Creating Beautiful Ebooks

12 years ago

Hi Rosie,

If you want to create your eBooks as PDF files, you need to find or create a template for your word processing program. I use Open Office, because I find it much better for my purpose than any other word processor, including Word. It has a build in function that lets you print your book as a PDF file.

I've created my own template for my eBooks, but if you do a search for Open Office Templates, you can find many online.

Good luck with your book

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angela99

12 years ago

Originally Posted by rosie34

Does anyone here know of a software or online service that lets you create ebooks that are visually gorgeous? I have seen some PDFs and HTMLs that were amazing, but no clue how to make them that way.

Thanks.

Please, I beg you -- consider the people who buy your info product.

What are the chances that they CARE about aesthetics when they just want info they can use?

If the "visually gorgeous" aspect doesn't help your buyers to USE your info, what good is it?

Consider Steve Jobs. He cared about design aesthetics and created USEFUL design. There's nothing in any Apple product which is there solely for decoration.

Dressing up your information with assorted baubles like a Christmas tree won't make fans out of your ebook buyers.

This is because using your info usually requires printing out at least some of the material. Which requires INK.

Even reading a PDF on your computer screen, or iPad screen, is easier when there's little or no decoration.

I've purchased "visually gorgeous" ebooks. I always wish the product creator had spent more time thinking about the end user.

Several months ago I bought an ebook and was so enraged by the grey text on an olive green background that I wrote to the ebook creator and demanded black text on a white background, OR a refund.

The fact that I had to do this ensures that I'll never forget this moron, and hell will freeze over before I buy anything else from him.

Make it easy on your buyers; they'll appreciate it.

Angela

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MattVit 12 years ago

Originally Posted by angela99

Consider Steve Jobs. He cared about design aesthetics and created USEFUL design. There's nothing in any Apple product which is there solely for decoration.

Really good post except this excerpt - I agreed with the rest of your post.

But on this: Totally wrong. It may be a simple design (talking about the physical product) but there's plenty of stuff there for decoration, from the iPhones to the iMacs or whatever they're called (not a fan of Apple).

If there was "nothing in any Apple product which is there solely for decoration", then when you bought your new iPhone, you wouldn't have the decorative glass, the decorative metal around the phone - all you'd have is the screen and the CPU / chips / hardware inside. No covering.

Even if you're referring to the software, there's plenty to pick up on there.
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sbucciarel

Banned 12 years ago

I agree with the above. I'm only interested in the info. Does it help me in my business? My pdfs that I have sold are pretty much plain vanilla with appropriate screenshots. No time or effort put into making them visually gorgeous, but a lot of information packed into them.

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Michael Oksa

12 years ago

I guess it depends what you mean by "visually gorgeous", but yes, OpenOffice or the newer versions of MS Word can handle most jobs.

That being said, I have a suggestion. Why not contact the author of any e-book that you like and ask them what they used. Maybe it was a specific program, or maybe they hired a design service; the only way to know for sure is to ask.

Others have mentioned that you need to be careful about making your books "gorgeous" just for the sake of being gorgeous. Just because you CAN do something doesn't meant that you SHOULD. (You hear that George Lucas?)

All the best,
Michael

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jacktackett

12 years ago

I want the information and not an illuminated manuscript - but some formatting is welcomed too - like page numbers! I don't want to scare any one with this image but old foggies like me like to print pdfs and read them offline - and some like Kevin Riley likes to read them in his mankini in the hot tub.
Online a clickable table of contents and urls is great as well. A decent sized font and good spacing works too.
If you do a lot of color/borders etc then it can take a long time and use up a lot of (expensive) ink. There is a balance between plain and gorgeous - strive for readability and you can't go wrong.
best,
--Jack

ps search for a fellow warrior Tracy Yates - she use to put up a WSO of ebook templates that rock - she still might have some for sale. They supported both Open Office and MS Word to boot. Highly recommended!

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FreeMeal

12 years ago

Don't know why some people are suggesting that the content will be terrible if the design is attractive. They are not mutually exclusive.

