Createspace==Lesson #3 in humility

How hard could it be to create a book for my son through Createspace? I had the prototype, originally done through Snapfish and tested on my son already so I knew the book was something that my son and others like him would like and be able to read. And I'd now done 3 other books through Createspace so I knew how the process worked. So it would be easy, right? I mean, I did look for posts on the site as to what to do to include photographs, etc. Piece of cake, right?  (::SIGH:: Picture me banging forehead on the keyboard again.)

Okay, first an aside. My son (an adult now) has Down Syndrome. I cannot find any books out there appropriate for him to read. He does not relate to drawings or to imaginary stories the way ordinary children or adults would. Factual books tend to have a vocabulary beyond him and while he's fascinated by weather, it's not enough to make him want to read the book. Finally I decided to create my own line of books for him. It's not as easy as it sounds. Not only did I need to use photographs instead of drawings, but I needed to choose something to which he could relate. I also needed to consider how his brain seems to process language and vocabulary. The result was a book about a dog, written as if from her point of view, with elements to which my son could relate--making a mess, looking under the tree for presents on Christmas, etc. My son, who has never seen Sophy, ended up loving the book. It is also a book any young child might enjoy.

Anyway, back to Createspace. As I said, I figured how hard could it be, now that I had all this experience under my belt?  ::SIGH:: Things I learned THIS time using Createspace:

1) Microsoft Word compresses pictures unless one goes into settings and tells Microsoft Word not to do so.

2) Even if one tells MS Word not to compress, the moment one uses the format picture feature, the picture is compressed.

3) Createspace wants pictures to be at least 200 dpi and 300 dpi is better.

4) One needs to choose trim size and figure out margins using pictures that one formats with MS Word until one is sure one has that right. Once I knew what size the pictures could or should be, I then opened each one in GIMP (see previous posts for information on GIMP) and formatted the pictures in GIMP to be the resolution and size I wanted. Then I saved those pictures, deleted the pictures I had in the book file and replaced them with the pictures formatted exactly the right size. That way when I saved, the resolution would be kept. (Note: Since I had close to 30 pictures, this means I ended up with a very large file.)

5) In figuring out margins, etc., I had to play with where to put the page numbers. For whatever reason, the techniques I had used with earlier books did not work with this one. Which means some blank pages do have page numbers because I could not figure out any way not to have page numbers on them.  (Okay, this isn't strictly a Createspace lesson but...it was part of the humility process so....)

6) Because there were so few pages in the book (total 30), the cover was skewed when I used the online cover creator even though I was using a file formatted for the right size cover. I had to go back into GIMP and play around until I had a cover that loaded with roughly the same size borders on right and left of the cover images (front and back).

7) Sophy's Story took much longer to show up on Amazon after I approved it for sale than previous books. I don't know if this is because it's listed as a children's book (even though my son is an adult) or because of all the photographs.

8) Amazon nicely decided to discount the book--a nice bonus for buyers.

9) Uploading a kindle or nook version was....interesting....too. For whatever reason, it did not go as smoothly as previous books had. They went "live" well before the paperback version showed up but even there they took longer than my Regencies or my Book in a Week workbook.

What have I learned from all my Createspace experience? Never, ever assume it's going to be easy THIS time! Allow for extra time for the unexpected glitches. One doesn't always know what one doesn't know until a glitch occurs.

And now I'd like to ask a favor. I know I'm not the only parent with a special needs (adult) child who can't find appropriate books for him to read. If you know of someone, please let them know about my book. Or maybe check it out even if you know a "normal" child who might enjoy it. Thank you!

Sophy's Story in paperback

Strange Feeling

It's a strange feeling seeing my first three published books available again. The were published in the late 70s and Amazon has re-released them thanks to buying out Avalon--my first publisher. Unlike my later books, these three were contemporary romances. They reflect how society viewed women and romance at the time--and how rebels reacted to those rules and attitudes.

If you've ever wondered about the difference between an author's first published book and her 32nd, you can find both PARIS SUMMER and DUTIFUL WIFE available now.

