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In 2006, I had the privilege of interviewing Jerry Robinson, one of the earliest ghost artists on Batman and a true class act, in my research for Bill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman.

I ended speaking with him multiple more times, including once at his New York City apartment, which was chockablock with priceless Golden Age art and other mementos.

Most if not all of the numerous interviews I conducted for the book contain gems that did not make it into the book, so here is my chance to share them nonetheless. This one (which I transcribed from a recording) is edited slightly. Upon rereading it, I am surprised how much info it contains that I had not—and still have not—read elsewhere.

How did you meet Bill Finger?

I met Bill Finger I think at the first time at Bob’s apartment when I first joined the team. He introduced me to Bill when I joined Batman. It was only a couple of months after it started.

Did you get a different impression from him than you did from Bob?

They were definitely different personalities.

How would you describe Bill’s personality?

Bill seemed very soft, kind. Not outgoing. Reserved but very easy to get to know. He wasn’t standoffish…

Did you become friends?

We became fast friends. He actually became my I say cultural mentor. … Remember, I was a 17-year-old kid. Just graduated high school. I knew nothing of New York. I was still going to Columbia, studying journalism, and commuting from my little room in the Bronx. Bill introduced me to everything in New York. Museums, galleries, movies. I soaked everything up like a sponge. I was fortunate that we hit it off. Personally, I think we each appreciated each other’s contributions.

Do you remember what you talked about besides the work?

Everything. Bill was widely read. He also was interested in everything, as I was, in learning everything. And he had very good taste. I don’t know how he was introduced to all these things himself, but he certainly knew them. [unintelligible] …the Metropolitan, MOMA, and foreign films, and other talks and things around town. The galleries.

Did you ever meet his friends that were not in the industry?

That’s a good question. I don’t remember. I knew his wife very well.

Is that Portia?

[unintelligible but affirmative] When he was first courting Portia, I think she came from Rochester was it? Or Albany? You probably know… [unintelligible] Before I met her, he was going with her … I remember several occasions where we’d be going out for lunch or dinner and he’d stop and say “I’ve gotta call Portia.” He’d get in the phone booth. At that time, they had the Superman-type phone booths. I’d stand and wait for him. He had endless conversations with Portia on the phone.

Was she interested in his work?

Yes. She knew what he was doing intimately. They were very close. She was a very intelligent gal. Once she came to New York they were married. They were both friends. I would go out to dinner with them, just the three of us.

Was she more dominant or more outgoing than he was?

I guess maybe in those terms, somewhat. She wasn’t [unintelligible]. She was very articulate and expressive.

What did she think of his work schedule? He was working late into the night.

We all did. (laughs)

So she just accepted it.

Yeah, I’d say so. [goes on in mumble about how some writers were night owls, some morning people]

Was Bill allowed to tell people that he was writing Batman?

They couldn’t stop him from talking to anybody. I think any of us knew…well, of course I knew. His name wasn’t on the feature, obviously.

If his name wasn’t on the feature and he said he wrote it, would people be suspicious?

I don’t think so. I don’t think anybody would just make that up. [unintelligible] They knew every strip wasn’t done just by the author, or the artist signed his name in many cases.

What was Bill proud of?

I think he was proud of his work. He was a very careful craftsman. He was proud of his creation. All of us were. I think that was part of the tragedy of Bill, as it was Siegel and Shuster, that they weren’t credited with their genius.

Do you think that shows a lack of business savvy on Bill’s part or did he just accept that that’s how things were?

Well, he was naïve, as most of us were. If we knew then what we know now, it’d be a different story. I might be head of Warner Bros. We were dealing with very wise publishers who had dealt with artists and contracts before. Some of these cases [were] the first thing they ever sold. It was the beginning of the industry.

Did Bill ever originate a character without an artist?

He wrote many television scripts, and I think even a couple of movie scripts.

That was later in his career, right?

Yes. He worked for a lot of publishers so I’m sure he had a hand in creating a lot of the characters.

[I mention Green Lantern, Wildcat, and he says he doesn’t know others besides those I mentioned]

Do you know if Bill read any fan mail?

I don’t think we were privy to it. I don’t they generally showed us the fan mail. We knew it was popular in sales and so forth, but that wasn’t gotten into until later. [mentions Stan Lee developing rapport with readers]

Would you describe Bill as one of the guys? If you ever went out with a group, was he chummy and social and making jokes?

The apartment I shared with Mort Meskin and, before he left to the army, Bernie Klein, it was kind of the hangout for [contributors who were near?] DC. Bill would be a frequent visitor. I think I have a, one of the books you have, you know, where people who visit draw a cartoon or…

Like a guest book?

