My Images are Always Less than 300 DPI when Publishing on POD Platforms

Making sure images are more than 300 DPI (dots per square inch) is not easy when first publishing picture books on print on demand platforms such as Createspace or Lulu. How does the writer ensure each image is at least 300 DPI within picture books?

How to Create Great Images for Picture Books

Obviously, the pictures have to be good quality in the first place, meaning, good lighting, sharp focusing and high resolution by the use of a good quality camera. But this is different to the DPI setting, which can be lower than 300 DPI even if the images look great on screen. Print on demand publishers will also alert you of images that are less than 300 DPI. Createspace’s preflight download will inform on which images will look pixilated in print, but cannot change it. So how can this be remedied?

How to Avoid Image Compression

How to Prevent Image Compression on Save

Firstly a few things to avoid when creating a book with images.

1 Never copy and paste an image into the Word file. Always ‘insert image.’

2 Word will automatically compress on save unless told otherwise. To avoid this, click on any image and ‘compress image’ option will come up on the toolbar at the top of the screen. 3 Click on this and a dialogue box will come up.

4 Click on ‘options’ and untick ‘automatically compress on save.’ Ensure the ‘print’ option is selected (see screenshot above for clarification).

How to Avoid Compression on PDF

PDF Images are Still Compressed to 220 DPI Despite Print Selection

Fourthly, most books are submitted as a PDF file on self-publishing platforms. The standard PDF program will compress the pictures even if you don’t want it to. Despite the ‘print’ option being selected, the Adobe program will compress the images, to 220DPI which is still higher than if the ‘online’ button is selected, but is still not good enough for print books. This is why I no longer submit my book file as a PDF. Createspace’s PDF converter is of a more advanced version than standard, and images are not compressed when my book is uploaded on their platform.

Getting Images to 300 Dots per Square Inch

The only way I have found to avoid image compression is to submit my book file as the original word document. But there is a further complication here, as if I submit my book as a Word (2007) document, floating images and tables misbehave and my book file’s formatting messes up in the online book previewer. The only way around this is to save the book file on the older Word version, the Word (1997 – 2003) version. This ensures that image and text elements behave as they should once going through Createspace’s book converter. Again, make sure ‘compress images on save’ has been unticked before inserting images and saving.

How to Increase Image DPI

So once the document is created in Word (1997 – 2003) and image compression has been turned off, you are halfway there. The only thing to do now is to ensure the images themselves are at least 300 DPI before inserting them into the book file. Here’s how.

Right click on any JPEG and click ‘properties.’ This will reveal what the DPI of the image is. Chances are, it will be less than 300 DPI. To get the DPI higher, you will need an image editing program. Paintshop Pro will do, but I use Irfanview. It is free and will batch convert all images within one folder to whatever DPI you want and create a separate folder afterwards. Incidentally, ensure all the images to be inserted in your book file are in one folder before progressing further.

Free Image Software to Increase DPI of Images

How to Batch Convert Images for DPI with Free Image Software

Once you have installed Irfanview, open it up.

1 Now click on any image within the picture folder containing the images that will be in your book.

2 Click ‘file’. Click on ‘batch conversion/rename.’

3 A large dialogue box will pop up. Click on ‘advanced (see image above).’ More options will come up with fields you can infill to requirement. Set DPI value to 300.

4 Ensure ‘preserve aspect ratio’, ‘use resample function’ and ‘don’t’ enlarge small images’ are selected. Also tick the ‘create new subfolder option to retain the original picture folder.

5 Click OK.

6 Now click on ‘add all’ and the program will convert all the images in the folder to images of 300 DPI and create a new folder. I have provided a screenshot for guidance.

High Image DPI for Book Publishing

Setting Pictures to High DPI

Beware once you have created a new subfolder with images all of 300DPI as if you edit them in any way, the DPI could be altered. Paint, for instance will sometimes lower the DPI if editing has been performed and then saved. This is why I would conduct all editing before batch converting. If however this cannot be avoided, just double check the DPI has not been affected after image editing. If this has occurred, just open that image on Irfanview. Click on ‘image’ on the tool bar at the top. Click on ‘resize/resample’. You can then reset the DPI of your image.

Your images are now ready to be inserted into the Word document and all will be at least 300 DPI.