If you've ever been intimidated thinking a book has to be perfect or follow all the "rules" to be published, check out TRONDELAINE CASTLE (and the other 2).  Something made an editor want to buy those books!

These three books are also a glimpse into attitudes and expectations both in society and for romance novels in that time period--though I broke more than a few rules and I am profoundly grateful to Avalon for letting me do so!

At the same time, there were rules I didn't know about until the first drafts were done and I had to go back and make changes--sometimes significant changes. Sometimes the changes were made for me.

So...if you're curious, whether about my first books or about romance novels from the late 70s or just about how people thought and felt back then, I hope you'll read and love my first three novels.




Available on Amazon



Available on Amazon



Available on Amazon

September 2013 Book in a Week online class

Well, it's that time....

Here's the information on my next Book in a Week class--one of the best gifts I believe an author can give himself or herself. It's a chance to write better, faster and have more fun doing so. It's also a new way to look at the process of creating a book.

Dates: September 22, 2013 to November 1, 2013 (Note: Last week of class is wrap up and relatively low key.)

Cost: $85 ($45 if you've taken the class before) (Note: 10% discount if you send me proof of purchase of my APRIL KIHLSTROM’S BOOK IN A WEEK WORKBOOK available for kindle, Nook and in paperback http://amzn.to/12Le2n7 )
Deadline to sign up: Sept. 20, 2013
Lessons: Everything is handled by email so you do the lessons at YOUR convenience
Class size is limited.

Payment for the class may be made by check or by PayPal. To sign up send an email to aprilkihlstrom@yahoo.com with the title of the class you wish to take in the header and in the body of the email please put: your name and whether you prefer to pay by check or PayPal. Also, please let me know if you have taken the class before and if you’ve bought the workbook (so I can request proof of purchase and give you the discount).

Note: If you do not get a response back from me, please try emailing me at april.kihlstrom@gmail.com. Unfortunately email does sometimes simply disappear into cyberspace.

Class Description: This class will take you through every step of the writing process—from beginning to brainstorm all the way through sending material out to be published. And it will help you discover who YOU are as a writer. You can participate as much or as little as you like in email discussions.

Weeks 1-3: This is when you do the prep work with lessons that are designed to get you thinking in new ways about your project. Among other things, I'll cover characters and book structure, imagery and use of names, POV and how to make sentence and paragraph structure work for you. If you choose, you can post answers and get help brainstorming ideas for your book but NO ONE is required to do so!

Weeks 4 and 5: Intensive Writing Weeks (October 12, 2013 through October 27, 2013)This is your chance to write better and faster than you ever have before, to discover what YOUR natural first draft will look like and ways to fit writing into your life that you may never have thought of before.

Week 6: Here's your chance to look at the experience of weeks 4 and 5 and use it to create a writing method that works for YOU and is tailored to your most natural writing style. We'll also look at how to revise your work in the fastest, most effective way possible and I'll be sharing some of my thoughts on query letters, synopses, etc.

Does BIAW work? Well, a number of people who have taken this class are now published or under contract and/or were finalists in or won contests with material they worked on during my classes.  One author had her book optioned for a movie!

Bio: April Kihlstrom is an award winning author of 32 published romance novels. She offers coaching to fellow writers as well as classes and workshops on writing and has spoken at many conferences including: the Romance Writers of America national conference (romance) and the East of Eden conference (non-romance).

Testimonials from students who have taken the Book in a Week class:

“April's course always makes me take a good hard look at my characters, their motivations and what it will take to tell their story. Even better is the feedback she gives to responses.  She really makes me think!”--Anne McAllister

“I had been stuck for 18 months on my book, writing next to nothing after the loss of a family member. I was desperate to get it going but couldn't seem to muster the enthusiasm. Your class was just the ticket.”--Robin Heart Shepperd

 “Through the series of questions that April asks she makes each author delve deeply into their character and story line. April's questions make you think about how your character's history, social standing, occupation, family position, and more impacts how they handle the various situations we authors toss them into. At the end of April's class you have a deep understanding of your characters that writing the story will be a breeze. “--Ruth A Casie