Yeah. And there were usually crazy drawings or serious or whatever. And the old girlfriends would write in it.

You have it still?

I have [something, yeah?].

So Bill’s writing is in it?

I’m pretty sure he’s there saying, uh…we [sounds like “found” but might be “had”] a dart board on the wall. I remember that was a pastime for everybody. We challenged…in darts. I think Bill wrote something that was like “Damn it, Jerry, beat me again.”

[NOTE: Bill’s page is reproduced in Bill the Boy Wonder…and the original suffered a sad fate.]

Would you shoot around Batman ideas while you were playing darts?

We would always be…you know, if [we weren’t on another topic?], we would do it in social [situations with?] other artists around, unless we were talking about comics. But Bill and I, and sometimes we were with Bob, we would always be kicking around ideas. We used to live, breathe, eat, and sleep Batman. [Wild age to be in?]

Part 2.

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By: Leila Roy, on 6/17/2013
Blog: Bookshelves of Doom (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  Books - Juvenile, News, Add a tag

At the New Statesman:

Even picture books that are intended to appeal primarily to boys reflect the tastes of the mother or grandmother that will usually be buying them as well as the child they’re bought for. Picture book pirates are less prone to combat than their counterparts in other media, monsters and aliens less frightening, vehicles and machines less technically detailed. Elements of danger and threat are tamed or omitted altogether on the grounds of being unappealing or inappropriate. In short, picture books with boy-friendly themes tend to be cuter and tamer than similarly themed TV shows, films or video games.

So, on the one hand, I know that it would raise my hackles if an awards committee was comprised of all male judges.

On the other, I wanted to punch this article in the face. It's so, so entrenched in gender binarism and the idea that women are somehow incapable of appreciating books that incorporate elements of "combat, peril, villainy and technology". Barf.

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30. Seaglass Summer by Anjali Banerjee

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By: prkcslog, on 6/17/2013
Blog: What You Want to Read (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  Animals, Older Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Add a tag

If you were eleven years old, would you pass up a trip to India with your parents to visit your relatives and instead choose to stay with an uncle on a small island off the coast of Washington State? The girl in this book, Poppy Ray, does exactly that. Her uncle is a veterinarian and Poppy thinks that she wants to be a vet when she grows up. She even has her own veterinarian medical kit which she takes with her. Unfortunately, when she actually gets there, she finds out that it is a lot tougher than she thought it would be. Her uncle is great and she loves the animals but she finds out that the sight of blood makes her sick and she has some trouble with the owners of the pets.

There are heartwarming moments and heartbreaking moments and some wonderful characters in this book. How do you think Poppy will do with the trials and tribulations of a busy veterinarian’s office? I guess you will have to read it for yourself to find out!

Posted by: Fran W.

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31. Here's some fun to be had

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By: Ray Rhamey, on 6/17/2013
Blog: Flogging the Quill (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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27 days and counting

Check out our Kickstarter project for people who like to play:

• Scrabble
• Card games
• Dominoes

Please support us by

• Visiting the Kickstarter page soon--we only have until July 14th to reach our goal.
• Passing the link on to anyone who might be interested.

Check out the video below.

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32. Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Herby Green Dressing

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By: Emily Smith Pearce, on 6/17/2013
Blog: Emily Smith Pearce (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  Food, Recipes, paleo, recipe, salad, vegan, vegetable, vegetarian, Add a tag

I was craving a rice salad, but without the rice. Something that’s all about soaking up a good sauce. Roasted cauliflower has been my recent go-to sauce-soaker-upper, and I was really happy with what I came up with. Here’s the skinny:

Olive Oil

1 head Cauliflower, finely chopped

2 or 3 handfuls Grape or Cherry Tomatoes

Dressing:

2 cloves Garlic

Olive Oil

Red Wine Vinegar

1 T Dijon Mustard

tiny drip of Honey (or something else if you’re vegan)

Lemon Juice

a few tablespoons or more Minced Chives

a few tablespoons or more fresh Oregano, chopped (basil or parsley would be good, too)

1 T Capers

Salt and Pepper to taste

Chopped Walnuts (optional)

Oil a baking sheet and throw the cauliflower on it with a couple of garlic cloves. Roast at 375F, for about 20 minutes. Halve the tomatoes and roast them for about 20-30 minutes as well. This brings out their flavor like crazy.

I’m not really a measuring kind of person when it comes to dressing (or, let’s be honest, for a lot of things). If you really want measurements, you could use a basic vinaigrette and add the extras. I think I’d add even more herbs next time. I really wanted something that was so green it would color the cauliflower, but my herb garden wasn’t quite in full swing when I made this.

Chop up the roasted garlic and whisk it together with the other dressing ingredients.

