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Thread: My Kindle format good enough....or not?


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Permlink Replies: 17 - Pages: 2 [ 1 2 | Next ] - Last Post: Jun 17, 2012 9:13 AM Last Post By: hawk318
hawk318

Posts: 9
Registered: 06/15/12
My Kindle format good enough....or not?
Posted: Jun 14, 2012 9:07 PM
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Ok 1st, I'm new to the forum and am thinking about putting my latest book up on Amazon.
I have a free novel web site ( www.hawkslegend.com ) and presently have 9 copyrighted books and one copyrighted short story (my 1st work)

I was checking around and a few people have told me my books (in the kindle format) needed to be changed in 'Word' something about the way I have word set up....???
I'm not sure what they meant.....
I'd like to think, I'm not going to have to do a lot of changing in word for my latest book(s) so I can publish them on Amazon.....

If some of you could drop by and look a few of them over and let me know if you see something in the formatting I'm not doing (I didn't see any differences in mine compared to other Kindle books)

Thanks.....
1001nightspress

Posts: 3,873
Registered: 12/11/11
Re: My Kindle format good enough....or not?
Posted: Jun 14, 2012 9:14 PM   in response to: hawk318 in response to: hawk318
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I'm not sure I follow you... how could we check the Kindle format before you've published them to Kindle?

When you upload, you'll be able to preview your file before you publish it. At that time, you can check for spacing, paragraph indents, page breaks, italics, etc. If you have any problems then, don't publish, but instead come back and ask here for help (or rather, in the formatting forum).

If people have already given you feedback that you didn't understand, though, why not just ask them for clarification?
andresanthomas

Posts: 4,999
Registered: 01/01/12
Re: My Kindle format good enough....or not?
Posted: Jun 14, 2012 9:45 PM   in response to: hawk318 in response to: hawk318
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Go to Smashwords.com and download their (free) guide to self-publishing and formats. They will walk you step by step through what you have to do to get yourself properly formatted.
42rthomas

Posts: 1,398
Registered: 02/24/12
Re: My Kindle format good enough....or not?
Posted: Jun 15, 2012 6:20 AM   in response to: hawk318 in response to: hawk318
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I generally cringe when someone asks a "good enough" question. Don't take it personally but that tells me they didn't want to put in the extra time to make it RIGHT.

Don't half-*ss what you're putting out there. Get it right.

BT

Do what andresanthomas (no relation) suggested. You will learn a great deal about formatting for ebooks with this guide. It takes a little while to go through but it is worth every minute you put into it.


Message was edited by: 42rthomas

hawk318

Posts: 9
Registered: 06/15/12
Re: My Kindle format good enough....or not?
Posted: Jun 15, 2012 8:44 AM   in response to: hawk318 in response to: hawk318
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Lol, guess none of you read my post.... I have a web site. The web site had 9 of my 'free' novels already done in Kindle that I published myself as well in e-pub and .pdf
(I should have made my self clearer) I just guessed someone would read the post and go and DL one or two of my books done in the Kindle format and see if they notice what a few other self publishers had told me.... Personally I do not see anything wrong with the books I've already done in Kindle.

I'm not asking for a critque on my books, just the formatting (as I stated in my original post) I'm trying to figure out what or if there is something I missed while converting to Kindle on my site....that Amazon wanted to have done differently.

I have had hundreds of downloads per month for almost two years now and not one complaint about a reader couldn't read any of the books in any of the formats.... So I'm at a loss as to what the two self publishers were trying to tell me about differences in my kindle books and what Amazon wants.....

BTW I have the 'how to publish on amazon'

Message was edited by: hawk318
pixeyfae

Posts: 410
Registered: 01/16/12
Re: My Kindle format good enough....or not?
Posted: Jun 15, 2012 8:45 AM   in response to: 42rthomas in response to: 42rthomas
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You know I don't really think the poster said "good enough" because they were trying to "half a$$" their book. I think they were simply trying to gain a better understanding of what was expected.

