How to Set Up Your Book in Vellum

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The journey from manuscript to published book is a marathon, not a sprint. You’ve poured your heart and soul into crafting compelling characters, intricate plots, and unforgettable worlds. Now, it’s time for the final, crucial step: professional formatting. While countless tools exist, Vellum stands out as a powerful, intuitive solution for authors looking to produce beautiful, distribution-ready ebooks and print books without hiring a formatter. This definitive guide will walk you through every aspect of setting up your book in Vellum, transforming your raw manuscript into a polished masterpiece. Forget the steep learning curve; we’ll demystify each feature, providing actionable steps and concrete examples to ensure your book looks stunning on every device.

The Vellum Philosophy: Why Automated Formatting Works for Authors

Before diving into the mechanics, it’s essential to understand Vellum’s core philosophy. Unlike desktop publishing software that demands meticulous manual adjustments for every page, Vellum operates on a style-sheet-driven approach. You define the elements of your book (chapters, scene breaks, headings), and Vellum automatically applies pre-designed, professional styles. This paradigm shift means you focus on content and structure, while Vellum handles the intricate details of typography, spacing, and layout across multiple output formats. This significantly reduces the time and effort traditionally associated with book design, empowering authors to achieve professional results independently.

Consider the traditional pain points: font embedding, hyphenation breaks, widow/orphan control, perfect justification, and consistent heading styles. Vellum solves these automatically. You select a “Book Style,” and Vellum applies its intelligence to create a beautiful, readable experience. This isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution; Vellum offers enough customization within its automated framework to give your book a unique, polished identity.

Getting Started: Import Your Manuscript into Vellum

The first step in setting up your book in Vellum is bringing your manuscript into the software. Vellum works best with a clean, well-structured Word document or a standard .docx file. The cleaner your initial manuscript, the smoother the import process will be.

Recommended Manuscript Preparation (Before Vellum):

  1. Use True Headings for Chapters: In Word, use “Heading 1” style for your main chapter titles (e.g., “Chapter One,” “Introduction,” “Prologue”). This helps Vellum identify them automatically.
  2. Separate Front/Back Matter: If you have front matter (Dedication, Epigraph, Table of Contents) or back matter (Acknowledgements, About the Author), ensure they are clearly labeled as separate sections.
  3. Consistent Formatting: While Vellum handles most formatting, consistent use of basic paragraph styles (normal) and minimal manual overrides in your Word document will prevent unexpected import issues. Avoid excessive hard returns or manual page breaks.
  4. Scene Breaks: For scene breaks within a chapter, use three asterisks (***) or a single hash mark (#) on a line by itself. Vellum will detect and format these correctly.

The Import Process:

  1. Launch Vellum: Open the Vellum application. If it’s your first time, you’ll see an empty workspace.
  2. File > New: Start a new Vellum project.
  3. File > Import Word File…: Navigate to your prepared .docx manuscript and select it.
  4. Review the Import: Vellum will analyze your document and present a summary of the detected elements. This is your first opportunity to correct any misinterpretations. For example, if a chapter title wasn’t correctly identified as a “Chapter Heading,” you can correct it here. Vellum is intelligent, but it relies on consistent patterns.
    • Example: If your Acknowledgements section accidentally imported as a regular paragraph, you can tell Vellum to treat it as a “Book Section” during this stage.

Once imported, your manuscript will appear in the “Contents” pane on the left, organized into individual sections.

Understanding the Vellum Interface: Your Control Panel

Vellum’s interface is elegantly simple, designed for clarity and efficiency. Familiarizing yourself with its main components will significantly accelerate your workflow.