Toss the cauliflower with the dressing and tomatoes. Add walnuts. Yum. I realized later that the dressing flavors were inspired by the broccoli gribiche recipe from Heidi Swanson’s Super Natural Every Day.

What are you cooking this summer? I’m always on the lookout for interesting salads. Hope you had a great weekend and a happy Father’s Day.

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33. Summer Fun…Right in Your Own Backyard

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By: darlenebeckjacobson, on 6/17/2013
Blog: Darlene Beck-Jacobson (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  Activities, Children, cooking with kids, Crafts, Home Schooling Ideas, Inspiration, Outdoor activities, summer fun, web sites, Free summer fun for kids, Add a tag

Now that school is out for the summer, you may be wondering how to keep your children entertained without spending tons of money.  If finances are tight, don’t despair.  There are plenty of fun filled activities you can do with kids to make the summer a memorable one.

1. Pitch a tent for the GREAT AMERICAN BACKYARD CAMPOUT.  You can sleep under the stars in your own backyard. Identify constellations, make s’mores (check out my recipe under the recipe section of this blog). Tell stories, sing songs, eat hotdogs, and do everything you’d do at a camp far away.  Visit: http://www.nwf.org/great-american-backyard-campout.aspx

2.Check out: http://www.parade.com/summerschool   for 14 days of how-to steps and expert tips on everything from building a sand castle, to how to skip stones. You can also learn things like HOW TO HOST A BACKYARD MOVIE NIGHT, SPOT CONSTELLATIONS, TEACH KIDS TO FISH,  and even HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN ICE CREAM.

3. Put on a Show.  A Puppet Show that is.  There are tons of videos and sites on how to make your own puppets and puppet theatres.  To get you started, enter: Making puppets in your search engine and a load of sites will appear.  Here’s a good one:

http://www.about.com/od/puppets                                     

You can also use stuffed toys, pencils with funny tops, or socks with painted faces.  Or even cookies!  (see photos) Let your imagination run wild.

To make it a real event, sell popcorn and lemonade.

  4.And…you can’t go wrong with water.  If you don’t have a pool, a sprinkler on a hose works great.  Squirt guns and water balloon fights are sure cures for boredom and cool everyone off on a hot day.  For little ones, fill up a bucket with water and let them “paint” the sidewalk to their hearts content.  Add a few cups for pouring and you’ll keep them entertained for a long time.

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34. Out There: The Wrong Goal of Self-Publishing

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By: Darcy Pattison, on 6/17/2013
Blog: Darcy Pattison's Revision Notes (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  Alternate Publishing, book marketing, goal, self-publishing, Add a tag

---

START YOUR NOVEL

Six Winning Steps Toward a Compelling Opening Line, Scene and Chapter

• 29 Plot Templates
• 2 Essential Writing Skills
• 100 Examples of Opening Lines
• 7 Weak Openings to Avoid
• 4 Strong Openings to Use
• 3 Assignments to Get Unstuck
• 7 Problems to Resolve

The Math adds up to one thing: a publishable manuscript. Download a sample chapter on your Kindle.

---

“I just want my novel out there.”
Ouch.
Too many times lately, I have heard people say this about their self-publishing efforts. Out there. I just want it out there. What does that even mean?

It means a couple things:
First, it means that the writer can find closure to his/her writing process. It means there is a finished product and the creative process has ended. Now, it’s up to everyone else to do whatever they will do with that product: ignore it, read it, praise it, trash it. But the writer can move on. There’s value in this, of course, to have something finished and not on the back burner, to have it stop nagging.

Second, the writer usually means that the story, novel, picture book, or nonfiction book will find readers. Here’s where the writer is wrong. The book will not find readers by itself. Guaranteed.

In their fascinating book, DECISIVE, Chip and Dan Heath talk about one flaw in the decision making process, namely, that people overestimate their own success and ignore solid data in front of them. In fact, most self-published books sell less than 100 copies. If your book is OUT THERE without any support, you will NOT sell copies. Your friends and family–because they love you–may buy copies, but that’s usually the 100 copies that get sold. Do not make this mistake (and how many ways and how strongly can I say this?), you will not sell copies if you do not market.

OUT THERE–publishing a book without marketing a book is not going to work.
Many of you will ignore this fact: you will convince yourself that your story is different and will beat the odds. OK. Do what you have to do. Put it OUT THERE. But it will not sell.

Unless.

A self-published book needs marketing. That means the publishing house (that’s you!) needs a platform, a network of connections that are proven places to sell a book. The author (that’s you!) needs to be working to support the publisher (Oh, that’s you, too!) to sell the book. This can be accomplished through any number of means: catalogs, speaking engagements and back of the room sales (BOTR), online venues, guest blogging, schools, special sales to corporations, gift shops, and on and on. The venues for sales of books are endless. But you must focus somewhere and work to get your book into those venues.

