From the Writer's Desk: Self-Publishing: Basic Fiction Formatting for Smashwords in Open Office (Part 1: Steps 1

OpenOffice is my word processing software of choice. Aside from the fact that it's free, it has basically all the same capabilities as MS Word. There is definitely a learning curve, but if you've mastered Word, you shouldn't have any problem at all with OpenOffice. And if you're reading this, chances are you feel pretty proficient and are ready to format your manuscript.

First of all, download a copy of the Smashwords Style Guide. Read it. You don't have to fully understand it, but Coker explains a lot about Smashwords and formatting expectations. If you feel like you can format in OpenOffice by implementing the spirit of the guide, go for it. That's what I did. It took some trial and error, but I think my books are pretty predictably and attractively formatted. (At least, they are in my Kindle and on my computer. I haven't gotten any complaints, either, and I've only had one book rejected once from the Premium Catalog. I messed up the table of contents.)

Disclaimer: my formatting guide is based entirely on the Smashwords Style Guide by Mark Coker. I'm even copying the order in which the steps appear. My intention is not to profit from this guide. My intention is to provide information and help to fellow self-published writers. Click any image below to enlarge.

Step 1: Make A Backup
You've done this already, right? I'm sure you have. But I'll just put this here, you know, in case.

Step 2: View Nonprinting Characters
When you can see all the little things the word processor adds to your file, you can more easily clean them up. This makes for a sleek, attractive-looking reading page.

Step 3: Turn off AutoCorrectThis is important. AutoCorrect options embed weird symbols and code into your file and you don't want that. Personally, I clear out all AutoCorrect options. (You can leave spellcheck on.) I don't like the risk of even one overlooked formatting error. Formatting errors, just like spelling and grammar errors, jar the reader from the story.

Step 3a: Select Tools > AutoCorrect Options

Step 3b: Empty "Replace" tab
This is time-consuming, but (to me, at least) worth it.

Step 3c: Unselect all boxes in "Options" tab

Step 3d: Disable and empty "Word Completion" tab

It should be noted here that the Smashwords Style Guide advises eliminating text boxes. I don't use text boxes, I've never even tried, so I don't even know where to begin. If you have text boxes in your manuscript, consult the Style Guide.

Step 4: Clean Up With The Nuclear Method
"The Nuclear Method" is what Coker has dubbed this step and I like the name, so I'm using it here. You can skip this step, but I really wouldn't recommend it. Later on down the line when you have that one little mistake keeping your EPUB file from being perfect, you'll probably have to do this. Go ahead and do it now.

Step 4a: Copy text