The Main Panes:

  1. Contents Pane (Left): This is your structural overview. It lists every section of your book – from front matter like “Title Page” and “Copyright Page” to your “Chapters” and back matter like “About the Author” and “Also By.” You can reorder sections by dragging and dropping here.
  2. Preview Pane (Center): This is where the magic happens. It provides a real-time, high-fidelity preview of your book as you make changes. You can switch between various ebook devices (Kindle, Kobo, iPad) and print book sizes to see how your formatting adapts.
  3. Styles Pane (Right, Contextual): This pane changes based on what you select in the Contents pane or the Preview pane.
    • Global Styles (Book > Styles): When you have no specific section selected, this pane allows you to choose your overall “Book Style” (Chapter heading font, body font, etc.) and apply global formatting rules.
    • Section-Specific Styles: When you select a particular section (e.g., a chapter) in the Contents pane, this pane provides options relevant to that section, such as adding a chapter image, choosing a starting page ornament, or defining whether it’s a standard chapter or a part opener.
    • Text-Specific Styles (When text is selected): If you select specific text within the Preview pane, this pane transforms into a powerful text editor, allowing you to apply italics, bold, special character styles (drop caps, ornamental breaks), and more.

Key Interface Features:

  • Toolbar (Top): Contains essential functions like “Add” (to new sections), “Book” (for global styles and generation), and “File” options.
  • Device Selector (Top of Preview Pane): Allows you to toggle between different device previews (Kindle, iPad, Kobo, etc.) and print book sizes. Crucial for ensuring cross-platform readability.
  • Search Bar (Top of Contents Pane): Useful for quickly finding specific chapters or sections in long books.

Structuring Your Book: The Contents Pane Mastery

The Contents pane is your organizational hub. Each item listed here is treated as a distinct “flow” element by Vellum.

Adding Sections:

  1. Click the ‘+’ Button: Located at the top of the Contents pane.
  2. Choose Section Type: Vellum offers a comprehensive list of pre-defined section types:
    • Text Chapter: The standard chapter for your narrative.
    • Image Chapter: A chapter that primarily consists of an image (e.g., a map, an illustration).
    • Book Section: Generic section ideal for “Introduction,” “Prologue,” “Epilogue,” “Acknowledgements,” “About the Author,” etc.
    • Copyright Page: Automatically generated with standard copyright boilerplate.
    • Dedication: For your dedication message.
    • Epigraph: For quotes preceding your book or chapters.
    • Table of Contents: Automatically generated.
    • Also By: For listing your other books.
    • Title Pages: Automatically generated.
    • Blank Page: For inserting deliberate blank pages in print books.

Reordering Sections:

Simply click and drag any section in the Contents pane to a new position. Vellum will instantly update the preview.

Renaming Sections:

Double-click on a section’s name in the Contents pane to edit its title. This is particularly useful for chapters.

Deleting Sections:

Select the section and press the ‘Delete’ key or right-click and choose ‘Delete.’

Section Grouping (Parts):

If your book is divided into parts (e.g., “Part One: The Beginning”), Vellum supports this:

  1. Select the first chapter that should be part of the group.
  2. Click the settings icon (gear) next to the section title in the Contents pane.
  3. Choose “Section is a Part.”
  4. Enter the Part title.
  5. Vellum will automatically nest the subsequent chapters under this Part until a new “Part” section is designated or the book ends.

Example:

You have chapters:

  • Chapter 1
  • Chapter 2
  • Chapter 3
  • Chapter 4

You want “Chapter 1” to start “Part One” and “Chapter 3” to start “Part Two.”

  1. Select “Chapter 1.”
  2. In the Styles pane (right), under “Chapter Display,” check “Section is a Part.”
  3. Enter “Part One: The Journey Begins.”
  4. Select “Chapter 3.”
  5. In the Styles pane, check “Section is a Part.”
  6. Enter “Part Two: The Climax Unfolds.”

Vellum will visually group “Chapter 1” and “Chapter 2” under “Part One” and “Chapter 3” and “Chapter 4” under “Part Two” in the Contents pane, and format them appropriately in the preview.

Global Book Styles: Defining Your Book’s Overall Look

This is where you define the aesthetic foundation of your entire book. With no specific section selected in the Contents pane, click on “Book” in the main toolbar, then “Styles” to access these global settings.

