Support for Indie Authors discussion

I have used both MSWord and WordPerfect and really prefer the latter. Is there any way to go directly from WordPerfect to Kindle/.mobi or CreateSpace without going through Word first?

In the alternative, is there a good, detailed guide for setting up all the codes (spacing, tabs, breaks, etc.) in the Word version?

As for the break, you will use page break or line break from the Insert menu.
As for the space, font style, and font size, you will get better result if you create your own Custom Style which should be based on Normal style and specify the above attributes. This you will use for formatting the body of your manuscript.
You will also need to create another style with font size, font style, and bold attributes. This you will use for formatting the headings.
You can apply bold or italics to any way in the body of the manuscript and it will convert well.
Ensure you Save it as a .doc document (1997-2003).

You can check out this my Goodreads blog post for more details:
EBook Formatting Guides https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...

This should help :-)

Building Your Book for Kindle

Thanks everyone, this was really helpful. Thanks Jane, just got the free book. Thanks Jane, great suggestion. I've got several in Kindle and have had them done. Now I will start doing my own. I do my own covers. Ex advertising art director. Steven, helpful advice. A good question Susan. I have Microsoft 8 on my Mac. How does that work? Should I get 10?

Wally. At the risk of sounding silly if you have a mac why Word?

I use Pages on my mac. Does what Word does. Only in my mind easier. Can be saved straight to ePub for kindle.

Microsoft 8 is OK, except you want to go with "Pages" as suggested by Jane.

I write in word, but that's a different issue when preparing a manuscript for an editor. At least I think so?
So at the risk of sounding silly I have never heard of pages. So I should find out something about it.

You compose in pages and then go to ePub? Obviously I should investigate. Thank you.

By the way, thanks to you all.

Steven wrote: "As for the break, you will use page break or line break from the Insert menu. As for the space, font style, and font size, you will get better result if you create your own Custom Style which should be based on Normal style and specify the above attributes. This you will use for formatting the body of your manuscript. You will also need to create another style with font size, font style, and bold attributes. This you will use for formatting the headings."

Thanks, Steven. Yeah, this is EXACTLY why I use WordPerfect. My brain goes wonky at all the settings and styles. Is there maybe a place I can go to find someone to pay to do the conversion for me? I'm still really hesitant about this.

Jane wrote: "This should help :-)

Building Your Book for Kindle"

Thanks, Jane. I actually have this book, and intend to follow it -- I'm just not a big fan of Word (I find it over-complicated) and would rather not have to learn it in that much detail. But I guess we all have to do things we don't like, though, don't we?

Susan wrote: "Jane wrote: "This should help :-)

Building Your Book for Kindle"

Thanks, Jane. I actually have this book, and intend to follow it -- I'm just not a big fan of Word (I find it over..."

Actually you don't need to learn Word in a lot of detail. What the book does is walk you through the process step by step, without you really needing to be a big Word fan.

I don't even use Word any more. I use Pages and format in that, just using the guide to remind me what formatting I need. I then export from pages as am ePub document, which can be uploaded to kindle. Simples:-)

I found Pages in the Mac ap store. It's only twenty bucks. Is this the one in question.? Also I have enough edited short stories in Word 2008 for a short story collection of around 65000 words. Based on the information I sould be able to copy my word manuscripts into Pages? Is that correct?

Thanks, Wally

Wally wrote: "I found Pages in the Mac ap store. It's only twenty bucks. Is this the one in question.? Also I have enough edited short stories in Word 2008 for a short story collection of around 65000 words. Bas..."

Yes. That's Pages. And yes you should be able to copy your Word ms into Pages. You may even be able to open them direct with Pages.

Thanks vey much. That was really helpful input.

Jane wrote: "Simples:-)"

Good. I need simples!