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The Reformation, Part Deux

15 Feb 2013 by KRAG

Stack of BooksA follow-up to my earlier post about reformatting print-ready files for e-book readers…

In case these two points didn’t register in that post, here they are again:

  • Take Your Time…
  • Check Your Work…

I spent many hours over the past couple of days struggling with the files for FC Books II-V. I took my own advice (see above) and carefully and deliberately went through each reformation step, file by file. Then I uploaded the reformatted files and downloaded the KDP-converted files (in MOBI format) Then I previewed each MOBI file, using the Kindle Previewer, taking care to preview each file in each of the possible devices, from Kindle DX to iPad.

What I found was that while everything was fine on Kindle hardware, something was throwing off all the formatting when the MOBI file was ported to the iOS hardware. On iPads and iPhones, all my careful font styles were dropped and the whole shebang popped up in Courier New monospaced font. Ick.

Luckily, I had one file that was working on iOS (FC:I) so it was just a matter of comparing that file to the other files and trying to find the one thing that was causing the KDP conversion software to have a hissy-fit. I don’t know exactly what it was or exactly why, and I won’t bore you with details too tedious to be suffered. Suffice it to say that I was able to create files that work on all devices.

However, I still have not released FC:II-V into the e-book wild. I’m taking even more time, and will upload them all to my Kindle account, so I can see them on a Kindle, an iPad, and an iPhone for myself.

But it brings home my admonitions: Take Your Time and always Check Your Work.

That is all.

k

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Winter’s Edge

14 Feb 2013 by KRAG

Misty MorningOur drive west to the ocean is quiet, the road hissing beneath our tires, the drizzle hiding the greater world around us. It is just us, the dashed stripe down the pavement, and the last vestiges of winter along the highway’s edge.

Washington is the Evergreen State, and it is always, ever, green; winter or summer, rain or sunshine, something is always green. In this season, it is the cedars, pines, firs, and spruce. They covered the hillsides and the slopes between us and the limits of the grey-misted world: tall, shaggy, dark green sentinels ranked in thick forest ranks, or short, stripling, pale green youngsters rising from the steaming refuse of clear-cut acreage. But not everything is green.

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The Reformation

12 Feb 2013 by KRAG

As promised, I’ve begun to release the Fallen Cloud Saga in e-book format. And, just as I decided on CreateSpace to be my “publisher,” I’ve decided on the Kindle for my e-book format. The reasons are basically the same as before: ease of use, platform reach of the product, and essential friendliness of the agreement. Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) website is easy and reliable.

But I just can’t take my print-ready files and use them to build an e-book. Well, okay, I can, but I shouldn’t. Print-ready files are just that: print-ready, not e-book ready. To work best, e-books need to be reformatted; not much, just a little more here, a little less there, but they need it and it’s important to the reading experience.

Fortunately for those of us who are heading into the world of self-publishing, Amazon has given us a primer.

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I Could Not Possibly Comment

11 Feb 2013 by KRAG

Kurt R.A. GiambastianiThis week, I’m on “stay-cation,” which means we get to laze around the house for several days, go on outings, catch up on our reading, and watch a lot of movies. We started the week off by bingeing on the first season of a new series distributed by Netflix…yes, Netflix; they’re in the movie-making biz, now.

“House of Cards” stars Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright in the two lead roles, and when we started off, I was immediately hit with a sense of déjà vu. Something was familiar, but I couldn’t place it. But then a reporter speculated about the meaning behind a recent shift in power. When Frank Underwood (Spacey) drawled the answer, “You might very well think that; I, however, could not possibly comment,” it all clicked.

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Warning, Warning

08 Feb 2013 by KRAG

Whew. That was close.

To all dear friends and readers, this is a reminder.

BACK UP YOUR WORK!

Also, Windows users, make a system repair disk.

I spent the morning recovering from a Windows Non-Start…not the Blue Screen of Death (thankfully) but the Blue Screen of Heavenly Light that Windows goes to when one of its critical start-up files has been corrupted.

Corrupted how? Not a virus, not malware, not a hacker…my anti-virus/firewall software is strong and current. So who knows? Random cosmic rays? Dust particles? Static discharge from the cat rubbing up against the tower? Perhaps. But it doesn’t matter.

I’d become complacent in my backup routine, and hadn’t done a full backup for a while. Had it been bad, I might have lost tax information, and all my Kindle e-book work-in-progress. Not tragic, but a serious patootie-pain.

So, no post for today, other than this caution: Practice Defensive Computing! Back up your work!

Best,

k

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The View from Here: Wiggle Words

07 Feb 2013 by KRAG

Stack of BooksThus far, I’ve covered the most offensive types of errors I’ve seen in fiction on the web, and now I’ll get down to things that are merely bad or that are just annoying. But just because an error doesn’t stand up and slap you in the face, it doesn’t mean an editor will let you get away with it. She shouldn’t and she won’t.

From here on, though, the problem with these errors is that–more so than the topics of previous posts–frequently they aren’t errors at all. Don’t you just hate that? As we move on, keep in mind that all of the word usages I list here–all of them–often have a legitimate place in prose. There will be times that you specifically want what they provide; the key is to understand the danger they pose, and use them knowingly.

And so, onward to “wiggle words.”

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06 Feb 2013 by KRAG

Here’s an idea from Homemade Delish, about making your own farmer’s cheese. Gotta love the simple stuff, no?

homemade delish's avatarHomemade Delish

IMG_20130206_162144

Not sure about you, but I am a LOVER of cheese.  Today I wanted to create something different in my kitchen so I decided to make some homemade farmer’s cheese.  I can’t believe how easy and how delicious it is to make right in the comfort of you own home.  After it’s all done you can enjoy as is or add different seasonings.  Enjoy with crackers, bread, veggies and fruit.  I actually had to put it away or I would eat the whole thing.  I hope you enjoy it.

Ingredients:

1/2 Gallon (8 Cups) of Milk (2%, organic or Whole)

5 tablespoons of distilled vinegar

Wooden Spoon

1 large Pot

Colander

New Thin Dish Cloth (or Cheese Cloth)

Preparation:

Pour the milk into a large pot, and stir. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent the milk from scorching on the bottom of the pot.  you will see that…

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