Key Global Style Options:

  1. Book Style: Vellum offers a curated selection of professional “Book Styles” (called “Flavors”) like “Meridian,” “Artisan,” “Kindred,” etc. Each style offers a distinct visual personality, defining:
    • Chapter Heading: Font, size, design elements.
    • Body Text: Default font (usually a serif font for readability).
    • Scene Breaks: How *
        • or # are rendered.
    • First Paragraph Display: Whether the first paragraph of a chapter is indented or full-width.
    • Section Starter Ornament: A decorative element that can appear at the start of new chapters or sections.
    • Example: Switching from “Kindred” to “Argo” will instantly change the appearance of all your chapter headings and the overall feel of the book. Experiment to find one that best suits your genre and brand.
    • Actionable Tip: Don’t obsess over this initially. Pick one that looks decent and refine other elements. You can always change the Book Style later.
  2. Fonts: While the Book Style sets the default, you can fine-tune specific font choices:
    • Body Font: Choose a highly readable serif font (e.g., Freight Text, Palatino, Georgia). This is your main narrative font.
    • Heading Font: Often a sans-serif or a distinct serif font, chosen to complement the Body Font.
    • Accent Font: Used for specific elements like drop caps.
    • Important: Vellum embeds the fonts you choose, ensuring they display correctly on all devices, even if the reader doesn’t have them installed.
  3. Chapter & Section Starters:
    • Chapter Heading: Customize the alignment (left, center, right), spacing, and font size.
    • Lead-in: Displays the chapter number in a unique style above the title (e.g., “CHAPTER ONE”).
    • First Paragraph: Indented, non-indented, or with a drop cap.
      • Actionable Tip: Most fiction books have an indented first paragraph. Non-fiction often uses a non-indented first paragraph with a bit of space below the heading.
    • Section Starter Ornament: Choose from Vellum’s library of ornaments to visually break up chapters. This adds a refined touch.
      • Example: A subtle flourish for a historical romance, a sharper motif for a thriller.
  4. Novel Elements:
    • Scene Breaks: How your *** or # are rendered. Options include small caps, decorative ornaments, or a simple space.
    • Ornaments: Manage the selection of scene break ornaments.
    • First-line Drop Cap: Customize the appearance of drop caps if you choose to use them.
  5. Running Headers & Footers (Print Books Only):
    • For print books, you can specify what appears in the top margin (running head) – typically the author’s name on left pages and the book title on right pages. You can also specify page numbering.
    • Actionable Tip: This is primarily configured when you’re preparing for print export. Vellum guides you through sensible defaults.

Take your time exploring these options. The real-time preview makes experimentation easy and risk-free.

Enhancing Text & Content: The Styles Pane & Inline Editor

Beyond global styles, Vellum allows for granular control over individual text elements and the inclusion of images. When you click anywhere in the Preview pane, the Styles pane on the right transforms into a powerful text editor.

Applying Text Styles:

Highlight any text in the Preview pane. The Styles pane will then display options relevant to text:

  • Bold: For emphasis.
  • Italic: For thoughts, foreign words, titles.
  • Small Caps: Used for specific typography choices (e.g., character names in fantasy, sometimes for first few words of a chapter).
  • All Caps: For screaming, signs, and strong emphasis.
  • Subhead: For headings within a chapter. Vellum automatically styles these in a consistent, hierarchical manner.
    • Example: In a non-fiction book, these would be your sub-sections (e.g., “Preparation,” “Execution,” “Review”).
  • Centered: For short lines of poetry, quotes.
  • Block Quote: Automatically indents and styles longer quotes.
  • No Indent: For the first paragraph after a subhead or block quote if you want it to align with the margin.
  • First Line Indent: The standard paragraph style.
  • Drop Cap: Applies a decorative capital letter to the first letter of a paragraph or chapter.
  • Borders: Adds a border around a block of text (e.g., a sidebar in non-fiction).
  • Ornament: Inserts decorative ornaments within text, not just at section breaks.
  • List: Creates bulleted or numbered lists.
  • Poetry: Formats lines of poetry with proper line breaks and indentation.
  • Preformatted: For code snippets or text requiring fixed-width font.
  • Copyright: Automatically correctly formats copyright lines.
  • Dedication: Styles the dedication text.
  • Epigraph: Styles epigraphs.
  • Footer: For content at the bottom of a page.
  • Header: For content at the top of a page.

