CreateSpace, Lulu and Lightning Source authors discussion
any issues you have experience in uploading your files to CreateSpace, Lulu, Lightning Source, KDP, others?
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The Fast
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Oct 22, 2012 10:37AM
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The only time I used Calibre to build a Kindle book and upload to Amazon KDP, it didn't work. I think that's bad luck, but Googling around, this has been an occasional problem with Calibre going back a couple of years. The book appeared to upload fine, and the downloaded preview file was fine, but Amazon wouldn't publish it. Turns out something was wrong with the header where Amazon write in catalog and DRM information (though I think this was a DRM-free book.)If this ever happens to you, the fix is to set Calibre to output debug information, find the contents of the 'processed' folder, and run Kindlegen over it. Worked a treat.
I use Calibre on my mac, and it's worked beautifully so far. I never update it since I don't have any problem with the version I'm using - for over a year now. That might be the key, lol. I hear other people talking about Sigil, which I think is another conversion program, but I don't know anything else about it.
You're right there, Jolea. I think my problem with Calibre was to do with it trying to build a KF8 and Mobi7 combined version. As Kovid (Mr. Calibre) says, Amazon don't say how their file format works in detail, so he's not surprised if the Calibre team doesn't always guess how the files are supposed to be built.When I had the problem and Googled a solution, I did see occasional problems like this going back before the KF8/ Kindle Fire. But it seems rare.
I didn't have any trouble uploading files (to Lulu and CreateSpace). It did take a while to figure out their systems, but it wasn't too bad. The thing I had most trouble with was setting the cover dimensions for paperback and hardback correctly. What a pain in the butt. I only succeeded because I have friends that do book layouts as part of their job.
One note of caution. The first time I formatted for Createspace and followed their directions, the spacing (extra space after each paragraph) was ridiculous. When I went back and changed it, it cut the pages by FIFTY, and looked so much better!
If you use the formatting guide for Smashwords as the upload file for Amazon, it generally works extremely well. A lot of the tips and requirements that Smashwords needs for its translation carry over to Amazon's KDP.I used to write my Amazon files as straight-up HTML, but it got old quickly.
Darlene wrote: "One note of caution. The first time I formatted for Createspace and followed their directions, the spacing (extra space after each paragraph) was ridiculous. When I went back and changed it, it cut..."Perhaps you misread
There are two conventions for paragraph formatting, first line indent, and no first line indent. In the case of first line indent, NO space is left between paragraphs as you can see where they start and finish anyway. With no indent, a space is required after the paragraph because you would not be able to see where it starts and finishes. Createspace does explain this.
Formatting for Createspace, Smashwords and Kindle is a simple process, I cannot believe how complicated people make it. The first thing to remember is that they ALL accept .doc files from word. Have a look at my web site http://www.robertavjacobs.co.uk which is dedicated to helping authors self publish for free.
Can anyone tell me how to insert page numbers with Word 2007 so that they start on the first page of the text (ie, excluding the book info pages at the beginning)? I've spent all morning trying to follow the instructions and am not getting anywhere.
as is usually the case with word, everything is complicated:First make sure you have inserted a SECTION break after your beginning stuff and before page one.
make sure you are on the page which you want to be number one.
Click on 'Insert' at the top next to 'home'
find and click on 'page numbers'
Click on bottom (or top ot wherever you want your page number) and select the type of number you want.
Now if you are on header and footer tools go to the left and select page number again or if not go back to insert and select page number again.
Then select format page number.
a box will open and at the bottom it gives you the opportunity to enter a starting number for that page.
all other pages will then be numbered from there.
You will have to go back to your starting stuff, and delete the page numbers on there. Don't use delete page numbers or anything like that. just remove each number leaving a blank space. (number field remains but is empty)
Robert wrote: "as is usually the case with word, everything is complicated:First make sure you have inserted a SECTION break after your beginning stuff and before page one.
make sure you are on the page which ..."
Thanks, Robert. I've followed your instructions exactly, done it all about ten times, and am still no further forward. I'm always left either with a document with numbers right from the first title page or, if I try to remove the numbers from the preliminary pages, I end up with none of the pages numbered. I thought it was maybe a glitch in the programme but I'm using two different laptops, with different versions of Word (2007 and 2010) with the same results in both. I'm just about hysterical with frustration and thinking I'm going to have to hand the job over to CreateSpace to do it for me.
Its difficult, because headers and footers are linkedIts the section break (NOT a page break) that is important. but it does work. because I have eleven books out there all numbered correctly.
In the header footer tools, there is a link called 'link to previous' which sometimes interfers.
also going back and rechecking, when footers are open for editing there are two tabs showing one on the left should say (Footer section 2) the one on the right says (same as previous) go to the top click on 'link to previous' to switch this tab off. position your mouse at your page number point and then go back to entering page numbers...my mistake before...format first... number second.Open a blank document enter a section break so you have two pages and practice...
createspace will charge you money...If you are desperate you could always send the whole book to me as an attachment and I will do it for you. (I use word 2010)
Yes, the 'link to previous' tool is what I've been having trouble with. It features in the instructions I was originally working with but I haven't been able to use it as instructed because it's permanently greyed out, on both my computers, no matter what I do. I see from googling that other people have been encountering the same problem but I haven't been able to find any solution.
