FAQs: Book Manuscripts

Books are processed by the printers as prepared according to the author’s own editing and file uploads and must meet the book submission guidelines. Please click here to view the manuscript submission guidelines, these include correctly sized publishing templates for you to download and paste your book into so you can easily prepare your book for uploading.

Displayed below are details of how to resolve most of the issues that may occur when uploading your book manuscript and how to upload your book manuscript again if you encounter an issue.

Your Manuscript – How to upload and solve any issues

Please read the following options which will usually enable you to remedy any issue with your manuscript file upload and then you can upload your manuscript to feedaread as outlined below. The system will wait for you to upload your manuscript and will process your manuscript once you have uploaded it. Please note that books are processed as submitted by the author’s own editing so please ensure your manuscript is set out as you intend it to be printed before you upload.

Uploading your manuscript when ready: To upload a new manuscript file once you have resolved any issue via the options below, simply login and click on the My Books button on the left hand side of this page and then click on the Edit button next to your book title. Then click on the View/Change button next to Book Interior and upload your new book manuscript file when ready.

If you are still having issues after you have tried the following then the best option is to create your own PDF for free as outlined near the end of this page. This takes less than a minute to do if you have Word 2007 or above on your computer. If you do not have those versions of Word you can still create your own PDF quickly as outlined in the Create PDF for free section near the end of this page.

• Click here to view the manuscript submission guidelines including correctly sized publishing templates to paste your book into. Please note that books are processed as submitted by the author’s own editing so please ensure your manuscript is set out as you intend it to be printed before you upload.

• If you spotted some changes you wish to make in your manuscript then upload a new Word document of your completed manuscript when ready before publishing and the system will create a new PDF. You can also upload a new PDF yourself if you wish to create your own PDF, see near the end of this page for how to create a PDF for free. Upload your amended book manuscript file when ready as follows: Login to FeedARead then click on the Edit button next to your book title. Then click on the View/Change button next to Book Interior and upload your new book manuscript file when ready.

• If a font was change in your manuscript If the PDF created by the system contains a changed font, this can sometimes be because some fonts are copyrighted on the web or the Adobe PDF software could not embed the font, which is required by the printers. If a font was changed, you can either accept the new font and reupload your manuscript and the system will create a PDF again for you to check. Or you can upload a new document with a different more common font in place of the one that was changed, such as Times New Roman or Ariel. Alternatively, create your own PDF for free as outlined near the end of this page and this should enable you to keep the fonts you wish as it will create the PDF directly from your system. Then, upload your new manuscript file by clicking the Edit button next to your Book Title, then click the View/Change button next to Book Interior. The system will wait for you to upload the new manuscript file before it continues processing your book manuscript as books are processed by the author’s own editing and uploads.

• If text has moved from where it was in your uploaded file If this occurred, first check that you haven’t added formatting in your manuscript such as section breaks or other page breaks which may be responsible, and if this is the case then edit as applicable and then reupload your manuscript by clicking the Edit button next to your Book Title, then click the View/Change button next to Book Interior. Consult the help menu of your word processing software for how to view the formatting you have added in your document when you prepared/typed it. You can also create your own PDF for free as outlined near the end of this page which may assist with keeping your text as intended.

You can also help to avoid text moving by adding page breaks in your correctly sized manuscript file for your book. For example, we recommend you insert page breaks at the end of relevant pages, e.g. book title page, copyright page, end of chapters, etc, and anywhere else where you want to to ensure the text after the page break is on the next page of your book manuscript. To insert a page break in Word you usually position the cursor after the text where you want the break, and then click Insert and Break from the top menu in Word. Consult your word processing software help menu if different from the above, including for how to view where you have already added page break formatting in your manuscript document. When your new manuscript file is completed by you, login to FeedARead, click the Edit button next to your book title and then click View/Change next to Book Interior. Then upload your final manuscript file and the system will create a print ready pdf for you. The system will wait for you to upload a new file before it continues processing your book manuscript as books are processed by the author’s own editing and uploads.

• You noticed that text ‘runs off’ the page on any pages or that text appears too far from the sides of the page. This may be because your margins aren’t set correctly, or the document kept your margins from your original document if pasted into a publishing template. Click here to view the submission guidelines, manuscript publishing templates, and minimum recommended margins. If you find any pages are very close or, alternatively, far from the sides due to pasting into a template, please use the ruler tab in Word to move margins manually for pages so that text is approx at least half an inch away from the sides of pages. Consult the help menu of your word processing software for how to do this. When that is complete, login to FeedARead, click the Edit button next to your book title and then click View/Change next to Book Interior. Then upload your final manuscript file and the system will create a print ready pdf for you. The system will wait for you to upload a new file before it continues processing your book manuscript.

Once you have prepared your Word document as above then Login to FeedARead, click the Edit button next to your book title, and click View/Change next to your Book Interior to upload a manuscript file.

How To Create Your Own PDF for free

Option 1 - Create your own PDF in in less than a minute.
If you have Word 2007 or above on your computer then you can usually create a PDF in less than a minute. First, ensure that your Word manuscript is the correct publishing size that you have chosen of either 5 inch wide x 8 inch high, or 6 inch wide x 9 inch high. Then, in Word 2007 or Word 2010, open your book manuscript file and click File from the top menu in in Word, then click the Save and Send option you will see, then click the Create PDF Document option.

A box will appear for you to save your PDF. First, click Options on the box, and from the options select the box that says (PDF/A) compliant, then click OK. Then enter your book tile in the File Name box you will see and finally click the Publish button. This will then create a PDF for you. Once you’ve checked the PDF – open the PDF in Adobe Reader on your computer to view - login to FeedARead, click the Edit button next to your book title, and click View/Change next to your Book Interior to upload your PDF manuscript file.