Inline Editor Features:

  • Adding Images (Within Chapters): Place your cursor where you want an image, then click the “Image” button in the Styles pane (or hover over the ‘+’ sign).
    • Image Control: Once an image is inserted, you can:
      • Align: Left, Center, Right.
      • Size: Vellum intelligently resizes for different devices, but you can set a maximum width.
      • Caption: Add a caption below the image.
      • Placement: You can set images to “float” (flow with text) or “break” (always on a new line).
    • Actionable Tip: Ensure your images are high resolution (at least 300 DPI for print), especially if they contain text, and use appropriate file formats (JPEG for photos, PNG for graphics with transparency).
  • Adding Special Characters/Ornaments: The “Ornament” button allows you to insert decorative elements directly into your text – for instance, a small fleur-de-lis to indicate a shift in narrative focus below a scene break.

  • Cross-References and Hyperlinks:

    • Vellum automatically creates internal links for your Table of Contents, “Also By” section, and cross-references within the text (e.g., “See Chapter 5”).
    • External Hyperlinks: Select text, then click the “Link” button in the Styles pane. Enter the URL for your website, social media, or specific product pages. This is crucial for reader engagement and driving traffic to your other works.
      • Example: Linking “Learn more about the author at [yourwebsite.com]” or “Find my other books HERE.”

Front and Back Matter: The Essentials

Professional books require specific front and back matter. Vellum simplifies their creation and ensures they meet industry standards.

Front Matter (Before Chapters):

  1. Title Page: Vellum automatically generates this. It pulls your book title and author name from the “Book” settings.
  2. Copyright Page: Click the ‘+’ and select “Copyright Page.” Vellum provides a boilerplate.
    • Customization: Edit the text to include your specific copyright year, publisher name, ISBN (if applicable), and any disclaimers.
      • Example:
        © [Year] by [Your Name]
        All rights reserved.
        ISBN: [Your ISBN, if you have one]
        Published by [Your Imprint/Publisher Name]
        [Optional: Disclaimers, first edition notice, etc.]
  3. Dedication: Click the ‘+’ and select “Dedication.” Type your heartfelt message.
  4. Epigraph: Click the ‘+’ and select “Epigraph.” Add your opening quote and its attribution.
  5. Table of Contents (TOC): Click the ‘+’ and select “Table of Contents.” Vellum automatically generates an active TOC based on your chapter and section titles.
    • Customization: You can choose which sections to include (e.g., exclude the copyright page). For print books, you can choose leaders (dots) between the title and page number.
    • Actionable Tip: For ebooks, the TOC is often navigable through the e-reader’s menu, so a formal “Table of Contents” page might be optional, but it’s good practice to include it for print.

Back Matter (After Chapters):

  1. Acknowledgements: Click the ‘+’ and select “Book Section.” Rename it “Acknowledgements.” Type your thank-yous.
  2. About the Author: Click the ‘+’ and select “About the Author.”
    • Content: Write a bio, include a professional headshot (use the “Image” button), and add links to your website, social media, or mailing list.
      • Actionable Tip: Make your author bio compelling. This is where readers connect with you.
  3. Also By: Click the ‘+’ and select “Also By.” Vellum helps you list your other books beautifully.
    • Adding Books: Click the ‘+’ button within the “Also By” section.
    • Details: Enter the title, series (if applicable), description, and crucial buy links (Amazon, Kobo, Apple Books, Google Play, Nook, etc.). Vellum manages the formatting.
    • Actionable Tip: Ensure your buy links are correct and tested. This is a direct sales funnel!

Generating Your Book: Ebook and Print Formats

Once your book looks pristine in the Vellum preview, it’s time to generate the final files for distribution. This is one of Vellum’s most powerful features: it creates perfectly optimized files for multiple platforms simultaneously.