OUT THERE? You want your book out there? Get it out of your head by doing a small printing and giving copies to friends and family as Christmas gifts. But if you really want it OUT THERE in the world wide market place, get ready to work.

Instead, you should be saying, “I want to work hard to get my story into the hands of the right readers.” Now THAT is a worthy goal of self-publishing.

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35. Life After Life: Review Haiku

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By: Emily, on 6/17/2013
Blog: Emilyreads (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  book crush, meh, haiku, abandoned, fiction, adult, Add a tag

Love me some McCorkle,
but this was a case of
wrong reader, wrong time.

Life After Life by Jill McCorkle. Shannon Ravenel Books, 2013, 352 pages.

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36. Summer Reading Suggestions

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By: Cathy and Louise, on 6/17/2013
Blog: The Nonfiction Detectives (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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Summer officially begins on June 21st, and it's the perfect time for children on vacation to get in some pleasure reading. Here are some nonfiction titles that young readers will enjoy reading during their free time this summer. Friend: True Stories of Extraordinary Animal Friendships  by Catherine Thimmesh Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2011 Kids love looking at photographs of animals; Friends

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37. On mountains and yachts and Italian princes. Really.

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By: Colleen Mondor, on 6/17/2013
Blog: Chasing Ray (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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Mount Bona:

"Finally, to the northwest, some two hundred miles off, a conical peak soared up....apparently of even greater height than the other two [Lucania and Bear]. This was christened the Bona, after a racing yacht then belonging to H.R.H."

(Excerpt from the The Ascent of Mount St. Elias by H.R.H. Prince Luigi Amedeo Di Savoia, Duke of the Abruzzi, 1900, p.160. by Filippo de Filippi)

And that my friends is how a mountain in Alaska ends up with the name of an Italian prince's yacht. At least the Duke of Abruzzi was a real mountaineer and not just some prominent guy who never climbed a mountain in his life but got a permanent memorial (I'm looking at you William McKinley).

I learned about the history of Mt. Bona's name from The American Alpine Journal Vol. XI, Number 2, 1959 which contained the delightful article "Naming Alaska's Mountains" by Francis Farquhar. I have fallen madly in love with the AAJ which is primarily comprised of first hand accounts of climbing and other mountaineering topics that are delightfully not about posing but being prepared. There is also a lot of science which makes me especially happy.

I found this volume while sitting on the floor of a great used bookstore with a massive selection of mountaineering and Alaska books. It was less than $10 which from wandering around the web is apparently a killer deal on old volumes of the AAJ. (Score!!) I wandered through a couple of dozen old issues looking for Alaska articles but never thought I would find one this cool. It fit so perfectly into something I wanted to write about but didn't even think I could properly research. Call it kismet.

This is why I love bookstores - you never know what you might find.

[Post pic of a title held in The American Alpine Club Henry S. Hall library collection of the 469-year-old book called 'On the Appreciation of Mountains'. OH HOW I COVET THIS.)

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38. The Year of the Gadfly by Jennifer Miller, 327 pp, RL TEEN

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By: Tanya, on 6/17/2013
Blog: Children's Book Reviews and Then Some (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  TEEN: School Story, Reading Level Adult Books Appropriate for Teens, Reading Level TEEN, TEEN: Mystery, aauthor: Miller, TEEN: Real Life Girl Story, Add a tag

<!-- START INTERCHANGE - THE YEAR OF THE GADFLY -->if(!window.igic__){window.igic__={};var d=document;var s=d.createElement("script");s.src="http://iangilman.com/interchange/js/widget.js";d.body.appendChild(s);} <!-- END INTERCHANGE --> I discovered The Year of the Gadfly by Jennifer Miller on a list titled 10 Ways to Relive Adolescence without Angst or Acne compiled by Kirkus Reviews.

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39. Plot vs. Structure

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By: Ingrid Sundberg, on 6/17/2013
Blog: Ingrid's Notes (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  Writing Craft, Plot, Plot vs. Structure, Structure, Writing Terms, Add a tag

I want to step back for a second and clarify my own personal definitions of plot versus structure. As mentioned in my previous post on plot definitions there are many views of what plot it! Additionally, I fear that as I walked us through arch plot and classic design last week, I may have reinforced the misconceptions that plot and structure are same thing.

Plot and structure are not the same thing!

