The Dark Corner of the Mind: November 2011

Print Preview: Formatting for CreateSpace 1. Page Size and Margins

(Note: This walkthrough will be done in Word 2007 only. If you have another version, you may be able to find the corresponding menus and still follow these steps.)

Page Size

1. Go here to see a list of page sizes available for CreateSpace and choose one. (You might want to take a ruler and see how these compare with the books on your shelf.)
2. Open your Word Document and save it as [Title] - Formatted or whatever you wish. (Always keep this document separate from your manuscript.)

Your page should look like this:

3. Open the "Page Layout" menu.
4. Under "Size", select "More Paper Sizes".

5. Enter your desired paper size, chosen from the list back in step 1. (My Australian system defaults to cm, so I just type in "[x] in" and the system automatically changes the length (in) to the cm equivalent.)
I've chosen the 5x8 inches option.

It should now look like this:

Margins

1. Go here and read the useful information about margins. From the table on the right of that page, select the best margin for your book. (Since my book is more than 151 pages and less than 400, I'll be using ".75 in" margins all around, just to keep it simple.)
2. Select "Page Layout" > "Margins" > "Custom Margins"

If later on you find you don't like how the margins look with the text, you can change them. Try to keep within Amazon's specifications, though.
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The next post will involve front matter and section breaks.

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Print Preview: Formatting for CreateSpace A Step-by-Step Guide

The aim with this series of posts will be to provide you all with a step-by-step guide for how to get from this:

to something like this:

I used this as a guide, but it took a lot of fiddling around to work it out. Go ahead and jump straight into Jenyfer Matthews's guide if you want to get into the nitty gritty right now. Otherwise, I'll be showing you the step-by-step process I followed that resulted in the above.

The series will include:
- Margins
- Front matter
- Section breaks
- Page numbers
- Headers
- Font choice
- Dropped caps

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Habitual November: Day 8

I've been gone for a while. From this blog, I mean. Yes, I've had some trouble writing the last few days. Five, to be exact. I should have jumped back on the ball after the first day I missed, but I kept getting distracted. Not by anything important, just stuff that's easier than writing.

"I hate writing. I love having written." -- Dorothy Parker

While I do love the actual construction of sentences and all that micro stuff, it is an intense and generally slow-going process for me, and it's certainly not easy.

Today I wanted to make up for the days I've missed. I'm sure it's okay to do this once in a while, but I don't want to get into the habit of writing big chunks sporadically. That's just not productive for me.

For this next bit I'll let the graph do the talking.

What was one of the things I did instead of writing?

I also made one of the pieces for my Aundes Aura sountrack available here at Amazon for 89c.

But enough of that. I wrote nearly 600 words today and I intend to write another 200+ tomorrow. I'm so close to the benchmark!
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Expect some posts on formatting your print book for CreateSpace in the next week or two under the heading Print Preview.

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Habitual November: Day 3

When school returned for the last half of October, I lost it. Writing fell to the wayside once more. School's tiring, and it always seems to have this effect on me. Well, not anymore. You know why?

NO MORE SCHOOL.

I'll savour this feeling while it lasts. I have a few exams left, but they're nothing.

This couldn't have come at a better time for my writing. I'm on the cusp of hitting 60,000 words, which I've now decided is my bare minimum goal. I'm really shooting for the end now. It's not exactly in sight; I have many grand events clouding the way. But those events are clear to me. The path is laid out and now I just have to follow it.

The beginning of each new month repeatedly gives me new resolve. I consciously think: it's the 1st tomorrow -- I can start writing again! I don't know why this makes it easier, but at least I can rely on it. The only catch is that I need to make the effort.

The writing's going well so far. I've written all three days. I could show the graph but I'll just tell you, I'm above the line.

Good luck and good speed to all the NoNoers. The least I can do to support you is to attack my own measley daily goals.

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