Justification.

That's a rubber band stretched down the side to check indents...

by Louis Bertrand Shalako

c2010

All Rights Reserved


I am starting off the year with a little bit of back pain, and the sort of fuzzy, nagging headache that goes on for days or even longer.

No, I am not hung over from New Year's celebrations as I did not drink. I paid off my credit card last month, and thus will be going completely without money for forty long, dark and cold days and nights.

But it's all in a good cause, namely and to wit, balancing the massive provincial deficit on the backs of the most vulnerable people in the nation. And a little justification goes a long way, which is one reason I'm always so rude to the government. 'I feel your pain.' And I sure wouldn't want you to have no justification.

So anyway, I have the right hand margins of 'The Case of the Curious Killers' er; 'justified,' as it were, and of course now the left indents have gone all kooky. I've noted this sort of thing before, when working with an old file that has been through three or four random computer crashes and the changes from Word '93, Word 97, Word 2003, .doc to .docx. It is 'the usual thing.'

Now I am engaged in the painstaking and painsgiving process of combing the work one line at a time. Each of the indents must be as precise as I can make it, for we are all aware that as a writer I will be judged by the typesetting, among other things.

Other artists will tell you, it is extremely unwise to have your work condemned by those who refuse to read it...

For the record, I took an old 'smashfile,' although perhaps not the most current and upt to date one; and saved it as a .txt file. Then I imported or pasted it in to the Open Office program. But more experience editors have noted problems with right margin justification in the past, and Microsoft Word was specifically mentioned.

There is no end matter at the far end of the book. There will be a blurb just inside the front cover. I still need to do the cover design again, for the e-books had no real outer back cover.

I should throw another couple of blank pages in there and dedicate it to my mom.

Other than that, it is just a matter of finding the time to work on it. I only checked about thirteen pges today, and now I really need to get out of this chair.

The End of the Matter.

--the initial layout of 'The Case of the Curious Killers.' Page one, chapter one.


by Louis Bertrand Shalako

c2010

All Rights Reserved


This morning I started formatting my file for Publishing On Demand at Lulu.com, and perhaps other platforms. The Open Office 3.2 program seemed easy enough at first, and after a previous experience, where it literally took eight to ten hours to learn how to format book page numbers using Word, to properly number the pages in two hours seemed good. The left page has the number on the left bottom corner and the right page has the number in the right bottom corner. (In or on?)

The program is Open Office 3.2, a free download. The problem arises when I think that I need to have 'end matter' at the 'end' of the book. I guess I could simply have, 'The End,' and that's fine--but only if the very next page is the inside rear cover of the book, which is never the case in a real book.

The problem is a simple one. I want to end the text, on page 464. Then I want two blank pages, and a short bio, a pic and a URL. Then I need another blank page, (the 'reverse' of that one,) and then and only then should we be looking at the inner back cover. (Arguably there are books with many blanks front and rear, but I'm keeping it simple.)

I have several pages not numbered in the front of the book, 464 pages of text, and then for whatever reason I cannot start a new section with no numbers.

The help pages do not seem to cover this issue, although there are a number of ways to do the first section.

For some reason I seem to recall that Lulu or Wordclay or somebody out there 'inserts an appropriate number of blank pages' in order to make up the proper printing format. (I'm not sure if that's the right word, but a sheet of paper cannot be sliced in half thin-wise and have 'no page' on the other side...right?)

A blank sheet is two blank pages...right?

The simple solution may be to simply write, 'The End,' and then that is in fact the last page. Honestly, if I can find that reference to 'inserting blank end matter pages,' at Lulu or somewhere, then I can put my picture on the back. But the back should have a 200-word blurb describing the book and its characters. With an ISBN, a barcode, a URL and my picture, it gets a little crowded. (I would be more than happy to sacrifice the picture, but this is 2011.)

In some books, there is an author blurb just inside the book, on the first page.

(Asimov, 'The Martian Way,' Grafton Books, 1965, as well as Dick Francis, 'The Danger,' Pan, 1983.)