I did a previous series on plot (To Plot or Not to Plot) where I explored the differences between narrative, story, plot, and structure. I’ve since re-evaluated some of the things I said in those posts and the following are my current definitions:

PLOT: Plot is often defined as a “sequence of actions” (Fletcher) or “the actions of the characters” (Bechard). However, plot is also the connective tissue that links events or actions with meaning. It’s not just what happens, but the causal connections of why it happens. Janet Burroway defines plot as a “series of events deliberately arranged so as to reveal their dramatic, thematic, and emotional significance … Plot’s concern is ‘what, how, and why,’ with scenes ordered to highlight cause-and-effect.”

In simple terms, plot is a series of actions with a cause and effect relationship. In my explanation of arch plot, the hero’s journey is the plot.

Whereas…

STRUCTURE: Structure is the triangle or mountain shape in the diagram I used. Structure has two parts. The first is arrangement. For example, you tell scene one, then scene two, then scene three. Or you tell scene 3, then scene 1, then scene 27, etc. This is about order and organization. The second part is about patterns, rhythm, and energy. It’s about the movement and feeling your particular arrangement creates. The triangle (often called the Aristotelian story shape) is a visual metaphor for the escalating energy that is meant to come as a result of a classic design arrangement.

With structure we are looking at the arrangement and rhythm of the whole. Author, Susan Fletcher defines structure as “the organization, or overall design, or form of a particular literary work … [It is the] larger rhythm of the story.” Additionally, Chea says that “in examining story structure, we look for patterns, for the shape that the story as a whole possesses. Plot directs us to the story in motion, structure to the story at rest.”

In the coming posts, I’m going to list alternative plots and alternative structures. I wanted to clarify the difference between these terms so you would better understand how I’ve organized these lists. One is by the nature of the action (plot) while the other is about the organization and rhythm of the action (structure).

Works Cited:

Bechard, Margaret. “How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Plot.” Faculty Lecture. Vermont College of Fine Arts, Montpelier, VT. Jan 2008.

Burroway, Janet. Writing Fiction: A Guide to Narative Craft. 8th Edition. New York: Longman, 2011.

Chea, Stephenson. “What’s the Difference Between Plot and Structure.” Associated Content.  16 Feb. 2010. Web. 7 May 2011.

Fletcher, Susan. “Structure as Genesis.” Faculty Lecture. Vermont College of Fine Arts, Montpelier, VT. July 2012.

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40. Plot vs. Structure

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By: Ingrid Sundberg, on 6/17/2013
Blog: Ingrid's Notes (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  Writing Craft, Plot, Plot vs. Structure, Structure, Writing Terms, Add a tag

I want to step back for a second and clarify my own personal definitions of plot versus structure. As mentioned in my previous post on plot definitions there are many views of what plot it! Additionally, I fear that as I walked us through arch plot and classic design last week, I may have reinforced the misconceptions that plot and structure are same thing.

Plot and structure are not the same thing!

I did a previous series on plot (To Plot or Not to Plot) where I explored the differences between narrative, story, plot, and structure. I’ve since re-evaluated some of the things I said in those posts and the following are my current definitions:

PLOT: Plot is often defined as a “sequence of actions” (Fletcher) or “the actions of the characters” (Bechard). However, plot is also the connective tissue that links events or actions with meaning. It’s not just what happens, but the causal connections of why it happens. Janet Burroway defines plot as a “series of events deliberately arranged so as to reveal their dramatic, thematic, and emotional significance … Plot’s concern is ‘what, how, and why,’ with scenes ordered to highlight cause-and-effect.”

In simple terms, plot is a series of actions with a cause and effect relationship. In my explanation of arch plot, the hero’s journey is the plot.

Whereas…

STRUCTURE: Structure is the triangle or mountain shape in the diagram I used. Structure has two parts. The first is arrangement. For example, you tell scene one, then scene two, then scene three. Or you tell scene 3, then scene 1, then scene 27, etc. This is about order and organization. The second part is about patterns, rhythm, and energy. It’s about the movement and feeling your particular arrangement creates. The triangle (often called the Aristotelian story shape) is a visual metaphor for the escalating energy that is meant to come as a result of a classic design arrangement.

With structure we are looking at the arrangement and rhythm of the whole. Author, Susan Fletcher defines structure as “the organization, or overall design, or form of a particular literary work … [It is the] larger rhythm of the story.” Additionally, Chea says that “in examining story structure, we look for patterns, for the shape that the story as a whole possesses. Plot directs us to the story in motion, structure to the story at rest.”

In the coming posts, I’m going to list alternative plots and alternative structures. I wanted to clarify the difference between these terms so you would better understand how I’ve organized these lists. One is by the nature of the action (plot) while the other is about the organization and rhythm of the action (structure).

Works Cited:

Bechard, Margaret. “How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Plot.” Faculty Lecture. Vermont College of Fine Arts, Montpelier, VT. Jan 2008.

