George Jackson, Author

The Next Step...

     Well, Saints be praised! My wife and I have each done our editing of the proof. It took us collectively almost two weeks. Today I went in and made the changes on the Word docx template and then converted to pdf file. Downloaded the pdf to CreateSpace and went through their reviewer again. Found that one of the logos (Chapter Two) of the maple sap buckets came back as less than 300dpi. But it had before and in the proof, there is no discernible difference. Also found one spot where the reviewer said the text had overflowed the text box. It did the same thing when I ordered the proof and it came out fine. There was also one place where a *** that separated scenes within a chapter was not centered. So, I got out of the reviewer, told it I was going back to make changes and went back to the Word document. Edited the one place and then converted to pdf again, which I then downloaded. 

     After waiting for the process to assimilate the new document, I went through the reviewer again just to check the page where the *** were. It was fine. Taking a deep breath I went on to the cover. Now, I had been working with a cover which was actually pretty good, but it had some flaws. One was the back page took fainter version of the cover image and used it as a background for the blurb for the book. It also had my author picture in the section where the blurb was and not in the smaller section for the author info. The type was also a bit smaller than I would like. So, I looked through the images of covers and came up with one that was simpler and better for what I wanted. The title and author fonts were bigger (and fonts I liked better...the font was name Simplicity...that's me!), and the back page had a solid color which made the type much easier to read. No author info, but an author picture. 'Sides the author info is on the last page of the book. That was no big deal. I kept the same front picture (the maple with old fashioned sap buckets) and color scheme. Very pale blue background (almost white), dark blue fonts.

     Then I saved it all and am waiting back for a message from CreateSpace. Then I'll order one more proof. I'm not going to carefully comb through the text this next time, I'll just be checking to make sure logos are centered, make sure there are no missing words/letters and checking out the new cover mostly. Then, if everything is cool...I'll go to the publishing section, which I obviously haven't been through yet.

     I'm still wide-eyed over the price, $20.18. That's the lowest CreateSpace would allow me to sell it for. Amazing what the prices are on self-published paperbacks. I look at the mass market produced paperbacks and shake my head. I can't compete. But the issue for me is I want my books in paperback form, not just in digital. To do that, for now, this is what I can do. It may change, but I have a long way to go transferring all The Falls small town mystery series and the Dragon World Series into paper and ink volumes. That will keep me busy, along with publishing the next Falls mystery, (15th) The Falls: Brotherly Love, and working on the 16th volume, The Falls: Boneyard.

     That, dear reader is where I'm at. I'll let you know how the second proof and the publishing process through CreateSpace progresses. May your day be filled with small pleasures and may the dragons watch over you all...