question about Word

joycedb · 06-22-2010, 05:35 PM

I asked this over on the Amazon Author forum, but no one seems to drop in there much anymore. So I'll ask here.

I know someone said not to have too much white space in the doc you want to upload to Amazon for Kindle. But I've run into a problem. Most of the words end on or about the 8.5 mark on the ruler. But one page ends before it, and everytime I try to bring up the line from the next page it just runs into the last line. I put in a return and it moves to the next page again instead of just to the next line. Any idea what I'm doing wrong?

Also, what should the ruler settings be? And do I set them manually on the ruler or from the paragraph setting box?

Thanks for any help you can provide.

Joyce

Robin O'Neill · 06-22-2010, 06:52 PM

Joyce,

I suggest as a starting point you go to the tab Paragraph and click on the pilcrow (the backwards P). This will make all the hidden formatting visible. You may have something going on at the space you want to close that can't be minimized due to formatting. How many spaces should be there? Is there something there that shouldn't be or should be that isn't?

The "easy" solution is to remove all formatting and start over. It's fairly painless in Word, probably take less time than you've already devoted to solving the mystery.

Robin

joycedb · 06-22-2010, 07:32 PM

Hi Robin,

Thanks for responding. I was showing all the formatting and it didn't show any unusual formatting going on there. I'm trying to do this following the Smashwords style guide, but I noticed the advice refers to the 2003 Word program and I can't seem to find the same page in my 2007 program. For instance it says to turn off the font default if it's not what you want by clicking on modify. Well, there is no modify button in my paragraph box. Also, it says to turn off the auto-formatting and tells you how to do it the 2003 program. I can't seem to find the same thing with mine.

I can see this is going to take awhile. I can only do it one step at a time before I get completely befuddled.

Joyce

nomesque · 06-22-2010, 10:48 PM

Hrmmm... I don't have Word 2007, so I'm not sure how useful I'll be. But I'll try

You might have 'orphan' and 'widow' controls set for your paragraph style. Basically, these stop one or two lines of a paragraph being stuck on the bottom of a page, with the rest of the paragraph on the next page. For print publishing, that's a legitimate issue. For epublishing, it's not at all important, and the code will likely be stripped during conversion anyhow.

If you need some more active help, I'm happy to look at the Word document directly. Just let me know.

joycedb · 06-23-2010, 10:06 AM

Thanks, nomesque. I'll look into that feature.

Joyce

Robin O'Neill · 06-23-2010, 11:09 AM

Click the Microsoft Office Button , and then click Program Name Options, where Program Name is the name of the program you are in, for example, Word Options.
Click Proofing.
Click AutoCorrect Options.

joycedb · 06-23-2010, 02:36 PM

Found it, Robin. Thanks so much. I'll probably be back with more questions as I go along, but I'll try to figure out most of them myself so I don't make a pest out of myself. Thanks again to both of you.

Joyce

Robin O'Neill · 06-23-2010, 04:03 PM

It's Microscoff. You're not a pest, you're trying to run the program.

Robin

06-22-2010, 05:35 PM	#1
joycedb Guru Posts: 997 Karma: 1086596 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Florida Device: none	question about Word I asked this over on the Amazon Author forum, but no one seems to drop in there much anymore. So I'll ask here. I know someone said not to have too much white space in the doc you want to upload to Amazon for Kindle. But I've run into a problem. Most of the words end on or about the 8.5 mark on the ruler. But one page ends before it, and everytime I try to bring up the line from the next page it just runs into the last line. I put in a return and it moves to the next page again instead of just to the next line. Any idea what I'm doing wrong? Also, what should the ruler settings be? And do I set them manually on the ruler or from the paragraph setting box? Thanks for any help you can provide. Joyce

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06-22-2010, 06:52 PM	#2
Robin O'Neill Connoisseur Posts: 53 Karma: 60900 Join Date: May 2010 Device: PC	Joyce, I suggest as a starting point you go to the tab Paragraph and click on the pilcrow (the backwards P). This will make all the hidden formatting visible. You may have something going on at the space you want to close that can't be minimized due to formatting. How many spaces should be there? Is there something there that shouldn't be or should be that isn't? The "easy" solution is to remove all formatting and start over. It's fairly painless in Word, probably take less time than you've already devoted to solving the mystery. Robin

06-22-2010, 07:32 PM	#3
joycedb Guru Posts: 997 Karma: 1086596 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Florida Device: none	Hi Robin, Thanks for responding. I was showing all the formatting and it didn't show any unusual formatting going on there. I'm trying to do this following the Smashwords style guide, but I noticed the advice refers to the 2003 Word program and I can't seem to find the same page in my 2007 program. For instance it says to turn off the font default if it's not what you want by clicking on modify. Well, there is no modify button in my paragraph box. Also, it says to turn off the auto-formatting and tells you how to do it the 2003 program. I can't seem to find the same thing with mine. I can see this is going to take awhile. I can only do it one step at a time before I get completely befuddled. Joyce

06-22-2010, 10:48 PM	#4
nomesque Snooty Bestselling Author Posts: 1,485 Karma: 1000000 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Ipswich, QLD, Australia Device: PRS-650	Hrmmm... I don't have Word 2007, so I'm not sure how useful I'll be. But I'll try You might have 'orphan' and 'widow' controls set for your paragraph style. Basically, these stop one or two lines of a paragraph being stuck on the bottom of a page, with the rest of the paragraph on the next page. For print publishing, that's a legitimate issue. For epublishing, it's not at all important, and the code will likely be stripped during conversion anyhow. If you need some more active help, I'm happy to look at the Word document directly. Just let me know.

06-23-2010, 10:06 AM	#5
joycedb Guru Posts: 997 Karma: 1086596 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Florida Device: none	Thanks, nomesque. I'll look into that feature. Joyce

06-23-2010, 11:09 AM	#6
Robin O'Neill Connoisseur Posts: 53 Karma: 60900 Join Date: May 2010 Device: PC	Click the Microsoft Office Button , and then click Program Name Options, where Program Name is the name of the program you are in, for example, Word Options. Click Proofing. Click AutoCorrect Options.

06-23-2010, 02:36 PM	#7
joycedb Guru Posts: 997 Karma: 1086596 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Florida Device: none	Found it, Robin. Thanks so much. I'll probably be back with more questions as I go along, but I'll try to figure out most of them myself so I don't make a pest out of myself. Thanks again to both of you. Joyce

06-23-2010, 04:03 PM	#8
Robin O'Neill Connoisseur Posts: 53 Karma: 60900 Join Date: May 2010 Device: PC	It's Microscoff. You're not a pest, you're trying to run the program. Robin