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Adobe Indesign for Fiction Book Layout - Complete Guide

Name: Adobe Indesign for Fiction Book Layout - Complete Guide
Rating: 4.6 (164 reviews)

Learn how to use Adobe Indesign to create a professional PDF from your book manuscript

Created byAaron Linsdau

Last updated 2/2023

English

What you'll learn

You will understand fiction book design in Adobe Indesign
You will learn how to select fonts.
Pro techniques other courses fail to teach.
How to choose and set book margins.
How to order sections of your book.
Professional workflows and shortcuts.
How to avoid amateur mistakes.
Downloadable exercise files & check list.
Learn how to create PDF files ready for printing.
PDF formatting for digital printing.
How to work efficiently with shortcuts.
What you need for the task and not other stuff that doesn't matter.

Course content

16 sections • 103 lectures • 5h 13m total length

Course overview1:55
Aaron talks about the structure of the course, what sections of focus on, and which ones are optional.

Overview of section 1 - Getting Indesign Ready1:21
Aaron describes this section and the value of getting started in quickly creating an Indesign project.
Overview of mouse clicks and keyboard shortcuts1:46
You will learn the mouse click standards, graphics, sounds, and meaning used in this course and in Indesign.
Setting up Preferences in Indesign so Everything is Ready to Go2:56
You will learn how to set up & configure section numbering options, units and increments, turning on grids, and setting display performance.
Creating Your First Project3:12
You will create your first book project. You will learn how to set book dimensions and other important setups to make everything run smoothly during your layout work.
Setting Up and Customizing the Indesign Workspace For Your Needs5:29
You'll learn to configure the toolbars, controls, and panels necessary to do your book layout.
Creating and Saving Workspaces2:16
Once you configure your workspace, you will want to save it. You'll also learn how to manage and delete your custom workspaces, too.

Overview of Your First Book Layout1:34
Learn what you will take away from this first book layout effort. You'll go all the way through a basic book layout process to grasp the fundamentals.
Adding the First Text Box to Your Layout2:00
You will learn how to add text boxes, which are called objects, to your layout. You'll also learn how to add text to that box and place it on the page.
Text Box Adjustments & Mini Exercise4:22
You'll learn how to scale, adjust, and rotate a text box with multiple interfaces. You'll also learn how to correct any text box position and rotation mistakes you might make.
Font Selections and Adjustments5:50
You'll learn how to choose system fonts, select the different styles, what different styles might be available, how to adjust point sizes, and other text-related skills.
Text horizontal and vertical positioning4:03
You will learn how to change the horizontal and vertical alignment of text in each text box or object.
Snap and Smart Alignment2:45
You'll learn what Snap and Smart Alignment can do for you to make layout easier and faster.
Preview Your Layout, Bonus Pro Tip3:36
Learn the different page preview modes. You'll learn different ways to preview your book layout without so many distractions. You also get a good bonus technique to prevent hard-to-find mistakes, too.
Zoom and Navigation Controls, Plus Shortcut Keys2:12
You will learn the different zoom controls and how to navigate around your book layout. You'll also learn the fast way using keyboard shortcuts to zoom in and out of your document.
Pages Panel - Your Book Overview1:51
Learn the all-important pages panel so you can navigate around your book easily. You'll get the overview easily and see what's on pages without having to scroll through the book.
Create the Book's Title Page, Pro tips6:03
Learn how to create the main title page of your book. You'll also learn the "technical terms" for the pages so you're not embarrassed when you start talking with a book printer and you don't understand what they're saying.
Creating the Basic Copyright Page, Bonus Content, Student Challenge6:41
Learn how to add a copyright page for your book. The downloadable sample is yours, free to use as you wish. The sample also includes a student challenge. You will learn to handle your first text formatting challenge, depending on how your software handles the included resource document.
Adding a Dedication Page, Common Book Standards1:53
Learn where the dedication page goes, what it might look like, and how to format the text.
Generate Filler Text to Start Your Book - Pro Tip1:49
You will learn to add placeholder text generated by Indesign. Pros use this to test things out. This is handy when you don't have your own text ready to add.
Body Text Formatting Basics, Pro Critical Layout Tip5:34
Learn how to format body text and pro tips to make your text look better.
Copying Text Boxes - Pro Tip For Speed2:43
Learn how to copy and move text boxes between pages.
Pro tip - Learn the secret keystroke to make copying objects faster and easier.
Pages Panel: How to Manage Pages, Pro Tip to Avoid Errors4:27
Learn how to make your book with the Pages Panel. You'll learn how to insert, delete, shift around, and sort pages in the Pages Panel.
Saving File Formats, Generating a PDF, Sample Included6:24
Learn the proper format to save your book in.
Learn how to set up and generate a PDF to make your first book.
Handling Older or Incompatible Files, Samples Included2:33
Learn how to save, open, and send files to other people. Sometimes others may be using a different, older version of Indesign than you. This may make the file impossible to open. Learn how to create and open IDML files as another option.

