Re: Re: Steps of creating ebook ? Att: Brenna Lyons

Brenna,

That was the file I remembered, and I found it to be especially useful because of the fact that I use Word. Some of those hidden formatting codes, as well as the other junk, can drive a writer a little crazier than most of us already are. I think everyone will find something there of use.

Thanks a million,
Joe Prentis
 



----- Original Message ----
From: Brenna Lyons <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Mon, December 14, 2009 1:29:58 PM
Subject: Re: [ebook-community] Re: Steps of creating ebook ? Att: Brenna Lyons

On Sun, Dec 13, 2009 at 10:38 AM, Joe Prentis <joe_prentis-/[email protected]> wrote:

>
>
> Brenna,
>
> You once posted the procedure you used to format and flush the unwanted
> formatting codes from a manuscript. I think it was one of the most
> informative and helpful things I have read on the subject. If you still have
> the info where you can post it again without a lot of trouble, I think
> everyone will find it useful on this loop as well as some others.
>
> Joe Prentis
>

I think I know which one you mean, since I had different ones for different
purposes. I do the following to remove garbage code that pads the file size
and causes errors in conversion...

1. Turn off all autocorrect/autoformat functions. Turn off track changes.

2. Change all em dashes (and en dashes, since WORD seems to make this coding
error) to -- and all ellipses to three periods. Take out all special
characters, like copyright symbol, trademark symbol, foreign alphabet
letters, and so forth, and replace with the simplified TXT form for them
(i.e. (c) for copyright and TM for trademark). Don't worry. You'll get them
back later.

3. If you have any other special autoformats, like line separators, remove
them as well and leave a * * * or # type separator instead. Chances are, the
publisher or conversion won't like them anyway.

4. Save the file as filename_preformat or some other moniker that will let
you show it's a different file.

5. Save the file again as TXT. This will delete all noxious code, but it
will also remove formatting.

6. Open the preformat.RTF or preformat.DOC in another pane, so you can use
this one to regain your formatting in the TXT file.

7. If you are sending a portion of a novel or a short story as an in-line
e-mail or in a form, take the portion you have to use and do the following.
If not, skip to step 8.
    a. Make sure you have no curly quotes left. You should have already
lost them, but WORD sometimes screws up. So do a find/replace on them now to
make sure they are all gone.
    b. Place a blank space between each paragraph (for using forms, because
many forms do not allow you to put in leading spaces on paragraphs) or add 5
leading spaces on each paragraph. Since you want this to work in TXT, do not
add coding to tab in or format in an indent!
    c. Use find feature on the preformat.FTF/DOC file to find your italics
or underlining. In the TXT version, put * before and after the portion that
should be italicized OR _ before and after what should be underlined.
    d. Copy and paste this sanitized version into the TXT e-mail, and you
shouldn't have errors on the other side, no matter how they view it. It's a
pain, but it works!

8. If you are further submitting or publishing the file, as a whole, you
should turn it back to RTF or DOC. Most of my publishers prefer/require DOC,
so let's assume it will be DOC for this discussion. When turning it back,
rename it again. I typically use something like filename_clean.DOC or
filename_scrubbed.DOC, but use whatever you will recognize.

9. Put your formatting back in with all the tracking and auto features
turned OFF. Use the opened preformat file to find italics or underlining.
Use the find feature to find separators and things like "chapter,"
"epilogue," "prologue," "author bio," etc. that may need special formatting
like centering on the page. Also, change fonts, if you need a particular one
for submitting.

10. Use the preformat page to put the special characters back in. Some older
conversion types need those replaced (item by item) with the HTML coding for
them, but most can handle them straight from WORD these days. I know
Fictionwise had a problem with it...oh, five years or so ago. Very nasty
formatting for that conversion, back then.

11. Reduce the size to 75% or so, which allows you to see several pages at
once, to do a final check on formatting, across the entire file, one page
comparing to another. Correct as needed.

12. Rename the file one last time with something that let's you know it's
the final formatted scrubbed version. Anytime you have to do tweaks for
submissions on that file, make sure to turn off all auto and track programs
first, and your file should be lean and mean and without all the garbage
code.

Brenna
-- 
http://www.brennalyons.com http://www.myspace.com/brennalyons
"I found the world Ms. Lyons created to be realistic. Both main characters
had humanistic characteristics but also the genetic makeup of their Xxanian
ancestors as well. I blushed more than once, that’s for sure. CLOSE ENOUGH
TO HUMAN was an exceptional read." Reviewed by Natasha Smith for Romance
Junkies 4.5 Ribbons


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



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