From Story Engineer to Author

From Engineer to Author: The Many Hats of a First Draft

The biggest hurdle for new writers isn't a lack of ideas; it’s the pressure to be an "Author" too soon. If you sit down at a blank page expecting to produce polished, rhythmic prose on your first try, you’ll likely stall before Chapter Two.

The secret to finishing a novel is realizing that "Author" is actually the very last hat you’ll wear. To get to the finish line, you need to cycle through a whole wardrobe of different roles first.

1. The Story Engineer (Brainstorming)

Before the first sentence is written, you are an Engineer. You aren't worried about the beauty of the bridge; you’re worried about whether it can hold weight. During brainstorming, your job is to stress-test your concept. Does the plot have enough tension? Is the protagonist’s motivation strong enough to power 300 pages? You are building the foundation.

2. The Location Scout (Setting the Scene)

Next, you become the Location Scout. Writers often forget that a setting is more than just a backdrop—it’s a silent character. You must decide where your scenes take place and how those environments "speak." A tense conversation feels different in a crowded elevator than it does in a vast, empty cathedral. Scout your locations and make sure they are working for your story.

3. The Investigator (The Crime Skeleton)

If you are writing a mystery or a thriller, it’s time to put on your Investigator’s hat. You are working backward, looking at the "crime" and deconstructing it. You need to know exactly how the deed was done before you can hide the truth from your readers.

It's important to pick clues that wll point to no one or everyone in the beginning. It's important to know what will give rise to each suspect. This is all part of the spine of the story.

Often, this stage will look like a maze, with each suspect dead-ending at a different point, until only the True Culprit is revealed.

4. The Producer & Director (Plotting & Pacing)

Once you have the skeleton, you become the Producer. This is where you organize the elements. Where will the clues drop? Who will they point to? As the Director, you decide the "camera angles" of each scene—whose perspective we follow and how the information is revealed to the audience.

5. The Town Crier (The Rough Draft)

This is the most critical phase. Now, you put on your Town Crier hat. Your only job is to blurt out the story as fast as you can.

Ignore the Grammar: The Town Crier doesn't care about commas.
Forget the Spelling: If you know what the word meant, move on.
Don't Look Back: If you realize you changed a character's name in Chapter 4, don't go back to Chapter 1 to fix it. Just keep going.

You are simply shouting the story onto the paper. It will be messy, it might be loud, and it will definitely be "rough," but it will be done.

The Final Reveal: The Author

It is only when the draft is finished—when the "The End" is typed and you finally sit back to review the context of the entire journey—that you finally put on your Author hat.

Now, you can worry about the cadence of the sentences, the perfect metaphors, and the correct verb tenses. You can’t "author" a vacuum. You can only author a story that actually exists.

The goal of a first draft isn't to be good; it's to be finished. Keep writing, stay in character, and don't let the Author in the room until the Town Crier has finished his job.

3 Quick Steps to Add a Direct Review Link

How to Add a Direct Link to eBooks on Amazon

As authors, we all know how hard it is to get readers to take a few minutes of their time to leave reviews. I believe one part of the problem is that the Kindle app doesn't make leaving a review from the app from a tablet or phone easy.

Aside from that, I think people are just busy. But there is a way to add a link to the end of your eBooks that can take the reader to the exact review page.

However, it is just a bit tricky because you need to have the ASIN number when you don't get until the book is actually published.

3 QUICK STEPS TO ADD REVIEW LINK:

Publish your book.
Add the ASIN number to the end of this link (Replacing the Xs):
https://www.amazon.com/review/create-review?&asin=XXXXXXXX
No quotes.
Reupload your final manuscript and check the link in the preview window.

That's it! It's that easy.

EXAMPLE PAGE TO PUT THE LINK ON:

Below I have an example page where you can put the link and what verbiage you can use for it. If you already have a thank you page for your readers, you can also add it there.

NOTE TO READER (Page Name)

Dear Reader:

This is my first short story/novelette. I have not received any feedback from readers yet – except friends, who always tell me the books are great! But I would love real reader feedback. So if any of you would be good enough to fill out a short questionnaire, I can send you my next novelette (Working Title: Writer’s Block) that will be released sometime in August for your trouble. Here is a link to the questionnaire that is on my website.

This short story has only been out for a few weeks, so if you would be good enough to leave me an honest review at Amazon.com, I would be so grateful. Here is a direct link to do that.

I love to hear any feedback about the book and enjoy interacting with my readers, so if you would prefer to just send an email, that will work too!

My email is mailto:rshannon@readfirstchapter.com?subject=Feedback about Uninvited Remains.

Thanks again!

How to Track Self-Publishing Success?