It's these sorts of snitty responses and the over abundance of sarcasm that keeps many authors away from here. Well that and the moronic infighting.

Don't like a post? Don't respond.

Think it breaks the rules? Tell the poster politely or report it and move on.

And don't feed the friggin trolls.

If you can't say something nice....don't bother.

Believe it or not some of us like to write BOOKS.

I realize that some possess this innate knowledge when It comes to formatting, not to mention your superb writing abilities that create perfectly paced and immaculately edit books each and every time you lay your hands on the keyboard.

Oh I do so wonder what it must be like to be you. To never need to ask for help, to never make a mistake, to never be confused....Ah one can dream...

But as for the rest of us slackers... (the former should be read as if dripping with sarcasm...I'm pretty sure you are familiar with sarcasm.)

Believe it or not some of us would just like honest feedback from those more experienced.

Believe it or not some of us would like a HELPFUL place to ask questions or share concerns without opening ourselves up to snark and abuse.

Oh I know, I know. If this bothers me I should grow up, get a thicker skin, yadda, yadda, yadda, blah, blah, blah. Or the old stand by, I must write crap, pamphlets, or be less successful than you, or better yet I'm a troll looking for attention. Tell yourselves what ever makes you fell better. But the simple truth is we should all treat people as we ourselves would like to treated.

I wonder how you would respond to each other face to face. Would you really make the same assumptions and be so quick to be snarky and sarcastic?

Why is it you are all so quick to assume someone else is looking for an easy way out, or their work and the time put into it is somehow less valuable than yours?

I personally have had my work here nearly two years, yet this board is at the very bottom of my list as to where I would go to ask for any sort of help just for the reasons stated.

I test the waters here now and then, but I always find the same vile atmosphere. I have been hanging around here the last month or so because I am working on a new form of writing and I'd been hopeful to gain some insight into what others thing and how others are doing it. But it's hardly worth the effort and more and more this cattiness just wastes my time.

The few helpful posters here are far out weighed by the presumptuous and pompous. I am not the only one who feels this way. Look at the number of authors who have their work here. Now look at just how many participate it these forums.

This is how you appear to an outsider. I have to ask, is this really the way you as professionals wish to present yourselves?

If Amazon does anything with the KDP boards I think it should do away with them entirely, or at least ship them over to the Amazon forums where this sort of behavior is the rule and start over here making this the creative and helpful place it was intended.

We all have the choice to be helpful or hurtful.

As for me I'm not going to bother any more, so snark away, call me whatever you wish,disparage me in anyway you see fit, It seems to be what you do best.

As for the OP I would be happy to look at your formatting.

Message was edited by: pixeyfae
1001nightspress

Posts: 3,873
Registered: 12/11/11
Re: My Kindle format good enough....or not?
Posted: Jun 15, 2012 8:52 AM   in response to: hawk318 in response to: hawk318
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Did you ask the two self-publishers what they meant? Or were these comments from people you don't know, that you can't follow up on? If so, maybe don't worry about it. After all, you'll check your formatting in the 'preview' stage when you upload to Amazon, before you publish.

And yes, I did read your post, and I could have gone to your website, downloaded your book, emailed it to my Kindle, opened it there and checked the formatting for you, but it just seemed to me that it would be far simpler to ask the people who'd made the comments what they meant.
hawk318

Posts: 9
Registered: 06/15/12
Re: My Kindle format good enough....or not?
Posted: Jun 15, 2012 8:54 AM   in response to: pixeyfae in response to: pixeyfae
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Well said Pix.... Yep I love to write and wish I could afford a professional editor. Lol, my wife does her best.
Being a borderline dyslexic, I make a ton of typos. I also have a hard time reading and understanding written words. But I get by...
I take some of the snide remarks of forum Trolls with a grain of salt.... As I mentioned I have hundreds of fans that have read every one of my nine books and love them (and a few haters ;-)

But I'm just confused my kindle books sure look the same as the one purchased kindle book I got from Amazon..... yet 2 people tell me there is a difference. And after reading the "how to book" I don't see it...... frustrating to say the least.
hawk318

Posts: 9
Registered: 06/15/12
Re: My Kindle format good enough....or not?
Posted: Jun 15, 2012 8:58 AM   in response to: 1001nightspress in response to: 1001nightspress
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Sorry, I should have said they/we chatted about it months ago before I decided to give Amazon a try.... I tried going back to find our chat, but its long gone.

