WARNING: This should go without saying, but please only do this to documents that you have rights to. I'm using this method for stories and short stories that I have written and class notes that I have taken.
The first thing you need to do is take your story and single-space it. Change your story font to Garamond 14 pt. Make it as simple as possible - take out any unnecessary formatting and remove your header and footer (unless you absolutely have to have them). I also put my story in justified alignment - but that's personal preference because I think it looks nicer that way.
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Now we need to change the "paper size". Go to "File" -> "Print" and then find where it says "Letter". Click on "More Paper Sizes" to choose "Custom Size" from the drop down menu so you can set it up manually. I then selected 5 inches for my width and 7 inches for my height.
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To make sure you get the maximum amount of text on each page, be sure to make your page margins 0.5" around each edge. Here's where we can see how it's shaping up to look:
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Now is a good time to save it before we save the Kindle version - just in case. Next we'll select "File" -> "Save As". You'll save it as a PDF under "Save as Type". You can also edit the "Authors" section since that name will be the one appearing on the right-hand side of your Kindle.
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Now we just have to transfer that document onto our Kindle! (you can send it through the Kindle Whispernet if you prefer) Plug your Kindle into the computer and click "Open folder to view files". Double-click to open the "documents" folder. Now you just need to drag and drop your new PDF file onto your Kindle. Before you eject your Kindle, rename the file to whatever the official title of the story is (how you would like it to look on the left-hand side of your Kindle). Now you can safely eject your Kindle from the computer and your new file will be ready to go!
Enjoy!