The Generation Process:

  1. Click “Generate” in the top toolbar.
  2. Choose Output Format:
    • Ebook: This is the primary choice for digital distribution. Vellum will create a .zip file containing:
      • .EPUB (for Apple Books, Kobo, Nook, Google Play, most other retailers).
      • .MOBI (for older Kindles and direct Kindle uploads, though Amazon now prefers EPUB).
      • .KF8 (Amazon’s improved Kindle format, included within the MOBI).
      • Actionable Tip: Always upload the EPUB file to Amazon KDP unless you have a specific reason to use MOBI. Amazon converts EPUBs more reliably.
    • Print: Generates a high-resolution .PDF file, meticulously prepared for print-on-demand services like KDP Print, IngramSpark, and others.
      • Print Settings: Before generating print, verify your settings under “Book” > “Print Settings.”
        • Trim Size: The physical dimensions of your printed book (e.g., 6×9 inches, 5×8 inches). This needs to match what you select on your print-on-demand platform.
        • Margins: Vellum calculates appropriate margins based on trim size and page count. Longer books need larger inner margins (gutters) to prevent text from disappearing into the spine.
        • Page Numbers, Running Heads: Configure these in the “Running Headers & Footers” section under “Book” > “Styles.” Vellum has smart defaults.
        • Bleed: If your book has full-page images that extend to the edge of the page, enable bleed. This extends the image slightly beyond the trim line to prevent white edges after cutting.
      • Actionable Tip: Use the “Print” preview in Vellum extensively before generating. Check every page break, ensuring no awkward widows or orphans, and verify your running heads.

Pre-Publication Checklist for Vellum Users

Before you upload your Vellum-generated files, run through this comprehensive checklist:

  1. Project Backup: Save your Vellum project file (.vellum) regularly and back it up externally. This is your master file for future edits.
  2. Contents Pane Accuracy:
    • Are all chapters and sections correctly identified and in the right order?
    • Are all front and back matter sections present and correctly titled?
    • Are Parts (if used) correctly structured?
  3. Typos and Grammatical Errors: While Vellum handles formatting, it’s not a proofreading tool. Ensure your manuscript is polished and free of errors.
  4. Consistency in Styling:
    • Are all chapter titles uniform?
    • Are scene breaks consistent (e.g., all *** or all ornaments)?
    • Are dialogue and inner thoughts styled correctly (e.g., italics where needed)?
    • Are subheads (if used) applied consistently?
  5. Image Check:
    • Are all images present, correctly sized, and centered/aligned?
    • Are image captions accurate?
    • Are images high enough resolution for print (300 DPI)?
  6. Hyperlink Verification (Ebook):
    • Click every external hyperlink in the Vellum preview to ensure it points to the correct URL. Nothing is more frustrating than broken links.
    • Verify internal links (TOC, “Also By” section) are working.
  7. Print Preview Scrutiny: (If generating print)
    • Page Breaks: Are there any awkward page breaks? Vellum is smart, but sometimes you might want a manual break (use “Insert > Break”).
    • Widows/Orphans: Vellum minimizes these, but a quick scan is wise.
    • Gutter Margin: Does the text look too close to the spine? Adjust the inner margin in Print Settings if needed.
    • Blank Pages: Are blank pages present where intended (e.g., between parts, or before chapters starting on a right-hand page after a short chapter)?
    • Page Numbers: Are they present and correctly styled/positioned?
    • Running Heads/Footers: Do they display correctly on odd/even pages?
  8. Metadata Accuracy:
    • In Vellum, go to Book > Details. Ensure “Title,” “Author,” “ISBN,” “Publisher,” and “Language” are all correctly entered. This metadata is embedded in your ebook file.
  9. Generate and Review Final Files:
    • Generate your .EPUB, .MOBI, and .PDF files.
    • Crucially, open these actual generated files in external readers or PDF viewers.
      • For .EPUB, use Apple Books (Mac), Adobe Digital Editions, or send it to your Kindle (via Amazon’s “Send to Kindle” service or email).
      • For .PDF, open it in Adobe Acrobat Reader or Preview (Mac).
    • Perform a final read-through of these generated files. This is the ultimate test.