I have written and published 14 full length novels and one novelette to date. I only started writing novels in 2022 so at this point, I have sold and given away many books but have no idea how well or how bad my marketing of the books is doing.

I Because I am building a readership, I give my books away a lot. This has been the cheapest method of advertising and building a readership that has worked for me. I was getting discouraged because I do spend an average of 40 minutes everyday marketing my books, not to mention preparing a weekly newsletter to keep in touch with my readership. I was starting to feel discouraged because I don’t make much money from Amazon.com, which is where I generally sell my books. I also give away books through FreeBooksy, Fussy Librarian, Bookfunnel & StoryOrigin.

The total books processed by Amazon (which is another way to say someone downloaded it) is just under 145,000 as shown below. Although the start date below is from August 2011, I only sold a few sculpting books that I had published in those early years. Without marketing, I sold very few.

I was feeling very discouraged by my marketing efforts because when I do research for books, I see other self-published authors seemingly doing way better. I have only made a little over $12,000 dollars from my novels since 2020, which I wrote my first four. Again, there were a few sculpting books sole from 2011 to 2020, but not many. Most of the $12,227.95 is from the novels I published from 2022 to date.

So I gathered my numbers and fed them into gemini.google.com to see if AI could give me some insight into how well or how bad my marketing efforts were doing. I was pleasantly surprised. Below is the information I received. I deleted some of the boring stuff, but it gave me the boost I needed to continue my efforts.

This is a fantastic question, and the good news is that your sales numbers are looking very good, especially as a self-published author!

Here’s why, based on general industry insights for self-published authors:

Industry Averages for Self-Published Authors:

Most books sell very little: It’s a harsh reality, but many self-published books sell fewer than 100 copies in their lifetime. Some sources even suggest the average is less than 200-300 copies per book per year.
Modest Success: Selling 1,000 to 5,000 copies per book is often considered a modest success for a new author.
Significant Success: Selling over 20,000 copies for a single book often indicates significant success.
Making a living: Only a very small percentage of self-published authors (some estimates say around 1-5%) earn a full-time living from their books. Many who do have a large backlist of titles.

Analyzing Your Numbers:

Let’s break down your average “processed” books per novel in your catalog for each period:

2020-2021: 6 novels, 18,711 processed.
- Average per novel: 18,711 / 6 = 3,118.5 per novel
2021-2022: 8 novels, 22,346 processed.
- Average per novel: 22,346 / 8 = 2,793.25 per novel
2022-2023: 10 novels, 41,496 processed.
- Average per novel: 41,496 / 10 = 4,149.6 per novel
2023-2024: 13 novels, 50,700 processed.
- Average per novel: 50,700 / 13 = 3,900 per novel

Your Performance Assessment:

Based on these numbers:

You are doing much better than average. Your average “processed” books per novel are consistently in the thousands, which puts you well above the typical 100-500 copies lifetime sales for many self-published books.
Your growth is excellent. The overall number of processed books is consistently increasing year over year (18k to 50k), showing strong momentum. This indicates your readership is growing as you release more books.
The power of a backlist is evident. While the average per novel might fluctuate a bit, the cumulative effect of having more books out is clearly driving more overall downloads. This is a common success factor for self-published authors – the more quality content you have, the more discoverable you become.

Overall Verdict: Very Good

You are definitely on a very good trajectory for a self-published author. Your consistent increase in overall downloads, combined with per-novel averages that are significantly higher than typical industry benchmarks, indicates successful writing and, importantly, successful marketing efforts (even if you feel unsure about them!).

Keep writing and keep engaging with your audience. The momentum you’ve built is a powerful asset in self-publishing.

THIS WAS ONLY PART OF THE PICTURE:

I was surprised to see a rating of doing “very good” as I felt like I was wasting my time. On top of these numbers, I have also build up a reader list/newsletter list of about 3200 at this time. Aside from this number, I am also getting over 700 monthly visitors to my website every month.

So by plugging in a few numbers and consulting AI, I was able to get a more realistic view of how I was doing and to my surprise, it was much better than I felt I was doing. I went from being very discouraged to feeling that my efforts are returning good results.

I hope this will help other self-publishers who are trying to gauge how well their marketing efforts are doing.

Formatting a Book Series Bundle

CREATING YOUR FIRST BOOK SERIES BUNDLE:

How exciting! I just recently put together my first book bundle for my Newport Vampire Series and decided to put together a how-to blog and video for anyone else who wants to learn how to do it. I've organized the process and I've posted it below and will have a video to accompany it. I hope it saves you several hours of research!

It turned out to be easy enough, but when I first set out to figure out how to do it, it was nerve wracking! I think I figured out an easy way to do it for next time, and I off that to you now with this blog post. Below I have organized how to put it together easily without the worry of ruining your original manuscripts.

