Fun #2

Now this bit really is fun!

Got exactly what I wanted - thanks to a very helpful Master Nalgah and my even more helpful and wonderfully talented daughter who didn't tut and sigh anywhere near as much as I would have done if I was showing her yet again how to use the editing programme in such a way that the lettering actually comes along with the picture when saving it elsewhere...

Fun #1.

- Formatting pages for paperbacks is not the same as the formatting required for Kindle;
- formatting pages for paperback requires choices in final book size (trim size) AND in font size, spacing etc FIRST;
- formatting for Kindle involves REMOVING all inset spaces for new paragraphs and every single new piece of dialogue throughout the entire book, AND inserting page breaks after every chapter;
- formatting for print involves very precise considerations of font size and line-spacing, as well as the gutter spacing and margins top, bottom and outer edge ... not to mention how it actually looks on the page; 
- formatting for Kindle involves completely different considerations of font sizing and line-spacing, nowt at all to do with gutters etc, and everything to do with how it looks on the page;
- formatting for paperback involves either paying someone good money to design your front and back covers OR you having "fun" doing that more times than I have fingers to count in order to ensure it looks right in print AND meets their sizing criteria including ensuring all words are well within 0.5" of the edges;
- and formatting the front cover for Kindle involves completely different things, most of which appear to be invisible, and all of which involve having "fun" doing it more times than I have fingers and toes to count...

Spine. Bleed. Gutter.

spine pic courtesy grasshopper3d.com

My daughter's right.

This publishing lark is fun, and the terminology for layout reads like the keywords of a particularly gruesome thriller.

Spine. Bleed. Gutter. There's definitely a story in there.

A Writer's Challenge

I've been set two challenges (well, one is more of a dare) to achieve by November - but I can only choose one of them...

Rob set me the challenge of writing the first three chapters of my next novel Ivan Wolf by the end of November.

My daughter set me the challenge of publishing Witherstone by November. Self-publishing, obviously. She thinks it would be great fun.