Burroway, Janet. Writing Fiction: A Guide to Narative Craft. 8th Edition. New York: Longman, 2011.

Chea, Stephenson. “What’s the Difference Between Plot and Structure.” Associated Content.  16 Feb. 2010. Web. 7 May 2011.

Fletcher, Susan. “Structure as Genesis.” Faculty Lecture. Vermont College of Fine Arts, Montpelier, VT. July 2012.

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41. I Draw - How Can I Make Money With It?

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By: Will Terry, on 6/16/2013
Blog: Will Terry Illustration (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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In this video I answer a question from David - a Southwest Airlines employee who has 3 days off/week and loves to draw comics during his down time. He asked me what steps he should take next to getting his work published. I thought that other artists might be in his situation and might benefit from my answers. Listen to it while you work and if you have anything to add I love hearing your thoughts.

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42. Formatting Your Manuscript For E-Book Conversion Tips

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By: Kathy Temean, on 6/16/2013
Blog: Writing and Illustrating (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  Advice, Book, demystify, Process, Tips, ebook conversion, ePub format, How to handle images, HowDispaly images in line with text, No page numbers, Add a tag

There are three main file types currently associated with eBooks:

• EPUB (.epub) – Short for “electronic publication,” this is the most popular open standard format for eBooks that allows DRM (digital rights management). It is also the format used with all the major retailers EXCEPT Amazon/Kindle. With EPUB, reflowable content ensures that text is displayed in the optimal manner for each eReader or smartphone device.

• Mobipocket (.mobi) – An eBook format that allows users to add a blank page at any point in the text for notes, bookmarks, corrections, and drawings.

• Kindle (.azw) – Amazon’s proprietary format is based on mobipocket, but it comes with its own DRM protections.

1) Once your book has been converted to ePub format, it’s too late to fix a typo! So proof your files for spelling, grammar, and syntax. Remember you are now your own editor! It is up to you to make sure the document you convert to an eBook is meticulously proofread. Even if you pay a company to do the converting for you, you still have to have it perfectly edited, so you might want to consider paying someone to edit your book prior to conversion.

2) Don’t use tabs or the space bar to format paragraphs and individual lines. While it may look the way you want it in a Word or text file, tabs and spaces wreak havoc when converted to eBook format. Use the “Format/Paragraph” menu or alignment buttons in the toolbar of your text-editing program if you want indents.

3) Use standard fonts such as Times New Roman or Courier New. Not all fonts are supported by the eBook format and eReaders. The standard text size is 12 point size font for body text and 14-18 point for chapter titles. Another reason to use Times New Roman: Any special symbols may not convert properly to ePub when using other fonts.

4) The publisher’s name and address, date of publication, copyright info, ISBN number, and other credits should be included on the first two pages of the document.

5) Don’t resize your images in Word or a text editor. All images must be in .png, .jpg, or .tif format, 72 dpi, and in RGB color mode. Do all image resizing outside of the document with image editing software, then reinsert them in your document.

6) If you pay a company to format your manuscript to an ebook, check to make sure of their specs. In general, you will need to resize large images to 300 pixels high if you would like them to display in-line with text. Cover and full-page images should 800-1,000 pixels high by 550-700 pixels wide. Logos or simple images should be 75-100 pixels high.

7) All images (except full-page images) should be set in-line with text. Do not wrap text around images.

8) Tables, sidebars, and inserts will not display properly in ePub format, so extract this type of content and list as ordinary text. Of course, you can always included them as images.

9) Do not include any elements that refer to page numbers other than your formatted Table of Contents. Pages in your document will not coincide with the “pages” on any given eReader.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy

Filed under: Advice, Book, demystify, Process, Tips Tagged: ebook conversion, ePub format, How to handle images, HowDispaly images in line with text, No page numbers

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43. Monday Mishmash 6/17/13

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By: Kelly Hashway, on 6/16/2013
Blog: Kelly Hashway's Blog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  cover reveal, promotion, Advantage: Heartbreak, Monday Mishmash, young adult, paranormal, Add a tag

Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash of thoughts:

1. Father's Day  I hope everyone had a great Father's Day! I got to spend all of Saturday with my dad and then Sunday with my father-in-law.
2. Advantage Heartbreak is only $0.99!  Swoon Romance put a bunch of their titles on sale through July 31st and the second novella in my Game. Set. Match. Heartbreak series is one of them. I hope you'll download it during this offer. Find it here.
3. Where Moonbeams Bounce  Katie Clark, one of my CPs, has a YA short story ebook out for $0.99  (free for Amazon Prime). Check it out here.
4. YA Crush Tourney  Torin St. James from Ednah Walter's Runes is in the YA Crush Tourney. I love Torin, so make sure you vote for him. 
5. Immortals by Ednah Walters Cover Reveal Here are the print and ebook covers!

