Going Nuclear

Today I start the formatting stage for Endangered Memories. Seeing how the paperback version takes significantly longer to create because of proof ordering, mailing times, and the process scrutinizing the book for formatting errors, I've made the decision to release the ebook version of the novel first, hopefully in the later part of next week.

With the formatting stage for the ebook version upon me, there comes with it a process called "nuking the manuscript." I first read about this approach in the Smashwords Style Guide, and have employed it with every ebook I format. Essentially nuking a manuscript is the process of copying your entire novel out of Microsoft Word, pasting it in Notepad, and then recopying it back into a fresh Microsoft Word file. This is to strip the manuscript of all formatting blunders and/or corruption that Word might have in it.

The big pain that goes along with nuking a manuscript is that I have to go back in and redo all of my formatting, including italics, bold, spacing and the like. It's a bit of a tedious process, but it really pays off in the end because it almost guarantees the file will turn out error-free when published on the Kindle, Nook or Smashwords.

There's no better way to spend a Friday afternoon than to bomb a manuscript. Fun stuff!

R.I.P. Dell Inspiron 1501

If any of you have been wondering where I've been for the last week or so, wonder no more. My laptop - the main computer I do most of my work on - took its last breathe and completely died on me. Blown video card from what I'm told. I've had the computer for 3-4 years now, and when I purchased it, it was a refurbished model to begin with. But, she's been a good computer and will always remain in my memory.

Luckily - and most importantly - the hard drive was able to be salvaged. Most of last week was spent getting my email and files back up and running on an old Compaq Presario R3000 that friends of mine gave me. The system works great for what I need to get done, and I am more than grateful for their generosity.

With that frustratingly horrible ordeal behind me, I'm off to try and have a productive week. The cover art for Endangered Memories is guaranteed to be finished by this Saturday. I've gotten a beta read of the book back from one of my biggest fans and received a slew of positive comments about it. I also finished reading the book to my wife and am now working through the final edits. I'll be spending most of the later half of the week and the weekend working on the formatting for the ebook version which I hope - and will be striving very hard - to release sometime late next week. Paperback will be released shortly thereafter.

Well, I have a load of work to do, so I'm off to do it. Just wanted to say I'm back and I hope to see you all on the other side of a productive and hopeful week.