How to Get Images to High DPI

Images can look good on screen yet the DPI might be too low for print, meaning they will look pixilated and blurred in print. Firstly, avoid automatic image compression every time the book file is saved on Word by unticking ‘compress on save.’ Always insert images, never copy and paste. A free image software program, such as Irfanview can be downloaded for the purposes of increasing DPI of all images within a picture file. They can then be inserted into the book file before publishing onto a POD platform.

More about Self Publishing Books on POD

POD keeps throwing error messages
How to design your own book cover
Bleed or no bleed for picture books?
My book talk is disastrous
Formatting books with text ,images and diagrams

Epub Images Look Small on the Large Reading Devices

Creating Epub files of your book with images is not as straightforward as publishing a text only kindle book, such as a novel. Until recently, self-published writers were unable to preview their books on all reading devices; now publishing platforms enable the writer to preview their books on most ereaders online. Ereaders come in all shapes and sizes, from the large screens of the Ipad to the small Iphone. Pictures on your book must look good on all devices, no matter how big or small.

Kindle Previewers for Epub

Epub Images for Ebooks

The screenshot shows a visual representation of a step by step demonstration on KDP Amazon’s previewer (top row from the left) the Ipad, Iphone, the standard Kindle. The Kindle Fire and the Kindle Fire HD can be seen beneath on the left, and the large device is the Kindle Fire HD 8.9”.

How to Make Images on Epub Look Good on Readers

I stumbled across this problem recently when I spotted a customer review from an owner of a Kindle HD 8.9” screen. He reported that images of my art instruction books appeared small on this large screen. At this time, I was able only to preview my art books on my Kindle for PC, which is essentially a representation of the standard Kindle. This did not alert me of any problems on other ereaders, as I assumed the images would be made to fit. 

I soon learned that some screens even vary in their proportions, the Kindle Fire for example having a longer screen than the standard Kindle. This created further problems for the publisher of picture books. The humungous screen of the Kindle Fire HD 8.9" proved the most bothersome.

Problem with Images in Ebooks

Images too Small on Ereaders

As can be seen from this screenshot, even though the images looked fine on a standard Kindle, they appeared small on ereaders with large screens. Ebooks that have images with accompanying text is not such a problem, as any ‘blank spaces’ are filled by the text. But pages that comprise images alone, as can be seen here, if not made big enough, will appear small.

The Best Size for Images for Epublishing

The following instructions apply to Amazon’s self-publishing platform, not Smashwords (a different matter entirely).

I went back to my original Word files and found by experimentation the best size for images (with no accompanying text) to fit all ereaders. I found it to be around 25cm. These images are proportionately similar to an A4 sheet of paper, so would fit any ereader screen. They would also fill even the largest screen, such as the Kindle Fire HD 8.9” screen. However, if the image is square or landscape in proportions, blank spaces will occur above and below the image on the ereader anyway. Wide images could be turned on its side on the JPEG and inserted that way, so that it will fill the ereader screen if viewed on its side.

What to do About Image Formatting Problems

To make these images the required size, I had to alter the page settings on the Word document. Click on ‘page layout’ on Word and select ‘A3.’ Now click on ‘margins’ and select ‘narrow.’ Ensure your images are ‘centered’ on the page when you insert each JPEG. Of course, your document should always be saved on the old Word (97-2003). More about the basics of formatting picture books for kindle can be found below.

Formatting picture books for epub

Click on each image and drag in or out until the width of the image is around 25cm, as indicated in red on the screenshot. This width should be sufficient to fill even the largest ereader screens such as the Kindle Fire HD 8.9”.

Formatting a picture book from scratch is covered in separate articles here:

How to resize images on ebooks
Free images software for picture enhancement
Publishing books with black and white images
Compress your ebook with a free zip download
My book keeps showing formatting errors

Tips on Formatting Images for Epublishing

Publishing picture books is more complex than a text only book. Not only do the images have to be optimum quality and formatted correctly, they have to be sufficiently large to fill any ereader screen. Only after reading a customer review did I realise the images in my book appeared too small on some ereaders. I found by experimentation that images around 25cm on the Word screen will appear sufficiently large on the bigger screens. But images with accompanying text need not be this big, as the text will fill blank spaces.

Links to my Other Sites on Writing Books

Novel writing website
Screenwriting tips
Charle J Harwood author site

My Book Talk is a Disaster, What do I Do?

You’ve been asked to do a talk on your novels. As a successful author, people expect a thrilling presentation that will end with a standing ovation. But what happens instead? You find yourself a gibbering wreck, you can’t remember your words and people are fidgeting. They look bored. How can you devise a book talk that will keep your audience talking afterward – and not for the wrong reasons?