As far as emailing any of my books they load/save to my "Kindle fro PC" instantly....
To be honest I really don't know how they DL to other devices....I just assumed they just instantly save to the personal Kindle library.
42rthomas

Posts: 1,398
Registered: 02/24/12
Re: My Kindle format good enough....or not?
Posted: Jun 15, 2012 10:25 AM   in response to: pixeyfae in response to: pixeyfae
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Please don't lump me in with those who routinely bash others on this forum. I generally don't respond to those threads.

If you notice I also said don't take it personally. That tells you it was not an attack on the OP but a comment on those who post "good enough" questions.

I also offered advice of downloading the SWd's guide as did another. If I was just a basher, I wouldn't have done that. Perhaps I didn't understand the intent of the original post; if so I'm sorry to hawk, but I think you took your reply a little too far.

You're entitled to your opinion, pix but the reply wasn't meant as you read it.

BT
42rthomas

Posts: 1,398
Registered: 02/24/12
Re: My Kindle format good enough....or not?
Posted: Jun 15, 2012 10:34 AM   in response to: hawk318 in response to: hawk318
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Actually hawk, it's a nice website. I missed the part about that so I went back in and looked at two different formats of World's Apart in case there was an issue between formats.

I didn't see anything on that book so there is likely not much of an issue.

Best success
potatoandbeans

Posts: 107
Registered: 06/07/12
Re: My Kindle format good enough....or not?
Posted: Jun 15, 2012 10:38 AM   in response to: pixeyfae in response to: pixeyfae
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clap
pixeyfae

Posts: 410
Registered: 01/16/12
Re: My Kindle format good enough....or not?
Posted: Jun 15, 2012 11:21 AM   in response to: potatoandbeans in response to: potatoandbeans
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First, Hawk, I looked at the first two books and the formatting looks okay to me. Admittedly kindle formatting can be fussy, and you may upload to find something’s gone awry when you view it in the previewer, but I wouldn’t hesitate to upload them as they are if it were me. If something looks off you don’t have to publish.

42rThomas- I truly apologize if I mistook your response. However, telling the OP “Don't half-*ss what you're putting out there. Get it right” seems unnecessary and awfully presumptuous of the OP’s intentions if you were only trying to be helpful - and in no way answered his question.

It was obvious to me he simply wanted a second opinion from someone with more experience. I never once felt he was trying to just slap up a poorly formatted book. In my experience people who don’t care about doing it right, don’t bother to ask.

But perhaps he shouldn’t take it personally. Perhaps everyone in this forum feels that everyone else is producing a substandard product and that’s just the normal knee jerk reaction to a question. I don’t know. But I do know it is the reason I will not be wasting anymore time on this forum.

Potato - I Adored HL’s joker J

Good luck Hawk.
hawk318

Posts: 9
Registered: 06/15/12
Re: My Kindle format good enough....or not?
Posted: Jun 15, 2012 11:46 AM   in response to: 42rthomas in response to: 42rthomas
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K, thanx 42... I couldn't see anything diff 'tween my Kindles made form Word and Kindle from Amazon, so I asked here just to see if anyone picked up something I didn't see.
hawk318

Posts: 9
Registered: 06/15/12
Re: My Kindle format good enough....or not?
Posted: Jun 15, 2012 11:52 AM   in response to: hawk318 in response to: hawk318
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Well now all I have to do is finish correcting the errors my wife finds, get the copyright.... Then guess I'll give Amazon/ Kindle a try.

Lol guess the real question is... Will people pay for my books now? Hopefully I've developed a loyal following through my other works ;-)
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