor glitches. 1. Even though PAGE BREAK is a simple concept, it feels rushed, thrown in at the end of that segment. 2. When you are discussing margins, you arrived at .375 as the best inside margin, and yet the video shows .38 3. When you're discussing line spacing, you illustrate using EXACTLY and 15. But the 15 doesn't mean much. I suggest you add the word POINT, as in 15 POINT. 4. There is an abrupt break in the video between CHAPTER HEADING and SETTING PAGE NUMBERS. 5. Seems to me the headers--BOOK TITLE and AUTHOR NAME--should be centered. Like I said, all minor. You're the best--so kind and generous.

[@Kindlepreneur]

Ah, those are all great points. I'll have to check some of those out. Thank you.

[@john.wick1]

When I followed your margin instructions, it become un-printable, as my document was "outside the printable area".... is it supposed to be that way?

[@aislingcoughlan5414]

Hi, is there a way to make the book square. I am creating art books and my structure is square. Haven't been able to find how anywhere.

[@john.wick1]

My WORD doesn't have an option called "Page Settings" under "Margins".

[@lori-annclaude8954]

I format my books in Word using styles. The video shows how to create a chapter heading. All styles are created in the same way. Ideally, styles should be created for 1) chapter heading, 2) chapter title (if applicable), 3) the first paragraph of a chapter, 4) the first paragraph of a scene if it's different from the first paragraph of a chapter, and 5) the remaining paragraphs of the story. I use slightly different styles for the front and back matter. But first, for the header to behave properly (title on odd pages, author on even pages + page number), a section break-next page must be used (Layout > Breaks > Section Breaks > Next page in Word 2016). Using section breaks allows the page number and title/author to be dropped on the first page of a chapter (which all professional books do). Even though styles scare many, at the very least, the Normal style should be defined to cover the most commonly used text, which in a book is the body of the text (all paragraphs except the first one in each scene). This ensures that text across all chapters is formatted the same way. Inside margins depend on the number of pages. The greater the number, the greater the margin so that when the book is open, the text is visible between the right/left pages. The outside margin can be picked based on preference (as long as it's >= the KDP minimum). A book should be right/left justified and either use 1) indentation for the first line of a paragraph without a blank line between paragraphs, OR 2) a blank line without first-line paragraph indentation. Never both. The easiest way to ensure that the first scene paragraphs are the same is to create a style for it, and set Format > Paragraph > Indentation > Special = None. For Normal story text, Special = First line, with By = value (I use 0.2"). I would never recommend adjusting line spacing to force a line back on a previous page to control orphans. The way to deal with this is to force text from the previous page to remain with the orphan text (but only as a last resort). Select the start of the paragraph that should fall on the next page with the orphan text and use the option Format > Paragraph > Line and page breaks > Keep lines together". If the line spacing of a page is decreased, even by just a tiny bit, the line spacing has now become inconsistent with the rest of the book. Some readers (I would be one), would notice right away. I would actually reread the text and see if I can edit it down before I would override Word's orphan control. And should some text be added to the chapter in the future, the line spacing might end up changing partway through a page, which would be even more noticeable. The negative of Word is setting up drop capitals at the start of a chapter (or each scene). These have to be done individually and yes, they are quite a pain (at least they are in Word 2016). You might want to add the missing i in the "Style of writing" @ 3:32 min.

[@Kindlepreneur]

A lot of great suggestions - and thanks.

[@KJ-zr2ko]

Are there any specific requirements for title page and published info such as font or type size?

[@diannadolly]

Hi. is it true that we have to get rid of bolded words? and words in italic? i saw this in another video. not sure how true it is but apparently it will mess with the formatting?

[@kaleyjanenigh]

Dave, thank you SO much. I'm new to the KDP world, and you just gave my manuscript a total "glow-up"! It looks SO much better. You're amazing, thank you from the bottom of my heart!

[@inyekwechidozie5383]

i really need help in this kdp....can you tutor me pls

[@spacecatboy2962]

is it ok to single space and use 12 and what font, what do publishers, agents want