What can Go Wrong with a Book Speech?

There are three secrets to a successful book presentation.  Firstly, have a backup plan. Secondly, be prepared. And thirdly, pretend. Pretend you are not nervous and pretend you are confident. This might require an Oscar winning performance. We will explore these in more detail in a moment, for now here is a list of beginner’s mistakes when it comes to speaking on your books.

Not writing out or preparing your speech.
Not practicing your speech or reading it aloud.
Not timing yourself.
Not anticipating questions or preparing your answers.
Not recording yourself of rehearsing in front of friends or family. This will highlight distracting physical behavior.
Not knowing your subject.
Not knowing where the book talk is to be held.
Letting your nerves get the better of you.

Public Speaking Body Behavior

I have witnessed things that can go wrong with a book speech. One of these is distracting bodily behaviour. This includes, not giving eye contact to the audience or always addressing one area of the crowd. This can make the rest of the crowd feel excluded.

Another is clasping the hands over the crotch or hands on hips. Both look naff. Playing with hair, spectacles and finger-picking are also distracting. Tape yourself. Such unconscious body language will be exposed. You can then do something about them.

Not Speaking Clearly on you Presentation

For heaven's sake, speak up! Don’t mumble at the end of sentences. Watch out for a broad regional accent some might not understand. Try to temper your accent for the night, so that your audience can understand you.

Reading to yourself is vastly different to reading aloud. Exercise your voice. Get used to how it sounds and become aware of when to take pauses. A book speech needs pauses; it helps the audience take in what you have just said. Watch out for speeding up towards the end. Maintain the pace of your book talk to a deliberate level. Read out loud and time yourself. Allow extra time on the night for when your audience asks questions and for applauses (you never know).

Overcome Nerves Before a Speech

Nerves are a terrible saboteur of you book talk. Some speakers have said that death is less frightening than having dozens of eyes boring into you. Think of it this way, if the worst happens, you’ll still have your liver, there won’t be an earthquake and your kids won’t be kidnapped. You’ve just had a bum night, that’s all.

Here are some tips to help calm the nerves before presenting on your book.

Practice your speech until you know it in your sleep. Preparing properly will help make you feel more in control on the night. For me, the idea of blagging your way through a talk is terrifying. Knowing exactly what I want to say makes the prospect of public speaking on my books less daunting. I feel more in control.

Anticipate questions from the audience. Work on the most obvious ones first. Which authors do you admire? What first got you into writing? How do you fit family life into writing novels? Prepare the answers to each question, and then think of some awkward question. Why did you decide to give the hero two heads? Do you get satisfaction from writing bondage scenes? Think of the most awkward questions and prepare your answers before the night.

Know exactly what you want to say in the opener. The moments before a speech are the most stressful. Get the introduction out of the way and you will get into the flow.

If you tend to sweat when nervous, spray extra antiperspirant or wear a T-shirt beneath your clothes to soak it up. If your hands tend to shake, avoid using resources that will tremble with you. Rather than use paper, use card.

Practice breathing exercises before your talk. Exercise-off nervous energy. Taking deep breaths will help rid of the acid-forming carbon dioxide from your body and your mind will end up more energized and focused (well, theoretically, anyway.)

You are likely to still be nervous, but don’t let it show. Don’t apologize to the audience about being nervous. Adopt the body language of one who is not. Easier said than done I know, but it’s worth trying. Don’t let your nerves show or your audience will feel uneasy watching your speech.

Allow plenty of time for your journey. Have a plan B if there is a power cut. Make provisions for everything that could go wrong on the night. Have extra resources in case you lose something or it lets you down.

Making Mistakes in a Talk on Books

Accept that you will make mistakes. Even the best speeches have mistakes in them. If you forget to mention something, let it go. Just carry on. The audience is unlikely to notice unless it is a key point.

The best thing to do for your book speech is to practice, practice and practice. Make sure it fills the time allotted. Prepare some annex material that can be added or excluded within the speech, depending upon whether you finish before the hour is up or find yourself overrunning. Preparing for anything that could go wrong will reduce the chances of a bum book talk. The first book talk is always the worst. Learn from experience and your book talk can only improve.

