PRE-CONVERSION MANUSCRIPT FORMATTING GUIDELINES

Fontaine Publishing Group makes the process of converting your native document to a digital book simple, but there are a number of guidelines you should follow to ensure your finished eBook looks and functions as a 'best practise' ebook.

Between the writing and eBook distribution steps comes the conversion to ePub step, and how you format your finished document goes a long way toward how smoothly the conversion process will go.

1) Proof your files for proper spelling, grammar, and syntax. You are your own editor! We don’t proofread your work (after all, creative spelling and grammar might be part of your writing style or a character’s language) – it is up to you to make sure that the document you send us for conversion and eBook distribution is meticulously proofread before you upload it. Once your book has been converted to ePub format, it’s too late to fix a typo!

2) Don’t use tabs or the space bar to format paragraphs and individual lines. While it may look the way you want it to in a Word or text file, tabs and spaces wreak havoc when converted to eBook format. Use the “Format/Paragraph” menu or alignment buttons in the toolbar of your text-editing program if you want indents.

3) Preferably use standard fonts such as Times New Roman or Courier New. Not all fonts are supported by the eBook format and eReaders.

4) Don’t use very small or very large font sizes. We recommend 12 point size font for body text and 14-18 point for chapter titles.

5) Do not wrap text around images. All images (except full-page images) should be set in-line with text.

6) Special symbols may not convert properly to ePub unless they are characters in a standard font set. It’s best to choose a font like Times New Roman for all text and symbols.

7) Do not include any elements that refer to page numbers, including your Table of Contents. Pages in your document will not coincide with the “pages” on any given eReader.

Follow these guidelines, and you’re on your way to successful eBook distribution! If you need more information, email nicola@fontaine.com.au, or call (08) 9467 4143