Ebooks
-- Self-Publishing Your Way to Internet Success Part 4
Ebook Design (PDF)
By
Shelley Lowery
Once you have decided upon the best format for your
ebook,
your next step will be the design process. No matter
which
format you choose, one of the most important factors
in
determining your ebook's overall success is your
presentation.
Your ebook should not only look professional in
design, but
should also be well organized and easily navigated. In
addition, your ebook should include images that will
enhance
its appearance and compliment your subject matter.
Although you can design your ebook using an
application of
your choice, for the purpose of this article, we will
focus on
designing your ebook with Microsoft Word.
When you purchase and install Adobe Acrobat, a
shortcut
button will be added to your Microsoft Word toolbar.
This
button will enable you to instantly convert your word
document into a PDF document.
When you begin designing your ebook, think of each
page you
create as a page of a book, because that's exactly
what it is.
Your ebook is a book in electronic format. Although
the
structure of your ebook may vary, here is a basic
guideline to
assist you:
Opening Page
The first page of your ebook will represent your book
cover.
It should contain an image or logo that will
compliment your
ebook. This page should also include your ebook's
title,
followed by an opening statement.
Foreword
The next portion of your ebook may contain a Foreword
with
information in regard to your copyrights, disclaimers
or other
important information.
Instructions
Your Foreword may be followed by instructional
information
in regard to using your ebook, such as navigation.
Your
instructions might include an overview of how to
navigate
your ebook and even some screenshots.
Table of Contents
A Table of Contents will assist your readers in easily
locating
each section of your ebook.
When writing your text in Microsoft Word, you are
provided
with a number of options to assist you in formatting
your
pages in a specific layout. This powerful program will
not only
enable you to insert page numbers, headers, footers,
borders and images, but it will also create your Table
of
Contents for you.
Creating Your Table of Contents will be one of your
last steps
in designing your ebook. In order for Microsoft Word
to create
your Table of Contents, you must first apply specific
heading
styles to the chapter headings that you would like to
be
displayed within your Table of Contents.
To add a style to your chapter headings, highlight
your text
and click on the style drop-down box on the left side
of your
toolbar and select Heading1. You can edit your
Heading1 style
to display your heading in the font and size of your
choice.
If you would like to display any subtitles beneath
your titles,
simply follow the same procedure above. However,
instead of
selecting Heading1, select Heading2 and so on.
To build your Table of Contents, click on the page
where you
would like to insert your Table of Contents. Click on
"Insert"
then on "Index and Tables" and select the
Table of Contents
tab. Select your preferred format and Word will
instantly
create your Table of Contents.
Word builds your Table of Contents by searching for
headings
with specified styles. It then sorts the headings
according to
their heading level, references their page numbers,
and then
displays the Table of Contents within your document.
Once you create your Table of Contents, your document
can
be easily navigated by clicking on any page number
within
your Table of Contents. This will enable your readers
to
instantly jump to the corresponding chapter headings
within
your document.
Introduction
Your introduction should follow your Table of Contents
and
might contain an overview of your ebook's subject
matter or
whatever you'd like. Your introduction will be a
prelude to
your chapters.
Chapters
The next part of your ebook will contain your
chapters. Your
chapter titles should be displayed in a larger, bold
font. Each
new chapter should start at the top of a new page.
There are a number of ways you can spice up your
ebook's
appearance and give it a professional look and feel.
Here are
a few ideas to get you started:
Inserting Page Numbers
You can insert page numbers simply by clicking on
"Insert"
then "Page Numbers." You will be presented
with several
formatting options for positioning, alignment and
styles. If
you would like to add additional text with your page
numbers,
you can use the "Header and Footer" option.
Headers and Footers
Headers and Footers can be used to insert specific
information at the top and/or on the bottom of each of
your
pages. To insert these fields into your pages, click
on "View"
then on "Header and Footer." A header and
footer area will
appear at the top and bottom of each page. You can
type
in your text and/or use the toolbar to insert your
information
into your pages. You only have to insert the
information into
the "Header and Footer" area of your first
page and it will be
displayed on every page.
Borders
Borders can be used to enhance your ebook's
appearance.
To add a border to each of your pages, click on
"Format"
then on "Borders and Shading." Click on the
"Page Border"
tab and select your border style and color.
Images
Just as borders can be used to enhance your ebook's
appearance, images can also be used. Try to select
images
that will enhance your reader's experience and
compliment
your ebook's focus.
To insert an image within your page, click on
"Insert" then on
"Picture" and select an option.
Take your time and make sure you use Word's powerful
features. It will assist you in creating a great
looking ebook.
If you're not sure how to do something, simply click
on "Help"
and it will guide you through the process.
In part five of our series, we will focus on designing
an ebook
in HTML format.
Copyright © 2001, all rights reserved
About the Author:
Shelley Lowery is the author of Ebook Starter. A
complete
ebook design kit that takes you step by step through
designing, creating and marketing your own ebook. Give
your ebook a professional look in just a few simple
steps
with over 100 ebook interface and cover templates.
http://www.web-source.net/ebookstarter.htm
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