Maybe I could try formatting for a new section using the old i, ii, iii, sort of numbering, but it still isn't right. That belongs in a more academic sort of work.

It is possible to try Adobe Digital Editions, and learn how to embed fonts. It's just more time, right? The problem is if I run into a snag with that one as well.

Maybe I'm making a big thing out of nothing, but it seems important.

Sorry, I almost forgot. I'm still looking for a rear cover image. Stars, or something, maybe some ringed planet or something.

'Whatever.'

POD File. (For Dummies.)

This book has nine-point text, a Mentor edition of 'The Odyssey' in a pocketbook sized paperback.


by Louis Bertrand Shalako

c2010

All Rights Reserved


So far the POD file for 'The Case of the Curious Killers' is going fairly well. A minor point, but I didn't grab the most up to date file. But I would have gone through it anyway, a quick re-write won't hurt the thing.

It is tempting to open up the margins a little more. One 4x7 I have here has a .25 inner margin and about .375 outer. But with this template both measurements have to be the same, because of the left-hand/right-hand page thing. They have to match in a mirror-like image sort of a way. That's my interpretation, but I will check and fool around with it.

Otherwise the left page has a big gutter and the right page a small one, is what I'm saying. At Smashwords, for formatting we are advised to keep it simple, no more than two types and sizes of font, stuff like that. Nothing over 16-point, etc. But those were all e-books. This is a little different.

I haven't run across anything like that on Lulu, but they do stress embedding your fonts to make the printable Pdf. There are instructions for OpenOffice on how to do that. (Editor's Note: He is talking about making Pdf's in Adobe Digital Editions.)

Right. I was confused, but I'm all right now...

Ten-point looks fine for the text, and it again looks like about 427 pages. The 741-page figure I got the other day was clearly wrong, but I still don't know what happened there. I'm paying attention to the proper number of blank sheets. Page numbering should not be a problem...okay, it's not immediately obvious, but I can try it as a .doc file in Word and import it again...maybe.

In other words, I'm taking my time and thinking it out as best I can. Realistically, I probably will have to go through a couple of proofs, maybe more.

I could upload a file and pay someone $300.00, allegedly. I would be waiting a lot longer, on my income. This way I learn how to do it for myself. The postal delays will be the worst thing--it's almost inevitable that we discover some little thing in the file before we even get a copy by mail.

In Like Flynn.

by Louis Bertrand Shalako

c2010

All Rights Reserved


Today I spent some time familiarizing myself with OpenOffice 3.2.0 and made a couple of test files. The last one has a size of 4.25 X 6.875" and that one looks okay.

The first few times I tried to set the password on Goodreads, the link was broken right in the middle and that ain't going to work, but we got her fixed. Now we are good to go. At this point, we have uploaded our four e-books into the system, and cover images and stuff like that will be available later tonight. (If not already.)

We were interested to see that the data came from Barnes and Noble--in Goodreads, if you become interested in their author program, you can search your titles right there. Just type them in, it's a bibliophile website after all.

We are indeed in Barnes & Noble with 'Paranoid Cat and other tales,' for sure. B & N sells the Nook reader, as I recall. The other books must be there or will soon appear there.

It would seem that taking a look at our Smashwords Distribution Channel Manager was a good thing to do once in a while, and clicking on that 'ISBN' thingy might not have been a mistake--there is some controversy as to whether e-books should have a separate and distinct ISBN for every variation of format, i.e. an ISBN for your txt, your PDF, your Epubs...I make no comment, but you have to respect the retailer's requirements or you just ain't getting in. Did I say ain't?

'I'm just some boy who grew up in a holler.' (Chuck Yeager.)

There was someone else...oh, yes. I had better check to see if we're in Diesel.

So tomorrow we start the POD file for a Lulu of a edition of 'The Case of the Curious Killers,' which I guess you could say is coming soon in paperback to a fine online bookstore near you.

Over the course of December I really haven't written much. I haven't submitted very many stories. But if I managed to nail another four to six outlets for my books, then I'm doing okay.

We are 'In Like Flynn.'

With time and a little luck, 'Case' might even be sitting on a shelf in a 'real' bookstore, sooner than even I might think.