 
“I so enjoyed every minute of April's class. First, she hands out the BEST lessons, they make you think and show you just how much insight April brings to her class, on writing, on writers, and on LIFE! Then she carefully answers all the questions online or privately and we all learned from everyone else too!  This class is really a fantastic jump starter for any book, idea, premise you might be struggling with.  I was unable to write but two days of the writing weeks and still got in over 10,000 words because the class allowed me to get to some truths in my work.  Hat's off to April for providing the inspiration and know how, and finally for her innate quality as a human study. If you are a writer - this is the class YOU need!”--Cheryl Rae

“I first tried "Book in a Week" when I wanted to start a new novel but was having trouble gathering ideas.  The process really jump-started my brain and my creativity and pretty soon the ideas were flowing!  Although I didn't finish the book that week, I wrote more than I thought possible and went on to finish the book more quickly than I ever had in the past.  That book was not only published, but nominated for a National Readers' Choice Award! Since then I have taken the class several times and it has always gotten me started with plenty of plot and character ideas; and has helped me to get my novels well underway!”--Roni Denholtz

 

 

 

How powerful is GIMP?

Since GIMP is free software, I've been asked how powerful it really is. I figure the easiest way to answer that is to show you some of what I've done with it. I'm going to put in the original photos I started with then the final covers I got from these photos.

These two pictures became the cover for THE WIDOWER'S FOLLY.

 

 

Note that for the cover her dress changes, his suit changes, the chandelier, electric lights, etc. are gone. 

 

Kindle           Nook 

 

 More dramatic even that that was how these two pictures below became the cover for THE RECKLESS WAGER.

Notice that the face changes, the dress changes, her hair changes and that in the original, the background stops at the top of her head and the back cover is from the part of the photo not used on the front cover so the effect is a wrap around.

 



 The good thing about GIMP is that the more one uses it, the more one discovers it's possible to do with it. There are also youtube videos online that explain how to do things--though it didn't always seem to work quite the same for me. But for free software, GIMP is amazing.

      

Kindle    Nook   Large Print Paperback

 

 



Createspace--more lessons in humility...

So my Book in a Week Workbook was up in paperback. Woohoo! I had this thing nailed--right? I could go ahead and put up one of my Regencies in paperback. Piece of cake!

Picture me shaking my head. I should sooooo not ever say that!

What I learned from putting up 2 of my Regencies in paperback through Createspace--one in large print:

1) Remember to right justify the text.

2) Remember to put a carriage return on the last line of each chapter so it doesn't right justify a few words at the end of the paragraph of that last page of the chapter.

3) Headers. Things have changed since the last time I put headers in a file in a previous version of Word. THIS version insists I use "fields."

4) DOUBLE CHECK the file by saving as pdf before uploading the Word file to Createspace. The fields in the header worked fine for DANGEROUS MASQUERADE but somehow screwed up when I did it for THE RECKLESS WAGER.

5) Createspace offers templates for each size trim one might want to use.

6) The templates don't work all that well. I need to expect to experiment with margins.

7)  Different fonts are different sizes for the same pt setting.

8) Large print books need at least 16 pt font. That means lots of pages.

9) The cover template that allows one to upload one's own covers works pretty well.

10) Don't even try to create the cover until you're sure about the trim size. Resizing a cover meant for 6x9 to one for 7 x 10 does NOT always produces usable results and I had to redo it completely.

11)  Going from a 6 x9 with moderate size font to 7 x 10 in large print with lots more pages meant I could not use the same margins from one for the other. More experimenting.

12) Covers that work for an ebook do not necessarily work for a paperback. (See below for the two versions each of DANGEROUS MASQUERADE and THE RECKLESS WAGER.

13) Almost forgot--page numbers should be on opposite sides for opposite facing pages. Headers need to alternate.

14) Make sure to set the headers so that the first page is different which means headers won't show up on the first pages of chapters. (This is what you want--no headers for those pages.)

15) Changing the font size means double checking that one doesn't have a page with only one or two words on it at the end of any chapter. If there is such a page, maybe see if somewhere a tiny change can be made so those words fit at the end of a full page. This helps keep down the cost of the book.

