Basic Fiction Formatting for Smashwords in OpenOffice L. Leona Davis Copyright 2012 L. Leona Davis All Rights Reserved Cover Photo by Dmitry Maslov Cover Design by L. Leona Davis Smashwords Edition June 2012 Smashwords Edition License Notes: This free ebook may be copied, distributed, reposted, reprinted and shared, provided it appears in its entirety without alteration, and the reader is not charged to access it.
Introduction Step 1: Pre-Formatting Step 2: "The Nuclear Method" Step 3: Choosing a Paragraph Separation Method Step 4: First Line Indent Formatting Step 5: Creating the Copyright Page and Title Page Step 6: Inserting Manual Breaks Step 7: Creating a Linked Table of Contents Conclusion Appendix: Basic Fiction Book Template Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION The contents of this ebook first appeared on my blog in April and May of 2012. Those posts have been edited, partially re-written, and consolidated here for ease of reference. When I decided to self-publish, I was armed with little more than countless stories, OpenOffice, and a determination to Get Stuff Done. I wasn't able to find a good formatting guide for use with OpenOffice, so I downloaded Mark Coker's Smashwords Style Guide, read it, and then did my best to implement the spirit of the guide. Luck was on my side: I had many years of experience with both Word and OpenOffice, so I was familiar with what Coker describes in his guide and with the corresponding features of OpenOffice. This isn't to say there wasn't any trial and error. There most certainly was. But after a few tries, I got my books to look the way I wanted them to (mostly) and I haven't had any complaints yet. Your very first step should be to download a copy of the Smashwords Style Guide. Read it. You don't have to fully understand it the first time through, but Coker explains a lot about Smashwords, its software, and formatting expectations. This formatting guide is based exclusively on that guide and is intended to serve only as a fiction- and program-specific companion. I recommend having both of them open and going through them step-by-step together.
STEP 1: PRE-FORMATTING Step 1.1: Make a backup. Save your file in.doc format since that's the only one Smashwords accepts. Step 1.2: View Nonprinting Characters. This step gives you total visibility. You'll be able to see everything in your file, which means no ugly surprises when you're done and finally get the book on screen.
Step 1.3: Turn off AutoCorrect. This is important because AutoCorrect tends to embed weird symbols and code into your file. You don't want that because they don't translate well to electronic reader formats. I clear out all AutoCorrect options. (I leave spellcheck on.) I don't like the risk of even one overlooked formatting error. Formatting errors, just like spelling and grammar errors, jar the reader from the story and bring your professionalism into question. Step 1.3.1: Select Tools > AutoCorrect Options.
Step 1.3.2: Empty "Replace" tab. Yes, this is time-consuming. But it is the single best way to be sure OpenOffice won't change words you don't want changed. Step 1.3.3: Unselect all boxes in "Options" tab.
Step 1.3.4: Disable and empty "Word Completion" tab. Note: The Smashwords Style Guide advises eliminating text boxes. I don't use text boxes, I've never even tried, so I don't even know where to begin. If you have text boxes in your manuscript, consult the Style Guide.
STEP 2: "THE NUCLEAR METHOD" This section comes entirely from the Smashwords Style Guide. "The Nuclear Method" is what Mark Coker has dubbed this step and I like the name, so I'm using it here. You can skip it--but I really wouldn't recommend it. Later on, when you've uploaded and your book is rejected because of one tiny mistake, you'll probably have to do this, anyway. Just do it now and go in with a fresh, clean file. Step 2.1: Copy text. Step 2.2: Open Notepad.
Step 2.3: Paste text into Notepad. Step 2.4: Close OpenOffice. Step 2.5: Open new text file. Step 2.6: Copy from Notepad. Make sure you do this and don't just paste what you copied out of OpenOffice right back into the new file.
Step 2.7: Paste into OpenOffice. Step 2.8: Save your document. Remember to save as a.doc file because Smashwords won't take anything else.
STEP 3: CHOOSING A PARAGRAPH SEPARATION METHOD In the Smashwords Style Guide, Coker explains that his guide is formatted using the block paragraph method. This guide is, too. The block paragraph separation method is "common for some non-fiction." First line indent is the type of paragraph separation you're probably most familiar with. Pick up any fiction book nearby and you'll see paragraphs arranged on the page without any spaces between them and with a small indent to begin the first line of the paragraph. In school, you were probably taught to create that indent with a tab. That is not the way to do it. Tabs are bad. Tabs are very bad. If you didn't get rid of them when you went through the Nuclear Method, get rid of them right now. Manually delete each one if you have to. A note on font sizes and choices: Don't get fancy. Stick with Times New Roman (or Arial) and use the same font for everything. Don't vary your font sizes too much, either. Don't use anything larger than 14pt for headings and don't use anything smaller than about 11pt for the body. There are a multitude of electronic readers out there. Some people even hack their readers to display specific fonts. If you get fancy, you interrupt their reading experience, and an unhappy reader is probably not a repeat reader.
STEP 4: FIRST LINE INDENT FORMATTING Step 4.1: Default formatting. Highlight all text, then select "default" from the list of formatting options. This is going to normalize your text and make it easier for you to format without any surprises popping up. Step 4.2: Select "More" from the formatting menu. Step 4.3: Select "first line indent," left click, select "modify."
Step 4.4: Verify indent measurements. Everything but first line should be 0. First line should be no more than 0.25" because of the different sizes of reader screens. I like the 0.20" default setting. It looks nice and translates well to every reader I've used.
Step 4.5: Verify spacing measurements. There should be no spaces above or below each paragraph, so these boxes should be set to 0.00" Step 4.6: Check your formatting.