Would you like to take up my offer, and let me look at it for you....
Thanks ever so much for your kind offer, Robert. I've just - finally, after a day of exasperation - managed to find a set of instructions which have worked. For anyone else who might be running into the same kind of problem, here they are:In Word 2007:
1. Click at the top of the first page you want numbered.
2. Click the Page Layout tab on the Ribbon.
3. Click the Breaks icon in the Page Setup group.
4. Insert a Next Page type section break.
5. Click on the Insert tab on the Ribbon.
6. Click the Header icon and select Edit Header.
7. Deselect Link To Previous in the Design tab that appeared on the Ribbon.
8. Go back to the Insert tab and repeat Steps 5 to 7 for the Footer.
9. If there's a page number in the header or footer for the first section, delete it.
10. Go into the second section.
11. On the Design tab again, click the Page Number icon
12. Click Format Page Numbers.
13. If you want the first section’s page numbers to count but not show, click Continuous.
14. Or, if you want the page numbering to start at one, click Start At. A 1 should show up in the list box adjacent to it.
15. Click OK.
16. Click OK to actually insert the page number.
That should do it. What you now have is two sections. Both sections have headers and footers, but the page number will appear only in the second section.
Yep that should do it Just to make life difficult...
what if you want to put your author name on each even page and the book title on each odd page, but not on the first page of each chapter (as they do on print books)
The first thing you have to do is put a section break after every chapter...
Just think what that will do to your page numbering....fun isn't it.
I'm not even going to think of adding anything that isn't absolutely necessary!
If you want your book to closely compare with mainstream published books, you will have to.I have done it for all of mine, and as I said...fun isn't it
Still struggling. I've now got to the stage where my Word doc is ready to be converted to pdf. As my version of Adobe is later than 7.0, it seems I need to import CreateSpacePrePress.kfp. I've downloaded the zip file but can't make head or tail of the Pre-Flight Installation and Usage Instructions. It tells me to open Adobe and import it. I can't for the life of me work out how to do this.
Hilda wrote: "Still struggling. I've now got to the stage where my Word doc is ready to be converted to pdf. As my version of Adobe is later than 7.0, it seems I need to import CreateSpacePrePress.kfp. I've down..."What are you talking about?
what is all this about PDF's?
Createspace accept word .doc files as well as .docx
and as a matter of interet so do Smashwords AND Kindle.
Just write your book and then READ the submission requirements and format accordingly.
I am at a total loss as to where this convert to PDF came from..who would want to? I have 12 books publshed with createspace.
Here is what it says on the CreateSpace website:Saving your file as a PDF
The final hurdle of achieving the file you were envisioning is saving your document as a PDF. The Resources article Creating a PDF for Print should assist you with saving your document into a PDF.
That is if you elect to save a file as PDFI have twelve books published with Createspace..ALL of which went up as .doc files...look at some on the Amazon web site...there is no problem with formatting, INCLUDING adding author name and book title to the pages. The following is cut and pasted from the Createspace web site:
"Whether you have a print-ready pdf, or a Word® .doc, docx, or .rtf file, it’s easy to upload your file and get it ready for publishing for free."
note the "or word ,.doc, .docx or rtf file"
I'm getting very confused by the various options for ISBN offered by createspace. I think I'd prefer to get my own from Nielson. Does anyone know if there are any disadvantages in doing this?
Hilda wrote: "I'm getting very confused by the various options for ISBN offered by createspace. I think I'd prefer to get my own from Nielson. Does anyone know if there are any disadvantages in doing this?"Come on Hilda....Nielson charge you money...Createspace will assign a free one
createspace only have our options, with adequate explanation for each...Option one free if you sell only through Createspace, and let Createspace distribute. Option two a custom ISBN which you pay for, still can only sell through createspace. Option three universal ISBN..buy from createspace but you can sell your book through whoever you like.. and the final Option is to provide your own which you previously bought from Nielson
I'm having trouble with formatting my text. I've followed all the instructions and the layout specifications are the same for every page in terms of margins but on many of the pages the block of text is one or two lines longer than on the one opposite it. Has anyone else had this problem?
Hilda wrote: "I'm having trouble with formatting my text. I've followed all the instructions and the layout specifications are the same for every page in terms of margins but on many of the pages the block of te..."This not a problem, it depends on how word wraps a block of text to the next page. The whole thing is automatic, and frankly defies logic. but its not a problem.
Robert, do you use the Createspace template and what font and size do you use? I thought I had the ms sorted without the template and using Garamond 12 but I think this is too big. I'm trying to change it to Garamond 11 but it just sends the ms all over the place.
I do not use any templatesI write books, edit them, and format them.
I do this for createspace, smashwords and kindle.
I Use Times New Roman 12pt (tried garamond 11pt didn't like it)
if you change to a smaller font, of course it will re-layout the book (and make the book a fair bit shorter)
Shouldn't be a problem though if you have used style buttons in your formatting.
Robert wrote: "Hilda wrote: "I'm having trouble with formatting my text. I've followed all the instructions and the layout specifications are the same for every page in terms of margins but on many of the pages t..."I discovered the source of the uneven text length problem. I had widow/orphan control switched on and to get your pages properly squared off this has to be off.
Brilliant..I knew you would get there in the end