Troubleshooting Common Vellum Issues

While Vellum is robust, occasional minor issues can arise. Here are solutions to common pain points:

  • “My chapter titles aren’t importing correctly!”:
    • Solution: Go back to your Word document. Ensure all chapter titles are formatted using “Heading 1” style. If not, apply it and re-import. Alternatively, after import, select the misidentified section in Vellum, and in the Styles pane (right), ensure it’s categorized as a “Chapter” or “Book Section.”
  • “My scene breaks look wrong.”:
    • Solution: In your Word document, ensure your scene breaks are precisely *** or # on a line by themselves. No extra spaces, no other characters. In Vellum, go to Book > Styles > Novel Elements > Scene Breaks to choose your preferred rendering.
  • “Vellum is adding extra blank pages in print.”:
    • Solution: Vellum adds blank pages to ensure new chapters (or parts) always start on a right-hand page, which is standard book design. If you don’t want this behavior, you might need to adjust your print style settings or accept the standard. Check your “Book > Print Settings.” Sometimes, a forced page break at the end of a very short chapter can also cause this.
  • “Images look blurry in print, but fine in ebook.”:
    • Solution: Your images are likely not high enough resolution for print. They need to be 300 DPI (dots per inch) at their intended print size. Ebooks (screens) typically only need 72 DPI. Replace the low-resolution images in Vellum with high-resolution versions.
  • “I want a different font than Vellum offers.”:
    • Solution: Vellum only uses its curated list of fonts. This is a design choice by Vellum to ensure professional and embedded font integrity across all devices. If you absolutely need a custom font, Vellum might not be the right tool, or you’ll need to accept its limitations for its other benefits.
  • “My chapters are reordering themselves.”:
    • Solution: This typically happens if you inadvertently drag and drop them in the Contents pane. Simply drag them back into the correct order. Vellum remembers the visual order you set.
  • “My Table of Contents doesn’t include everything.”:
    • Solution: Select your “Table of Contents” section in the Contents pane. In the Styles pane (right), ensure all the sections you want included (e.g., “Copyright Page,” “Dedication”) are checked for inclusion.

Advanced Tips for Vellum Power Users

  • Series Management: Use the “Also By” section strategically. Keep it updated across all your books. Vellum makes this easy to manage and cross-link.
  • Project Templates: While Vellum doesn’t have explicit “templates,” once you have a book formatted perfectly, you can use it as a starting point for your next book. Delete the old content, import the new manuscript, and many of your stylistic choices will carry over.
  • Keyboard Shortcuts: Learn Vellum’s keyboard shortcuts to speed up your workflow (e.g., Cmd+B for bold, Cmd+I for italics).
  • Exporting for Beta Readers/ARCs: You can generate a low-resolution PDF for ARC (Advance Reader Copy) distribution if you need a quick, formatted copy without going through the full print-PDF generation. You can also export ebooks and send them directly to beta readers.
  • Version Control: For major edits, consider duplicating your Vellum project file (File > Duplicate) before making extensive changes. This acts as a manual version control.
  • Explore Every Option: Don’t be afraid to click every button and checkbox in the Styles pane. The real-time preview means you can experiment without fear of breaking anything.

Conclusion

Vellum is a transformative tool for self-publishing authors, bridging the gap between raw manuscript and professionally formatted book. By understanding its intuitive interface, leveraging its automated styling, and diligently working through the setup and export processes, you gain an unparalleled level of control over your book’s presentation.

This comprehensive guide has equipped you with the knowledge and actionable steps to set up your book in Vellum with confidence. From initial manuscript import to generating polished ebook and print files, every stage has been demystified. Invest the time now to master Vellum, and you’ll not only produce a beautiful book but also save countless hours and resources that would otherwise be spent on complex formatting or external services. Your stories deserve to shine, and with Vellum, they will.