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Manuscripts for the Amazon Kindle
Posted on: Sun, 06/01/2008 - 13:08
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Manuscripts for the Amazon Kindle
Having just uploaded the second corrected ms of War on the Margins to Amazon's Kindle (which I won't buy myself unless the price drops below $200), I would like to spare other writers the mind-numbing and eye-irritating process of going over your entire ms and redoing it.
Kindle accepts .html files. This file format does not accept "curly" (you know, directional) quotation marks, but only straight up-and-down ones that look the same on the left side as on the right side. This, fortunately, can be corrected with a couple of simple "find-and-replace" actions.
If, like me, you think double spacing between lines of dialogue and between unrelated paragraphs makes the book read better, it DOESN'T in Kindl-ese. It looks AWFUL (I have this on authority from readers and two reviewers who actually took a star off my rating for the way the book looked on Kindle). Consider writing the first ms with plain-vanilla spacing, uploading it to Kindle as an .html, and then going wild with your spacing and typography for the dead-tree edition.
I am told that there is an entirely different set of rules for .mobi publication, but I can't deal with it right now...
Libby Cone, author of War on the Margins: A Novel
Interesting article about Kindle uploading. Lots of people talking about Kindle now, both pros and cons.
Could you further explain a couple points you brought up?
When you mention replacing curly quotes with straight ones by using the find and replace actions, what do we enter to replace the curlies if only one key on the keyboard shows quote marks originally used. Where do we find the straight up and down ones?
As far as the total manuscript, you're saying to make a copy to upload using only single spacing all the way through, is that right? What about indenting paragraphs?
Thank you for your information. Am glad to find someone who's been through the process.
Mary Deal, author of the novels River Bones, a thriller, The Ka, a paranormal Egyptian fantasy, and The Tropics, a sea adventure
Hi Mary,
To insert straight up-and-down quotation marks, you can either use "insert special character" or whatever command your system uses, or you could copy it from Courier, which is the font this comment box automatically uses. I think they take uploads in Courier; that may solve the problem.
You can indent paragraphs using the "Tab" key.
Of course, since my post, someone pointed out that my ellipses (...) and dashes ( -- ) were being replaced by wacky symbols. I couldn't figure out how to correct those, but someone who knows the computer code was able to help me. I think if you have AutoCorrect turned on and you type three periods, it gets tuned into an ellipsis, but I don't know about those dashes.
Libby Cone, author of War on the Margins: A Novel
Thank you, Libby.
As you learn more about Kindle, will you post here? It doesn't really sound all too complicated, but since you've been through the process, you might notice more kinks. I'd be glad to hear about them. I have too much on my plate right now to get involved in uploading to this program, but I will.
Thanks again.
Mary Deal
http://www.writeanygenre.com
http://www.writeanygenreblog.com
If it uses html, why not just save your Word document as a webpage (.htm or .html)
Yeah, it's a bulky file (Word for WINDOWS after all), but it's quick. Then you can edit it with search replace (if you don't want double space, for instance, replace the P tag with BR)
Personally, I consider Kindle an overpriced, monopolistic evil grab from amazon (who are pretty damned evil)
Mobipocket seems like a better way to go.