Turn your Blog into an Ebook with FastPencil (05/01/2013)

Books, glorious books 

I spent two months in 2012 traveling the length and breadth of Vietnam and I loved it! I also made a travel blog to follow my adventures but I was often short on time or internet/consistent internet so only the main stuff went into my blog.

I therefore struck on the idea (now that I am back home and missing my travels!) to convert my blog into an ebook and then expand on the various stories that didn't go into my blog.

So, I needed a good self-publishing tool which had the ability to: import my posts from a WordPress(R) blog;  convert those posts into chapters and, if it was all based in the cloud (so no software to download), then so much the better.

First I tried papyruseditor.com but there appeared to be no way to import a blog (only import from URLs) and this would not work for my purposes as my blog contains details of my travelling around Australia as well so I needed the ability to import specific posts.

I also knew that, due to the structure of my blog, I could download all of the required posts into one XML file via WordPress(R) so some way of utilising this file was required.

Guided by this article I went searching for a more appropriate service:

• Anthologize.org seemed a good service but I wanted to avoid downloading software if possible (I am kinda hooked by the whole cloud thing!);
• Booksmith allows you to only import posts by 'latest' or 'date range' and this wouldn't work with the way my blog is set up; and
• Zinepal seems more set up for non-wordpress blogs (well I couldn't easily import my posts to it when  I tried).

So I went with FastPencil to create my ebook and I am happy that I did - the service is nice and simple!

Blog ramblings to an ebook chapter in a few clicks

First, you sign up for an author account (for free) and this gives you the chance to create a profile (name, picture, bio etc).

Once in your 'Dashboard' you can select 'Start a new project' on the left and then get cracking with your ebook!

In your Project page you are given a variety of options on the left hand side, three of which are very handy for importing;

• 'Import Blog Posts' - allows you to import from a URL or by uploading an XML file;
• 'Import File' - Word(R)  or OpenOffice(R): and
• 'Import Text' - does what it says!

Download your XML file from your WordPress(R) blog (having selected the posts you require) and then upload it to FastPencil - it will even upload any images embedded in the posts. Edit, add additional chapters, add pictures and create a font page (as you wish) and you are ready to publish!

Now to get cracking with my first ebook...


This is my blog, my attempt to document one new thing I have learnt everyday. We learn so much and it is easy to overlook just how much we do learn. Any of the products or websites mentioned in my blog are ones I have found useful. I have no link to these websites (unless otherwise stated) and do not receive any benefit from linking to them. I am not an expert in any of the products I mention so you will have to do your own research and reach your own conclusions.