New Things, New Ideas. New Challenges.

by Louis Bertrand Shalako

c2010

All Rights Reserved


Our basic premise is cross-linking multiple platforms in social networking.

After joining Goodreads many months ago, I kind of forgot about it. I had no idea of what it was for, and for a number of reasons I don't actually read a lot of new releases. At the time, I was busy editing stuff.

So when I went back, I couldn't get in. It turns out I have 37 friends there! But I was accepting requests in my e-mail box, and reading a blog post by Angel McCoy once in a while.

Today I managed to hack my way back in, change the password, and begin the process of getting the 'author profile,' and hopefully some cover images in there.

Last night I successfully downloaded OpenOffice 3.2.0 or whatever, and it is a clean, safe download. It installed correctly. It seems to work fine, and the overall impression is one of speed--this thing is quick. I've got one file in there now, and no doubt there is some time-consuming learning curve.

Theoretically, I will have a POD version of 'The Case of the Curious Killers,' up on Lulu, Wordclay, and who knows, maybe CreateSpace within about two months. Yeah, I thought it out.

In order to stand up in front of a roomful of people and talk about my work, it would be helpful to have something to hold in my hand. Something I can let the people hold in their hand, to see the quality of the thing, and to feel the tactile allure of a brand-new book. At fifteen, or even twenty bucks, the thing is not too out of hand price-wise, and this gives me the opportunity to direct people to the website, the Amazon Kindle versions, the e-books, which are probably more profitable anyway.

For that price, I will definitely sign it for you.

I have read poems, and a few very short things in front of an 'audience,' and always read some story or other at writer's group meeetings, etc. The biggest crowd was about twenty-eight people. In some way, I know I can do it. That part is just a 'performance.' I may be a little more wooden one-on-one, but I have plenty to talk about and they will probably ask pretty general questions. I have a good voice and stuff like that, and at a height of 6'5" people kind of look up to me.

That cover for 'Heaven Is Too Far Away' needs to be re-done. My 'paint' program, another free download, should fix that, it's just a a matter of finding the time. Searching images is almost maddening...it really is.

So far I use the Twitter account very little to talk, but I listen well. I look for data and intelligence about the marketplace and what it is thinking. Every so often I grab one and share it on Facebook.

I suppose I understand the basic principles of social networking and cross-linking, multi platforms and multi formats. Too see how it all interrelates, and mutually supports itself...learning how to use it...that all takes time.

The Dreaded Three-Page Synopsis.

by Louis Bertrand Shalako

c2010

All Rights Reserved


'The Case of the Curious Killers.'

When a recently divorced Brendan Hartle sells up and moves to Toronto, he has no idea what a cosmic sea-change his life is about to take. Working as a security guard, first at a mall, then on a strike, he has the sense of waiting for something. Working an overtime shift, when he finds an unlocked door on an aircraft hangar; he goes in and finds a very efficient-looking spacecraft in there. He just can’t help himself—he has to look inside.

A simulacrum, a kind of mechanically-projected persona; invites him to take a little trip to the stars: it seems he’s mentioned by name in some ancient prophecy. While poo-pooing the actual Prophecy, the Empire feels he may be useful as a public relations or propaganda exercise. They also want to see what he can do.

Whether he’s learning to fly an advanced Imperial Scout vessel, flirting with a Princess; or caught up in the music of the Deadly Dancers; Brendan keeps an open mind to all he sees around him. His skepticism keeps him sane, his basic aggression keeps him alive long enough to solve the mystery.

He really is a kind of revelation to the Centralian Empire. He chases pirates and dukes it out with jealous suitors. He ambushes and blows away the hit men sent to kill him, escapes from every trap except one: the trap of love. In the end he falls in love with an alien slave girl; finding her vulnerability during the moulting process irresistible.

Together, they represent the start of a whole new race of men, and the book winds up with the two of them together, she’s pregnant, and they decide to call the child 'Star Seed.'

Perhaps less ambitious than previous works, the book is action-packed, the pace is good, and the people are real. The dialogue rips with wit and satire, the characters have clear motivations, and the whole thing is just a heck of a lot of fun.

