Author: You! Write A Book & Publish It With Free Tools

Learn to format a book manuscript, and self-publish online to major platforms using free tools and services.

What you'll learn

Format a book manuscript

Make a book cover

Publish your book online at major retailers

Use marketing tools to help readers find your book

Requirements

You need a computer with internet access, and the ability to install free software onto it

Download and install the free word processing software: LibreOffice

Download and install the free image editing software: GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program)

Create a free author's account online at: Draft2Digital

No experience needed with any of the software or services

Description

The Author: You! course is designed to take you through each step of formatting and publishing a book online. The software and services used for this course are all free for anyone to access and utilize. The goal of this course is to show you a simple, effective way to self-publish your own book, without requiring prior knowledge or experience. All you need to complete this course is a computer with internet access that you can install free software onto.Throughout this course, you will learn how to:Create and format a book manuscriptMake your own book coverList your completed book online at major retailers (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple, & More!)Offer a print-on-demand version of your bookUse free tools and services to assist your book-marketing effortsIf you have always wanted to write your own book, but you weren't sure where to begin, or feel like you lack the necessary experience with using computers, you can rest assured, as this course will guide you through each step. It aims to make the process as simple as possible, so even if it is your first time, you can succeed by following along. There are also optional lectures included in this course if you wish to learn even more.It is easier than ever to write and publish your own books online, thanks to free software and services available to authors. Come take advantage of these easy-to-follow steps, and before you know it, you'll be able to share your story with readers all around the world.

Overview

Section 1: Introduction

Lecture 1 Introduction

Section 2: Creating Your Book Manuscript

Lecture 2 Creating A Manuscript File

Lecture 3 Your Manuscript - Creating Chapters

Lecture 4 Your Manuscript - Text Formatting

Lecture 5 (OPTIONAL) Your Manuscript - Adding Images

Lecture 6 Proofreading And Checking Spelling & Grammar

Section 3: Making A Book Cover

Lecture 7 Using Free And Safe Resources

Lecture 8 Introducing GIMP And Explaining Layers

Lecture 9 Applying A Background Color

Lecture 10 Adding Title And Author Text

Lecture 11 Including An Image And Adjusting Its Size

Section 4: (OPTIONAL) Advanced Techniques For A More Unique Book Cover

Lecture 12 (OPTIONAL) Creating A Border Around Your Cover

Lecture 13 (OPTIONAL) Outlining Text

Lecture 14 (OPTIONAL) Rotating Objects

Lecture 15 (OPTIONAL) Patterns And Layer Blending Modes

Lecture 16 (OPTIONAL) Using Grids And Guides For Precise Alignment

Lecture 17 (OPTIONAL) Transforming Layers, Cropping, And Gradients

Section 5: Publishing Your Book Online

Lecture 18 Your Draft2Digital Account Settings

Lecture 19 Publishing Your E-book - First Steps

Lecture 20 Filling In Your E-book Details Page

Lecture 21 Including End Matter And Confirming Your Chapters

Lecture 22 Previewing Your Book's Appearance

Lecture 23 Pricing And Stores

Lecture 24 Quick Pricing Changes And Publishing Status

Lecture 25 (OPTIONAL) Starting The Print Book Publishing Process

Lecture 26 (OPTIONAL) Selecting The Look And Feel Of Your Print Book

Lecture 27 (OPTIONAL) Adjustments For Your Print Book Cover

Lecture 28 (OPTIONAL) Special Considerations For Print Book Pricing

Lecture 29 (OPTIONAL) Choosing Your Print Book Proof Method

Section 6: (OPTIONAL) Tools To Assist With Marketing Your Book

Lecture 30 (OPTIONAL) Share All Of Your Book's Store Pages In One Link

Lecture 31 (OPTIONAL) A Website For Your Book

Section 7: Conclusion

Lecture 32 Thank You For Taking This Course

Beginner writers who have no prior experience working in word processing software, and want to learn a simple way to create a book manuscript.,Authors who want to learn to make their own book covers, but lack experience or knowledge of image editing software.,Hobbyist writers who want to learn to use free tools and services to write and publish books, without the upfront costs of purchasing paid software.,Authors who are interested in learning to use a single publishing platform that can distribute their books to major online marketplaces on their behalf, and help authors simplify management of their book's presence across all storefronts.