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Your next chapter starts here

You wrote
the book.
Let’s get it
published.

A calm, practical roadmap for everything between a finished manuscript and a published book. Formatting, cover prep, print-ready files, and publishing setup—one clear step at a time.

Take the first step Explore the roadmap

Free while in beta. No account needed to explore.

A sunlit writing desk with Webster’s Dictionary, a thesaurus, a humorous writing guide, and a Step One 2 Published book
From manuscript
to your next chapter.
YOUR BOOK. YOUR PUBLISHING JOURNEY.

Practical guidance. A useful order. Room to go at your own pace.

A place to begin

Where are you
in your journey?

You don’t have to figure out every step today.
Choose the one that would help you most.

A manuscript with pencil corrections
MANUSCRIPT PREP

A clean manuscript.
A solid beginning.

Prepare your document before page design, cover sizing, and uploads.

Prepare your manuscript ↗
A laptop displaying a two-page book layout
FORMATTING

Make the pages
look like a book.

Work through trim size, margins, gutter, page numbers, and interior layout.

Explore formatting ↗
Georgia

Every story begins
with a single page.

Times New Roman

Every story begins
with a single page.

Arial

Every story begins
with a single page.

FONTS & TEXT STYLES

See the difference.
Find your book’s style.

Compare three type samples, then learn how to keep text styles consistent.

Explore fonts & text styles ↗
Kindle Direct PublishingIngramSpark
PUBLISHING PLATFORMS

KDP & IngramSpark

Follow the KDP or IngramSpark guidance for book details, files, and publication.

Explore platform guides ↗
LuluBooks · Cookbooks · Magazines
PUBLISHING PLATFORMS

Lulu Publishing

Explore coil-bound books, magazines, Lulu Bookstore sales, and eligible Global Distribution.

Explore Lulu guides

The publishing roadmap

Five stages.
One step at a time.

Every stage brings together the tasks, explanations, and checklists you need to keep moving.

See the publishing checklist
  1. 01

    Manuscript Prep

    Clean, consistent, and ready for the steps ahead.

    ↗
  2. 02

    Formatting

    Trim size, margins, gutter, and your book’s interior.

    ↗
  3. 03

    Cover Prep

    Understand front cover, spine, and back cover requirements.

    ↗
  4. 04

    Print-Ready Files

    Prepare files for the platform you’re publishing with.

    ↗
  5. 05

    Publish Setup

    Book details, uploads, proof copies, and distribution.

    ↗

A little less guesswork

You don’t have to become
a software expert.

Browse quick help ↗

Find the explanation you need, then get back to your book. The shortcut reference covers Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Atticus, InDesign, Scrivener, Pages, Reedsy Studio, Vellum, and LibreOffice Writer.

QUICK REFERENCE

Shortcuts & software help

Keep practical instructions close at hand.

TOOL PREVIEW

Book dimensions

Explore the original calculator layout.

TOOL PREVIEW

Cover dimensions

See the sizing inputs and official platform tools.

Built from experience

“I built the clear roadmap
I wished I had.”

I self-published my own book and found the information I needed scattered everywhere. Step One brings the steps together in one place and in a useful order.

Teri Busse Founder, Step One 2 Published

Read the founder’s note ↗

Your book deserves a next step

You’ve done the writing.
Let’s make the next part clearer.

Start with manuscript prep

Guidance for the process. The book stays yours.