Generally I center the content area on the page for an ebook that is published as a PDF. If you are publishing for a reader device like a Nook or Kindle, there is no margin setting. Kindle uses basic HTML with a few custom tags for formatting – there aren’t many options to control. The MOBI e-publishing format works the same way for other reader devices.

That said, there are times when I use the same formatting as a print text for an ebook. If I am releasing the text as a PDF and I want it to feel like the reader is getting content from a ‘real book’ (or if there is a print version available and I’m giving away the PDF as a bonus) using a print-style layout adds a subtle perception of increased authority to the ebook.

Since most ebook authors don’t bother to hire a book designer to layout their ebooks (they mostly seem to hit ‘Export to PDF’ in Word), going this extra step can help your book to feel more official. And, that usually equals increased perceived value in the reader’s mind. It’s like the effect of putting a really nice frame around a picture – it magically becomes ‘art’.

I hope that helps,

Andrew

Thanks

The article above outlines most of the relevant things I learned about creating a template. Coming from an MS Word background, I had to figure out where the controls were for the settings.

One thing that was tricky is that each page style you create leads to another. So, if you set the title page style to lead to a page style for your disclaimer page, anytime you apply the title page style OpenOffice will automatically apply the disclaimer style to the next page.

Since these styles ripple through your whole document, you can really screw up a document if you haven’t carefully planned out all of your styles.

My template is just a document with placeholder content and boilerplate content. The ebook I link to in the article was created using this template document. I just opened the template, changed the text and images on the title page, updated the disclaimer page, and added the body content for the new ebook. Then, I saved it under a new name.

All my ebooks are exported as PDF files. I never compile my ebooks.