Formatting an E-Book with Microsoft Word from Udemy

This short course will enable you to effectively and efficiently format a Microsoft® Word document for use as an E-Book.

Whether you’re a novice Word user or an expert, a new writer or an experienced one, you’ll gain real skills that can be used immediately.

You’ll learn how to control formatting to ensure your E-Book looks how you want it to look, and you’ll be able to prepare your manuscript for swift conversion into Amazon's Kindle Mobi format and the more universal E-Publication format.

Running just over an hour in total, the course is in 'bite-size' training elements that can be squeezed into any coffee break, letting you go at your own pace and learn quickly without tying you to your keyboard for days.

Guiding you through the course in relaxed style is Ian Andrew, owner of the Book Reality Experience, an Indy author in his own right and a former accredited Microsoft® trainer. He’ll ease you through the techniques that will allow you to master and control your Word formatting.

The course is perfect to assist you on your independent publishing journey. So come on in, find the skills you need and get your E-Book the way you want it.

What's inside

Learning objective

At the end of the course, students will be able to quickly and effectively format a word document for use in later conversion to amazon's mobi for kindle and the more generic e-pub formats

Syllabus

Introduction

An explanation and overview of the course.

A look at the detail of the course.

A description of what is in and what is out when the word document will be used for E-Book purposes, when compared to paperback.

Revealing formatting marks and setting up the page view.

Mastering the in-built heading styles of Word.

Using your own styles to rapidly and consistently format the rest of your document.

Exploring End Matter and why we need it.

Adding in links to the author's other websites, social media and email.

Adding in links to the author's other books.

Exploring Front Matter and why we need it.

Inserting a Table of Contents.

Saving out the document in separate versions for future conversion.

Traffic lights

Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Helps users prepare manuscripts for Kindle and E-PUB formats

Suited for users of all levels, from beginners to experienced writers

Provides practical skills that can be applied immediately

Designed to fit into short time slots, allowing for flexible learning

Focuses on formatting for e-books, which is distinct from print formatting

Taught by an experienced Microsoft trainer and author

Reviews summary

Effective e-book formatting in word

According to students, this course provides practical, step-by-step guidance for formatting e-books using Microsoft Word, making the process clear and straightforward. Learners appreciate the instructor's easy-to-follow style and the bite-size lessons, which allow for quick absorption of key techniques. Many found it invaluable for self-publishing, noting how it transformed their ability to prepare manuscripts for platforms like Kindle. While it offers a solid foundation for beginners, some intermediate Word users felt it could benefit from more advanced techniques. A recurring concern is the use of an older Word version in demonstrations, which occasionally causes minor navigation confusion for users with newer software.

Provides a strong foundation but may be basic for advanced users.

"If you're completely new to Word and ebook formatting, it's a decent starting point. However, as someone with intermediate Word skills, I found some parts a bit too basic..."

"Decent course for basics. If you already know a lot about Word, you might find it too simplistic. I was hoping for more advanced tips on complex layouts..."

"Some parts felt a little rushed, but overall, it's a strong foundation."

Instructor explains complex topics simply and effectively.

"The instructor is clear and easy to follow."

"Ian explains complex topics simply and effectively."

"The instructor's friendly style made it easy to follow."

Highly beneficial for independent authors preparing manuscripts.

"As a beginner independent author, I was struggling with formatting my manuscript for Kindle... saved me hours."

"As a first-time author, this course was invaluable. I learned how to properly set up my Word document for Kindle publishing."

"Great for independent publishers."

Offers concise, actionable steps for efficient e-book formatting.

"This course was exactly what I needed! Ian's step-by-step guidance on using Word's styles... saved me hours. It's concise and incredibly practical."

"Excellent course! It demystifies the process of preparing a Word document for ebook conversion. The 'bite-size' lessons are perfect..."

"Concise and effective. It gets straight to the point and provides actionable steps. I appreciate the focus on practical application rather than theory."

Uses an older Word version, causing minor navigation challenges.

"While the instructor is knowledgeable, I found some of the examples used were from an older version of Word. This made it a bit confusing to follow..."

"Disappointed. The instructor used an old version of Word, making it hard to follow with my newer version. I had to Google a lot to find equivalent commands."

"My only minor critique is that some features might look slightly different depending on your specific Word version, but the core principles are still very applicable."

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 Formatting an E-Book with Microsoft Word with these activities:

Review Microsoft Word manual

Show steps

Read the Microsoft Word manual to get a better understanding of the software and its features.

View Exam 77-418 Microsoft Word 2013 on Amazon

Show steps

Download or buy the manual from Microsoft's website.
Read through the manual and make notes of the most relevant information.

Practice formatting headings and styles

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Repetition is key to mastering the formatting techniques covered in the course.

Browse courses on Formatting

Show steps

Create a new Word document.
Use the heading styles to format different sections of the document.
Apply different styles to the text in the document.

Follow online tutorials for eBook formatting

Show steps

Going through tutorials allows you to apply the concepts and techniques introduced in the course in a practical context.

Show steps

Search for online tutorials on eBook formatting using Microsoft Word.
Follow the steps in the tutorials to format your own eBook.

Six other activities

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Join a study group or online forum

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Discussing the course material with other students can help you identify areas where you need additional support and gain different perspectives on the topics covered.

Browse courses on Collaboration

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Join a study group or online forum dedicated to eBook formatting.
Participate in discussions and ask questions.
Share your own knowledge and insights with other members of the group.

Create a sample E-Book

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Generate a draft manuscript and convert it to the E-Book formats covered in this course. This can be fiction or non-fiction.

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Generate story and outline (fiction) or Table of Contents (non-fiction)
Write first draft of your manuscript
Save your manuscript in Word document format
Convert your document to Kindle (.mobi) and E-Pub formats

Create a style guide for your eBook

Show steps

Creating a style guide will help you ensure that your eBook is formatted consistently throughout.

Browse courses on Style Guide

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Create a new document in Word.
Define the styles that you will use in your eBook.
Write a set of guidelines for using the styles.

Format a sample eBook

Show steps

The best way to solidify your understanding of the concepts covered in the course is to apply them to a project of your own.

Show steps

Choose a short document or story to format as an eBook.
Use the techniques you learned in the course to format the document.
Convert the formatted document into an eBook file.

Write a blog post about eBook formatting

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Writing a blog post is a great way to reinforce your understanding of the course material and share your knowledge with others.

Show steps

Choose a topic related to eBook formatting.
Research the topic and gather information.
Write the blog post.
Publish the blog post on your own website or blog.

Mentor a new student in the course

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Mentoring others can help solidify your own learning by forcing you to think about and explain the concepts you have learned.

Browse courses on Mentoring

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Identify a new student who would benefit from your guidance.
Meet with the student regularly to discuss the course material.
Provide feedback on the student's work.
Help the student prepare for assessments.

Career center

Learners who complete Formatting an E-Book with Microsoft Word will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

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Formatting an E-Book with Microsoft Word

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Learning objective

Syllabus

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Reviews summary

Effective e-book formatting in word

Activities

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