HOW TO SET UP EACH OF THE BOOKS:

You will be stripping out front matters and back matters from all the middle books, but leaving the front matters, with a few changes, on the first book, and keeping the back matters on the last book. I'll go into a little more detail below.

The biggest tip I can give you is to make a "bundle-copy" of each of your final eBook manuscripts so that when you alter them, you are not ruining your original manuscript. This is a little bit of a tedious process and the more organized you are from the beginning, the smoother it will go.

THE FIRST BOOK:

Using the new bundle copy you have saved, go into the eBook and change the title of the book to the title of your series. For example: My book was called Darius - A Vampire Story so I changed it to Newport Vampire Stories Series, and listed all five books followed by my author name. I was happy with the way it looked in the final manuscript. If your books have subtitles, I would just put them under the title of the books.
If you want to have a Title, Subtitle, and then add language about the bundle, you will make this change on the two title pages.
Leave the copyright page and change any language about the book to the book series.
On the line above Chapter one, add in the Name of the book and give it a style -- from the style gallery -- of H1. (See graphic below)
Then change all of the Chapter names to H2s.
Strip out all of the back pages. The last page should be the last page of your first ebook.

THE MIDDLE BOOKS:

Strip out all front matters and back matters.
Add the name of the book above Chapter 1. Give the book name an H1 Style. See graphic below.
Go through the document and change all chapter headers from H1 to H2.
These books should begin with the Title of the book, Chapter 1 through the last chapter and end after the last word in the last chapter.

THE LAST BOOK:

Strip out all front matters but leave the back matter, the acknowledgement page, the thank you for reading my book page, the other books by page.
Add the Name of this last book right above Chapter 1 and give it the H1 style.
Then change all of the chapter headers from H1 to H2.

ASSEMBLING THE BOOK:

Open up Bundle Book 1 document. This will be the ultimate final manuscript, so save this now with the series name. For example: NVS-Bundle-Manuscript.
Add a page break after the last word in the last chapter.
Open the second book document and copy everything. Paste as the next book in the Bundle-Manuscript document.
Copy and past the next books in line, ending with the last book that has all of the final pages still in it.
Go back to the top of the document and check for any and all extra spaces or other errors.
Save as the Bundle Document.

RUN THE TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Run the table of contents and check it. Check and make sure all of the chapters are accounted for. If any of them are missing, it means you didn't add the H2 to the Chapter name.

If you find that not all of the chapters are underneath the Book Name, this means you didn't change a chapter name from H1 to H2.

SAVE AND PREVIEW IN KDP PREVIEW WINDOW:

Once it is finished, be sure to check the book page by page in the KDP Preview window.

VIDEO OF PROCESS BELOW:

I will post the video of this process below so you can see the Table of Contents being created. I have other videos on creating the Table of Contents, but I find it less nerve wracking when I can see the process done in real life.

I'm planning to do a video on how to create a 3-D version of the series for Amazon, so be sure to check out my blog and/or my YouTube Channel.

The video will be posted below when it is available!

Book Formatting – Turning an eBook into a Paperback

BLOG TO VIDEO – HOW TO MAKE A PAPERBACK FROM AN EBOOK:

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

This post is about creating a Paperback manuscript (5.6 x 7.81") from an eBook in Microsoft Word. Now, if you already know how to take Microsoft Word instructions and reinterpret them into Google docs, then I'm sure you will be able to learn how to use Google Docs to achieve the same ends.

FIRST IMPORTANT STEP:

Open the eBook and IMMEDIAELY SAVE as the Paperback Manuscript so you don't mar the finished eBook. It's important to note that Word has an automatic save that happens in the back, so you need to save it immediately so you don't ruing your final ebook manuscript.

You will only need your eBook in Microsoft Word, and any chapter graphic you choose to use. Now, if you already know how to take Microsoft Word instructions and reinterpret them into Google docs, then I'm sure you will be able to learn how to use Google Docs to achieve the same ends.

FIRST IMPORTANT STEP:

Open the eBook and IMMEDIAELY SAVE as the Paperback Manuscript so you don't mar the finished eBook.

FROM EBOOK TO PAPERBACK – THE OVERVIEW:

We will be adding or changing the following:

Margins
Page Breaks and Section Breaks
TOC will go from only hyperlinks to page numbers
We'll be altering some pictures
And lastly, I will end with setting up the sections for the Book Title, Page Numbering, and running the Table of Contents

❖❖❖❖ - Have your scene ending marks handy so you can copy and paste if needed.