Overview of Preparing a Microsoft Word Document for Layout0:52
Paragraph styles3:40
Learn how to adjust and remove paragraph styles to reduce work during layout in Indesign.
Use the downloadable Word file to use for this lesson.
3a
Special Characters2:39
Learn how to remove special characters to reduce errors during layout in Indesign.
3b
Manage and remove tabs from text2:34
Learn how to remove and replace tabs with a better option to reduce problems during layout in Indesign.
3c
Double and triple spaces, spaces before and after paragraphs3:48
Learn how to find, identify, and remove double and triple spaces. Also learn why it's important to eliminate spaces at the beginning and end of paragraphs.
3d
Use a single font1:28
Learn the value and importance of using a single font whenever necessary. Learn when more than one font is necessary and justified.
3e
Paragraph style management2:50
Learn how to avoid wasting time by using correct paragraph formatting rather than overdoing paragraph styles, reducing the amount of manual work to format your document.
3f
Tracking and changes1:25
Learn why it's important to remove or disable tracking changes and also why it's important to clear and remove comments from your Word document.
3g
Grammar and spelling0:24
Learn why a final grammar and spelling check can save you troubles down the road in your layout.

Overview of Preparing a Google Docs Manuscript for Layout1:01
Learn the process of preparing a Google Docs manuscript so you can import it into Indesign for book layout.
Paragraph formatting and styles1:31
Learn how to adjust and remove paragraph styles to reduce work during layout in Indesign.
Use the downloadable free RTF or Word resource file to use for this lesson in Google docs.
4a
Finding and removing special characters2:32
Learn how to remove special characters in Google docs to reduce errors during layout in Indesign. Google docs has limited support, so you'll see some of the tricks to make layout efforts easier. Use this link to learn more: https://support.google.com/docs/thread/1998170?hl=en
4b
Removing tab indentation from Google Docs2:24
Learn how to remove and replace tabs in Google Docs with a better option. This will help reduce problems during layout in Indesign.
4c
Remove spaces before and after paragraphs1:59
Learn why it's important to eliminate spaces at the beginning and end of paragraphs. You’ll learn how to search for them using Google Docs. You'll also learn about spacing after periods, too.
4d
Use a single font2:08
Grammar and Spelling1:06
Learn why a final grammar and spelling check pass in Google Docs can save you troubles down the road in your layout.
4f
Exporting from Google Docs for Indesign2:13
Exporting your Google Doc file so it's compatible with Indesign. Learn the best formats and tradeoffs.
4g

Prepare an OpenOffice Manuscript for Book Layout0:59
You'll learn the process of preparing an OpenOffice document for layout in Indesign.
Removing paragraph styles1:47
Learn how to adjust and remove paragraph styles in OpenOffice to reduce work during layout in Indesign.
Use the free downloadable .ODT file to use for this lesson.
5a
Finding and removing special characters1:00
Learn how to remove special characters in OpenOffice to reduce errors during layout in Indesign.
5b
Removing tab indentation1:51
Learn how to remove and replace tabs with a better option to reduce problems during layout in Indesign.
5c
Removing spaces before and after paragraphs1:26
Learn why it's important to eliminate spaces at the beginning and end of paragraphs. You’ll learn how to search for them using OpenOffice.
5d
Remove double, triple, etc spaces1:34
You’ll learn to see double and triple spaces in your text and why they’re important to eliminate.
5e
Set to a single font if possible2:00
Learn the value and importance of using a single font in OpenOffice when possible. Learn when more than one font is necessary and justified.
5f
Remove tracking and comments1:36
Learn why it’s important to remove or disable tracking changes and also why it's important to clear and remove comments from your OpenOffice document.
5g
Using your spelling and grammar checker1:34
Learn why a final grammar and spelling check pass in OpenOffice can save you troubles down the road in your layout.
5h
Exporting for Indesign2:09
Exporting your OpenOffice file so it's compatible with Indesign. Learn the best formats and tradeoffs.
5i