STEP 5: CREATING THE COPYRIGHT PAGE AND TITLE PAGE Step 5.1: Copyright page. Here's the text you're going to need for your copyright page. The Style Guide doesn't give you the disclaimer. It doesn't require the License Notes or cover photo/design credit, but I add all of these things because I think it looks professional. It's up to you. Verify with the Style Guide what the requirements are. Feel free to copy and paste the text below and replace the placeholders with your information. Title by Author Copyright 2011 Author All Rights Reserved Cover Photo by Photographer Cover Design by Designer Smashwords Edition Month Year This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, trademarked products, events, and locations are fictitious or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual events or persons, living or dead, are entirely 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 recipient. 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. Note: You're welcome to leave this page in the default format. Who reads the copyright page, anyway? But these instructions will be for centering the page text because that's what the Style Guide suggests. Step 5.2: Highlight your text, select "more..." from the formatting menu, right-click "default" and select "new..."
Step 5.3: Name the new style. Step 5.4: Set indents and spacing to 0.00"
Step 5.5: Center text. Step 5.6: Select font, typeface, and size.
Step 5.7: Creating the Title Page Type your title on one line, "by" Author Name or just author name on the second line, then repeat steps 5.2-5.6 on it. I use a larger font for the title of the book on this page--again, it's entirely up to you. Step 5.8: "Extra" Pages Smashwords Style Guide and self-publishing convention encourage the creation of "extras" in your book, like an "also by" page and a sample of other writing you have available. I include an acknowledgments page as well. If you elect to include these pages, follow the same basic formatting you used for the body of your story. Play with it until it looks the way you want, but keep it simple. For my acknowledgments and bio and writing sample, I use first line indent formatting. For my "also by" page, I use default formatting and just let the text sit justified left.
STEP 6: INSERTING MANUAL BREAKS This step does nothing in certain formats (HTML and TXT) but it's a step worth taking for other formats (PDF and electronic reader formats). It may not work on some devices, but it works in every file I've tested. Step 6.1: Three carriage returns. Three is the max limit recommended by the Style Guide, so this is what I use. The separation is enough in HTML and TXT formats. Step 6.2: Select Insert > Manual Break Step 6.3: Select Page Break (Style: None)
STEP 7: CREATING A LINKED TABLE OF CONTENTS Step 7.1: Review You should have a title page, a copyright page, and your story at the very least. Between your copyright page and your story, insert a blank page. Before you begin creating this linked table of contents, go through your document and be certain that it looks exactly the way you want it to look. Have no more than three carriage returns between the end of one paragraph and the beginning of another, even if you've inserted a page break. Are your section headings formatted the way you want them to look? Do you have any weird spaces or symbols? Clean it up. When you're done, you're ready to take on this last step. Step 7.2: Create the Table of Contents page. Give the page a title and list the book contents in default style. As with everything else, keep it simple. You want to make it easy to read and easy to navigate. Make sure you create an entry for each part of the book you want your reader to be able to jump to. Step 7.3: Creating Bookmarks You need one bookmark for each contents link, plus one for the Table of Contents page itself. Step 7.3.1: Insert > Bookmark Click your cursor to in front of the first letter on the page. Select "Insert" and then "bookmark." Cursor position is important because that's where you're inserting the bookmark. When you link to this bookmark, the page will jump to this place.
Step 7.3.2: Name your bookmark. The name should be concise and clear. Step 7.3.2: Repeat steps as needed Do this for each page that begins a section you want linked in your table of contents. Step 7.4: Insert > Hyperlink On your Table of Contents page, highlight each line entry. Select "Insert" and then "hyperlink."
Step 7.4.1: Target In Document Make sure "Document" is selected in the left part of the window that pops up, then click on the target button to the right of the Target box. Step 7.4.2: Expand "bookmarks." A window will appear to the right. Expand the "bookmarks" section. You should see the list of all bookmarks you created. If you don't, or if you see duplicate links, you'll have to go back into the bookmarks box and delete/add as necessary. Step 7.4.3: Select bookmark. Click on the bookmark that matches what you're trying to link to. Click "apply" and then click "close" in the small window to the right. Target in document fields in the main window should now be populated. Repeat steps 7.4.1-7.4.3 for each item on your table of contents. Take your time. Be very careful. Step 7.5: Test links. Hovering your mouse over each underlined and colored line should make the instruction box for testing
those links appear. Do that now. Step 7.6: Link Back to the Table of Contents This step is easiest when undertaken simultaneously with testing the links. Highlight something on each page (on my Summary page, I use the story title; on all other pages, I use the page title heading) and create a hyperlink back to the Table of Contents.
CONCLUSION This short book is my first attempt at technical writing and my first attempt at a Smashwords ebook formatted with photos. If you encounter any problems, have any questions, or need anything clarified, I can be contacted at l.leonadavis@gmail.com, at my blog at http://lleonadavis.blogspot.com, or through my website at http://www.lleonadavis.com. I'm happy to do what I can to help.
APPENDIX: Book Template
Summary goes here.
Title Author Copyright Year Author Name All Rights Reserved Cover Photo by Photographer Cover Design by Designer Smashwords Edition Month Year This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, trademarked products, events, and locations are fictitious or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual events or persons, living or dead, are entirely 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 recipient. 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.
TITLE GOES HERE Author Goes Here
Table of Contents Summary Story Acknowledgments Also by Writing Sample/Excerpt (if applicable)
STORY TITLE Story
Acknowledgments Thank people here.
Also by Author List your work here.
Excerpt: Writing Sample Want to give your readers a little something extra? Why not offer them a sample of something else you have to offer? If this is your first published work, maybe you can share something you're working on that you're certain is ready to be read by people who don't like you.