It is entertainment, and excellent value for the money. The book is not overloaded with science, quirks and quarks and splitting hairs. It’s fun, pure and simple. The economical style of writing hearkens back to Amazing Stories of the 1930’s, where the focus is on action, character, setting, and imagination.

Author's Note: I hate the dreaded three-page synopsis, and quite frankly I try to squeeze it into one page single spaced. The only thing I can add would be the characters' names and that the science that is there is either accurate or a clear parody of something 'real.'

Basically, the guy is Brendan Hartle, the girl is 'Layla,' and the simulacrum is 'Sim.' There are probably thirty, maybe forty named characters, many of them aliens, in the book. In terms of parody, the crustaceans and avians are fun to work with.

(Remind me to learn how to write a synopsis. And a query.)

The Dreaded Three-Page Synopsis.

New Year's Revolutions.

by Louis Bertrand Shalako

c2010

All Rights Reserved


Here are a few New Year's, er; 'revolutions.'

I would like to better understand the systems at my disposal. I clicked on the wrong thing and now all of a sudden I'm getting ISBN notifications...what the?

I need to spend one more minute on a submission and not miss that one little thing.

I need to read a book once in a while!

I need a place to live. Some secret lair from whence I could direct the revolution...

I need to let a story sit for about a week, and study it some more.

I need to write at least one more novel this year and one fairly long short story per week.

I need to get out of here once in a while. Seriously, locking yourself in the basement for a year is not good, no matter what the goal or reason.

I must get dad into an old age home by hook or by crook.

I need to get rid of nineteen tonnes of junk and somehow keep that piece of shit car on the road...

I wouldn't mind a girlfriend, as long as she doesn't make a pest of herself.

I should try not to be such a grumpy old bastard. Honestly, I'm really not that old.

I got to find some hope, or some optimism, or something somewhere.

I don't want to leap into things impulsively, or desperately.

Other than that, I don't know what to say. I probably missed a few things.

The Mystery Shopper.

by Louis Bertrand Shalako

c2010

All Rights Reserved


Today I was the Mystery Shopper. It was kind of fun.

I went to The Book Keeper in Sarnia's Northgate Shopping Plaza and checked out the competition, or at least some of it.

I saw Tor Books science fiction paperbacks going for $9.99 and I saw another imprint going for a low of $8.99. There were some other books there going for $12.99, these were the 5x8s as opposed to the 4x7s.

The big shocker was Lee Childs' 'Die Trying,' a thriller going for $18.99 in paperback.

Honestly, I guess I had some idea of what to expect, because I have 'Kite Runner,' by Khaled Hoseini, a #1 NY TImes bestseller, (paperback,) and the price on the back says $14.00.

That one says 'June 2003' inside. But this all puts the $15.00 Martin Renaud was selling his graphic trilogy for per volume into perspective. I was also a bit stunned by the calculator figures from Lulu and WordClay. Those came in about $13.00 for 'The Case of the Curious Killers.'

So my business plan progresses with each new piece of knowledge. If I can make a nice proof copy and sell my books POD, then I can certainly make a file that would print well and make a good bookstore-quality product.

The Book Keeper is independently owned, and lots of local authors have gotten in there. In some ways, it's just a matter of finding the confidence.

Over the years, I have become quite good at scraping the bottom of a barrel.

I might need to do a little more research, but I know I can do this. And Martin got his books into a few Coles as well...hmn.

Reading and Research. Experimentation.

4 X 7 template on screen

by Louis Bertrand Shalako

c2010

All Rights Reserved


Reading and research are important. Before I go ahead with POD publishing I want to know as much about it as I possibly can. I have located templates for word documents and have been experimenting with a 4x7" template. (Google 'templates Instant Publisher.')

It seems to work fine, as long you paste .txt into it--a .doc brings its own formatting and size with it, apparently.

The initial impression is that I have to use 8-point or it looks like a kid's book.

The really big question is how it will look. What will the final product be? I wish I could visualize it for myself, rather than taking chances with my time and money.