Overview of Preparing a Scrivener Manuscript for Layout0:54
Learn how to prepare a Scrivener manuscript for layout. Scrivener files cannot be imported directly into Indesign so you'll need these techniques to move forward.
Removing paragraph styles3:39
Learn how to adjust and remove paragraph styles in Scrivener to reduce work during layout in Indesign.
Use the free downloadable .ZIP file that contains an .SCRIV file to use for this lesson.
6a
Finding and removing special characters2:42
Learn how to remove special characters in Scrivener to reduce errors during layout in Indesign.
6b
Removing tab indentation2:57
Learn how to remove and replace tabs with a better option to reduce problems during layout in Indesign.
6c
Remove spaces before and after paragraphs2:54
Learn why it's important to eliminate spaces at the beginning and end of paragraphs. You’ll learn how to search for them using Scrivener.
6d
Remove double, triple, etc spaces2:46
You’ll learn to see double and triple spaces in your text and why they’re important to eliminate.
6e
Set to a single font if possible1:44
Learn the value and importance of using a single font in Scrivener when possible. Learn when more than one font is necessary and justified.
6f
Use your spelling and grammar checker1:48
Learn why a final grammar and spelling check pass in Scrivener can save you troubles down the road in your layout.
6g
Exporting for Indesign2:06
Exporting your Scrivener file so it's compatible with Indesign. Learn the best formats and tradeoffs.
6h

Overview of Preparing an Apple Pages Document for Layout1:09
Apple Pages documents cannot be directly imported into Indesign. You'll need the techniques in this section to move forward with a book layout.
Removing paragraph styles2:20
Learn how to adjust and remove paragraph styles in Pages to reduce work during layout in Indesign.
Use the free downloadable .ZIP file that contains a .PAGES file to use for this lesson.
7a
Finding and removing special characters2:49
Learn how to remove special characters in Pages to reduce errors during layout in Indesign.
7b
Removing tab indentation2:41
Learn how to remove and replace tabs with a better option to reduce problems during layout in Indesign.
7c
Remove spaces before and after paragraphs1:47
Learn why it's important to eliminate spaces at the beginning and end of paragraphs. You’ll learn how to search for them using Pages.
7d
Remove double, triple, etc spaces2:46
You’ll learn to see double and triple spaces in your text and why they’re important to eliminate.
7e
Setting a single font if possible1:50
Learn the value and importance of using a single font in Pages when possible. Learn when more than one font is necessary and justified.
7f
Use your spelling and grammar checker1:55
Learn why a final grammar and spelling check pass in Pages can save you troubles down the road in your layout.
7g
Exporting for Indesign2:09
Exporting your Pages file so it's compatible with Indesign. Learn the best formats and tradeoffs.
7h

Overview of Placing a Manuscript Into Indesign0:53
You will hear in this overview what the process of placing a manuscript into Indesign entails.
Placing a manuscript4:59
You'll learn the overview of placing manuscripts and why Indesign works in this fashion.
Included is a ZIP file with the Pride and Prejudice.indd and Pride and Prejudice.idml files. If your version of Indesign cannot open the INDD file, use the IDML file and save as an INDD on your computer.
The attached resource file contains the Indesign file, both the INDD and the compatible IDML for older versions, for you to review. You'll see how the document was placed so you can compare it to what you've done.
Read the supported file formats for Indesign: https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/kb/supported-file-formats-indesign-cs5.html#main_Place
Please note that though the above link is for CS5, the compatibility for the latest CC version hasn't changed.
Also attached is a complete manuscript for Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. You can practice with this full-length manuscript if you wish.
Using File-Place to drop your manuscript into your book layout4:14
You'll learn how to handle overset text, what it means, how to avoid it, and how to identify it.
Using Copy - Paste to add a manuscript3:52
Learn how to place a partial or complete manuscript using Copy - Paste. Learn how it's different than the place tool and why you might use it.
Linked Documents - Pros and Cons6:53
Learn how to create linked documents. You'll also learn the pros and cons of this approach in this lesson.

Overview of the Fundamentals of Indesign Layout0:50
The fundamentals of Indesign layout are presented in this lesson. Aaron gives you a better idea of what the concept of document layout is.
Move the title and other text to another page2:07
Learn how to move the text and title from your imported manuscript to another portion of your book layout.
The attached resource file contains the Indesign file (INDD or IDML) for you to review. You'll see how the document was broken up by chapter using page breaks.
9a
Text threading2:11
Learn how text threading works and how it can be useful to you. You'll see how to enable and disable the text threading feature.
9b
Breaking up chapters4:32
You'll learn how to break up chapters using the page break character.
9c

Requirements

You will need an installed copy of Adobe InDesign CC.
No previous book design skills are needed.
No previous InDesign skills are needed.