16) Even when the book goes first to Createspace and then Createspace sends one over to Amazon Kindle, the two versions of the book are not necessarily automatically linked. One may have to email support to have it done manually. (Note: The support staff is wonderful!)

I'm sure I will learn more with my next efforts at using Createspace. That won't, however, be for a little while. First I want to see how the two different paperback sizes do. If there's more demand for, say, large print, then that's what I'll bring out in the future with my other books. If readers prefer the more ordinary size type, I want to know that.

It's a whole new world out there. I'm just glad my older books can be available again.

Now, as promised, the two versions of the two book covers:



Kindle

Nook

paperback

 

 

Kindle    Nook

 

large print paperback

Next Book in a Week class

I've been getting so many requests for information about my online Book in a Week class that I thought I'd post a quick note here. I've come to realize that the ideal times for the class seem to be:

end of September
end of January
late spring
sometimes a summer class as well

As I know specific dates I'll post them here and on an email loop I have to let people know if I have an upcoming class. If you want to sign up for the class notification loop, the link is:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AprilKihlstromwritingclasses2/join

With luck, this will make it easier for everyone to plan if they would like to take my BIAW class at some point.

Createspace--A Lesson in Humility

I've been putting up my backlist books for Kindle and Nook so when I decided to make my APRIL KIHLSTROM'S BOOK IN A WEEK WORKBOOK available through Createspace, I thought it would be a piece of cake. I mean, how hard could it be?

First I reformatted the workbook for print. Time consuming but not difficult--or so I thought. And I had a cover I loved plus lots of quotes for the back cover. Piece of cake. I signed up, went through the steps and sat back to wait for my book to appear in print. And got a profound lesson in humility. (Hey! I see you laughing out there--cut it out!)

What I learned:

1) Everything takes longer with Createspace.

2) They have amazing people who can fix some cover mistakes--up to a point.

3) Covers--unless one uses one of their templates--have to be uploaded as a pdf file.

4) Microsoft Word created pdf files have too low a resolution for covers.

5) Turns out my photo software program GIMP can save in pdf format. Woohoo!

6) If one uses something like photoshop or GIMP it's essential one pays attention precisely to their instructions because their staff can't fix things if one doesn't leave room for a barcode.

7) Even trying to calculate exactly the sizes, margins, etc. they asked for, it's possible to screw it up.

8) Did I mention their people are amazing at fixing things if one enough is close to what they need? (One should not depend on that, however, and it has to be "close enough.")

9) (Okay, I can hear the laughter starting already....) Print books need page numbers. Seriously, I know it sounds dumb, but I forgot that. I'd been putting up so many of my back books for Kindle and Nook that I FORGOT TO PUT IN PAGE NUMBERS for the print version! Mind you, I had a Table of Contents that listed page numbers--I just hadn't remembered to put them on every page.

10) Adding page numbers can change the layout of the pages.

11) If you have a Table of contents, it's really important to double check that when the file is uploaded, the page numbers in the Table of Contents match the actual page numbers for each section. Sometimes in the uploading things change.

12) (More laughter coming, I can just tell....) Text in a print book is right justified on the pages inside the book. I know, I know--but I really didn't think of it until my third attempt to get things right!

13) Once the cover is finally accepted and I had the interior text and layout the way I wanted and page numbers correct, I approved the book and it went "live" on Createspace and I got a message that within 5 to 7 days, the book would be live on Amazon. Fortunately, Sheri Cobb South clued me in that it might happen much faster. It did--in a matter of hours. Woohoo!!!

14) I still have no idea how soon it might be available other places besides Amazon. (It's now been just under a week.)  Update: As of today, the workbook is also available at Barnes and Noble (at least online)!

In other words, this was a lesson in humility for me--and a chance to learn a whole new way of doing things. Having now learned these things, I'm seriously considering making some of my older Regencies available in paperback, through Createspace, as well as for Kindle and Nook.

I hope my experience saves you some trouble and time if you are planning to use Createspace to publish. And hey, look at it this way, odds are you won't make as many mistakes as I did with my initial efforts!

Oh, and if you're curious about APRIL KIHLSTROM'S BOOK IN A WEEK WORKBOOK, you can find it here in on Amazon in paperback.