Blog to Book Project — Kindle Previewer

Before you publish your print book on Amazon, you must check it via Kindle Previewer. This section is under the Paperback (or eBook) Content tab after the Book Cover section.

Kindle will let you know if you have formatting errors and you’ll need to fix them before it can be published. Common problems are bleed issues (text or image goes beyond the margin) or low resolution images. If you have a hyperlink, it won’t appear in the print book.

Check every single page including the cover before approving. You can also download a PDF version if that works better for you. If there is something that you need to fix, do so, then upload the corrected manuscript and check it again. You need to approve the print preview before moving on to the next step. 

The Kindle Previewer for ebooks can be downloaded if you have Microsoft Windows 7 or OSX v10.9 or later and a 1.2 GHz processor, minimum 4 GB RAM, and a screen resolution of 1024 X 768. Otherwise, you can use the online version. 

Ebook checking is optional, but definitely something you should do. Since ebooks have a more fluid layout, you may not see exactly what a reader sees in the Previewer but it will give you a good idea.

You can preview by device type, orientation and font size just like you did with Cover Creator. You can look at specific elements like the tables, images, etc with the downloaded version. You can, and should, take the time to look over your book from end to end.

Remember the adage, you never get a second chance to make a first impression? Well, having your book formatted correctly is what will make the first impression to your reader. So take advantage of this option to look things over just one more time before publication. 

Assignment: Use Kindle Previewer to check your ebook and print book. Make any changes, unload the corrected manuscript, and check it again.

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