tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post1560792787191258539..comments2024-03-26T23:41:10.319+00:00Comments on Authors Electric: Unexpected Bonuses by Dennis HamleyKatherine Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17196712319655603442noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-75285732880358765252015-08-15T19:41:15.639+01:002015-08-15T19:41:15.639+01:00Dennis - I am breath-whelmed (nice new word). Woul...Dennis - I am breath-whelmed (nice new word). Would you please send me that template if you have a mo? I have only recently managed, via blood, sweat, tears and many verbal obscenities, to re-publish "KACHUNKA!" as an ebook, and to date, I've had only one buyer (thanks Sandra) who gave it a glowing review. Oh, and I bought it myself,of course, to check (which ought to make two) and it hasn't come out perfectly (the toc running into the titles and dedication). I should also have added the guff about other books, which David always did and I didn't - may have to edit and re-publish.<br /><br />Look forward hopefully to being part of BPP. Oh, and re-Catnip - they seems to have re-moggiefied themselves into something else, and THEY NEVER RESPOND TO EMAILS.Enid Richemonthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17218197995089241666noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-43837250722228823922015-08-14T19:53:32.435+01:002015-08-14T19:53:32.435+01:00Thanks for that advice, Chris. I noticed your Det...Thanks for that advice, Chris. I noticed your Detective Fiction and the Indie contribution was a smaller size that Sue's Ghost Drum, the first two CS books I bought, but I put that down to mere personal preference. I'll use 8.5 X 5.5 in future. I've just put Out of the Mouths of Babes on a recycled template and managed to do Chapter 10 twice! Soon remedied, but hard to spot because the book has 32 chapters!They all went on with no trouble, by the way. But now I'll have to reload it onto another template set at 8.5 X 5.5. No matter. We live and learn and deep down we love it really!<br /><br />Reb, you mustn't find someone to pay. You can do this thing, you can, you can! And it's fun. It is, it is!Dennis Hamleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15781139870037634374noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-85598608931836677462015-08-14T15:00:41.626+01:002015-08-14T15:00:41.626+01:00Dennis, congratulations on mastering CreateSpace, ...Dennis, congratulations on mastering CreateSpace, but the reason that 9 x 6 is the default size and recommended by Amazon is because this is a US size not a UK one. I make my books 8.5 x 5.5 which is the UK trade paperback size. If you use the 9 x 6 size it will stand out as different on bookshop shelves, and quite frankly when I see this size I immediately think 'self-published', not that there's anything wrong with that but it does put some buyers off.<br /><br />The other thing I've done is tailored the CreateSpace template to my specific requirements eg font, spacing, chapter headings etc. I've added in extra chapters, but I don't do it from chapter 10 which is the last chapter in the template. I do it from one in the middle like Chapter 5, but any chapter except for the last one. The reason for this is because the formatting is held in the page break at the end of each chapter, and the final chapter is, of course, different formatting. Then I've saved the template as my createspace book template, giving it a different file name to the one Amazon uses. Then each time I format a new book I take a copy of this template and use it, keeping the original for future use. I'm afraid I'd be in the nerves if I was copying and pasting over a previous book. I'd probably land up with a rogue chapter which had nothing to do with the book I was publishing. So being the paranoid personality I am I'd be reading it over and over again, afraid to press the button.<br />Great post though and I'm glad it worked out all right. We'll make a techie of you yet.Chris Longmuirhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02488093821886798927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-63859346154997082982015-08-14T13:45:52.727+01:002015-08-14T13:45:52.727+01:00Jeezlaweez, Dennis. You're right up there now,...Jeezlaweez, Dennis. You're right up there now, in my mind, with Chris in terms of techno-savvy. Terrific and enlightening post. Still, I'll need to pay someone when it's my time to Createspace.glitter noirhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11728649916344336118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-75340741336274785042015-08-14T12:37:55.666+01:002015-08-14T12:37:55.666+01:00'Rips my knitting.' What a great expressio...'Rips my knitting.' What a great expression, Valerie. I might use it myself some time. Dennis Hamleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15781139870037634374noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-80521503897340257272015-08-14T10:58:39.774+01:002015-08-14T10:58:39.774+01:00So interesting and encouraging, Dennis, good to se...So interesting and encouraging, Dennis, good to see you have so many projects on hand, as ever! I've not tried Createspacing yet myself so all talk of templates is at present a closed book but there are so many learning curves it's hard to get onto them all. How rude of the publishers not to tell you they'd had second thoughts, this kind of thing really rips my knitting. Lydia Bennethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09328239009863878547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-79853129741229784562015-08-14T10:57:05.100+01:002015-08-14T10:57:05.100+01:00Have a go, Jen. You won't regret it (although,...Have a go, Jen. You won't regret it (although, as I say that, I'm a bit guilt-ridden about taking away someone's livelihood!) Thanks, Cally, as always, for wonderful, experienced advice. I'm going to buy one of my CS books in the usual customer's way because it will be produced in the UK and I'll see any changes and/or deficiencies for myself. It's a pity about Berforts not doing a full PoD service because I think they're terrific. They did a lovely job on the limited edition Spirit of the Place hardback. (NB, THERE ARE STILL COPIES FOR SALE). Sadly, however, when I look at it soberly I realise what a wretched text I sent them, having assured them I would hand over perfect print-ready copy. It's too big on the page, the running titles are out of control because I didn't know you had to do separate headers for each chapter with section breaks so that the titles don't appear over the first page of every chapter and all through the prelims. And also, biggest faux pas of all, all the chapters start at the top of the page and not ten spaces below. What on earth was I thinking of? If I'd had a CS template then, this would never have happened. I use the standard 9 inch by 6 inch book size which CS seem to think is the best. I was slightly surprised to find that no book I possess is exactly the same size, even though they look it at first sight. I wouldn't advocate leaving the EU because of book sizing but I do think Cameron should put it on his list of red line demands.<br /><br />Jan, you've read the nautical book already and given me marvellous advice about one of the characters which I've taken, though not quite in the way you suggested. Would you look at the second when it's ready? Why do you want me to break down sobbing?<br /><br />The Duncan Grant print hasn't done the job I bought it for yet, but I can see that it's boiling up for an argument about it.Dennis Hamleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15781139870037634374noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-28697007732123610092015-08-14T09:41:16.895+01:002015-08-14T09:41:16.895+01:00This makes me almost feel brave enough to try and ...This makes me almost feel brave enough to try and do this part myself with the next s-p book, instead of paying a designer to create PDFs. Almost.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-90644431719113800692015-08-14T08:48:43.313+01:002015-08-14T08:48:43.313+01:00I wish you two would stop it! I know and love you ...I wish you two would stop it! I know and love you both personally, and I've even slept in both your dwellings, and I DO NOT BELIEVE IT'S EASY! All right? It's impossible!!!!! Writing the bloody things is the easy bit, and one has a little mairn to do the rest.<br /><br />So there.<br /><br />PS Can't wait (as teenagers say) to see the nautical book, Dennis. I hope to have you in tears. Technical ishoos? - You won't know your martingales from your cringles when I've finished with you! Yah boo sucks.Jan Needlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15823078224282953782noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-12518653269103928892015-08-14T07:27:12.386+01:002015-08-14T07:27:12.386+01:00Dennis, I'm so glad to read how you've cra...Dennis, I'm so glad to read how you've cracked that steep learning curve and got publishing POD with Createspace. It's very freeing once you get over the 'issues.' And yes, once you get a good CS template, stick with it, that's what I do, some 50 books down the line I'm using such templates even on books I don't put up with CS.<br /><br />I have had some bad past experiences with CS quality in the past (and the only worry remains that if one's customers get shit quality covers - squint, badly cut on angles, text at sea sick angles inside - will they blame the publisher or CS... but this is a while ago and I was trying to get 32 series volumes to look identical which to be fair was probably not what CS is designed for... so I won't hold it against them. <br /><br />Although I do now use primarily a dedicated POD book publisher in UK to print books. They have wider choice of paper and I do love that bookwove feel to pages. But you can use both at the same time (if you use your own ISBN) the only perhaps fiddle is that you have to rejig the cover/page/spine size because UK use cm's and US use inches and the books don't ever seem to fall into exactly the same size - not at the size I use anyway which is standard paperback size. If you use slightly bigger - demi royal for example it might not be the case. I know you've used Berforts before and they are great but not set up for true POD whereas the guys I've used since 2006 PrintOnDemandWorldwide.com in Peterborough are really clued up in that respect. As such, you do need to know what you're doing before you use them, but now you've cracked CS that shouldn't be a problem. something to think of for the future. I'm just about to bring out a series of 7 books called THE RAINBOW CROCKETT which I haven't CS'd yet because I've just about hit the tipping point where I'm selling more online through my own online store than on Amazon - not that I'm selling millions anywhere - so it's just a reminder that while Amazon seem to be the only shop in town, there are actually many other ways to sell a book - but of course, as ever, it's horses for courses.<br /><br />anyway, this is just a shout from beyond AE to warn you that once you get into the whole process of publishing (as you clearly are) you have even less time to write so FINISH COLERIDGE and GET HIM OUT THERE... I want to read the finished book. Best of luck Blank Press and three cheers Dennis for sticking with it through thick and thin! cally phillipshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00909344624822186783noreply@blogger.com