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sbucciarel Banned 12 years ago

Originally Posted by FreeMeal

Don't know why some people are suggesting that the content will be terrible if the design is attractive. They are not mutually exclusive.

For me it's about distraction. I use pdf products to learn, not to be visually stunned. I don't want distractions or larger pdfs to download.
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Michael Oksa 12 years ago

Originally Posted by FreeMeal

Don't know why some people are suggesting that the content will be terrible if the design is attractive. They are not mutually exclusive.

Were some posts deleted in this thread? I haven't seen anybody even come close to making that suggestion.

HOWEVER, some people DO use fancy graphics in an attempt to cover up less-than-stellar information.

They are definitely not mutually exclusive, and nobody here has said otherwise, not that I've seen anyway.

All the best,
Michael
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Saito 12 years ago

Originally Posted by FreeMeal

Don't know why some people are suggesting that the content will be terrible if the design is attractive. They are not mutually exclusive.

Exactly. It's not either-or.

Yes, the content is the most important, but I think a nice cover gives potential buyers an extra reason to believe that the writing, which they can't see yet, will be excellent quality if the cover, which is about all they can see besides a table of contents, looks great.

It represents YOU and the quality of your work before, during, and after the sale.

I think great covers can be made for just a little bit more than a crappy one, so I see all this talk about the information being first priority to be kind of besides the point. Quality content is a given. Good covers should be too.
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Marcus Demanse

12 years ago

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SteveDolan

12 years ago

So long as it's structured correctly (headings, PROPER page breaks) etc, then I don't really care what it looks like (unless they use a funky type)

All my PDF's are pretty generic, I keep them structured Cjapter/sub headings with Table of Contents, single line spaced (I hate double lines to bump up page count) and a header/footer for page numbers. It makes it easy to read, easy to follow and keeps the size down.

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sbucciarel

Banned 12 years ago

Originally Posted by SteveDolan

So long as it's structured correctly (headings, PROPER page breaks) etc, then I don't really care what it looks like (unless they use a funky type)

All my PDF's are pretty generic, I keep them structured Cjapter/sub headings with Table of Contents, single line spaced (I hate double lines to bump up page count) and a header/footer for page numbers. It makes it easy to read, easy to follow and keeps the size down.

That's a really good point as an example. Everyone's idea of what is gorgeous is a bit different. I've downloaded some ebooks that used very unusual and annoying fonts and had colors that I hate as a background.

Fancy fonts are not very readable and are an eye strain. Some people love certain colors and others hate those same colors.

If you put all of your time and energy into kick-ass information, people who your ebook will love you. Simple as that.

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Pierce

12 years ago

Yeah I usually just worry about format and if its easy to read. After that I dont really do much else

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jaiganeshv

12 years ago

I like no fluff stuff at the same time some pleasing subtle colors whatever it is a blog or ebook or anything..

I like Marlon Sanders newsletters, the PDF files are unique kind of old school but very pleasing....

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mojojuju

12 years ago

Originally Posted by Ken_Caudill

Packaging is important. Clean graphics, the use of white space, the right font --they all say things about your product. No one ever complained about first-rate layout.

I agree. Presentation is of great importance.

..
..
..

I realize some people have said that all they want is the information, that the appearance doesn't matter to them. But I'm willing to bet that other people don't think the same.

Put forth your best effort in creating a beautiful package and presentation and readers will see that you put value into every component of your product. With a good presentation, you'll allow them to more easily feel that they have purchased an item of value, one where no corners were cut in its production.

A lot of the books that I've owned that were produced by the TeX typesetting program are the ones which I would consider most beautiful. I'm not talking pretty colors or Christmas tree graphics. I'm talking about beautiful typography that is not only beautiful, but also makes the book easier to consume.

Here's some examples of what I'd call beautiful typesetting produced by TeX:

Both of the above examples were made for print, but there's no reason to believe that good design and typesetting has no place in digital products.

Another program that is well suited to creating beautiful documents is Scribus. Here's a Blender quickstart guide that was produced in Scribus. Here's another one, a beautifully done Linux magazine, made in Scribus.

