If you’re using Amazon‘s CreateSpace system to publish print books, be careful how you submit your documents.

I recently uploaded a Word document that was set up exactly how I wanted it to look. CreateSpace then crunched the document so it would work on their system (which means they basically converted it to a version of PDF). I then did something that too many folks don’t do…I read through the digital proof they provided.

I noticed something unusual. My document uses full justification (square left and right margins), which looks best in print. If a paragraph ended on a new line with only a couple of words, the formatting was messed up.

Example:

Bob reached under the counter and pulled out his sawed-off shotgun. “Die, you Lovecraftian
tentacled monster from hades!”

Bob reached under the counter and pulled out his sawed-off shotgun. “Die, you Lovecraftian
tentacled                monster                from                hades!”

Their conversion system didn’t mess up many paragraphs, but there were several. Enough to catch my eye and make me look through several of my books.

So, what can you do to get around this? Easy! Just save your document in PDF format, then upload that version. Your PDF converter works far better, and it does not mess up the formatting. Peruse through everything to make sure extra blank pages didn’t sneak into your document (which seems to happen more with Word than Scrivener), then send it on. One downside of using a PDF version is that their automatic checking software freaks out, thinking that the text is extending outside of the allowed printing area. Look closely using their online viewer, and you’ll see everything is just fine, particularly headers and footers. The Amazon Createpace folks will sometimes freak out, but you just have to tell them to manually approve it.

Don’t forget to snag a couple of proof copies when you’re done. You can get five proof versions, and they make good copies for reviewers.