Writing and creating an eBook is a great way to attract more readers and gain loyal fans. If you have a great eBook idea and a genuine desire to help others solve their problems, there's no reason to delay. With so many tools available to write, organize, design, and publish your eBook, it's never been easier to become an eBook author.
While it's easy to create and publish an eBook, there are still many things to consider before you do it. These include the details of the eBook, such as its format, where you plan to sell and promote it, who your target audience is, and other important factors that affect the success of your eBook.
What is the best format for e-books?
1. PDF (Portable Document Format)
The most common e-book format is PDF. Visit any website that offers free e-books and you will usually get free e-books in PDF format. Most computers and even mobile devices can open PDF files with a pre-installed PDF reader, so it is the most user-friendly format of e-books.
2. MOBI（Mobipocket）
The .mobi format was first used by the Mobipocket e-reader and is now used by more popular e-book readers, including the Amazon Kindle and the Kindle app for iOS and Android devices. This format is visually appealing because it provides readers with similar behaviors to physical books, such as swiping to turn pages and marking pages.
3. EPUB (Electronic Publication)
The .epub format is similar to .mobi, but it is a free, open source standard for publishing e-books. Therefore, almost all e-readers support .epub, including Amazon Kindle Fire, Apple iBooks, and Google Books.
4. iBooks (Apple iBooks)
This is the proprietary format for all eBooks sold in the Apple iBooks store. It is built using the EPUB standard, but with added restrictions so it can only be sold and used within the Apple iBooks universe. As a result, the iBook format is not compatible with readers that can read the standard .epub format.
Once you are familiar with these formats, you can now decide which format you want for your eBook. If you plan on selling on Amazon, then the .epub format is the best choice. If you are making a quick eBook and want to make it available on your website for free, then it is best to make it as a PDF. Ultimately, you need to consider which format will work best for your target audience.
Create an eBook
Once you know the format of your eBook, you can start creating it. There are two ways to do this: create it using software that can be used standalone or without an internet connection, or create it using a web-based application.
Web-based eBook applications tend to have simpler, user-friendly features than offline software that is primarily used to design graphic-intensive content. If you want to create an eBook quickly without spending too much money, there are many free online software options available. On the other hand, if you have the budget to purchase software for creating professional eBooks, there is no reason not to choose a more advanced tool.
Further reading:
Web-based applications and WordPress plugins to create eBooks
1.Pressbooks
Pressbooks looks like WordPress, but it's run by a completely different website. If you're familiar with WordPress, you shouldn't have a hard time figuring out how everything works. You can add and edit chapters, change or add sections, and more. Keep in mind that Pressbooks is free to use, but to remove the watermark that appears on your ebook, you'll need to upgrade to the paid version.
After the initial success of Pressbooks, they launched a subscription service , Pressbooks.pub , around August 2022. The cost of launching a book on Pressbooks is about $120 per book per year.
2. Beacon (WordPress plugin)
Beacon is a WordPress plugin that converts your blog posts into eBooks. You can select which posts to include or filter posts by category. The plugin converts blog posts into HTML5 or PDF format. Also included is a layout feature where you can design your eBook cover from within the Beacon dashboard. This plugin is free to use and requires a free account on beacon.by .
3. Google Docs
An easy and free way to write content online and convert it to PDF is to use Google Docs. Type your content and select all available Google fonts in the Google Docs window.
It syncs with your Google Drive account, so you can work on it from any device as long as you're online.
4.Zinepal
Similar to Papyrus, but with a slightly outdated interface, Zinepal also allows you to convert blog posts into ebook content. You can also start from scratch. Note that free accounts put a Zinepal link at the bottom of every page of your book. Zinepal Pro accounts start at $5 for one ebook, without Zinepal branding and other additional features, such as publishing to Scribd.
5.PublishXpress
PublishXpress is an online conversion tool that converts DJVU, DOCX, TXT HTML, RTF and PDF files to MOBI and EPUB. If you already have an e-book ready and just want to convert it to MOBI and EPUB so that it can be used by other e-book readers, this tool is for you. The service is free, but please be aware of any flaws in the converted text.
Desktop tools for writing/creating eBooks
6.Openoffice
Although Microsoft Word is a common tool, Open Office is completely free and can convert .doc to .pdf without paying a penny. Since it is very similar to Word, you can quickly type your content. After writing and proofreading your content, just click "File" > "Export to PDF" and you are done.
7. Adobe InDesign
If you are familiar with Adobe Creative Suite, using InDesign should be easier for you. Otherwise, you may want to take some tutorials before using this tool. InDesign is a more advanced way to create e-books, and it is mainly suitable if you want the graphics and all the style elements in your e-book to look polished and professional. To download and use InDesign, you need to subscribe to Adobe's Creative Cloud plan. A single software subscription for InDesign starts at $19.99/month (paid annually) or $29.99/month (paid monthly).
8. Kindle Gen
Kindle Gen is a command line application for converting HTML or any other e-book source to the Kindle e-book format (for selling on Amazon). If you are familiar with using the command window, this tool is not difficult to use. In addition, there is a ReadMe file with full instructions for converting the file to KPF (Kindle Package Format). For a more user-friendly tool, download Kindle Previewer in addition to Kindle Gen, and you will be able to convert other e-book formats to Kindle in a simpler interface.
9. Microsoft Word
Anyone who owns a PC will be familiar with MS Word, so using this software to create eBooks is great for people who don't want to learn another software.
If you have Microsoft Word 2016, you can convert DOC files to PDF in MS Word without purchasing add-ons. However, there are dozens of DOC to PDF converters available online that you can use for free.
10. iBooks Author
iBooks Author is an eBook editing software used to create books sold only on Apple iBooks. The format is only available on Mac and iPad. While this may seem limiting, keep in mind that some readers prefer to read on iPad because of its sharp retina display, so using iBooks Author to create eBooks will bring more convenience to your future readers.
11. Calibre
Calibre is primarily a free ebook management software and ebook reader, so you can store ebooks and organize them into libraries, but it can also convert between PDF, EPUB, MOBI, and other ebook formats. Converting ebooks in its user-friendly dialog is very useful for beginners, and you can make a lot of changes to the converted work.
12. Scrivener
Scrivener is a premium writing software for novel and screenplay writers. To create an ebook, you need to enter the content as you would a normal book. Once you're done, use the compile function to export it to ebook formats like MOBI, EPUB, and Kindle. It's not a very simple process, but there are a lot of great tutorials online on how to do it. You can try Scrivener for free for 30 days, after which you'll need to purchase the software for $40.
Which is the best eBook creation software?
There are many other tools for creating ebooks online or offline, but these are some of the most commonly used and recommended by authors. Of course, you can use more than just one of the tools listed above, especially if you want your ebook to be available in as many markets as possible in most formats.
The key is to pick one tool first and master it, then play around with the others to see which ones work best with your primary tool.
Making an ebook can be fun, and with these helpful apps, you can create your best work and share it with the world.
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