More Tips on Book Talking

The following links are on my other site on novel writing.
The crucial aspects of your book talk
How to do a book talk, an author's guide
Organizing your book speech
Guide to doing a book talk

How to Market Your Novel the Old Fashioned Way

There is lots of information on how to market your book online, with author blogs, author pages, Facebook and twitter. The traditional marketing strategies for writers are easily overlooked. This means getting into the real world. Covering both avenues could increase the sales of your books.

Generating Sales of Novels without Using the Internet


How to Market your Book

There is no doubt that any writer who does not use online marketing avenues, such as a book blog networking their book on Facebook, twitter or listing their books on Goodreads, Smashwords or Shelfari would be missing out. However, such means can cause the traditional route of book marketing to be overlooked. This means getting away from the lap-warming effects of the laptop and getting out into the real world. This was something I decided to do.

Marketing Your Book in the Real World

Selling books online can lull the author into the closet world of internet marketing without actually meeting or talking to anyone. Getting out there and marketing your book by other means not only covers other sales channels, but hones untried marketing skills, not least the spoken word. I began my journey with my local area. This often means putting your pride aside and developing a thick skin.

Ideas for Book Marketing in Your Local Area

I began by telephoning my local newspaper. They kindly ran an article about my books over a few weeks and it did not cost a penny. Beware that such doors are not always open, as I have found it impossible to find an authorative newspaper/magazine book reviewer to review my books. Remaining polite even when things do not go your way is important, as you never know you may cross that bridge again one day.

Promoting Your Book Locally

Some shops and public places will let you put up a few flyers for free. This I did in my local library and supermarkets. Shops, garages and post offices will put your ad up for a small fee. This means devising an eye-catching flyer and a few posters. A great design will also catch the eye in the classifieds within the local newspaper. Watch out for advertising fees which can sting. Putting your ad in the ‘what’s on’ or entertainment’ section is more costly than on ‘miscellaneous.’ A punchy design will also stand out if your funds will only cover a small-sized ad. Having a marketing budget is vital, or you may not garner enough book sales to cover the marketing costs.

How to Design a Book Poster to Generate Book Sales

I created a simple black and white design that echoes the look of my book cover. I used a visual graphic, accompanied by as little text as possible. The nature of the product was made obvious by opening the ad with ‘Kindle thriller’, so that customers know what is being advertised. You can also use other terminology such as ‘crime novel’ or ‘bestselling book’ (if you are lucky enough). This (of course) should be followed by the name of the book and the author name. By all means entice the reader with extra information, but be careful not to overdo it, as the design should remain bold and readable whatever the size format.

Novel Ways to Create Kindle Book Sales

I created posters of various sizes to fit the venue and the approach. A5 images (2 on an A4 sheet of paper) might suit a notice-board; A6 or smaller might suit handouts. A long banner exhibiting the name of your book can be stuck to the inside of your rear window of your car, making your vehicle a mobile marketing tool.

Getting Reviews for Your Book

I approached my local reading group with copies of my book. Always be polite and don’t take it personally if not everyone is willing to indulge in your book. I decided not to attend the feedback session, but putting my books out there with real readers could create recommendations and Amazon reviews.

Sales Channels for your Kindle Books

Marketing your book in the real world will mean having a few spare copies of your book handy. Make each book work hard for you by donating them to a local library. If you register each title with PLR (Public Lending Right) each ‘borrow’ could earn you a small fee. Putting your books in the library also means more people will see them and (you never know) review them. Make it plain you are a local author. Libraries and local groups are often open to authors talking about their books or book signings.

But then, why keep it local, if one is given to going on holidays or trips? Wherever I go, I will have a few flyers, leaflets or business cards in my bag, should the opportunity arise for some book marketing, wherever I am. Book fairs offer an ideal opportunity for some self-promoting and hobnobbing.

Great Ideas for Book Marketing the Traditional Way

Exclusive use of the internet when marketing your book could leave the author missing out. Getting out into the real world with real people could create further channels for marketing your book. This means using the local library, public notice-boards, the newspaper, reading groups or even your car. Every avenue is invaluable. This means putting aside marketing funds, creating eyecatching flyers, putting on a thick skin and casting off your pride.

More Articles on Promoting your Book

Researching tips for crime fiction
Market your books with Twitter
Online platforms for self published authors
How to do a book talk an author's guide
Organizing your book speech
Book marketing with SEO firms

How to Format a Large Print Book for Self Published Authors

Sales channels for novels need not end with Kindle books, audio books or a regular paperback, but a novel in large print. Not only does this cater for specialist readerships’ needs, but also provides an extra sales channel for authors. Creating a large print book is not difficult and is free. Here’s how to create a novel in large print.

