How to Create an EBook, from Sheila’s talk in August 2014

HOW TO CREATE AN EBOOK

 

  1. Ignore pictures at the start and combine all your writing into one document, if it’s not already stored in one doc. Problems might include
    1. Different fonts used in different docs, particularly if you’re making an anthology of work you’ve done over the years.
    2. And different formats too –
      1. Line spacing – Do you double-space everything? With digital formats it’s easier to have fractional line-spaces. I like 1.15
      2. Paragraph spacing – Do you separate paragraphs with blank lines? With digital formats, the paragraph spacing doesn’t need to be a whole line. Half a line is more visually appealing.
      3. Sentence spacing – Do you use double spaces at the end of sentences? This was necessary in typewriter days to provide white space and a visual clue to the reader. In the digital age, an appropriate space is created for you.
      4. Paragraph indentation – Do you use a tab at the beginning of each paragraph? Tabs drive ebook conversion crazy, but digital formatting can set an automatic space at the start of each paragraph.

Continue reading How to Create an EBook, from Sheila’s talk in August 2014

Marketing isn’t just about selling books

taken from Sheila’s talk in May 2014

Why should we care about marketing?

Quite a few people wanted a talk on marketing, but I’m guessing the rest of you might think, I don’t want to sell stuff, I’m just writing for me. Why do I care about marketing? But marketing isn’t just getting your book into stores and selling lots of copies. It’s also what you’re doing when:

  1. You tell your grandkids, “You should care about this; it’s your family history”
  2. You tell your spouse, “No, I’m not wasting my time”
  3. You tell yourself, “I know what I’m doing and I’m going to get this thing written.”

A marketing exercise for everyone Continue reading Marketing isn’t just about selling books

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