Nothing can stop Raine Cooper when she wants something.

Raine finally knows that her gorgeous neighbor, Torin St. James, is a legend straight out of Norse mythology but that doesn't stop her from falling hard for him. Torin is crazy about Raine too, breaking the one rule he lives by: Never fall for a mortal. The problem is he no longer remembers her or that she saved him by making a deal with Norns—Norse destiny deities—the same Norns who have now erased his memories of their past together to punish her.

So Raine comes up with a plan...

She will make Torin forget his one rule a second time and fall in love with her all over again. But before Raine can put her plan into action, the Norns return. This time, they demand she protects Eirik Seville, her best friend since childhood, from an evil so dark even the Norns are scared.

But you know what they say about well-laid plans.

Caught between protecting Eirik and convincing the stubborn, cocky Torin St. James that the two of them are meant to be together, Raine's life slowly unravels. Friendships are tested. Enemies become allies. Desperate, Raine makes choices that could not only tear her and Torin further apart, but lead to the destruction of everything and everyone she loves.

Release Date:

August 5th 2013 by Firetrail Publishing

And there's a giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

That's it for me. What's on your mind today?

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44.

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By: PK, on 6/16/2013
Blog: Children's Author Artie Knapp (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  Children&#039;s Stories, Add a tag

LATEST NEWS

The North Carolina Press Foundation is offering four of Artie’s serial stories to Newspapers in Education (NIE) newspapers across the United States. This year’s theme is Dig into Reading. In addition to the NIE, the foundation will also be offering Artie’s work to libraries and other newspapers throughout the United States. To read the stories please click on the NC Press Foundation link listed above.

Two of Artie’s children’s books will be featured on Ameba TV beginning this summer. Based in Canada, Ameba TV is presently streamed worldwide in million of homes.

Ameba TV’s rich, diverse content library delivers thousands of hours of educational, preschool, musical, and multilingual programming to children ages 2 to 12. The popular children’s streaming TV service features award-winning shows, like WordWorld, The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That, BusyTown Mysteries, and Ruby Skye PI.

More to come!

View from a Zoo – Bored with her life, a housecat seeks out adventure in this new fully illustrated picture book coming in the summer of 2013. Written by Artie, the book is being illustrated by the incredibly talented Indian artist Sunayana Nair Kanjilal. More to come as the book’s release date gets closer….

COPYRIGHT © 2013 ARTIE KNAPP

Use of any of the content on this website without permission is prohibited by federal law

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45. Welcome Bailee Blue!

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By: Leslie Ann Clark, on 6/16/2013
Blog: Leslie Ann Clark's Skye Blue Blog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  My Characters, Bear, character, children's book, story, Add a tag

It was a very busy few weeks getting ready for the two trade shows. Licensing expo begins on Tuesday. Bailee Blue is going for the first time in my agents iPad. He is really excited to meet new people and hoping to find some interest. Me, I’m going to take just a few days to clean up the aftermath in my studio. I have not cleaned the studio in a while. There are many papers to toss. It will be good to lighten my load.

I’ve also been reading an ebook on creativity. It’s been inspiring. I love to be inspired! Summer is a good time to revamp life!!! All things new! I love that thought! What are YOU working on?

Filed under: My Characters

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46. Sunday Sketching - Happy Father's Day!

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By: Tara Chang, on 6/16/2013
Blog: Silver Apples of the Moon (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  sketching in church, ogres, Father's Day, Add a tag

My darling father - 

 (high school aged)

He's been a huge influence in my life - intellectual pursuits, artistic appreciation and an amazing example of family connection and human compassion.

But he has another side. 

An enormous Good Sport side.

 Awhile back, Dad deigned to participate in a photoshoot where he was dressed up as a rather goth/biker ogre type. :-)

...starting to morph more fully into full-ogre mode here. Further to push!

Happy Father's Day, Dad!

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47. Dad, Can I Help?

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By: Bill Kirk, on 6/16/2013
Blog: billkirkwrites (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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I've included this rhyming story before but I can't pass up using again on this day, the first Father's Day without my dad. He passed away in January and all of his family areis missing him today. But he wouldn't want us to be droopy-eyed about him missing this day with us. I had him for 65 years and even he would probably say, that's long enough. And then there were three generations: My son, Chris, and his son, Dylan, with me hiking Bodega Head in California last week on June 8.

Cherish the fathers who are still with us, wherever they may be. And hold in your hearts the fathers we can only remember this day. May the Lord bless you and keep you all and may we all be sons with whom our fathers are well pleased.

