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Writer's Haven => Formatter's Forge [Public] => Topic started by: Maggie Ann on December 31, 2022, 02:16:04 AM

Title: I forget
Post by: Maggie Ann on December 31, 2022, 02:16:04 AM
all about acceptable formats. I haven't published a book in three years (due to illness) and I'm trying to help a friend long distance to get her illustrated children's book published. I formatted the book in both print and ebook styles.

She called D2D and they said they only accept epub files. I don't think that's correct. She should be able to upload the book in docx and if she needs to, D2D can format in epub.

Maybe they've changed things because of Smashwords.
Title: Re: I forget
Post by: TimothyEllis on December 31, 2022, 02:22:33 AM
She called D2D and they said they only accept epub files. I don't think that's correct. She should be able to upload the book in docx and if she needs to, D2D can format in epub.

If I remember rightly, if the book is already formatted for paperback, they only accept epub.

If the book is not yet formatted for paperback, they accept docx.

The rules are different for paperback and ebook though. Paperback is more restrictive.

I've not done a paperback for a while, but last time the docx was still acceptable for paperback, and then you went into the formatting section and chose all the options and styles you wanted to use.
Title: Re: I forget
Post by: Maggie Ann on December 31, 2022, 02:46:29 AM
She called D2D and they said they only accept epub files. I don't think that's correct. She should be able to upload the book in docx and if she needs to, D2D can format in epub.

If I remember rightly, if the book is already formatted for paperback, they only accept epub.

If the book is not yet formatted for paperback, they accept docx.

The rules are different for paperback and ebook though. Paperback is more restrictive.

I've not done a paperback for a while, but last time the docx was still acceptable for paperback, and then you went into the formatting section and chose all the options and styles you wanted to use.

I formatted for both ebook (docx) and paperback. I'm going to tell her to go ahead and upload the docx file and see if she gets an error message.

Title: Re: I forget
Post by: spin52 on January 05, 2023, 09:47:23 PM
I upload docx files to D2D for e-books (most recently October 2022) and have never had a problem. I haven't published print through them, so can't advise on that.
Title: Re: I forget
Post by: R. C. on January 05, 2023, 10:40:12 PM
...

I formatted for both ebook (docx) and paperback. I'm going to tell her to go ahead and upload the docx file and see if she gets an error message.

It has been my experience, D2D will load (convert) a docx for digital with acceptable results.  However, for print, I would lean to a correctly formatted ePub file. I use Calibre (https://calibre-ebook.com/download_windows) to create ePub files.

R.C.
Title: Re: I forget
Post by: TimothyEllis on January 05, 2023, 10:55:59 PM
...

I formatted for both ebook (docx) and paperback. I'm going to tell her to go ahead and upload the docx file and see if she gets an error message.

It has been my experience, D2D will load (convert) a docx for digital with acceptable results.  However, for print, I would lean to a correctly formatted ePub file. I use Calibre (https://calibre-ebook.com/download_windows) to create ePub files.

Errr....

I upload a docx to D2D, and download a pdf, properly formatted.

I've no idea why you'd need to upload an epub, when D2d does all the formatting for you.
Title: Re: I forget
Post by: Maggie Ann on January 06, 2023, 02:35:43 AM
...

I formatted for both ebook (docx) and paperback. I'm going to tell her to go ahead and upload the docx file and see if she gets an error message.

It has been my experience, D2D will load (convert) a docx for digital with acceptable results.  However, for print, I would lean to a correctly formatted ePub file. I use Calibre (https://calibre-ebook.com/download_windows) to create ePub files.

Errr....

I upload a docx to D2D, and download a pdf, properly formatted.

I've no idea why you'd need to upload an epub, when D2d does all the formatting for you.

That was my thinking. I tested it on a book I hadn't published to D2D and it went through fine. But when I tried to convert to epub using D2Ds conversion process, things went haywire.
Title: Re: I forget
Post by: cecilia_writer on January 06, 2023, 03:52:24 AM
It may be connected to the merger with Smashwords somehow - SW doesn't accept docx but insists on an older version of Word files. I always forget that until the last minute before uploading there.
Title: Re: I forget
Post by: R. C. on January 06, 2023, 04:31:06 AM
It may be connected to the merger with Smashwords somehow - SW doesn't accept docx but insists on an older version of Word files. I always forget that until the last minute before uploading there.

Ditto. And, remove links because Apple rejects files with links to the competition.

R.C.
Title: Re: I forget
Post by: Bill Hiatt on January 06, 2023, 09:18:42 AM
On that last point, for those of you who use Macs and might be considering Vellum, at some point, it acquired a function that can include the right product link in each vendor version. You have to supply the links, but Vellum incorporates the right one in the separate files it generates for Amazon, Apple, Google, Kobo, and Barnes and Noble. That way, you can have links to your other books without causing problems with vendors.

I suppose you could do something similar yourself, but it would certainly be faster to use Vellum if you had it.