It's the information that counts. But a beautiful presentation, one that doesn't detract from the information, can add much to the value of a PDF.

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thewpguide

12 years ago

I use Open Office to create my ebooks but if you are wanting an ebook to stand out more and be aesthetically pleasing then maybe you should consider outsourcing the work.

I am with the majority of people in this thread and prefer an ebook to be clear and simple and consider the typesetting to be the most important thing. You have to remember that everyone's tastes differs so what you think is really attractive could put somebody else off.

Good luck.

Thanks
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rosie34

12 years ago

Thank you Ken Caudill and mojojuju. (And I love the examples you included, mojo!)

Goodness. So much judging and jumping to conclusions.... Did I say my content will be second place to visuals? Did I say I am going to use idiotic fonts that nobody can read? Give people some credit, people. This is the most superficial, most crass society on earth (yes, this here USA) where people routinely get plastic surgery in places unmentionable in polite society, and you want to tell me that when it comes to ebooks, visuals don't matter. Of course presentation matters, that's one of the reasons why everybody loves aweber so much - for their great signup boxes. People on this here forum sell graphics for websites, newsletters, and God knows what else, because visuals do matter. A whole webinar was recently revolving around cleverly designed squeeze pages with emphasis on the colors most likely to convince people to input their name and email address, because visuals do matter.

Note to self: Never assume people aren't going to entertain the most idiotic notions about you and your intentions, given half a chance. I should have said (and it was in the back of my mind, but I was rushing) that I didn't mean by my question that I was going to forgo intelligence and great information just because I don't want my PDF to be another drab lookin ole thing. Well, dang it, another note to self: Don't rush when you are posting a question, and cover your ass at all times lest somebody will think you are an idiot.

Thanks to those who replied thoughtfully and without sermonizing.

Thanks
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sbucciarel

Banned 12 years ago

Originally Posted by rosie34

Thank you Ken Caudill and mojojuju. (And I love the examples you included, mojo!)

Goodness. So much judging and jumping to conclusions.... Did I say my content will be second place to visuals? Did I say I am going to use idiotic fonts that nobody can read? Give people some credit, people. This is the most superficial, most crass society on earth (yes, this here USA) where people routinely get plastic surgery in places unmentionable in polite society, and you want to tell me that when it comes to ebooks, visuals don't matter. Of course presentation matters, that's one of the reasons why everybody loves aweber so much - for their great signup boxes. People on this here forum sell graphics for websites, newsletters, and God knows what else, because visuals do matter. A whole webinar was recently revolving around cleverly designed squeeze pages with emphasis on the colors most likely to convince people to input their name and email address, because visuals do matter.

Note to self: Never assume people aren't going to entertain the most idiotic notions about you and your intentions, given half a chance. I should have said (and it was in the back of my mind, but I was rushing) that I didn't mean by my question that I was going to forgo intelligence and great information just because I don't want my PDF to be another drab lookin ole thing. Well, dang it, another note to self: Don't rush when you are posting a question, and cover your ass at all times lest somebody will think you are an idiot.

Thanks to those who replied thoughtfully and without sermonizing.

Funny ... you love the posts that agree with your theory but accuse those who gave you their opinions that you do not agree with of sermonizing.

Why did you bother asking the question here if you didn't want honest opinions. You are the one being judgmental. But heh ... it was only a couple minutes of my time wasted giving you my thoughts on something I've plenty of experience with.

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rosie34

12 years ago

The truth of the matter is - I used language carelessly. By gorgeous I didn't have stunning graphics or eye-popping colors in mind, but something that looks and feels good, and most likely has to do with typography and a font that doesn't give me migraines.

I think Free Meal said it very well:

I think a lot of people are missing a trick by not implementing some basic typographic principles into their ebooks/reports etc. Yes, you can throw some great information onto a basic Open Office doc and it will do it's job. But, make that little extra effort with your layout, and typography and you will enhance your readers experience. They will actually absorb and better understand more of what you are trying to express in your copy. It doesn't cost anything extra (besides a little time) so i don't see why people don't bother giving it more consideration.

