We may earn an affiliate commission when you visit our partners.
Course image
Udemy logo

Scrivener | Compiling Your eBook for Export in Scrivener

Karen Prince

(Covering both the Windows and the Mac versions of Scrivener)

In this course for self-published authors I am going to show you how to format your own eBook in Scrivener ready to upload it to each of the major online stores.

Read more

(Covering both the Windows and the Mac versions of Scrivener)

In this course for self-published authors I am going to show you how to format your own eBook in Scrivener ready to upload it to each of the major online stores.

If you know the very basics of Scrivener you will be able to follow these simple, step-by-step instructions to help you produce a professional quality ebook that meets the requirements of major ebook retailers.

Even if you plan to hire out the formatting of your books, it is important for every author to at least know how to do it, incase you ever want to make a simple change or update to your book after publishing — like adding links to your new books or website.

You don't want to wait days for someone else to schedule you in and charge you for each minor update.

First we're going to go over the specifications for the book cover images that you have to provide for display on the catalogue page on your retailer's website as well as for your internal ebook cover.

Then I'm going to take you step by step through the process of formatting specifically for ebooks — which is somewhat different from formatting for output as a physical document.

You'll learn how to generate a clickable table of contents and how to insert external links to your important places online like your other books and your website.

I'll also cover best practices for inserting images so that your file size does not exceed the limit imposed by some of the retailers.

Once your Scrivener document is nicely formatted I'll show you how to convert it to an ebook using Scrivener’s Compile menu.

Then I'll show you how to download Amazon Kindle Previewer and preview your .mobi file and Adobe Digital Editions to preview your .epub file before you upload them to any of the online stores.

If you're ready to format and convert your own manuscript into an eBook right inside your Scrivener software, go ahead and sign up and I will walk you through the entire process step by step so that you end up with a great eBook — but if you want to check out my teaching style before you decide, feel free to watch a couple of the free previews in the curriculum outline below.

Enroll now

What's inside

Learning objectives

  • Understand the fundamental differences between formatting for an ebook and formatting for hard copy.
  • What file size, aspect ratio and file type you will need for your book cover images.
  • Step by step instructions for formatting and compiling an ebook in scrivener on both the windows platform and mac.
  • How to download applications to preview your ebook and preview your .epub and .mobi files on them
  • How to add a prologue and epilogue to your compilation
  • How to bundle several books together for export as a single ebook
  • How to manually generate a clickable table of contents for your book

Syllabus

A quick welcome, and a synopsis of what will be covered in this course.

A quick overview of the Udemy interface showing you short cuts to the curriculum so that you can skip to particular lectures, where to adjust the speed and volume of your videos, and how to download videos to your computer for offline viewing.

Read more

A quick welcome, and a synopsis of what will be covered in this course.

Know what file types and sizes are required by the online book stores for the book cover you display on their Catalogue as well as the optimum size for the book cover that you embed within your ebook
Cover Image Size, Dimensions, Quality and File Type
Current Specifications for Catalogue and Embedded eBook Cover
How to organize your chapters, scenes and images in the Binder, strip unwanted formatting, format front and back matter and add external links.
Best Practices when Organizing your Binder for an eBook Conversion
Stripping Unwanted Formatting Within Your Manuscript.
What to Add to Your Front and Back Matter
Images: Inline, As Title Decoration and as Scene Spacers
Formatting Front and Back Matter and Adding External Links
How to integrate Amazon’s KindleGen with your Scrivener software, then convert your document to a Mobi file for Kindle and an ePub for the other online bookstores
Connecting the KindleGen Driver to Compile for Amazon
Compiling an eBook in Windows
Compiling an eBook on a Mac
Download the Kindle Previewer to preview your .MOBI file for Kindle and Adobe Digital Editions to preview your ePub file before you send it out to Amazon or the other online bookstores
Download Software and Preview Your eBook on Windows
Download Software and Preview Your eBook on a Mac
Things that you don’t necessarily need for your particular book but are very useful when you want them.
Prologues and Epilogues in Windows
Prologues and Epilogues on a Mac
Settings for Bundling Several Books Together.
Manual Tables of Contents

Good to know

Know what's good
, what to watch for
, and possible dealbreakers
Well-suited for self-published authors seeking to format their own ebooks using Scrivener
Covers aspects highly relevant to ebook creation, including generating a table of contents and handling image optimization
Provides step-by-step guidance on converting a Scrivener document into both .mobi and .epub formats for different ebook platforms
Includes useful tips for best practices when inserting images to comply with file size restrictions imposed by retailers
May be particularly beneficial for authors who plan to independently manage their ebook formatting in the future
Recommended for individuals with basic knowledge of Scrivener who want to enhance their ebook formatting skills

Save this course

Save Scrivener | Compiling Your eBook for Export in Scrivener to your list so you can find it easily later:
Save

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Scrivener | Compiling Your eBook for Export in Scrivener with these activities:
Review basic typography and design principles
Refreshing your basic typography and design principles will enhance your formatting decisions and the visual appeal of your ebooks.
Browse courses on Typography
Show steps
  • Review the principles of typography, including font selection, size, and layout.
  • Explore basic design elements such as color theory, composition, and white space.
  • Apply these principles to mock up a sample ebook cover or interior page.
Review course materials
Compile all of the materials, notes, and presentations from the course to improve your understanding.
Show steps
  • Gather all course materials
  • Review materials
  • Take notes
Practice creating and managing cover images
Practice creating and managing cover images to solidify your understanding of the specifications and best practices for cover image creation.
Browse courses on Book Cover Design
Show steps
  • Review the cover image specifications for the different online stores.
  • Use a graphic design tool or template to create a cover image that meets the required dimensions and file types.
Show all three activities

Career center

Learners who complete Scrivener | Compiling Your eBook for Export in Scrivener will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Reading list

We haven't picked any books for this reading list yet.

Share

Help others find this course page by sharing it with your friends and followers:

Similar courses

Here are nine courses similar to Scrivener | Compiling Your eBook for Export in Scrivener.
Format in Microsoft Word and Convert to eBook in Calibre
Most relevant
How To Become a Bestselling Author on Amazon Kindle
Most relevant
Create a beautiful eBook using Google Slides
Create a Mockup in Canva
Self Publishing A-Z: Publish Your First E-book on Amazon...
Design an eBook Cover that stands out using Canva
Algorithms and Data Structures in Swift 5
Writing for Children
Persuasion Masterclass: How To Powerfully Influence Anyone
Our mission

OpenCourser helps millions of learners each year. People visit us to learn workspace skills, ace their exams, and nurture their curiosity.

Our extensive catalog contains over 50,000 courses and twice as many books. Browse by search, by topic, or even by career interests. We'll match you to the right resources quickly.

Find this site helpful? Tell a friend about us.

Affiliate disclosure

We're supported by our community of learners. When you purchase or subscribe to courses and programs or purchase books, we may earn a commission from our partners.

Your purchases help us maintain our catalog and keep our servers humming without ads.

Thank you for supporting OpenCourser.

© 2016 - 2024 OpenCourser