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Last Post:
Jul 19, 2008 11:56 PM
by: jstallent
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6/11/08
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Formatting page headers, text break icons, blank pages and spaces, type
Posted:
Jun 16, 2008 7:09 AM
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I'm formatting my 800-page novel, Brazil, for Kindle...I'd welcome any guidance on the following questions. I've the print version converted from PDF to Word doc., which I have saved to html and successfully posted as a draft. I've downloaded from Kindle for tidying up.
1) I'm deleting page numbers, irrelevant to Kindle. How does one format page headers? The novel is divided into eight books, each with its own running heads. Example:
Left Page = Book title = "Brazil"
Right Page = Section Header = "Book Two (*bullet) June 1559-September 1583 The Jesuit"
The Right Page header is on two lines, which I'm backspacing to a single line. OK?
Deleting the page number leaves an empty section break (continuous). Do I need to delete this section break?
2) Within chapters, major blocks of narrative are broken up by special symbols. Kindle doesn't convert these but drops in a numeral "1". Does one have to insert a symbol "image" via html editor? I've dozens of these graphic symbols.
3) I've deleted blank pages, front and rear. Kindle appears to leave spaces on last pages at end of "Book" and "Chapter" sections. Since Kindle does it's own auto pagination, do I delete these spaces?
I'm reformatting the "Book" headings, which have a page to themselves in print. Each book is divided into chapters by time period, e.g. above "Book Two * June 1559 - September 1583".. I'm adding each "Book" Title to the chapter heads, instead of stand alone page.
Finally, a type-size question. I know Kindle "e-book" typeface basics but wonder whether fact that my book has an unusually small typeface makes any difference. Original Simon and Schuster edition was 1,000 pages, which with edits plus using a 6.5 point type, my new publisher pared down to 800 pages. I've had some readers mutter about the typeface.
Kindle also comes in at 800 pages. Reader can increase the size, but will the original appearance look very small?
Thanks in advance,
Errol Lincoln Uys
http://www.erroluys.com
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Posts:
1,306
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12/31/69
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Re: Formatting page headers, text break icons, blank pages and spaces, type
Posted:
Jun 16, 2008 11:36 AM
in response to: erroluys2
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1. Headers are page-specific content. They will not show up correctly on Kindle, as the size of the page can shift and change depending on the font size chosen by the reader.
2. Please make sure all symbols you use exist in the ISO-8859-1 (Latin-1) character set.
3. Delete all extra spaces.
All content in your DTP book will use the standard Kindle font at the default size, unless otherwise specified.
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Posts:
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7/19/08
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Re: Formatting page headers, text break icons, blank pages and spaces, type
Posted:
Jul 19, 2008 8:23 PM
in response to: dtpadmin
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dptadmin wrote, "1. Headers are page-specific content. They will not show up correctly on Kindle, as the size of the page can shift and change depending on the font size chosen by the reader."
So you are recommending that all header material be deleted, even if it seems to show up properly in the saved html file?
Do you also recommend deleting page numbers?
And dpt wrote, "3. Delete all extra spaces."
Are you referring here to any blank pages left between chapters/sections? What about the blank spaces below the last line of a chapter that normally would face onto a new page with a new chapter beginning?
Once a copy is uploaded for preview, can we be confident that if it looks fine in the preview mode that it will look the same way to someone holding a Kindle in their hands?
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Posts:
126
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12/13/07
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Re: Formatting page headers, text break icons, blank pages and spaces, type
Posted:
Jul 19, 2008 11:43 PM
in response to: cantiloper
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cantiloper: Page headers (a.k.a. breadcrumbs) are not necessary in the Kindle because the device itself adds a header to each page. (For an example, see the "Kindle Formatting Test Book -- Joshua Tallent" header on this image: http://kindleformatting.com/images/samples/headings1.JPG). If you have header information in your book it will be treated as regular book content and will be shifted with the rest of the content when the user changes their text size. As a result it is best to remove breadcrumbs.
Page numbers are not useful to the user in most instances and can end up breaking up the text and getting in the way of reading. The main case where an eBook version of a hardcopy will benefit from page numbers is when you are including an index. However, in that case you can make the page numbers invisible to the user and still give them the benefit of linking to the "pages" cited in the index.
Extra spaces should not be used to create an artificial page break above or below chapter headings, or anywhere else, for that matter. The re-flowing and re-sizing of text makes using empty paragraphs a hit-or-miss approach to book layout. The mbp:pagebreak tag can be used for breaking to a new screen ("page"), and margins can be applied to give some spacing.
If you have more questions or need help with your formatting, please feel free to drop me a line.
Joshua Tallent
http://kindleformatting.com
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Posts:
126
Registered:
12/13/07
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Re: Formatting page headers, text break icons, blank pages and spaces, type
Posted:
Jul 19, 2008 11:56 PM
in response to: erroluys2
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erroluys2: I guess some of this has been addressed by the admin, but I will put in my 2 cents worth.
1.) See my response above regarding page headings (breadcrumbs). Your page headings should all be removed from the book since the Kindle adds its own and the re-flowing of text will make your breadcrumbs irrelevant and intrusive.
You should remove all of the section breaks that are inserted by Word. These are just bloat that the Kindle will inevitably mess up. To insert page breaks (what I like to call "screen breaks") use the mbp:pagebreak tag.
2.) The symbols will need to be replaced with an image. You can do that by taking a screenshot from your PDF and editing it with a program like Photoshop, MS Paint, or the GIMP (free).
3.) Yes, you should delete these extra spaces since they could affect the re-flowing of text.
It is totally acceptable to keep the book headings on a different page than the chapter headings. That can actually look really nice if done well.
As the admin mentioned, the Kindle will automatically convert the text into its own default font size, basically making every book have the same default size.
If you have more questions or need any help working on your book, please let me know. You'd be amazed what I can do with an HTML file. 
Joshua Tallent
http://kindleformatting.com
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){kind=link}