Another thing I've wondered, is why more ebooks aren't produced in the landscape format? Most ebooks are read on a computer monitor so it makes sense to me to put your ebook in landscape and have your text run over two columns. Columns of approx no more than 7 or 8 words per line are proven to be easier to read. As have Serif fonts such as Times, Garamond etc, but still I see so many ebooks and WSO's using the default San Serif's Arial or Helvetica. Could you imagine reading a whole novel in a San Serif like Helvetica? You'd go cross-eyed by the end.

At the same time, I have seen ebooks in html (such as cookbooks) that were beautiful, there is just no other way of saying it. But I have no clue how they are made. (This was a while ago, and I didn't at the time write down anything about the author or the title, so I have no way of contacting them and ask.)

I have Word, btw. I get the feeling that Open Office is superior to Word when it comes to formatting and such? Is it possible to have both programs on my computer or are they going to interfere with each other? Not that I need more stuff to slow down my machine...

Oh, and Michael Oksa - you are right.

Thanks
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Michael Oksa

12 years ago

Originally Posted by rosie34

I have Word, btw. I get the feeling that Open Office is superior to Word when it comes to formatting and such? Is it possible to have both programs on my computer or are they going to interfere with each other? Not that I need more stuff to slow down my machine...

Oh, and Michael Oksa - you are right.

My three favorite words.

Anyway...

I would say it depends which version of Word you have. I believe I have Word2010, and it should do everything you need. It also exports directly as a PDF (under the "Save As" option) so you don't need to worry about any 3rd party software.

OpenOffice won't interfere with Word in any way, at least it never has for me.

I used to use OpenOffice all the time, and really liked it.

Both Word and OpenOffice are good programs, and you should be able to use either one and make nice looking ebooks.

All the best,
Michael

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FreeMeal

12 years ago

I think a lot of people are missing a trick by not implementing some basic typographic principles into their ebooks/reports etc. Yes, you can throw some great information onto a basic Open Office doc and it will do it's job. But, make that little extra effort with your layout, and typography and you will enhance your readers experience. They will actually absorb and better understand more of what you are trying to express in your copy. It doesn't cost anything extra (besides a little time) so i don't see why people don't bother giving it more consideration.

Another thing I've wondered, is why more ebooks aren't produced in the landscape format? Most ebooks are read on a computer monitor so it makes sense to me to put your ebook in landscape and have your text run over two columns. Columns of approx no more than 7 or 8 words per line are proven to be easier to read. As have Serif fonts such as Times, Garamond etc, but still I see so many ebooks and WSO's using the default San Serif's Arial or Helvetica. Could you imagine reading a whole novel in a San Serif like Helvetica? You'd go cross-eyed by the end.

*rant*

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Michael Oksa

12 years ago

Sermonizing?

Nobody was accusing you of anything so don't take it personally.

Some of us were simply trying to suggest that you don't overdo the graphics.

You will also notice that I gave some solid advice, suggesting that you contact the authors of the ebooks you like so you can find out how they got the results you like. Part of my response was aimed at you personally (the "real" advice) and the other part was aimed more generally ("just because you can...").

Again a phrase like "visually gorgeous" is highly subjective. I have seen some ebooks that I'm sure the author thought of as such, but they looked garish, not gorgeous. I have also seen ebooks that looked very nice.

For the record, I like to format my ebooks with a nice title page, footers, page numbers, clickable table of contents, call-out boxes and images where relevant. I think they look good.

Anyway...don't take the comments here so prsonally. Stop sermonizing. Realize we are trying to help.

If you knew how you wanted us all to respond, then you either should have told us so right away so we could reply the way YOU see fit, or maybe you shouldn't have...

All the best,
Michael

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.X.

12 years ago

Why can't people just answer the question?

She didn't ask if *YOU* like pretty formatting.

Geesh.

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sbucciarel

Banned 12 years ago

Originally Posted by .X.

Why can't people just answer the question?

She didn't ask if *YOU* like pretty formatting.

Geesh.