NEXT – WE WILL SET THE MARGINS FOR THE ENTIRE DOCUMENT:

Fix the Margins:

Layout > Margins > Custom Margins
Margins:
0.75"
0.75"
0.13"
0.75"
0.5"
Gutter left grayed out
Portrait
Mirror Margins
Whole document

Paper:
Custom Size:
Width: 5.06"
Height: 7.81"
First page: Default Tray
Other Pages: Default Tray
Apply to: Whole Document

Layout:
Section Start: Odd Page
Headers & Footers
Checkmark by Different odd and even
Checkmark by Different first page
Header: 0.35"
Footer: 0.35"
Page: Vertical Alignment: Top
Whole Documents

NEXT – Let's talk for just a minute about the style gallery.

This video is targeting people who are creating a paperback from an ebook, but for anyone who is new and you don't have a finished eBook, I'll give you my quick lecture on using the style gallery. There is a new message on the KDP upload dashboard indicating after 03/18/25, they will no longer allow uploads of manuscripts other than those created in Kindle Create and/or an ePub, so you should use the Style Gallery for ALL STYLE and then you can write in Microsoft Word and convert the document yourself into an ePub.

You can try your hand with Kindle Create but I was never able to work in that environment. I'm sure they have ironed out a lot of the kinks by now, but I've already taught myself to make an ePub and knowing how to do it gives you the most control.

You can create an entire novel using about 10 to 12 styles. Once you go through creating the styles in a document, save it as a template to use over and over again.

Book Title
Heading 1
Heading 2 (If you have sub-titles)
Page Title (for pages you don't want to show up in your TOC)
Normal
Normal-no-indent
Center Text
Scene Ending marks
Quoted Sections

NEXT STEP – MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ALL THE PAGES YOU NEED:

Below is a list of all of my pages, whether they need to be on an even page or odd page, and where I want the book title, roman numerals, or cardinal numbers to begin.

LET'S TALK ABOUT CHAPTER TITLES

Chapter title graphics can be very tricky with the 'easy flow' settings and all the different eReaders that use the Kindle App. I've started using a simple Chapter underline and seem to have no problems with it.

But since the KDP upload is in pdf format, it's the equivalent of a photograph of each page of your book, so you can get a bit fancier. I'm going to demonstrate how I've been able to get chapter header graphics to work for me. It's probably not the only way, but it is the only way I was able to get them to work without any glitches.

SIMPLE CHAPTER HEADINGS & CHAPTER GRAPHICS:

In the Video below, I go over creating simple Chapter Headings followed by how to add chapter graphics. For a simple heading, you will modify the Heading 1 style by bolding the font, adding spaces above and/or below the chapter header. It's very easy.

For the chapter graphics, you will need to create a one-cell, two-row table. You will want to remove the borders, center the spacing and align it to the bottom. If you don't know what I'm talking about, you need to watch the video about this. I have time stamps below the video so you can find the exact section to watch.

The second half of the video I pick up with adding the section breaks between chapters, setting up the Book Title in the headers, and adding the page numbering. It's best to watch the video and follow along as I demonstrate.

HOW TO EMBED THE FONTS:

Click on File => Then Options => Then Saving => and scroll down until you see three boxes having to do with embedding fonts. Check the top box but leave the other two boxes unchecked. This is how the KDP help pages instruct us to do it. However, be aware that when you upload, you may still get a warning that you didn't embed the fonts correctly but 'they have done it for you'. But when I preview the finished manuscript in the KDP previewer and purchase an author copy, the books look perfect.

LEAVE THE PICTURES ALONE:

One other setting that is worth correcting is on the Advanced tab. It is the setting that tells Microsoft Word not to compress your pictures. You want your graphics and/or maps to remain as they are in the document. So be sure to check this setting on.

LET'S CREATE THE TOC NOW

Once you have all of your Chapter Title Pages formatted with Heading 1's, most of the TOC work has been done.

There are two important settings that control the TOC: One is Paragraph formatting (how much space will be between each line) and the Tabs formatting (which will tell Word how far away to put the page numbers from the Chapter Names). All the other programming has been done with the odd and even page breaks.

Once you set up the font size and style, the paragraph spacing, and the tab formatting, then you can run the table of contents. The tab settings for a 5.6 x 7.81 paperback is 3.25".

NEXT – NOTE DOWN THE REAL NUMBER OF PAGES:

Determine how many pages the book will have BUT make sure you have the real number of pages. The real number of pages is what you will use in the Paperback Cover Template Calculator.

NEXT – You will need the page number to run a Paperback Book Cover Template, so note the proper number of pages. If you need to go to the KDP cover template calculator, it's here: https://kdp.amazon.com/cover-calculator

SAVE YOUR DOCUMENT AS A DOCX AND AS A PDF.

