Vellum is a publishing tool by 180g, that enables users to create ebooks for every platform: Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books, etc. Each specialized file can guide readers to buy the writer's next book in their favorite store. Vellum is currently available for Mac.

The most common users of Vellum are from Small Businesses (1-50 employees).

Vellum Reviews & Ratings 2024

Deployment Types	On-premise
Operating Systems	Mac
Mobile Application	No

January 19, 2023

Vellum Blew Me Away!

Verified User

General Manager in Other

Publishing Company, 1-10 employees

Score 10 out of 10

Vetted Review

Verified User

Incentivized

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

Publishing eBooks and Paperbacks can be a tricky business. Amazon has their own format, as do Apple, Barnes and Noble, and other e-Tailers. Paperbacks in non-standard sizes require a manual template. Vellum creates beautiful eBooks and Paperbacks. It’s so quick and easy to use, the formatting tasks I used to dread have become a pleasure.

I’ve published dozens of books using the old and the new method. I was able to publish three books in less than a day with Vellum. Formatting is no longer the beast it used to be. Drag and drop chapters; switch formats at the click of a button. Changing an element from a Chapter to another format is a right click away. If I hadn’t found Vellum, I might have given up publishing altogether.

You can use the same Vellum document to generate files at the touch of a button for:

EPUB
Kindle
Apple
Nook
Kobo
Google Play
a Paperback in a variety of sizes (if you get the Press version for 50 bucks extra)

The software also organizes and overwrites your files automatically, making version control simple.

Pros and Cons

Professional, Tasteful Formatting
Table of Contents management
File Management
Ease of switching elements (i.e. Chapter, Acknowledgement, About the Author etc.)
Beautiful Style Sheets
Generating uploadable files quickly and painlessly
Previewing for a variety of formats and devices

Could improve ability to change the look of a design element like Ornamental Break.
Doesn’t currently output in Smashwords .doc format (but does EPUB).
Spell Check is rudimentary but accurate - still, it’s much better to use Word or Grammarly.
If style uses initial drop cap, it doesn’t handle one-letter words well (I, A, O) - repeats letter in sentence. This may be standard practice, not sure.
There are a couple dozen styles. I would gladly pay for a “Style Pack” to add on additional styles.

Likelihood to Recommend

Vellum is perfect for novels, novellas, short fiction anthologies, and any lightly illustrated fiction. It’s excellent for most non-fiction. It’s great for e-Books and Paperbacks. I haven’t tried using the file for hardcover but it is likely good for that as well.

Vellum wouldn’t be the right tool for coffee-table art books, picture books or children’s illustrated books.

Most Important Features

Ease of use
Beautiful styles
E-book and Paperback files generated at click of a button
Return on Investment
Best tool for Mac

Return on Investment

Less time publishing means more time writing
Beautiful books sell better than Times New Roman dreck
I’ve stayed away from Google Books but will move into that market now

Alternatives Considered

Up until purchasing Vellum, I’ve used Smashwords Meat Grinder template and Kindle’s PC-Only software. I had to buy a PC just to publish to Kindle - very expensive investment with modest return. Vellum is only for Mac. In fact, it would have been cool if it worked with a PC. But Mac is my ecosystem for writing, and the PC is a pain. I ultimately chose Vellum because it works with my MacBook.

Other Software Used

Google Drive, Microsoft 365, GIMP, Adobe PhotoShop

Products Replaced

Yes

Vellum has replaced:

The tedious Smashwords MeatGrinder, which requires you save your Word file as a 97 .doc file. That format is now 25 years obsolete.

The buggy PC-only Amazon-only Kindle Create. I was okay with Kindle Create because it made it easy to move between Kindle and Paperback. It didn’t generate EPUB or other files because, of course, Amazon wouldn’t want you doing that! Vellum is Mac-Only, but it’s far more versatile and less buggy than Kindle Create.

Key Differentiators

Product Features
Product Usability
Product Reputation

The usability is superb. The Smashwords template was painful, and couldn’t be imported into Kindle Create, so I had to create two different files to get the most out of my books. Smashwords accounts for 33% of my sales, so it was important enough to make an effort. Now I can just drop off an EPUB there and I see lots of sales. It would be even better if Vellum created a Smashwords file.

Evaluation Lessons Learned

I was able to use Vellum to create a book - it just wouldn’t let me generate file unless I bought the license. It was so easy to use, I was sold immediately. I couldn’t believe how simple it was to create NY Times Bestseller-quality eBooks and Paperbacks! Of course I spent the money. It was no problem. I don’t think it gets better in terms of trial usage. I was impressed.

Vellum eBooks

$199.99

Vellum Press

$249.99

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