Have you ever thought about creating an eBook using Microsoft Word? You’ve probably heard of them, right? Microsoft Word is a staple of nearly every office and has been around for decades now. But did you know that you can use this tool to create some amazing eBooks? Let’s explore how you can write an eBook on Microsoft Word and turn it into a bestseller.
Why Word?
Just about anyone can use Microsoft Word these days. It’s pretty easy to learn and can be accessed through a variety of interfaces including mobile apps, the web, and even some third-party plugins. This makes it super versatile and suitable for a wide range of uses. It’s also been around for a while now so it’s not like you’re going to run into any major difficulties if you decide to write an eBook using this program.
The Basics: What You’ll Need
To get started you’ll need Microsoft Word and an eBook writer plugin (such as Calibri for WordPress). You may also want to consider installing a PDF plugin (such as Nitro PDF) on your computer so that you can convert your documents to a PDF format if you decide to upload them to a bookstore or library later on.
Once you have all of these items downloaded you’ll be able to start creating your eBook. Let’s get to the good stuff now.
Step 1: Open Microsoft Word and Begin Drafting Your Manuscript
Once you open Microsoft Word you’ll see a new document, called ‘Untitled’. Before you start writing you may want to rename it to something more suitable. Simply click on the File menu and select “Save As” to bring up the Save As dialog box. Type “book” in the file name field and hit “Save” to store your file locally on your computer. You can also upload it to a PDF server from here.
Then, click on the “File” menu, select “Open” and then “Import Text From File…” to bring up the Text Import Wizard. Browse to the file you just uploaded and click “Next” to begin the process.
Step 2: Start Adding Content
The second step is to start adding content to your document. You have three basic choices here: (1) Type, (2) Audio, and (3) Image. To type you’ll need to select the “Type” menu, click on the “Options” button and then click “Enter” on the “On Screen Keyboard” to hide it. You can then start typing. (1) You can also add page numbers and/or (2) chapter numbers to your document as well using the “Page Number” and “Chapter Numbering” options under Additional Options in the “Tools” menu.
To add audio you’ll need to go to the “Tools” menu, select “Record” and then click on the little microphone symbol in the upper right corner of your screen. You’ll then see a waveform appear below the text cursor. Once you hear audio that you like you can click “Stop” to end the recording and then double-click on the play button to begin playback. You can also use the “Volume” slider to adjust the audio volume. While recording, the green check mark will appear in the top right corner of your screen to show you’re recording. (3) Images can be added in a few different ways. You can click on the “Insert” menu, select “Pictures” and then either (a) browse to the file system on your computer to choose an image or (b) drag-and-drop an image file onto your document. Once you’ve inserted an image you can double-click on it to view it in full-screen mode or (c) click on the “Image” button at the top of the editor to view a gallery of images that you can select from.
Once you’ve added the desired content you can continue editing and revising your document. You can also attach files to your manuscript using “Additional Elements” in the “Tools” menu. This will enable you to attach words, images, and even other documents to your work. You can use the “Text” tool to add additional text to your document as needed. Remember, you can always go back and revise any part of your work at any time using the Undo button (Ctrl+Z) or the “History” tool. Simply highlight the text or element that you want to change and hit “Ctrl+Z” or click on the “History” tool in the toolbar to access your undo history.
Step 3: Formatting & Cleaning Up Your Text
Once you’ve finished adding content to your document you’ll need to start formatting and cleaning up your text. To do this go to the “Tools” menu, select “Options” and then click on the “AutoCorrect” tab. Here you can begin adding auto-correcting options to your text. Simply highlight the text you want to format and click on the “Options” button to bring up the AutoCorrect dialog box. You can then enter a new word for suggestions and choose whether you want them to be case-sensitive or not. Click “OK” to save your changes.
You can also go through and delete any text that you deem unnecessary. Simply select the text and hit “Delete” or click on the “X” icon on the toolbar to bring up the standard “Delete” dialog box. Proceed to type a new phrase or sentence and then decide whether you want to keep or remove the content you just typed. Click “OK” to commit the change.
Step 4: Converting Your eBook to a PDF
The last step is to convert your eBook to a PDF format. To do this you’ll need to go to the “File” menu, select “Export” and then click on the “PDF” button to bring up the PDF Export dialog box. Here you can specify whether you want to create a one-page PDF or an entire multi-page document. The former is what you most likely want since a one-page PDF can be searched and used on most devices. Once you’ve set the page range click “OK” and then either (a) click “Create” to create and save the PDF or (b) click “Close” to return to your document.
Why Word? Though there are plenty of other tools you could use to create an eBook (such as Scrivener, Draft, or even a simple Google Doc) Microsoft Word is ideal for the purpose. Not only is it extremely easy to use but it also has a lot of functionality. If you decide to write an eBook using Word you’ll be able to take advantage of all of its features and create something unique and special.