The letters in the pocketbook I am using for reference are certainly less than one-eighth of an inch.

I went into the Wordclay site, which is another free POD publisher. This is a site where you can learn a few things and watch small slide presentations, (two to five slides, only five pages,) and I didn't have to sign up. What struck me is that there appeared to be only three sizes available, the closest to what I want being 5x8.

Ultimately, I don't want a 5x8, however, other reading indicated that some sizes are shall we say, 'more easily profitable in very small print runs.'

That is indeed a consideration: with Lulu or Wordclay, or any other POD/free publisher, you can never really get a discount for volume, as long as customers are essentially ordering one book at a time. I can't honestly say I've read everything in there, but the Terms of Service are long and tedious...but similar to others I have read.

In order to get a discount, you have to order so many books. A cost/price of $10.00 per book drops significantly when you order a hundred or a thousand. Okay, that's obvious. But apparently the 5x8 is more popular...with the publisher? And those guys don't care what's on the page. They're selling ink and paper, in the final analysis.

That ink and paper must have some mark-up, or why do it?

The problems of being an author are entirely my own.

So now I have to calculate the odds of ever placing a big order, and what impression both I and the customer would get from a funny sized book. At a mark-up of a dollar a book, am I really doing this for money?

That 4x7 template works out to 731 pages, so there is something funny going on there too. The story is 104,000 words, as I recall. It's better not to just wing it. I am at least learning what questions to ask.

But that can't be a 731-page book. It can't be.

Pulp Fiction. For Real.

Common sizes.

'Hondo,' by Louis L'Amour,
is a pocketbook.






by Louis Bertrand Shalako

c2010

All Rights Reserved



Time for another scatter-brained post. What I have been doing is researching POD at Lulu.com.

I've made a pdf in a 5x7" format, for example. This has big wide margins all around and the information from Lulu says they 'scale it down' to 75%. They offer a free downloadable template, for both the cover and the manuscript.

This is fine, but the template wouldn't open on my desktop and it took all day and a lot of reading before I stumbled across another post where the author mentions his own template is for OpenOffice.org.

A little light went off in my head, as Lulu also points the way to OpenOffice software in their help pages...so it looks, maybe, by a process of pure and irrational deduction, that I need to download the 76-meg file from them. (2.0.0 minimum noted by Lulu.)

And maybe, just maybe I will get the answers I need. It's a matter of comfort zone, important enough to any control freak.

But in the paperback by Thomas Harris, 'Hannibal,' the left margin 'gutter?' is about 3/8 of an inch and the outer margin about 1/4", maybe a little more.

So what I need to do is format a new pdf, from a .doc file, built up in the 4.25 x 6.875 inch size, with appropriate margins at left, right, top and bottom.

I will take pains to include the proper number of blank pages, and in some small idiosyncratic way, minimal but tasteful end matter.

My great dream in life is to produce the finest in pulp fiction that I possibly can.

At Lulu, in order to publish a book for sale, the author must purchase a 'proof copy.' My initial calculation shows a 427-page book in this class will run about $13.04, although at this point I have no idea of whether that is my cost or what? Or what? You sort of have to sort of er; fudge your way around inside any of these websites to learn what's going on. I could 'publish' what I have in a heartbeat.

Let's assume that I am either distitute of any cash whatsoever, or a cheap prick.

Either way, wouldn't it be nice to simply nail it the first time around? Rather than fixing this, and that, and the other thing, and end up with twenty bogus, unsellable copies of the book laying around?

One of my big questions in this size of book is the margin and font size. My first impression in a .doc was that it looked like a children's book, due to the big size and few words on the page!

But I will work that out as I go along.

Anyway, that's one of my goals for 2011. I want to publish, 'The Case of the Curious Killers,' as a POD somewhere, using my micropublishing business model.

Notes. I printed out a re-sized B & W of the cover, which startled me until I remembered that I now have this little wide-screen monitor, which stretches tthings wider. Comparing it to an actual paperback in the same size shows that the text is a little too close to the edge of the book.

The jargon is important, otherwise you don't really know what you are talking about. That seems clear enough.