Dad, Can I Help?
By Bill Kirk

The long weekend beckoned—
I’d written my list.
And I was quite sure
There was nothing I’d missed.

No yard work distractions,
No carpools to do.
The weekend was mine
Until I was through.

I had all my hardware
And lumber galore.
I’d work on the deck;
Replace an old door.

I set up my saw
And tested my drill.
With anticipation
I felt quite a thrill.

“No holding me back,”
I thought, a bit smug.
Then all of a sudden,
I felt a slight tug.

Stopping my work,
I turned with a glance
To see my small son
Grab the leg of my pants.

What could I do?
Did I have any choice,
When my little son asked
In his little boy voice?

“Dad, can I help?
I just need some glue
And maybe a nail,
Some wood and a screw.”

“I’ll be very careful
And do what you say.
I promise, I’ll try
To stay out of your way.”

I felt the deck slipping
Right out of my grasp.
And the door would remain
On its very last gasp.

We built a small boat
With a deck and a sail
Out of two bits of wood,
An old rag and a nail;

Then battled some pirates
And found chests of gold.
With each new adventure
A story was told.

We sawed and we hammered
Until we were done
With all of our work—
Like father, like son.

I never did finish
My list on that day,
Instead I spent time
With my son, just to play.

And those weekend projects?
Sometimes they must wait.
For some life appointments,
A Dad can’t be late.

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48. An Outdoor Wedding

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By: ilene bauer, on 6/16/2013
Blog: prime time rhyme (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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When someone plans a wedding

And the venue’s out of doors,

There most often is a back-up

Just in case it rains or pours.

If there’s not, it’s rather daring,

Like a gauntlet has been thrown;

Will the gods take up the challenge

Or leave well enough alone?

So the wedding I attended,

In the evening, on a roof,

Was a testament to chutzpah

And the party was the proof.

Though a rainy week preceded,

It was glorious and dry,

With a breeze to stir the senses

And a sunset in the sky.

As we watched the glowing couple,

Filled with love we all could see,

We just shook our heads and marveled

At the absence of Plan B.

Mother Nature gave her blessing

So we danced and dripped with sweat,

Feeling giddy with relief

That we weren't soaking wet!

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49. Unprogramming - Can We Talk?

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By: Marge Loch-Wouters, on 6/16/2013
Blog: Tiny Tips for Library Fun (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  Program Ideas, ALA Conferences, ALA, Unprogramming, Innovation, Add a tag

The concepts of creating school-age programs that take a reasonable amount of preparation time, are engaging and lead to literacy, and allow kids the freedom to explore within the program have been buzzing around in my conversations with colleagues and tweeps over the past few months. We all are exploring how, in a period of tight budgets and staff time, we can make the fun happen without killing ourselves. How can we "unprogram" ourselves - and our programs?

Program preparation for school age programs is important but where is the line drawn when the time spent preparing is two, three, five, or even ten times more than the actual program length itself?  Are we, as programmers, leading the charge in the program or empowering the kids in their exploration - are we guides or drill sargeants? Is there a way to organically link the books and materials that surround us every day into the programs and then back again to the collections so that kids understand the fundamental amazingness of the library and its resources?

These questions have led to many conversations and ideas. One of the people I have looked to during this conversation is Amy Koester over at the Show Me Librarian. And now Amy and I would like you to join this conversation at ALA in a few weeks. We will be presenting a 45 minute  "Conversation Starter" on Monday July 1 at 1:30 pm at the Mc Cormick Center Rm S102D.

During this time we want to explore with you ideas on making programming more rich while keeping preparation in perspective.  We'll also share resources that have helped us free ourselves and keep programming and preparation in perspective in our necks of the woods.

We think it's high time we start talking about this...how about you?

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50. ‘Maggie’ Continues to Soar at Region’s No. 1 Bookstore

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By: Grant Overstake, on 6/16/2013
Blog:  (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  Uncategorized, Black Country, Dante Alighieri, Girls Sports, Grant Overstake, Inspirational Sports Stories, Jennie Fields, Kansas Farm Life, Kansas State Track and Field Championships, Khaled Hosseini, Kite Runner, KSHSAA, Maggie, Maggie Vaults Over the Moon, Moon, Recommended sports books for teens, Track and field, Track and Field Stories, Watermark Books, Watermark Books and Cafe, YA Fiction, Add a tag

Boosted by enthusiastic reader recommendations and strong online sales, the popular teen novel Maggie Vaults Over the Moon continues to soar as a best-seller at Watermark Books & Cafe, the region’s No. 1 bookstore. Listed among works by world-class writers … Continue reading →

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