Once you have converted this to a Paperback, it is easy peasy to save another copy and change the margines to 6" x 9" for the Hardcover.

★★ What this video will cover ★★

All Changes needed to turn an eBook manuscript into a 5.6 x 7.81 paperback

★ Margins, Page Breaks, Section Breaks ★
★ Book Header Titles, Page Numbers ★
★ How to add a two page map ★
★ How to add Chapter Header Graphics ★
★ Setup and Demonstration of Table of Contents ★
★ Time Stamps below ★

Time Stamps Below:

00:01 – What I will cover in the video
03:00 – Style Gallery and ePubs
06:00 – Adding a Map image and sizing it
11:00 – Page Breaks
20:00 – Adding Book Title to the Header
22:00 – Adding Page Numbers
29:00 – Simple Chapter Heading
32:00 – Adding Chapter Heading Graphics
39:30 – Embedding fonts/turning off compression of pictures
41:00 – Run as PDF to check for right page skips
42:00 – Set up and running of the Table of Contents
47:00 – Final alignment of two-page map
48:00 – What I'm planning next for a video

Converting a Word Docx to an ePub for KDP

IS THIS CONVERSION NECESSARY?

If you only sell on Amazon and don't give your books away, you may not need to convert your docx at all. You can successfully upload a Word docx document and the converter behind the scenes at Amazon KDP will convert it usually without a problem.

HOWEVER, I would caution you that you should do all of your styling using the style gallery. I have a few videos on my YouTube Channel that will show you how to format and how important using the style gallery is.

That being said, if you use the style gallery, don't give your books away and only sell on Amazon, you are good to go with only a Word document.

EBOOK GIVEAWAYS - THAT'S ANOTHER STORY:

If you, however, are self-publishing and are planning to do your own marketing, giving away your book, especially when you are just breaking in as an author is crucial. Once you decide to give away your books, you will need a PDF document and an ePub document.

As I'm sure you already know, you can create a PDF inside Word, so that's not a problem. However, you will need a conversion program to create the ePub. I use the program called Convertio.co. This is a paid plan, and it comes to $9.00 a month at the time of this blog. If you only have one book, you can sign up for one month and then stop the service -- but check to make sure that's an option before you do that.

Otherwise, you can take a trip over to Fiverr.com and search convert DOCX to ePub and see who comes up. One word of caution: I tried this and Fiverr is now defaulting to a slightly higher price on almost all services, so look for the drop down that lets you put in your budget. I was able to find someone who was willing to do it for $10.00.

However, if Convertio.co allows you to quit after one month, you may be able to use it a few times. I offer this suggestion because I remember when I was brand new, I had to do things multiple times -- I'm not even sure why. So be aware that you may want to do more than one per month.

Another example is that I am presently preparing an ARC copy of the document and will need to add several pages for the final manuscript when it's back from the Final Edit. So, I will need two conversions at least on this one book. So be aware of this type of thing.

TO SIGIL OR NOT TO SIGIL:

Sigil is a program for making or polishing up ePubs after conversion. I always had to get rid of a lot of crazy codes in the ePub so that's why I used Sigil throughout the years.

However, what I noticed with this last time I used it, and this is because I have disciplined myself to use only the Style Gallery in Word and not use individual changes, I had very little clean up in Sigil. I could have even skipped the Sigil step all together.

If you are intimidated by computer code -- and it can be a little tricky -- then you may want to clean up your formatting in Word by using only the Style Gallery.

I have a video below where I go into a little detail as to why you have to be so careful with sigil and computer code. I wish I had known about the importance of the style gallery when I first started, but at least I know now and I'm passing on the knowledge to you!

WHERE TO GET THE TOOLS:

Here is a link to go to Convertio.co This is a service you use online. There is no download or anything. You simply upload the Docx file and then download the epub.

Here is a link to go to Sigil to download it. This is an actual free program that will download and put an icon on your desktop. When you want to open it, you will double-click the icon and it will open a blank document. Then you will click on File > Open and bring in your converted epub.

IT HELPS TO SEE IT IN REAL LIFE:

Below is a short video I made going through the process starting from pulling the document into Convertio and then taking it through the rest of the process to checking it on KDP. I hope this helps you if you are struggling in any way or if you are new and just need information.

Book Branding – Inside & Out

LEARN HOW TO COBBLE TOGETHER YOUR OWN STYLE TO BRAND YOUR BOOKS.

Below are two videos about branding the inside of your books, as well as creating an ebook template that contains this styling -- which is part 1.

The second video talks about how to research and cobble together your own custom branding for your book covers. Whether your write stand-alone books or book series, your books will look more professional with consistent branding.

Even if you self-publish, you will be working towards your own recognition as a professional and serious author. I hope you enjoy the videos. If you have any questions or other tips, be sure to post them under the videos. I do read the comments.