Sell More Novels in Large Print

Writing the novel is the hard work. Formatting a novel for paperback is easy only if you know how. But if you have already formatted a paperback you are halfway there. You may have noticed a ‘large print’ tick box on the Createspace site (Amazon’s platform for writers marketing books on paperbacks). Ticking this box after publishing your novel will place the book within large print listings. However, the books must be correctly formatted for the large print market before publishing it on this channel.

How to Format a Book for Large Print

Firstly, create a copy of the Word file where your novel is located. If something goes wrong, you can then start from scratch.

Once you have a copy file of your novel, add page numbers (if applicable). The books size options are diverse, but I have found after research that many novels in large print favour 5.5inx8.5in for page sizes. This means ample words per line will inhabit each page. Therefore, this is the size that I will use for my novels (but the choice is yours, as larger sizes are available; be sure to use a size that is available on the self-publishing platform.).

On Word (with your file open) click on ‘page layout’ which is found at the top of the screen, and then click on ‘page sizes.’ Set the pages to the size required. The system will automatically convert imperial to metric. Once done, it is time to set the margins.

Margin Settings for Large Print Books

After experimentation, I have found the following settings work well for large print novels of average length (which will be around 400-500 pages thick in large print). Click on the ‘margins’ setting at the top of the Word file, and then set the margins to the following:

Top: 1.5cm

Bottom 1.27cm
Outside: 1.27cm
Gutter 0.33cm
Inside margin: 2.22cm.

The only variable is the ‘inner margins’. A longer than average novel of 80,000 words or more, will require larger inner margins, as the book will be thicker than usual. Fine tuning will be necessary.



Font Size for Large Print Books

Large print needs to be 16 or 18 point. (I prefer 16 point). Select the entire novel by clicking ctrl and A keys at the same time, then change the font size to either of these. Click on the size selected and the entire document will be changed to this font size.

Of course, the higher number of pages the paperback is, the higher the production costs will be. This means large print books will be more costly than regular paperbacks, but there are still ways of lowering the page count without affecting the reading experience. I have noticed that Word’s style set (found on the top right of the screen on the ‘home’ page beneath ‘change styles’) will affect this page count.

Click on the small arrow beneath ‘change styles’ and a drop down menu will present itself. Select the entire document as described earlier (pressing ctrl and A) and make sure the style set is set to ‘Word 2003’. The spaces between each line is slightly less than on Word 2007, and I managed to save around 40 pages by preferring this Word style.

Large Print Fonts

I would keep to a simple font, of perhaps Times New Roman, Arial or Bookman Old Style. Avoid anything swirly of fancy, as this book is supposed to be aimed at the visually-impaired. Experiment to see which fonts save word counts. I use Times New Roman. At this point (if applicable) I will also set the paragraph indentations for the entire novel. Don’t ‘tab’ or add spaces to each paragraph. Select the entire document, and then click on ‘paragraph’. On the dialog box, select ‘first line’ under ‘special’, and then place 0.3cm under ‘by.’ This will indent all first lines of paragraphs by 3 points. Don’t forget to ‘justify’ the whole document too.

Large Print Format for Novels

Now check through the document to ensure that all is how it should be. You may need to delete blank pages and rid of indentations to first paragraphs to chapters. The copyright text might also need to be made smaller (few readers take note of this anyway). I would personally begin each chapter from the top of the page rather than by a few returns, and rid of unnecessary graphics or spaces. When it comes to large print, keeping page numbers and production costs down is more important. I will view the document under ‘print preview’ to get an overall view of the document’s formatting. Remember, the first chapter should always begin on an odd page (say 3 or 5).

Upload Your Large Print Novel onto Createspace

Once the Word document is how it should be, save it as a PDF. Ensure it is set to ‘standard publishing’ not ‘minimum size.’ It might be worth checking it through one more time. I will then upload it onto the online platform concerned (Createspace or Lulu). Createspace now enables you to ‘preview’ the book and will highlight any problems. If any live elements (such as text) falls outside the margins, this will be highlighted. A particularly thick book might require some tweaking with the inner margins.

Publish a Large Print Novel

Of course, you should have a great book cover and book blurb (or synopsis) prepared. Don’t forget to tick the ‘large print’ box when uploading your book. Every edition of the same title will require its own ISBN. To differentiate titles, I will add (Large Print Edition) or similar after the title but is not necessary. Once pricings and other domestic matters have been set, just wait a few days for the book to appear on the Amazon listings for Large Print Books.

