Uploaded December 2022 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
#vellum #bookformating #books
A quick start guide about how to use Vellum to format your book.
You can get Vellum at https://vellum.pub/
Notes for video:
Vellum #01: format your books; a quick start
1. mention Vellum's tutorial here: https://help.vellum.pub/tutorial/
2. Vellum's tutorial provided a docx and png file suitable for publishing to KDP as an ebook
… H. G. Wells “The Invisible Man” so it is a good place to start
3. for your book you will have a docx file = "xxx.docx" previously created manuscript via Word, Pages, or Google Docs
4. download and click on Vellum, it is free to use until you want to generate a book
5. import the docx file into Vellum
6. notice the 3 panels/windows: 1) navigator, 2) text editor, 3) live preview
7. notice the chapters in the "navigator" panel (far left)
8. notice you can edit text in the "text editor" panel (middle)
9. notice the "live preview" panel (far right), which shows your book on various devices or print(PDF)
10. ensure your chapters and text are ok
11. add front matter pages: copyright, table of contents(automatic for ebooks), and so on
12. add back matter pages: about the author, other books by you, and so on
13. other than steps 11. and 12. there is nothing else to do, but you can style and customize, a lot
14. now, if you purchased a license (pricey, yes) you can generate your book
15. generate a book: ebook=epub and/or paperback=PDF
16. upload your book to Amazon or somewhere
17. done, now, go write another book
****
Pros:
****
- Just the default styling, i.e. you change nothing, looks far better than so many ebooks and paperbacks sold on Amazon.
- It is like Vellum was done by programmers that are also writers and authors of books, and their default settings work perfectly.
- Of course, you can customize with other styles and images and so on.
- You get to be a control freak, i.e. a self-publisher, so you write the book, format the book, and decide where to sell your book. It is all on you, and the world is your oyster.
****
Cons:
****
- Only for Apple Mac and MacBook ... not PC, not iPad, not iPhone
- Yes, Vellum is expensive! Depends on your perspective. But maybe not if you are an author who writes and self-publishes books. And not if you already own a Mac or Macbook. The money you save by not buying Word can pay for Vellum, as Pages or Google Docs can both export a docx file. Some book designers charge $150 or more PER book, involving extra time and back/forth communication … of course, their work can be very custom. Example designer:
champagnebookdesign.com/?page_id=35
- However, a PC owner can rent a Mac by the hour/day, see: https://help.vellum.pub/guides/using-on-windows/
Good luck and enjoy! ☮️
#vellum #bookformating #books
A quick start guide about how to use Vellum to format your book.
You can get Vellum at https://vellum.pub/
Notes for video:
Vellum #01: format your books; a quick start
1. mention Vellum's tutorial here: https://help.vellum.pub/tutorial/
2. Vellum's tutorial provided a docx and png file suitable for publishing to KDP as an ebook
… H. G. Wells “The Invisible Man” so it is a good place to start
3. for your book you will have a docx file = "xxx.docx" previously created manuscript via Word, Pages, or Google Docs
4. download and click on Vellum, it is free to use until you want to generate a book
5. import the docx file into Vellum
6. notice the 3 panels/windows: 1) navigator, 2) text editor, 3) live preview
7. notice the chapters in the "navigator" panel (far left)
8. notice you can edit text in the "text editor" panel (middle)
9. notice the "live preview" panel (far right), which shows your book on various devices or print(PDF)
10. ensure your chapters and text are ok
11. add front matter pages: copyright, table of contents(automatic for ebooks), and so on
12. add back matter pages: about the author, other books by you, and so on
13. other than steps 11. and 12. there is nothing else to do, but you can style and customize, a lot
14. now, if you purchased a license (pricey, yes) you can generate your book
15. generate a book: ebook=epub and/or paperback=PDF
16. upload your book to Amazon or somewhere
17. done, now, go write another book
****
Pros:
****
- Just the default styling, i.e. you change nothing, looks far better than so many ebooks and paperbacks sold on Amazon.
- It is like Vellum was done by programmers that are also writers and authors of books, and their default settings work perfectly.
- Of course, you can customize with other styles and images and so on.
- You get to be a control freak, i.e. a self-publisher, so you write the book, format the book, and decide where to sell your book. It is all on you, and the world is your oyster.
****
Cons:
****
- Only for Apple Mac and MacBook ... not PC, not iPad, not iPhone
- Yes, Vellum is expensive! Depends on your perspective. But maybe not if you are an author who writes and self-publishes books. And not if you already own a Mac or Macbook. The money you save by not buying Word can pay for Vellum, as Pages or Google Docs can both export a docx file. Some book designers charge $150 or more PER book, involving extra time and back/forth communication … of course, their work can be very custom. Example designer:
champagnebookdesign.com/?page_id=35
- However, a PC owner can rent a Mac by the hour/day, see: https://help.vellum.pub/guides/using-on-windows/
Good luck and enjoy! ☮️
