Looking for help going from Scrivener to Lulu

Dpouliot

Scrivener supports Word templates, is there a basic Word Template for Scrivener that I can import into my project as a starting place? I created a 45K word book, and I'm going to Lulu for the first time, and I'm hoping to do as little manual reformatting as possible.

Paul_Lulu

If you're creating a print book, I would actually suggest exporting a PDF. That should create a final version of your interior file in one go. 

I haven't personally used Scrivener to export a print file in a little over a year, but the last time i did so it was pretty clear cut.

Get your pages sized to match your book size. Allow for bleed and trim, set your header / footer content (including page numbering) and export. 

Dpouliot

Thanks, Paul,
I noticed Lulu supplies a 6x9 Word template that has 'inside, outside, gutter' margins. I'm not sure if Scrivener supports that, I'll have to check. thanks!

Paul_Lulu

I'm pretty sure Scrivener can export with a gutter. If they don't, you might need get a DOCX to create those specs. Sadly, I don't have Scrivener on my work computer, so I can't jump in and verify the export settings. 

This article is not for the most recent update of Scrivener, but it still explains the process fairly well. https://gwenhernandez.com/2016/08/29/using-scrivener-for-mac-to-compile-a-pdf-for-print-on-demand/

Just Kevin

Well, looking at all the stuff at that link, I would suggest buying Word.

Paul_Lulu

Just Kevin said:

Well, looking at all the stuff at that link, I would suggest buying Word.

Scrivener isn't a layout tool, so in a way you're right. While it's possible to export a printable file with all the layout and design you need, it's not easy and definitely not what Scrivener is built for. 

Just Kevin

Indeed. Word isn't really for DTP either, but it has most of the tools a Self-Publisher needs, and it's not really all that expensive.

MCWriting

I've used Scrivener, and it can be great for corralling research and keeping notes straight. But I found exporting to be painful — lots of options to get right. I think you'd save a lot of time by importing the Lulu Word template into Scrivener so it can use those settings for export. Then if you have Word, do your finessing there. Also, most dedicated page layout software will import that Word doc too. It's one extra step, but you'll have so much more control over your layout. You've worked hard on your book, so you want it to look its best. Good luck!