About ebooks...

[Scythian]

I hope you would consider this
as part of a so-called "chit-chat"...





As well as I am very new to website building,
I am very new to ebook writing.

I do not know at all on what support to write my ebook,
before, naturally, compiling it (if "compiling" is the second part
of an ebook writing process)...

Are ebooks written in microsoft's "Words", for instance ?

[LadyEye]

Re: About ebooks...

Hi

Ebooks tend to be written in a word program and then converted to a .pdf document and easily downloaded from your website - reason - it's a cleaner copy and it cannot be altered.

Once you compose your word document on your given topic, you can convert the document into a .pdf by using the free pdf converter found at www.primopdf.com

You might consider a nice graphic cover for your ebook as well. You can do a full book design seen there or a simple design as seen here, my own ebook of blue voda tips

[Tom Finley]

Re: About ebooks...

I haven't yet done an actual ebook but I have had a number of books published by several different publishers. Across the board ALL publishers want manuscripts submitted in Microsoft Word. If you do not have that, download the free Open Office, which can create .doc files that can be opened in Word.

Tom

EDIT: Plus what LadyEye said :)

[Scythian]

Re: About ebooks...

Thank you very much, LadyEye and Tom.

I'll do what you say, and I'm glad
I can write an ebook through, let's say,
Microsoft's "Word" program.



One more question:

while in "Word", is it possible to add
(many) drawings/pictures, because I'll made an illustrated ebook.

Thank you in advance,
and have a great day/night
(depending where you live).

[Tom Finley]

Re: About ebooks...

For something with many pictures I use a drawing program because I'm used to doing it that way (CorelDraw and Xara Xtreme). But Word will work.

When you are ready to insert a photo or artwork in Word, choose "Insert" from the menu bar. It goes like this:

Insert > Picture > From File

That will let you browse for your photo. Once you've inserted the photo, you might not like the way the type fits around it, so here's what you do:

First, click on the inserted photo to highlight it. Then go to the menu bar:

Format > Picture > Wrapping

That gives you a bunch of options for fitting your type around the picture.

Hope this helps.

Tom

[Scythian]

Re: About ebooks...

This is definitely a first class help, dear Tom !!!

I'll do as you say !

I'll work at my ebook writing as soon as possible,
thanks to you and LadyEye !

If I ever could help, let me know,
in some other domain than the computer one
...where I'm a beginner...





Oops ! I almost forgot:

1) typing my ebook in "WORD".

2) inserting my drawings the way you told me.

3) is there a "compiler" thing to do, so that the ebook stays "in one piece" ?

4) that's here, I guess, that I convert it into PDF
(or EXE, I read about that too, a bit) ?

5) this is the end, I have to create a cover for my ebook.

6) and promote it.


Is this the right way ?
Have I understood the process ?

[Tom Finley]

Re: About ebooks...

3 and 4) When completely satisfied, convert the document to pdf using the free product LadyEye linked to. I use CutePDF Writer, also free, which acts just like a printer: you go to print the file but choose CutePDF instead of your regular printer. Instead of printing anything, it spits out a pdf file on your desktop. Works great.

5) Create the cover in whatever program you like and add that as a jpeg as the first page in your Word doc, then print the doc as in 4).

6) On your website, be sure to use the cover jpeg so everyone can see what the book's all about!

Now get on that number 1)! :)

Tom

[Scythian]

Re: About ebooks...

Tom Finley, you're incredible !

Thank you very much.

You are very helpful.






And yes, I jump at 1) !!!

:) :) :)