So, when you’re setting up your book, how do you make your ebook — and your printed book for that matter — look good?

The good news is you got options. The bad news is that like everything in life it’s going to cost you either money or time.

Before we get to it, remember that traditional publishing will get you cover, typset the book and put it up for you. While on that, I’d like to throw a cup of reality in your face: traditional publishing will also cost you time AND money.

You see, t getting accepted, if you’ve never been published before, is going to take you a good deal of time. I think the average when I broke in the early oughts was around 3 years. (Yes, I took 13. Part of this was because I spent 10 of those writing in a universe — yes, Elly — that no one wanted to buy. And I didn’t realize it was the universe, so I kept trying to refine the technique and artistry. Yeah. … So, how original is your world? And are you a young person.) As for money, the traditional publishers took, at last check, around 90% of the income.

So, there it is, the easiest option. And it will only cost you time and money. (Control too, though if you’re just starting out you might think that’s just a thing of people who don’t want their book improved by editing. If you go that route you will learn, child. You will most assuredly learn that control is the thing you don’t want to give up. Even if this were the perfect publisher, who always does everything to make you sell more.)

Now, for indie options.

First, of course you can pay someone to typeset your book. This will cost you absolutely no time and if you choose carefully it will give you a good looking book. It does cost money. I have no idea how much it costs now, because there are programs that make it push-button. But in the dark ages, it cost between $200 and $750. I looked at the $750. I drooled. I looked at my wallet and I…

I started out by typesetting books in Word. I already had word, and it absolutely is doable. But it costs a great deal of time.

Look, if you are one of those people who wrote ONE book — say your grandmother’s biography — and are never going to write another, Word is a reasonable way to typeset. It will cost you a lot of time, but for your one and only project it’s worth it, and buying a typesetting program you’ll never use again is a waste.

(Incidentally this is why I use AI for my cover base. I COULD paint it, but it would take me a year or two. And seriously, I don’t have that kind of time when I have books to write. But if it were my one-and-done book, I likely would.)

After that, the most used program I ever heard of is in the Apple ecosystem only and it’s called Vellum. I have never used it, because I’m not on the Apple ecosystem. In fact, my husband tried to transition me into it ten years ago, and my verdict was that I would rather slit my wrists, with a rusty spork, in a lemon juice bath. So, I have no idea. But I know people who use it and love it.

It will cost you money, but only once. And I understand once you’re in the groove it costs you almost no time.

I use — and will recommend — “Atticus, an author’s best friend.” I recommend searching that way, or you’ll get a lot of literary bamf.

It’s a subscription, but a one-time fee. It has almost too many models (I was happy with the first three) and while it’s a little weird to do some things, like insert blank pages, they have the MOST responsive customer service ever. As in when I emailed them about THAT problem, they emailed back and spent three days holding my hand through it.

It will cost you money. I don’t know how much. I subscribed 3? 4? years ago, and it was…. $150, I think. If they’re sane, it’s gone up.

OTOH even for me, who am software-DEclined, it was very much a “oh, so that’s how it works” and then pushbutton. The first book took me a few hours, but after that it was a few minutes. (Well, a little longer because I read over it/check it, duh.)

And that’s the options I know of. If there are others let me know in the comments.

Next week “Keywords make my head hurt” but probably with a better title.