Option 2

You can download OpenOffice for free and create a PDF in seconds. First, ensure that your manuscript is the correct publishing size that you have chosen of either 5 inch wide x 8 inch high, or 6 inch wide x 9 inch high in your word processing programme. Next, visit the OpenOffice website. Click here to go to the OpenOffice website. 

Download OpenOffice and click Run once downloaded. Next, open your manuscript in OpenOffice by clicking File and Open on the top menu of OpenOffice. Once opened, click File again on the top menu of OpenOffice, then click 'Export as PDF' then click the PDF/A-1a box that you will see and be sure to select PDF on the drop down list you will see to the right of the PDF/A-1a check box.

Then click the Export button. and finally add your book title as the File Name and click Save to create your PDF. Save in an area of your computer such as your desktop. This will then create a PDF for you. Then, once you’ve checked the PDF – open the PDF in Adobe Reader on your computer to view - login to FeedARead, click the Edit button next to your book title, and click View/Change next to your Book Interior to upload your PDF manuscript file.


Once you have prepared your PDF as above then Login, click the Edit button next to your book title, and click View/Change next to your Book Interior to upload your PDF manuscript file.

When you login and click to create a new book and upload your manuscript our system automatically creates a PDF for you – required for printing – if you upload your manuscript as a Word or RTF document.

Alternatively, you can create your own manuscript PDF as outlined below – which is free and usually takes just a minute – as is the best way to create your own manuscript. This is because when you create the PDF it creates direct from your own system fonts so usually helps you save time checking the PDF you create accordingly before publishing.

First click to Create a New Book on your book page, or click Edit on your book page next to your book title if you have already started your book.  Then download a publishing template – Click here – in your preferred publishing size. Paste your manuscript into the template and edit so that pages are where you want to appear in your printed book.   See our manuscript guidelines and requirements on the left menu when you login.

Then you can create a PDF as below in usually a minute depending on which version of Word or other word processing software you use. Once completed, click Edit next to your book title on your book page then the button to upload your 'Book Interior'.

How To Create Your Own PDF for free with embedded fonts:

If you have Word 2007 or Word 2010 on your computer then you can create a PDF in seconds.  First, ensure that your Word manuscript is the correct publishing size that you have chosen of either 5 inch wide x 8 inch high, or 6 inch wide x 9 inch high. . Then, in Word 2007 or Word 2010,  open your book manuscript file and click File from the top menu in in Word, then click the Save and Send option you will see, then click the Create PDF Document option. A box will appear for you to save your PDF. First, click Options on the box, and from the options select the box that says (PDF/A) compliant, then click OK. Then enter your book tile in the File Name box you will see and finally click the Publish button.  This will then create a PDF for you. Once you’ve checked the PDF – open the PDF in Adobe Reader on your computer to view -  login to FeedARead, click the Edit button next to your book title, and click View/Change next to your Book Interior to upload your PDF manuscript file.

 Please note that books are printed EXACTLY as authors submit them, i.e. we don’t add or edit so please be sure that all pages are where you want them to appear in your printed book with copyright page included etc

If you have Word 2013 or 2016 or Word 365

If you have Word 2013 or higher on your computer then you can create a PDF in less than a minute.  First, ensure that your Word manuscript is the correct publishing size that you have chosen of either 5 inch wide x 8 inch high, or 6 inch wide x 9 inch high. In Word 2013 select save as PDF and select options and tick the box that says PDF/A and OK. Then Save.  This will then create a PDF for you. Once you’ve checked the PDF – open the PDF in Adobe Reader on your computer to view and check -  login to FeedARead, click the Edit button next to your book title, and click View/Change next to your Book Interior to upload your PDF manuscript file.

 Please note that books are printed EXACTLY as authors submit them, i.e. we don’t add or edit so please be sure that all pages are where you want them to appear in your printed book with copyright page included etc.       

A step by step link for creating your PDF if you have Word 2016 or Word for Office 365  Click here

Open Office PDF Option

 You can download OpenOffice for free and create a PDF. First, ensure that your manuscript is the correct publishing size that you have chosen of either 5 inch wide x 8 inch high, or 6 inch wide x 9 inch high in your word processing programme. Next, visit the open office website at

 http://www.openoffice.org/download/

 Download OpenOffice and click Run once downloaded. Next, open your manuscript in OpenOffice by clicking File and Open on the top menu of OpenOffice. Once opened, click File again on the top menu of OpenOffice, then click Export as PDF then click the PDF/A-1a box that you will see and be sure to select PDF on the drop down list you will to the right of the PDF/A-1a check box. Then click the Export button. and finally add your book title as the File Name and click Save to create your PDF. Save in an area of your computer such as your desktop. This will then create a PDF for you. Then, once you’ve checked the PDF – open the PDF in Adobe Reader on your computer to view -  login to FeedARead, click the Edit button next to your book title, and click View/Change next to your Book Interior to upload your PDF manuscript file.

Book can include illustrations. We print color covers with black and white manuscripts. We recommend illustrations ideally be kept a minimum of a half inch from the sides of pages.

For advice on inserting pictures in your manuscript, please click here for Word 2002 or click here for Word 2007 or above, or alternatively search the help menu of your word processing software. Please also ensure you are inserting your book images into a correctly sized book manuscript, we print at 6 inches wide x 9 inches high or 5 inches wide x 8 inches high - click on the link in the next paragraph to view and download correctly sized publishing templates that you can paste your book into. Please note that books are processed as submitted by the author’s own editing so please ensure your manuscript is set out as you intend it to be printed before you upload.

Please click here for our submission guidelines and correctly sized book templates to paste your book into, also viewable by logging in and viewing manuscript guidelines on the left hand menu of the site.