Writers in the Storm

By Lyn Horner

There’s a hard way and an easy way to embed a book cover image. I chose the hard way. Please bear with me as I explain that method, because I want you to know what not to do. Then I will give you an easier alternative.

As you know, I employed Kindlegen and the Kindle Previewer to perfect my text formatting. Remember, Amazon says, “Only Kindle files created using Kindlegen are guaranteed to be compatible with the current and future Kindle devices & applications.” I took that to mean I should also use Kindlegen to embed my book cover. But how?

Each time I ran my book through Kindlegen, it converted the html file into a mobi file (a format used for ebooks) but with a warning: “No cover specified.” The Amazon Kindle Publishing Guidelines state, “Covers are defined in the .OPF . . .” What’s an .OPF? From my son, I learned it’s an “open package format” file which tells Kindlegen where to find all parts of a book, including the cover. Since I had no idea how to create an .OPF, my computer savvy offspring did the job, using html coding that’s way beyond me. 

(FYI, Mobipocket Creator and Mobipocket Reader are an easier way to create and read mobi files, per discussions on Amazon’s message boards. Both apps are available for free on the internet.)

Once my .OPF was in place, Kindlegen finally told me I had a complete mobi file. I contacted Kindle DTP Support, asking what steps to follow when uploading a mobi formatted book. They said mobi files work very well and I should go ahead and upload my book on the DTP. Great! But wait, when I started entering info on the Product Details page, I came to a window where I was asked to browse for my book cover and upload it. Huh? The cover was included in my mobi file, and Amazon’s guidelines say not to upload a cover twice, so I left that pesky window empty. Likewise, I did not enter anything in the book description window because that, too, was part of my mobi. (The description should be short and catchy, like a blurb on the back cover of a paperback.)

After completing my upload, I tried to publish, but received an error message. I had to go back and type in the book description, but the message didn’t complain about my blank book cover window, so I hit the publish button again. This time it worked. I waited nervously while my book went through “Review”. Hours later it reached “Publishing” status. My title, Darlin’ Druid, appeared in the Kindle Store but didn’t become buyable until it integrated on Amazon’s list of available titles. This took about 24 hours. Then it went “Live”. Can you imagine how excited I was?

Unfortunately, the product image (cover) did not appear next to my book title. However, it did show up in black & white with my book when I downloaded a free sample. I waited, thinking it might take longer for the product image to integrate on the web page. Becoming concerned the next day, I contacted Kindle support again. After an unhelpful response, I sent another message, again asking for help. Before they replied (it usually takes them a day or two) impatience won out. I uploaded my book cover in that annoying window on the Product Details page, and it appeared almost instantly next to my title in the Kindle Store. Later, my book description also showed up. (It takes 36-72 hours after a book goes live for the description to integrate.)

Now here’s the easier method. Use Kindlegen and the Kindle Previewer to perfect your text formatting. Then forget about Kindlegen and mobi files. Go to the DTP Support Home page and click Publish Your Content under the Getting Started Guide. Scroll down to “Official Publishing Guide – Video Tutorial”. Listen to the short video. It will give you a good idea of what to do. Next, go back to the Publish Your Content page and click “Step 1. Your Book: Entering Product Details,” where you’ll enter information about your book. Upload your book cover and content, and type in a description. Then click the Preview Book button and go through your book one more time, page by page, on the online previewer. Look for any formatting errors you may have missed. If you find some (I spotted one) you’ll need to correct the errors in your html file then upload again. Yes, it’s a pain, but you want your book to look good and read smoothly, right?

Once you’ve finished uploading and are satisfied with how your book looks, move on to the Rights and Pricing page. Furnish the required information, choose a price and royalty option. (Read carefully.) Then click the Save and Publish button. Assuming you don’t get an error message, your book will now be reviewed. If all is well, it will progress to “Publishing”. Check the status by clicking “Bookshelf” at the top of the DTP Support Home page. (Log in first.) This takes you to your bookshelf where your title(s) are displayed. Under “Status” you will see how your book is progressing. When it reads “Live” you are now the proud author of a Kindle book. Congratulations!

I invite you to sample my cross genre historical, Darlin’ Druid, at:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=Darlin%27+Druid&x=19&y=18

By Charlotte Carter

I’m frequently asked that question. The truth is, story ideas may sneak up on me from almost anywhere. It’s like they’re hanging out in the ether waiting for a chance to be told.

The process may start with either a character or a situation that intrigues me. Then I have to put my left brain to work in order to reveal how the story will evolve. (I’m definitely a plotter, not a write-by-the-seat-of-your-pantser.)

