If you've ever wondered how to convert a Kindle Vella story to a Vellum eBook or Paperback, you're at the right place.
This page takes you step by step from scraping your existing Vella story - or stories - and getting that content into Vellum.
But, what's Vellum, you ask?
Vellum is an excellent desktop app that creates fantastic eBooks and paperbacks of various sizes.
The app is available in an eBook version -or - as an eBook AND paperback creator version. I highly recommend you plonk down the extra cash for the version that produces both eBooks and Paperbacks.
The app is pretty much flawless, IMHO.
I'm going over how to make a Kindle eBook and paperback from a Kindle Vella story. In my Kindle Vella Reports, I have "The Adventures of Winston and Big-Bo." To publish it as a book, I have to wait a month after the last modification of the Vella story.
I copied all 34 Vella episodes into a text file so I can import it into Vellum to create the eBook. Vellum is my favorite eBook creation tool - you pay once for life.
In Vellum, I created a new document and imported the text file. I'm now adding the Vella episodes as chapters. I can insert images between chapters. When done, I'll add the front and back matter and export them as an eBook and paperback.
Vellum has preset formats for major eBook stores. For print, you can export paperback or hardcover in different sizes. I'll come back to show the final book when I'm further along. The key is waiting a month after last changing the Vella story before publishing it as a book.
I copied all the Vella episodes over and pasted them into Vellum as chapters. It took about an hour and a half.
Vellum automatically generates a table of contents. You can choose numbered or unnumbered chapters.
I showed the different text styles you can pick from in Vellum here to suit your book's genre - they have styles for romance, children's books, etc. You can customize styles further by changing headers, paragraphs, fonts, etc.
I added a copyright page and will fill that info in later.
My next step is to get the illustrations created on Fiverr. I picked 10 chapters to illustrate. What I ended up doing was creating images myself using DALL-E AI but sadly I hadn't enrolled in Midjourney at that time.
The book file is now ready and waiting for the images.
I'm generating images using the DALL-E AI art generator. I purchased credits that allows unlimited generation.
I described scenes from the book and DALL-E created images. For example, Winston enjoying treats at a picnic, discovering a beehive, playing in oak leaves, and barking at seagulls at the beach.
DALL-E images look very realistic. I can use these instead of hiring someone on Fiverr to illustrate the book.
To add images in Vellum, you can drag and drop or use the insert image button. Add a description for accessibility. Resize as needed.
You can also add a heading image at the top of chapters. I don't like how small they are.
Still need to research using an image as a full background.
I created a book cover using Canva's AI art generator. It allows portrait/landscape, so I could make the 2560x1600 pixel cover Amazon requires.
I added the title, and author name, and tweaked the effects like curving the text. I downloaded the JPEG cover and imported it into Vellum.
I'm disappointed the cover doesn't bleed edge to edge on eBooks. That's because eBook covers resize depending on the device.
When I create the print version later, I'll perfect the cover then. For now, this works for the eBook.
I generated all the interior images with AI as well since my Fiverr illustrator deal fell through.
To add images in Vellum, use the insert image button.
Add a description for accessibility.
I inserted some sample images at the beginning of chapters and resized them to fit.
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Since 1980 Susan's involvement in publishing - in one form or another - led her to write "reviews" of apps and tools related to the publishing industry.
She realized it was time to explain how she published all her books and got them to market. To that end, she created this website to showcase her puzzle books and other
fiction and non-fiction books she's written and produced since 2012. Read Susan's story here.
Susan has been featured on the Mother Earth News blog, and on Solo Build It (SBI). Read her first SBI interview and her second SBI interview. This site is hosted by the amazing team at Solo Build It! along with her sister site, Easy Food Dehydrating.
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