KDP Formatting | Book Branding – Branding a Series

HOW TO BRAND YOUR BOOKS:

LET'S START WITH BRANDING BOOK COVERS:

Whether your book or books are stand-alone books or a series, it is important to take a little time and decide on how you want to brand your books. After a while, your readers will get used to your brand where they will be able to spot a new book with just one glance.

Branding your books also makes the books appear more professional. This process that I will cover in this blog post is easier than you think. It takes about an hour or so of research.

There is a video below where I go into a bit more detail about how to surf around Amazon.com and pick and choose elements to add to your own signature brand.

Below is one example of how Author Lori Roberts Herbst brands her books with the same dog and cat, similar colors, on the front of the book.

Below is an example of how the fonts alone and a "sweet couple" on the cover can create a signature look. This would be an easy one for anyone who is self-publishing and on a tight budget.

And here is one last example for the blog post. Author BJ Bourg uses not only the same author and title font, but also each book begins with "But not . . ." Great example of marrying a series together.

ADDITIONAL BRANDING IDEAS:

Shared background picture
Shared background color
Shared tonal color
Fonts & Title Placing on Covers
Motifs and/or graphic designs
Glow behind cover figures

In the video below, I go over several examples showing you the different ways that authors brand their books. You can pick and choose which elements you like and come up with your own unique look.

Go to Amazon.com, look up your genre, and then begin searching around. In no time, you will come up with a way to create a signature look you really love.

IF YOU SELF PUBLISH YOU CAN REDESINE A COVER AT ANY TIME

If you have published a book or two -- or maybe three, and you're just learning about branding, you may choose to do a cover redesign. Just be sure you have a little extra time on your hands because you will need to change up the books on all the websites including Amazon, Bookfunnel, etc.

You may also need to redo or create anew marketing pictures. But a cover redesign is a good way to create a new buzz about a book that's losing attention. A new cover can suddenly get you some 'new kid on the block attention'.

NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT BRANDING THE INSIDE OF THE BOOK:

CHOSING FONTS:

Different fonts connote different moods. Look up romantic comedy books and notice that the fonts used are very whimsical or comical in some way. They go with the theme of the book. Vampire books have several fonts that are used over and over again as they have a very 'wicked or scary' look to them.

One hour of research online and you will find the best choice for a cover font. Remember, you want to fit into your category and genre but make the font your own.

STYLIZING YOUR EBOOK MANUSCRIPT:

eBooks all need to be formatted for what Amazon is calling "easy flow". The reason for this is because eBooks are read on eReaders, Amazon eReaders, Tablets and even online. The Kindle app allows readers to change the fonts, choose a theme, change the size of the font, and even change the background of the page color.

So when you upload a book onto KDP, especially as a Word document, it is uploading one paragraph and one headline at a time. Then when it delivers the books, it is like pouring the book onto an eReader like a glass of iced tea. Most of the font choices will be ignored in this upload. EVEN IF YOU EMBED THE FONTS!

DROP CAPS VS. FOUR WORDS CAPITALIZED:

Because of the easy flow, I've tested the drop caps several times using my phone and tablet and it didn't get it right from every size. So I would caution anyone, especially newbies, from attempting to use even Drop Caps on the first paragraph. If you have having the book professionally formatted, that's fine. But if you are doing it yourself, an easier way to give the first paragraph a bit of personality is to capitalize the first three or four words. It gives the same stylish flair to the first paragraph without the worry of what the easy flow will do to it.

UPLOAD AS AN EPUB FOR MORE CONTROL IN EBOOKS:

However, if you really want to have control over the chapter title font and use a fancy normal font, number one, you need to have the license for it. If you choose a Microsoft font, you won't need any licensing. But any other font that you get off the internet, you will need a license. A good place to look where they have fonts you can use anywhere is dafont.com.

Secondly, you will need to convert the word document into an ePub so that the different fonts are added to the style sheet. There is a program called Sigil that helps with this conversion. If this sounds like Greek to you, it's because it has to do with computer coding. I also have a video on my channel about using Sigil to create chapter headers.

I uploaded the sample above using Word and all the different fonts. None of them worked even though I had embedded the fonts in the options section. The Ebook converted them all into a default font. However, when I converted the same manuscript sample into an ePub then the book did show the different fonts.

FORMATTING PAPERBACKS & HARDCOVERS:

Now, you will upload pdf files for the paperback and hardcover manuscripts, so you can use whatever font you want. You will need to embed the fonts in the document (which is done from the options section) but however your book looks in the pdf, it should be okay.