Description

Do you need to make a layout for a fiction book for professional publication? Perhaps you are an author and want to learn how the book layout process works so you can make your own PDF. This course is for you! Most other Indesign courses teach lots of extra material that won't help you. This course is specifically targeted at people who want to learn fiction and textbook layout without all the fluff.

Walter: "Your course was so helpful. My staff struggled for a month trying to learn Indesign from YouTube. We just wasted our time and missed critical opportunities. Your easy-to-follow teaching style literally hand-held us, taught my team time-saving skills, and saved us $1,000's of dollars in lost revenue. Thank you!" Walter P., Orange and Blue Marketing

From Aaron: "Hi there, my name is Aaron and I've professionally taught Indesign to hundreds of students. I've created hundreds of layouts in Indesign, from simple fiction books to complex guides and textbooks. Together we'll work through real projects will real manuscripts. You'll learn everything you need to know to be successful. This course is filled with instruction that gets you to success fast."

This course will save you from wasting $100's if not $1,000's of your hard-earned money. Many "pro" book layout designers learn from YouTube as they go, wasting your money. Other Indesign contractors charge insane amounts of money. That's why I made this course. It's for people who want to learn fiction book layout or need to do the job themselves.

Bethany: "What you just taught me almost made me cry. Before your class, my boss made me change the font in our company book twice. It took me a week. With what you showed me, I could've been literally done in a minute. One week cut down to one minute. I hope others find your course." Bethany R., Outdoor Medical Training School

This course helps you avoid these mistakes:

Creating text that's incorrectly spaced out and looks weird
Justified text that still looks jagged - pro tips
Overload of hyphen breaks
Orphans and widows - random text starting a page
Wrong hyphens - you probably used the wrong hyphens

It's so easy to make mistakes and not see them during book layout. Aaron has seen books with beautiful covers but the inside looked like a hack job. Trying to do book layout in Microsoft Word will make your book look terrible. Word just doesn't have the right tools.

This course includes:

Sample complete manuscripts for practice
Sample copyright page text completely free to use
Sample word processing program files for challenge assignments

Aaron shares the tricks he's learned over years of doing fiction book layout design. The goal of this course is to teach you how to make your own book PDF and not look like an amateur doing it. You'll learn the necessary skills to make turn your manuscript into a pro PDF.

Manuscript software formatting guidelines include:

Microsoft Word
Google Docs
OpenOffice
Scrivener
Apple Pages

Even if you used a different program, the instructions for the above software will help you figure out what you need to do. Ask questions in the course forum and Aaron will do his best to help you out.

There are a lot of small but important details in fiction book layout. Avoid making errors with this course. You spent 100's of hours perfecting your manuscript. Don't make the rookie mistake of making your book look like it was prepared by a fifth-grader.

Who this course is for:

Anyone wanting to create a professional PDF from their fiction manuscript
Aaron's course is for people with no InDesign experience. No previous publishing knowledge required.
This course is relaxed and bite-sized. It's broken down into small skills that won't overwhelm you. You only need basic computer skills to succeed.

Aaron Linsdau Learning: Skills. Fast.

Who this course is for:

This course is for people completely new to InDesign.
No previous design or publishing experienced is necessary.
You want to make your fiction book look professional and have an error-free file.
This is well-paced course that will enable you to produce a final interior file to use for printing your fiction book.

Adobe Indesign for Fiction Book Layout - Complete Guide

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Overview of the course1 lecture • 2min

Getting Indesign Ready for You6 lectures • 17min

Creating your first Book Layout and Generating a PDF18 lectures • 1hr 6min

Preparing a Microsoft Manuscript for Book Layout9 lectures • 20min

Preparing a Google Docs Manuscript for Book Layout8 lectures • 15min

Preparing an OpenOffice Manuscript for Book Layout10 lectures • 16min

Preparing a Scrivener Manuscript for Book Layout9 lectures • 22min

Preparing an Apple Pages Manuscript for Book Layout9 lectures • 19min

Adding a Manuscript to a Book Layout5 lectures • 21min

Layout editing fundamentals4 lectures • 10min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: