I wasn’t expecting a bombshell yesterday, but that’s what I got.
Why is it that every time I think I am getting somewhere, something always happens to smack me upside the head?
This year I have been busy upgrading our books. New covers and blurbs and a thorough pass through Grammarly when it occurred to me that I needed to upgrade the print books on our bookshelf too. So I bought a paperback copy of my first book, Nine Lives. This is something I always used to do as proof positive that our books are as good as I can make them. Good to see them in print anyway.
It arrived yesterday morning, and it looks awful. I was so disappointed. The formatting is all wrong. The text is squashed on the page, and the margins are practically non-existent. Add to this, there are many blank pages.
Now, I know how to format a paperback book and haven’t changed the system I use, so these errors must be down to Amazon.
After nearly losing my mind and my temper, shortly followed by the overwhelming desire to run away and become a nun. All that work for nothing; did I really want to start all over again?
My first question was, if I cannot trust my old method any more, how am I supposed to get it right?
I wondered about Scrivener. They format your books, but I haven’t been able to learn enough about it. And Lord knows I have tried!
Funnily enough, and I’m not laughing, not inside, but just for a laugh, I read Amazon’s guidelines. They were the same as I remembered and how I always formatted our books. So what the dickens was going on?
So, I now have a new list. All I have to do now is find a truckload of patience to go with it…
Wish me Luck!
Oye! What a nightmare. I can’t offer any cures as I detest formatting and always hire that part out. Ask around, many authors are pros at this, and have a look at the Kindlepreneur’s page, always full of help on every subject. <3
After the disappointment (and the temper) settled down, I am making headway with whatever went wrong. Back on track, I hope!
Godspeed! 🙂 xx
💕💕
Drat. If you get this comment twice, it’s the cat’s fault. He just walked all over the keyboard. Ah well. What I was going to say was commiserations. I feel your pain. 🙁
It wasn’t pleasant, but informative, Meeks. Maybe I rushed something, or getting just a little complacent these days? Moving swiftly on…
Getting the formatting right is always tricky. That said, I wonder if maybe KDP itself changed something? I assume you’ve got it fixed now?
I have been through everything with a fine toothed comb, Meeks. Not sure I found whose fault it was, but seems all right now, fingers crossed!
Oh that’s good. I’ll add my fingers and toes too. 😀
I sent for a copy of my hopefully amended book, and it should arrive today. Then I will know if I have it right…
Oh! I hope it turns out to be exactly as you want it to be. Good luck. 🙂
It had better be, Meeks… 📚
😀
Took a whole week off work to get my second book amazon ready….step by step tutorials got me there eventually but must have submitted it half a,dozen times….
Good luck!
and it used to be so easy… or is my memory failing too?
Good luck! I totally understand how frustrating this is!
Thanks Susi… all part of the learning curve I guess… XX
Indeed! 🙂
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Double bugger! 🙁 … I think every writer here feels your pain. Goos luck, and big hugs from me too. 🙂
I appreciate the hugs, Widds… feeling ever so slightly stupid right now…
Wishing you the best with this task.
A stubborn streak and determination will see me through, Dan… I hope!
I can only imagine what an awful, soul-sinking feeling that must have given you to see that. I’m sending you so much hugs you won’t know what to do with them all.
Oh yes I will! And very grateful I am too…
That’s very strange. Presumably the file you sent them was approved before the book went live? I made some small corrections to one of my books a few years ago. Amazon was incredibly fussy about the margins and kept flagging errors until I adjusted the margin sizes.
Have a look at your document and if it looks find, re-submit it and see what the Amazon quality checking bots tell you.
That’s pretty much what I have decided to do, Audrey. I gave that new Atticus a thought to help with the formatting, but it’s a bit expensive…
Hi,
Who said becoming a nun shields one from bombshells?
Happy you’re back. Paul
Great to be back, Paul…
Oh, dear. Always something. Sending hugs.
Afraid so, Darlene… hugs are always welcome… 💕
How dreadful. And Amazon is almost impossible to speak to. If you followed their guidelines, they should sort it. But when did ‘ought to’ apply to Amazon?
That doesn’t seem to apply to anything these days, Vivienne
True enough.