![]() ![]() ![]() The “Styles” panel in the upper left provides multiple templates for the layout of specific aspects of a book, e.g., Heading, First Paragraph, Block Quotation, etc. Even when Vellum isn’t quite smart enough to figure out every section or chapter, reorganizing and renaming each part, section or chapter is a breeze.įor instance, by clicking on the configuration icon next to a chapter header, I can easily convert the chapter into a number of other predefined chapter types, e.g., Prologue, Epilogue, Afterword, About the Author, etc. When a user incorporates Word’s styles into their manuscript, such as always using the “Title” style in Word for each of the author’s chapter titles, Vellum is smart enough to know to import each of those chapters as separate chapters. Clicking on “Ebook Cover” at the top of the center area allows me to drag and drop the ebook’s cover into the book. With the book title selected, I can edit the book’s metadata. For this review, we’ll be looking at Sins of the Five Fathers, a posthumous mystery novel written by my uncle that I self-published with him.īy clicking on Sins of the Five Fathers, I’m taken to the book creation screen:Ĭlicking on any item in the left-hand sidebar reveals a new page to edit in the center area. I can click on an already existing project or import a Word file. The opening screen of Vellum is straightforward. You can use it to create beautiful ebooks and print books that you can sell anywhere, including Amazon. To sign up for this free training, click here. The Write Life has teamed up with Self-Publishing School to create this presentation, “How to Write & Publish Your Book in 90 Days.” In it, you’ll learn how to finish your book in just 30 minutes per day. Now, the time and expense I have to invest in creating stellar books are, at the very least, halved. While I’d used Vellum to create ebooks before, the release of Vellum 2.0 introduced a game-changing feature: print formatting. Yes, there’s a better way to DIY your self-published book! So I’m going to share a better option with you. Each one has its shortcomings, either in too much time wasted seeking design perfection or too much money spent waiting for a designer to finally finish the book. I’ve tried each of these, whether with my books or those I’ve helped clients create. Unfortunately, it also requires dozens of hours to master and a monthly subscription to an app you may only use intermittently. Learn to lay out your own book in Adobe InDesign, a powerful desktop publishing app that gives you the finest of control over your design.Learn the intricacies of Calibre, a powerful piece of ebook software that’s more usable by programmers than authors.(And then try not to pull your hair out.) Upload a Word document to Kindle Direct Publishing or the affectionately known “meatgrinder” at Smashwords and hope for the best.Their experience is worth the expense, but not all writers or self-publishers can afford such costs, and particularly if they plan to release multiple titles. ![]() If you have the money, this is the way to go, especially if you’ve vetted the interior designer. Hire a professional book designer for both your ebook and print edition layouts, which can cost into the thousands of dollars depending on the intricacy or complexity of your layouts.Those who have yet to experience the joy of using Vellum are relegated to choosing from among a few time-consuming or costly processes: And if you want to read a full review of Atticus, here it is.īook formatting software and other options Here’s my review of Vellum software for self-publishers.Įditorial note: There is a new book formatting software in the market, Atticus, which does what Vellum does, but is $103 cheaper and works for all computers, not just Macs. I may be overselling Vellum, but for my money, which I’ve gladly given them on multiple occasions, they have released an app that marries ease of use with fantastic design - both of the app itself and of the ebooks and print editions it’s capable of creating. The comparative ease with which Vellum 2.0, a Mac-only product, creates ebooks and print editions should make all PC authors consider making the switch…or at least befriending one Mac user who’ll let them borrow their computer for an hour. PC users get the hard answer: “Have you considered switching to a Mac?” Rather, their response dictates my answer. It’s not my intention to raise my elitist, Apple-shaped nose at them. ![]() Whenever a fellow writer or client asks me what I use to create ebooks or print editions, my first question is always, “Mac or PC?” ![]()
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