In the case of Montana Hearts, my December book from Love Inspired, the impetus for the story is easy to identify. A short article in the LA Times suggested that some people believe an organ recipient takes on the personality of organ donor.

That ‘belief’ led me to ask the ever popular, jump-starting question, what if . . .?

In fact, that question puts Sarah Barkley, the heroine of Montana Hearts, in quite a quandary when she falls in love with rancher Kurt Ryder and the feeling is mutual. Does Kurt love her for herself? Or because the heart of his late wife beats in her chest?

With that nub of a story, I began to write the story of Sarah and Kurt in search of their happily ever after ending.

I’m delighted Romantic Times gave Montana Hearts a 4-star review. “This is a heart-achingly poignant story that has many bright spots and lots of love.”

I hope readers will enjoy the story too.

Charlotte Carter

Books that leave you smiling

from Love Inspired

Montana Hearts, 12/1/2010 available for pre-order now

Big Sky Reunion, 5/2011

 Big Sky Family, 11/2011

Lyn Horner

A cover image is mandatory for a Kindle book. The Amazon Kindle Publishing Guidelines state, “The preferred format for the cover is a JPEG image of 600 x 800 pixels. Covers with less than 500 pixels on the smaller side are rejected. If your cover is smaller than the required size, do not stretch it as this does not add any quality.” They go on to say, “your cover image should not infringe other publisher’s or artist’s copyrights on the same cover.” Also, it should not “mention pricing or other temporary promotional offers.”

I kept those requirements in mind as I created my book cover. Yes, I did it myself using the “Paint” program in MS Windows. You can access it under Accessories in your Windows programs or via the Open menu in your Windows Photo Gallery. Instructions in Paint’s Help menu are limited, so it required some trial and error for me to master the features. Once I did, this program enabled me to combine a background photo, art work I designed and painted on my computer, clip art obtained free from Microsoft, and text for the book title and author’s (my) name.

My background photo was contributed by a generous friend. She took the photo herself so copyrights are not a concern. She emailed me the photo and I saved it in my MS Photo Gallery. If working with a hard copy photo, you would scan it into your computer then save it. Once I had the photo in my gallery, I used Microsoft Office Picture Manager to resize and crop it until it was close to Amazon’s preferred size. By resizing several times, I managed to blur the image slightly, giving it a more “painterly” look. Next, I opened “Paint” and went to work painting out telephone poles in the distance (it’s an outdoor shot) and wire fence in the foreground.

Now that I had my background, I scanned in a photo of my daughter and altered it to look like the heroine of my story. This required painting different clothes and hair color with the Paint program. I placed my gal’s figure in the foreground of my cover image, using the “Paste From” feature under the Edit menu in Paint. It would take too much space here to explain exactly how to make all this work. As I did, you will need to play with Paint for a while if you want to learn how to apply all the features.

My book is a romance, so I also needed a likeness of my hero on the cover. I didn’t have a photo to adapt as I did for my heroine, so I went looking online for clip art. Clip art is a great resource. Some you can get for free, in other cases you’ll need to pay a small fee. Just make sure it includes the right to use the clip art for commercial purposes. In my case, I couldn’t find a clip art image of a man that would work on my book cover, although I found bits of photos and drawings that gave me a vague starting point. Next, I looked at other book covers and found a couple that gave me a better idea of how to pose my hero with his lady on my cover. Notice I said “looked at” other covers. I did not directly copy them. That would be copyright infringement.

It took quite some time to paint in my two figures on the cover. Paint lets you enlarge an image several times as you work, a feature I employed to blend colors for clothing, hair and skin tones, often working pixel by pixel. This requires patience and it can be tedious. My final image is not as professional looking as I’d like it to be, but I think it provides a glimpse into my book’s content.

Once my artwork was complete, I added the book title and my name using fonts available on Paint’s Text Toolbar, accessible via the View menu. Finally, I dressed up the title with a decorative clip art border, found in Microsoft’s free online clip art gallery.

Would I advise you to follow my example completely? Well, that depends upon how much time you want to spend on your cover AND how experienced you are in drawing and painting. As stated in my first blog, I have a visual arts background which gives me an edge. However, you can use some of the techniques I employed without any painting experience. You might choose a likely photo and use that for your book cover without drawing in figures over it. Adding text and/or clip art is also doable by anyone.

Obviously, the other alternative is to hire someone to create your book cover. Search online and you will find numerous companies that do this type of work. I have not looked into how much they charge, but I’m sure their fees vary according to what you want on your cover. If you choose this path, I invite you to comment about it here. I and others would be very interested to hear about your experience. Meanwhile, I will discuss “embedding” a book cover in your book file on my next blog. Thanks for visiting!