Ebooks are the electronic version of books that you can read on your computer, tablets, mobile devices, or Kindle.

You can write an ebook in any form—novel, non-fiction, or even create a freebie for your website’s visitors. Even though there are tons of software out there that you can use to create your ebook, Microsoft Word is one of the easiest and freemium options available.

So, let’s find out how to create an ebook using Microsoft Word.

Step 1: Do the Preparation

Before you get into the nitty-gritty of creating an ebook, the first thing you should do is decide what your ebook will be about and how you want to structure it. It’ll make the rest of the designing and writing part easier.

Some basic things you must come up with beforehand are the following:

  • Topic: Decide on what topic you want to write your ebook. Make sure you have considerable knowledge of the subject you choose.
  • Title: Once you’ve chosen your topic, come up with a compelling headline for your ebook.
  • Length: Figuring out the right length mainly depends on your expertise in the topic and writing. If you’re creating an ebook for the first time, consider keeping the length short. Anything between several pages to a few thousand words will work fine.
  • Outline: Finally, when everything is decided, come up with the outline of your ebook—for instance, chapters, headings, subheadings, and if possible, a few sentences in each section to have an idea of what it will be about. You can also create the first draft in a simple Word document before heading to the designing part.

Step 2: Create the Cover Page

Now that you already have the perfect book title ready, all you need is an impressive cover page to put it on. Follow these steps to create the cover page for your ebook in Microsoft Word.

  1. Go to the Insert menu.
  2. Click on the Cover Page button available on the left side.
  3. Select the cover page that’s suitable for your ebook,
Selecting cover page for the ebook

To tell your readers that your ebook is copyrighted intellectual property, you'll need to add a copyright page. Adding a copyright disclaimer can help you stay protected from any legal liability.

To get started, just follow these steps

  1. Go to the Insert menu.
  2. Click on Symbols on the rightmost side.
  3. Search for the copyright symbol and enter it on the page.
Inserting the copyright sign for the disclaimer

Finally, write your copyright disclaimer.

Step 4: Insert an Active Table of Content

The table of contents helps your readers quickly scan what topics the ebook covers and what they will get out of it. Microsoft Word offers you two different types of tables.

  • Automatic table: It displays all the headlines, from one to three, in order. These tables are available under two separate titles: Contents and Table of Content. You can choose either of them, they’ll work the same. Since they’re automatic, you can enter as many headlines (up to H3 level) as you want and simply update the table, it will fill the context automatically.
  • Manual Table: If you have more than three levels of subheadings in your ebook, for instance, H4, H5, H6, and so on, you can opt for the manual table. As the name suggests, you can manually enter the details in it.

To insert the table of content in your ebook, follow these steps.

  1. Go to References menu.
  2. Click on the Table of Content button present on the left-most side.
  3. Choose Automatic or Manual table from the drop-down menu.
Adding table of content in MS Word

To update the automatic Table of Content, follow these simple steps:

  1. Go to the References option.
  2. Click on the Update Table button available next to the Table of Content button.

You can also update the content from the table itself.

Updating-Table-of-Content-directly-1
  1. Go to the Table of Content page in your ebook.
  2. Select the table.
  3. Click on the Update Table button from there.
  4. Choose Update Entire Table.

Depending on your purpose of the ebook, you can add your company name or website URL, page number, or more in your header and footer.

Most ebooks have the title written on their header. To insert it in your ebook, follow these steps.

Inserting header in MS Word
  1. Go to Insert menu.
  2. Click on the Header option.
  3. Choose the right header from the multiple options available.

Similarly, you can use your footer to display any information that's suitable for your ebook. To insert the footer, follow these steps.

Inserting footer in MS Word
  1. Go to Insert menu.
  2. Click on the Footer option.
  3. Select the footer of your choice. (To automatically add the number of pages, choose Austin or Branded footer options.)

Step 6: Create Your Draft

You’re done with most of the formatting you need for your ebook. Now, you can start writing your draft, or if you’ve already created it in another document, just copy-paste the text.

To ensure the automatic table of content covers each of your headlines, choose them from the headings option.

  1. Go to the Home menu.
  2. Select the required headings (Heading 1, Heading 2, and Heading 3).

Moreover, Microsoft Word also allows you to insert images or graphs in your document. To add an image, follow these steps.

  1. Go to Insert menu
  2. Click on Pictures.
  3. Select This Device if your pictures are available offline, or choose Online Pictures to directly insert images from the web.
How to insert an image in MS Word

If you’re writing a non-fiction ebook and need to explain various concepts, you can choose to insert:

  • Multiple shapes—Microsoft Word has a broad list of elements to select from.
  • Icons—You can search for the specific icon depending on your need, for instance, arrows, body parts, graph icons, etc.
  • 3D Models—just like images, you can directly insert them from the online option or upload them from your device.
  • Charts—if you need charts to explain concepts or show values, you can insert column, line, pie, bar, histogram, or any other graph or charts from the Chart option and customize it as per your needs.
Charts in MS Word

Since it’s an ebook, you can add hyperlinks in the text and lead your readers to any website or landing page from here. To insert a hyperlink, follow these steps.

  1. Select the text you want to link to a webpage.
  2. Right-click and choose the Link option.
  3. Paste the link’s URL and hit enter.

Step 7: Add the Author Page

Ending your ebook with your author page is a good marketing technique.

So, add a good author bio and a nice headshot of yourself on this page (to insert your picture, follow the steps as explained above). Moreover, you can also add your social media or website links, your email address, or even promote your products or services, if you offer any, in this area.

Step 8: Finalize and Export Your Ebook

Now that your ebook is finished and you have finalized the design, edit and proofread it for better accuracy, and export it in the form of PDF to share it with your readers.

Follow these steps to convert your Microsoft Word ebook into a PDF.

  1. Go to the Files option from the main menu.
  2. Click Export.
  3. Hit Create a PDF/XPS file.
Export the ebook in PDF

Create an Ebook Easily With Microsoft Word

The ebooks you can create with Microsoft Word are pretty basic and not much captivating. But the tool is easy to use and can help you be done through the process in minimum time.

If you're writing a short story or a novel, then Microsoft Word can be your perfect option to get started.