Helpful Articles for Self Published Authors

My Kindle book keeps showing formatting errors
Sell books through Adwords
Developing narrative style
How to describe emotions in novels

How to Compress Files for Epub with a Free Zip Download

Creating a Word book file to upload onto an Epub platform is easy if you know how. But if the file is a picture book, certain formatting errors often occur on the Kindle previewer that is otherwise invisible on the original document. Here’s how I fixed formatting problems with ebooks by creating a zip file for ebook conversion.
Book Converter for Epub

If the ebook is a text only file, such as a novel, the writer need only think about formatting text. But as in my case, if there are pictures involved all sorts of problems can occur that may only show up on the Kindle previewer. Firstly, read my article on the beginner’s guide to formatting text only books for Kindle. If the book is a picture book such as a how-to or hobby book, read my article on how to format words and text in a word file for epub (or epublishing).

How to Cure Formatting Errors on Picture Books

Until recently, I uploaded a simple Word.doc book file onto Kindle and Smashwords without any problems at all. However, after some changes to how Kindle books are converted, formatting errors started to appear on my images that had never been there before. After some digging, I found the best way around this was to save my book file as webpage filtered and then to compress the files in a zip file. All the formatting errors vanished. I shall give you a step by step guide on how to cure formatting errors on picture books next.

Free Zip Download for Epub

Winzip download is a good compression software for making your files smaller, but now costs for subscription, and my free trial period had expired. I then discovered a free compression software, which is Jzip. Jzip is a free Winzip alternative that does all the compressing for you. It is easy to install and easy to use.

Correct Formatting for Ebooks

Follow the onscreen instructions on how to install JZip which takes you through a wizard. Once you have installed JZip (or any alternative compression utility that you choose) follow these steps to create a compressed book file for upload onto Kindle.

1 Make sure your book file is word-perfect and properly formatted for ebook publication. This means ensuring it is saved as Word 2003, (not the latest Word 2007). Strip the document of all hidden formatting scripts by copying and pasting onto Wordpad and then saving it into a Word 2003 document. You will need to reformat the appearance of your book regarding paragraphs and headers. Don’t use fancy fonts or graphics.

2 If images are included in the book file, make sure none ‘float,’ but is ‘in line with text’. Centre each image on a separate line and make sure the book file is not too big. Full instructions on how to format picture books for Kindle and how to resize images for ebooks can be found in separate articles.

How to Compress Book Files for Kindle

3 Now open your word document where your book file is located. Click on the office graphic located on the upper left of your screen and hover over ‘save as.’ This will bring up further word options. Click on ‘other formats’ which will bring up these further options. Click on ‘Word document’ which will create a drop down menu. Select ‘Webpage filtered.’ Ignore the message and ‘save.’ Close the document.

4 Wait a few seconds and two files will be created: one for the text, which will show up as a HTML document. If you click on this, you can view the text only aspect of your book file as webpage filtered. The other file is the image file, which lists all the images (if any) that are in your book. Click on this and all the images within your book will show up.

Free Zip Upload for Converting Books

5 Now right click on the HTML file of your book (once closed) and select add to: nameofyourbookfile.zip. JZip will create a compressed version of your book file.
6 Don’t forget to include the picture file in the zip file. Click and drag the image file and insert it into the zip file. Your zip file should now comprise the HTML element of your book and (if applicable) the image file.

How to Upload a Compressed Ebook File onto Kindle

7 Now log into KDP Amazon (but not before you have a book cover and a blurb prepared). Follow the online instructions on filling in the various fields, including book title, author, categories etc (unless you are updating an existing book).

8 In the book file field, browse and locate the zip file where you book file is located and upload. Wait a few moments and then you should be able to preview your book either on the simple previewer, or the enhanced previewer. You will need to install Amazon’s Kindle for PC before you will be able to view your book how it will appear on a Kindle device.

9 If you spot a spelling error or a similar aberration on the preview, you will have to delete the zip file and the webpage filtered files. Make the amendment on the original word file and then repeat the process for creating the zip file.

10 Reupload the book file. Save and continue. Once you have completed the KDP process, your book will become live in a few days or so. How your book looks on Kindle will be reflected on the ‘look inside’ feature which will take a little longer to be updated.

How to Format your Book for Epub on a Zip File

Zipping your book file for upload onto a self-publishing platform will eradicate formatting errors on your images if the book is a picture book. Simply save your Word document as webpage filtered, which will create two folders: HTML text and images. Drag the picture file into the zipped HTML file which can be created by the use of a good file compression program. Winzip software is reliable, but JZip is free.

More About Formatting Ebooks for Epublishing

Sell your book through Adwords
How to format picture books for Kindle
How to format novels for Kindle
How to create believable fictional characters

Are These Thoughts of a Psychopath Fitting into Society?

This eerie suspense thriller follows insomniac, Luke who pays debt-stricken Gemma to perform erotic routines entitled Domestic Bliss in the dead hours. In this scene, we get a peek into the mind of a possible psychopath as Luke encounters a work colleague on the stairwell of a corporate building. It would appear this voyeur is to be feared. This excerpt is taken from Falling Awake by Charles J Harwood.

Excerpt from Falling Awake by Charles J Harwood

This Client is Best Left Alone
Charles J Harwood

Luke entered the building, took a left past the lifts and towards the stairs. The seven-storey climb never failed to provide a kick for the circulation and ensured aural hygiene from small-talk. The encroaching footfalls warned him today was not going to be one of those days. The footfalls hastened towards him and Andrew Chapelstowe, coordinator of correspondence, snagged him with his sights.

‘Mornin’ Luke. I thought I might find you here.’

Andrew waited for Luke on the corner riser dressed in a Hawaiian shirt, jeans and an appalling case of acne on his neck.

...

Luke drew level with him and offered a formal nod. ‘Good morning Andrew.’

Andrew’s eyes shifted in that irritatingly casual way meant to convey rebellious energy checked only by this ‘gap’ job.

We shall see.

‘We have a bit of a crisis situation. I’ve just got off the phone to Theresa and had to make some last minute changes.’

Luke waited.

‘Robert Dhumbia has called in sick. Gall stones. Won’t be in for a month. We need a stand-in to discuss the Milliband contract with Dr. Sui’s secretary on Thursday.’

‘What about Derek Johns?’

Andrew shifted again. ‘No can do. He’s tied up with the Montgomery agreement.’

No can do? Luke eyed the volcanic crusts on Andrew’s nape. ‘You’d best consult Cerys. She has my diary.’

...

Falling Awake
Charles J Harwood

Andrew plucked out his notebook from his back pocket. ‘No problemo. I have just taken the liberty of consulting Cerys a moment ago.’ He proceeded to flick through.

Luke watched him, his right eyelid dragging over his pupil. Sly, leering, predatory. Perhaps. Luke had a clear view down the back of Andrew’s T-shirt where boils were white-heading. Why did creatures like him have to exist in this world in place of others? Why did precious resources and time have to be allocated to those who contributed nothing but a test of tolerance for their sheer ignorance? Luke’s face fell slack like it had done so during his shower this morning. He inserted his tongue between his teeth without opening his mouth and let it rest there. He envisaged raising his right hand, fingers flexing forward. He would then administer a jab to the back of Andrew’s neck sufficient to launch him into a pin-wheel down the stairs. Luke could almost hear Andrew’s bones clattering against the concrete and something snapping with that high whiplashing sound. Luke had heard that whiplashing crack before. He had heard it many times, had felt the fissure beneath flesh. Nothing quite replicated the sound of bones cracking, particularly the fragile kind.

...

Andrew had done with his flick-through and was talking. A sheen of sweat dewed Luke’s brow. He didn’t wipe it on his sleeve or a tissue, but allowed the moisture to evaporate into the cool draft.

Andrew turned, his mouth still moving, this mundane quandary causing his eyes to glaze over. ‘You could free up May seventh by shifting that finance meeting to the following Wednesday.’

Luke’s eyelid remained heavy. ‘Perhaps.’

Andrew hesitated. ‘Maybe you should confirm it with Cerys.’

Luke said nothing.

...

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Andrew made a shuffle before bounding up the stairs. Luke would let Andrew discuss the matter with Cerys. He could discuss it as much as he liked. In the meantime Luke would engage his mind on his earlier hypothesis of bones cracking on the stairwell before continuing on his way.

Gemma would perhaps do better not to serve this voyeur.

Read Falling Awake by Charles J Harwood available on Kindle and paperback.

Or read the blurb on Falling Awake on this blog.

Related links on my author site

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