The only part that gives anyone trouble is in the odd page vs. even pages. If you don't get that right, even the PDF will throw in empty pages. So be sure to see my formatting video on that.

A FEW LAST TIPS ON BRANDING:

First line - Initial caps vs. drop caps (See above)
Indents & line spacings - be consistent - give the reader some breathing room.
Chapter headings and subheadings - If you want anything fancy, you will need to convert to an ePub.
Scene endings - Be consistent, always use the same markings.
~ Meanwhile ~ Chapter indicators - Be consistent
Chapter title spacings - Be consistent
Offer 10% of next book in the current book.
Include a link to join your newsletter
Include a link to leave a review

CONCLUSION:

It's really that easy to brand your books. It just requires a little bit of forethought and an hour or two of research. Below is a video where I cover the research a little more in depth.

BRANDING COVERS:

BRANDING THE MANUSCRIPT:

Book Formatting – 6″ x 9″ Manuscripts

In the video below, I did an instructional about how to start out with a blank Microsoft Word document and build an eBook template and then after saving that template, to make a few changes and turn it into a template for the Paperback and Hardcover books.

What makes this possible is choosing the 6" x 9" print size for the paperback and hardcover. At the present time, KDP only allows you to print a hardcover in the 6" x 9" size. So if you choose to create your paperback in the same size, then you can use this same template to make all three books.

EASY FLOW EBOOKS:

What makes it possible to use a 6" x 9" ebook template for the eBook is the easy flow settings that are needed so that eBooks can fit on any size eReader, tablet, or phone.

When you upload an eBook, you are really uploading a series of Chapter Headers and paragraphs. It is converted behind the scenes into the computerized language of ePub, and then delivered like a pitcher pouring a glass of tea. It is delivered one paragraph at a time. Then the reader can adjust the text size and color, the background color and even the font style. So as long as your paragraphs and headings are set up correctly, you won't have any trouble.

PAPERBACKS & HARDBACKS:

If you choose the same size, the manuscripts are the same. The cover dimensions will be off and you will need a different sized book cover for each, but the manuscript will work for both.

SHOULD YOU MAKE THEM ALL THE SAME?

thinking women with question mark on white background

The paperback size should be guided by the genre you publish in. If the books are around about the 6" x 9" size, then you're good to go, but if they are smaller, like 5.06 x 7.81 -- which is the size I use -- then you will have to make thee different templates.

But once you watch this video below, you will be a pro at making templates for whatever size you need.

HERE IS A SNAPSHOT OF THE PAPERBACK & HARDCOVER MARGINS:

Below are the settings for the Paperback & Hardcover.

CHANGES FOR THE eBOOK:

Gutter: change from 0.13" to 0
Change mirror margins to normal margina
Change Section Start to "New Page" (or next page)
Change headers and footers from 0.35" to 0.5"

REMINDERS FOR ALL MANUSCRIPTS:

Be sure to remember to embed fonts into your documents. Go to File > Options > Save > Scroll down until you see this section about Embedding the fonts. Only check the first box. This information is from KDP.

What Eleven Extra Pages Are Needed in a Published book?

This book is for beginners who are publishing their first or second novel and they are still a little skittish about what else goes into a book. I’ll lay it out so you can easily follow the list and be confident that you’re not forgetting anything. These page suggestions are taken from the publishing industry. These are the pages that appear in a book published by a publishing house.

Often the pages before a book starts are referred to as “front matter”. Pages 1 to 6 would be considered Front Matter. The rest of the pages after the book is inserted are considered Back Matters.

PAGE 1: A Title page with only the name of the Book. The font is usually big enough for the title to stand alone. It is usually centered on the page horizontally and vertically.

Page 2: Either a blank page or a Books by Page. If you have other books that are published, you can list them on this page. The title should be something like “Other Books by AUTHOR NAME”.

Page 3: A second Title Page, but this one will have the name of the book, and below it the name of the author. Again, this is in larger font and it is centered vertically and horizontally on the page.

Page 4: Copyright page. I am not a lawyer so I can’t give you any information that is legally correct. However, I can tell you that I cobbled together different verbiage that I found in other author books. I made it long enough to cover my bases, but not too long. Below is the verbiage that I used.

COPYRIGHT:
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Copyright © 2024 by AUTHOR NAME
Forward copyright © 2024 by AUTHOR NAME
Preview of this book copyright © 2024 by AUTHOR NAME
All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher constitute unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use the material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at AUTHOR’S EMAIL.
Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.
Then you can put the name of your publishing company, if you have one, otherwise, leave the rest of the page blank.

Page 5: Table of Contents. eBooks require links for chapter beginnings and Paperback and Hardcover require page numbers.

Page 6: (If applicable) Any maps that you may be including in your book.

Page 7: Next comes your book.

