Muddling By – Proof 092425

I get to say it again. “The book is done!” and yet, not. Muddling By passed kdp/Amazon’s test of the interior and the exterior. I want proof. Specifically, I request a Proof Copy. They might think it’s done. I want proof. I will also have to wait about a week. Here’s a bit of what’s happened.

Look back at one of my posts to see a glimpse of the long list of minutia that sits between finishing one draft of the book and another. (Muddling By – Eighth Draft Begun) From there to here has been a similar list to answer Amazon’s questions that must be answered. The list was long before, but now the list is more contractual and contains pieces that the public will see before they buy.

• Marketing text
  • back cover
  • web site
  • various versions in preparation for other venues (250 words, 100 words, 50 words, 25 words, a tweet, a catch-phrase)
• genres
• keywords
• official title and subtitle
• official author name
• bio for the back cover
• chapters (Are they on the Right page?)
  • sub-chapter headings
• page numbers (simple, wrong, but good enough)
• header (just the title)
• margins (work within their template, but still had to fix a few)
• change a Table into text to simplify the formatting
• layout (5×8)
• B&W on white
• matte cover
• font style and size (Garamond 11-ish)
• realize book titles need to be italicized throughout
• Table of Contents (hoping the Heading works, double-check the pages in the proof)
• load the interior into their template, upload
• work about a week on many such details
• sketch the cover in Google Drawing
  • work about a week on various graphics and text
• load the exterior into their template, upload
• launch their Previewer?
  • Success on the first try? Nah. One line on one page went beyond the margin.
  • Repeat that process a few times.
• Order proof, pay for proof, wait for proof.

Gee, it seemed like the list should be longer. It was. Some of those lines are worth hundreds of words of descriptions, which I’ve taught in weekend-long classes. Maybe each can be a post, later.

Whew. About a week off from working on the book as I wait for them to print, ship, and deliver it. What will I do with the time? Probably write, but that will be for one of my other blogs. Always something to write about, and life certainly isn’t dull.