We DID answer the question with thoughtful, helpful answers. If someone asks you which tastes better ... chocolate cake or arsenic, are you going to neglect to mention that it might be better for your health to lay off the arsenic? Geeesh.

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ronaldmd

12 years ago

Originally Posted by sbucciarel

Originally Posted by .X.

Why can't people just answer the question?

She didn't ask if *YOU* like pretty formatting.

Geesh.

We DID answer the question with thoughtful, helpful answers. If someone asks you which tastes better ... chocolate cake or arsenic, are you going to neglect to mention that it might be better for your health to lay off the arsenic? Geeesh.

I think .X. just wanted to say not to argue for something unnecessary.

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.X.

12 years ago

Originally Posted by rosie34

Does anyone here know of a software or online service that lets you create ebooks that are visually gorgeous? I have seen some PDFs and HTMLs that were amazing, but no clue how to make them that way.

Thanks.

Originally Posted by sbucciarel

We DID answer the question with thoughtful, helpful answers. If someone asks you which tastes better ... chocolate cake or arsenic, are you going to neglect to mention that it might be better for your health to lay off the arsenic? Geeesh.

Suzy -

I guess I missed where she asked which
tastes better. Maybe you read the English
language better than do I, so please, point
out the error in my comprehension and I'll
correct it.

Rosie -

I don't think you used language carelessly;
I think you witnessed the power of the herd
mind.

To answer your question, Brad Gosse
puts together some beautiful work using
his Mac. He says it comes with a nice
array of templates. Silly me paid him for
a half hour of coaching to learn that.

I recognize that in some niches slopped
together crap doesn't sell as well as
nicely formatted, professional looking
work.

. . . and I'd sure love a resource that
can do that for me too (I don't want to
buy a Mac and do it myself), if one such
happens to be around.

ronaldmd -

You're a gentleman.

All the best to you - X

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ronaldmd

12 years ago

Rosie, this is useful site about creating ebook, Free Ebook Templates & Covers for Self Publishing

P.S I'm not promoting, just informing.

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sbucciarel

Banned 12 years ago

Shop | Open Office Ebook Templates

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PandaPoacher

12 years ago

Open Office is great, but one other suite I like using is the Libre office. I believe it may be for windows as well, but I can't be too sure. It's worth checking into.

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mojojuju

12 years ago

Originally Posted by PandaPoacher

Open Office is great, but one other suite I like using is the Libre office. I believe it may be for windows as well, but I can't be too sure. It's worth checking into.

LibreOffice is a fork of OpenOffice. I think that LibreOffice has more of a future ahead of it than OpenOffice. And yes, it's available for Windows as well as Mac & Linux.

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TelfftCathlteen

Banned 12 years ago

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Dennis Gaskill

12 years ago

Originally Posted by rosie34

I have Word, btw. I get the feeling that Open Office is superior to Word when it comes to formatting and such? Is it possible to have both programs on my computer or are they going to interfere with each other?

I have both installed, no problems running either or both at the same time. I prefer Word, but that's probably because I've used it more.

Simply formatting your text nicely, using white space appropriately, change the color on headings and subheadings, using a highly readable font and font size, and using different a font for pull quotes can go a long way toward making a nicer looking, and easier to read, PDF file.

A nice graphic or two that supplement the message is helpful when appropriate, and a splash page graphic can help set the tone, but it can't save poor content. The key is to use graphics that supplement the content, not detract from it.

If you have Adobe Acrobat it can turn web pages into a PDF, so many of the things you can do with a web page can be made into a PDF. If you don't have it, I think you can get a free trial from Adobe.

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fredlee

12 years ago

I have no ideal here. But I hope your ebook will be successful.

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NETDAWG

12 years ago

Got a pretty sleak looking ebook cover designed for $15 - $20 on odesk.com. I wouldn't do it any other way, can't beat that price. As far as book pages = Microsoft Word, you can hire a graphic designer to help with content and image placement, etc.

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Ness76

12 years ago

or you can buy a ebook on how to do it yourself for 5$ and spend couple of hours trying...

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Creating Beautiful Ebooks

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