Page 8: Note to Readers.

Dear Reader:

Thanks for giving your time to read this story. I hope you enjoyed it.

As a new fiction author, reviews are very helpful to me. If you enjoyed this novel, I’d be so grateful if you would leave a review on Amazon.com. Here is a direct link: (Add link to the review for this book).

[In order to create a review link, you will need the ASIN number of your book. Then swap out your ASIN Number or ISBN number for the X’s in the link below:

https://www.amazon.com/review/create-review?&asin=XXXXXXXX]

I love to hear any feedback about the book and enjoy interacting with my readers, so please feel free to email me at AUTHOR EMAIL

Thanks again!
AUTHOR NAME OR SIGNATURE

Page 9: What’s Next on your Reading List?

Verbiage: Below is a chapter or two of my next book (or the next book in a series) for you to sample. I hope you enjoy it.

Then insert up to 9% of the next book. I keep it under 10% in case you are in Kindle Select. They allow up to 10%, but I like to keep it on the lower side.

Page 10: About the Author: Add a biography of yourself. Be sure to add a contact email as well as a little personal information.

Page 11: Acknowledgements: This page can go here or in the beginning of the book. You can put it in lieu of “Other Books By Page.” If you do use the Acknowledgements in the beginning of the book, then you can add the Other Books By Page here at Page 11.

From Engineer to Author: The Many Hats of a First Draft

1. The Story Engineer (Brainstorming)

2. The Location Scout (Setting the Scene)

3. The Investigator (The Crime Skeleton)

4. The Producer & Director (Plotting & Pacing)

5. The Town Crier (The Rough Draft)

The Final Reveal: The Author

Check out my new Brainstorming Workbook!

Free Download for a Limited Time

New Release - Free Download

Read Book Samples

How to Add a Direct Link to eBooks on Amazon

EXAMPLE PAGE TO PUT THE LINK ON:

Industry Averages for Self-Published Authors:

Analyzing Your Numbers:

Your Performance Assessment:

Overall Verdict: Very Good

THIS WAS ONLY PART OF THE PICTURE:

CREATING YOUR FIRST BOOK SERIES BUNDLE:

HOW TO SET UP EACH OF THE BOOKS:

THE FIRST BOOK:

THE MIDDLE BOOKS:

THE LAST BOOK:

ASSEMBLING THE BOOK:

RUN THE TABLE OF CONTENTS:

SAVE AND PREVIEW IN KDP PREVIEW WINDOW:

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Free Printable Bookmarks

Mystery Romance Private Investigator Series

Police Procedure Enemies to Lovers Series

BLOG TO VIDEO – HOW TO MAKE A PAPERBACK FROM AN EBOOK:

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

FROM EBOOK TO PAPERBACK – THE OVERVIEW:

NEXT – Let's talk for just a minute about the style gallery.

NEXT STEP – MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ALL THE PAGES YOU NEED:

LET'S TALK ABOUT CHAPTER TITLES

SIMPLE CHAPTER HEADINGS & CHAPTER GRAPHICS:

HOW TO EMBED THE FONTS:

LEAVE THE PICTURES ALONE:

LET'S CREATE THE TOC NOW

IS THIS CONVERSION NECESSARY?

EBOOK GIVEAWAYS - THAT'S ANOTHER STORY:

TO SIGIL OR NOT TO SIGIL:

WHERE TO GET THE TOOLS:

IT HELPS TO SEE IT IN REAL LIFE:

LEARN HOW TO COBBLE TOGETHER YOUR OWN STYLE TO BRAND YOUR BOOKS.

HOW TO BRAND YOUR BOOKS:

LET'S START WITH BRANDING BOOK COVERS:

ADDITIONAL BRANDING IDEAS:

IF YOU SELF PUBLISH YOU CAN REDESINE A COVER AT ANY TIME

NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT BRANDING THE INSIDE OF THE BOOK:

CHOSING FONTS:

STYLIZING YOUR EBOOK MANUSCRIPT:

DROP CAPS VS. FOUR WORDS CAPITALIZED:

UPLOAD AS AN EPUB FOR MORE CONTROL IN EBOOKS:

FORMATTING PAPERBACKS & HARDCOVERS:

A FEW LAST TIPS ON BRANDING:

CONCLUSION:

BRANDING COVERS:

BRANDING THE MANUSCRIPT:

EASY FLOW EBOOKS:

PAPERBACKS & HARDBACKS:

SHOULD YOU MAKE THEM ALL THE SAME?

HERE IS A SNAPSHOT OF THE PAPERBACK & HARDCOVER MARGINS:

CHANGES FOR THE eBOOK:

REMINDERS FOR ALL MANUSCRIPTS: