September 23, 2010
Seriously, there has to be a programming guy out there who can make one e-book readable for all e-readers. I spent way too long last night formatting and reformatting and reformatting my novel in order to get it into a language that works for several different media. I realize that that’s why ‘publishers’ get the big bucks because they are the ones stuck with all the tedious work. However, being as I managed even with my low-tech knowledge it makes you wonder how necessary the publishers are? With less money being spent on marketing new authors and more going to already established, sure thing authors like Mr. Dan Brown. Really, he needs more press? You wonder if perhaps this self-publishing is a smart way to go?
Now don’t get me wrong I had about a million questions last night that I had to go and find answers to myself. So what would probably take a publisher tech guy two minutes to do kept me searching for hours. It’s a learning experience, and by the end it really will be my book alone. Aside from the cover art which a fantastic artist, friend (Tony Parker) did I will have created the entire thing. It may cost me a ridiculous amount of time that could have been spent writing a new book. However, in the end it very well may be worth it.
I now know the difference between a .doc and a .pdf file. I know the standard template measurements for an industry paperback. I learned that my novel could be 326 pages, 478 pages, or 218 pages depending on how it’s formatted. Really. For those of you interested the final edition will be around 218 pages, which is cost effective for the reader. I learned that chapters begin on odd numbered pages. So they’ll always start on the right. How many books have I read and never really paid attention to something so simple. I’m not sure if the technical aspect of books is something that will enhance my joy. I’ve always loved them for the stories inside and never had to think about how they were actually put together. Though, maybe I will appreciate them even more for the time that someone took to develop the cover, format the copyright pages, and the title page before the author’s words are ever read. Perhaps, once this is all finished I’ll be able to don two hats author and bookmaker. Not that I’ll be opening up a bookmaking shop anytime soon. I’ve got another novel in mind that’s just waiting to be written!
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