How To Create an eBook For Free (Step-by-Step Guide)
TLDRIn this informative video, Aurelius demonstrates how to create an e-book using free online tools, specifically Google Docs. The process begins with designing a cover page, followed by adding a background image from Unsplash. The video explains how to format the title, align it centrally, and remove the table border. It then guides viewers on adding chapter titles with Heading 1 style for easy table of contents creation. Images can be inserted and wrapped around with text, and the tutorial also briefly touches on formatting for Amazon KDP if that's the intended platform. Page numbers are added via the Insert menu, and the final step is saving the e-book as a PDF. The video concludes with a mention of additional resources for those interested in selling their e-books.
Takeaways
- 📚 Use Google Docs for free e-book creation, which is user-friendly and straightforward.
- 🖋️ Start with a blank document and create a cover page with a title and background.
- 🔍 Use Unsplash for royalty-free images to enhance your e-book's visual appeal.
- 📈 Format your title with a large, bold font and center-align it on the page.
- 🚫 Remove table borders to create a clean look for your e-book's title page.
- 🔗 Ensure chapter titles use Heading 1 style for easy table of contents creation.
- 📖 The table of contents can be inserted and will automatically link to your chapter titles.
- 🖼️ Add images to your e-book by searching on Unsplash and adjusting text wrap settings.
- 📄 For Amazon KDP, follow specific formatting guidelines provided on their platform.
- 🔢 Add page numbers to your e-book through the Insert menu for easy navigation.
- 💾 Save your e-book as a PDF document when ready for sharing or selling.
- 💰 For selling your e-book, consider different platforms and follow additional tutorials for guidance.
Q & A
What is the main tool recommended for creating an e-book in the video?
-The main tool recommended for creating an e-book in the video is Google Docs.
How can you create a title page or cover page in Google Docs?
-You can create a title page or cover page in Google Docs by inserting a table, entering your title, and then formatting it with the desired font, size, and alignment.
What website is suggested for finding free images to use as a background for the e-book cover?
-Unsplash is suggested as a website to find free images that can be used as a background for the e-book cover.
How do you ensure that your chapter titles are recognized as headings in Google Docs?
-To ensure that your chapter titles are recognized as headings, you should format them using the 'Heading 1' style in Google Docs.
How can you add a table of contents in Google Docs?
-You can add a table of contents in Google Docs by inserting it from the 'Insert' menu. Google Docs will automatically generate the table of contents based on the 'Heading 1' styled chapter titles.
What is the recommended method to add images within the e-book content?
-To add images within the e-book content, you can insert the image and then adjust the text wrapping and margins to position it as desired within the text.
How can you add page numbers to your e-book in Google Docs?
-You can add page numbers to your e-book in Google Docs by using the 'Insert' menu and selecting 'Page numbers'. You can then choose where to display the page numbers and if you want them to appear on the first page.
What is the recommended file format for saving an e-book when you are ready to share or sell it?
-The recommended file format for saving an e-book when you are ready to share or sell it is PDF.
If you want to sell your e-book on Amazon KDP, what additional steps should you follow?
-If you want to sell your e-book on Amazon KDP, you should follow the formatting guidelines provided by Amazon, which include specific instructions on formatting chapter titles, dimensions, and indentions.
What is the process of saving the e-book as a PDF document in Google Docs?
-To save the e-book as a PDF document in Google Docs, you click on 'File', then 'Download', and select 'PDF Document' from the options.
What is the name of the e-book created as an example in the video?
-The name of the e-book created as an example in the video is 'Abundance Mindset'.
How can viewers find more information on selling e-books if they are interested?
-Viewers can find more information on selling e-books by watching another tutorial provided by the same creator, which is linked for further viewing.
Outlines
📚 Introduction to Creating an E-Book with Google Docs
Aurelius introduces the video with a brief overview of creating an e-book using free online tools, specifically Google Docs. He demonstrates the process by showing an example e-book titled 'Abundance Mindset,' which includes a title page, cover page, table of contents, preface, chapters, images, and page numbers. The tool of choice is Google Docs for its simplicity and accessibility. The first step involves creating a new document and designing the cover page with a background and title, using a table for layout and formatting. The title is formatted with the Poppins font in Semi Bold, enlarged, and centered on the page. Borders are removed, and a background image from Unsplash is inserted and adjusted to cover the entire page. The title is then set to appear behind the text for better visual appeal.
📖 Adding Content and Formatting the E-Book
The second paragraph details the process of adding chapter titles and a table of contents to the e-book. Aurelius emphasizes the use of Heading 1 style for chapter titles to ensure they are recognized and included in the table of contents automatically. He also shows how to update the table of contents and suggests using the same font and size for consistency. Adding images to the e-book is covered next, with a demonstration of searching for relevant images on Unsplash and inserting them into the document. Text wrapping and image positioning are adjusted to fit the layout. Aurelius notes that the tutorial is not specifically for Amazon KDP formatting but provides a link for those interested in that platform. He then explains how to add page numbers, which can be inserted in the header or footer and customized to start from a specific page number. Finally, he guides on saving the e-book as a PDF document for sharing or selling and mentions an additional tutorial for those interested in selling their e-books on various platforms.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡eBook
💡Google Docs
💡Table of Contents
💡Unsplash
💡Formatting
💡Page Numbers
💡PDF Document
💡Amazon KDP
💡Text Wrapping
💡Header and Footer
💡Selling Platforms
Highlights
Create an e-book using free online tools and resources.
Use Google Docs for creating and formatting your e-book.
Create a title page with a background and title using a table for layout.
Format the title with Poppins font, Semi Bold, and increase the size.
Center the title on the page and remove the table border.
Add a background image from Unsplash for a professional look.
Insert an image behind the text for the cover page.
Ensure the chapter titles use Heading 1 style for table of contents recognition.
Add a table of contents that auto-populates based on Heading 1 styles.
Exclude the table of contents itself from being listed within the table of contents.
Write and format the chapters with relevant content.
Insert images into the e-book with text wrapping for visual appeal.
Adjust image positioning and margins for a clean layout.
Follow specific formatting guidelines if creating an e-book for Amazon KDP.
Add page numbers to the document for easy navigation.
Choose to display page numbers starting from the first content page.
Save the final e-book as a PDF document for sharing or selling.
Explore different platforms to sell your e-book if desired.