Write once, publish everywhere

avantman42 · 07-27-2011, 05:09 PM

This is something I've been thinking about for a while. I publish to Smashwords, Amazon and Wargame Vault. They all get the same content, but they all want submissions in different formats, and I like to include links to other books/articles at the relevant site.

In other words, each book will have three different start and end sections. Initially, I wrote in OpenOffice, and edited the start/end sections manually to suit each shop.

Being a computer geek, I really wasn't happy with this - it is my firm view that computers are supposed to do the drudge work. I've now written a script that will allow me to write my content in HTML, and will create three different HTML files for the three different shops. Currently, the HTML files will have to be manually converted to doc/mobi/PDF, but I'll work on automating that part of the process later.

Does anyone else have a similar system? Or do you all just manually edit to suit each shop? Or do you only send your books to one shop?

John Carroll · 07-27-2011, 05:17 PM

I manually edit to each shop and have versions specifically for Amazon and Smashwords. I've never heard of Wargame Vault, but I'll check them out now too.

avantman42 · 07-27-2011, 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Carroll

I've never heard of Wargame Vault, but I'll check them out now too.

Wargame Vault may not be ideal for you, but the same company also have Drive Thru Fiction, which is likely to be a better fit. There are three sub-sites for fantasy, horror and sci-fi.

VydorScope · 07-27-2011, 08:18 PM

I just use the same links all all the books, and I have gotten my format nailed enough that the one Word Doc can go to both Smash and Amazon without any massaging. I dont post anywhere else currently.

Giggleton · 08-05-2011, 03:30 PM

It is kind of annoying having to think about all those containers for your content. I would think eventually we will all have some storage somewhere that is synonymous with ourselves, anything we wish to upload will be able to be accessed and converted automatically by these computers you speak of.

I mean it's ridiculous having all these ebookstores isn't it? What exactly are they offering that is different? The interface?

Some might balk at a centralized depository of all knowledge but if it can be decentralized at the same time, by offering mirrors of itself to anyone/anything that asks, I think that would be fine.

The news of Facebook acquiring PushPop Press made me think of something called LifeBook, where users simply open up their book, write what they wish to, be it photos, videos, or straight narrative fiction... Then other users simply open their Books to another User's page to read what has been written...

jaxx6166 · 08-05-2011, 10:14 PM

I've only really had to create two separate formats for both print and digital.

My discovery at least with the Sony and Nook1 (gave the kindle to the ex as a parting gift) is that if you use "left justify" and 10 or 12 pt Optima, nothing else really matters and the formats have thus far been acceptable at best. I test on S and M font sizes, to try and get all different sizes would be an exercise in futility. Then again, I haven't received any complaints because I haven't sold anything yet. =)

As a whole though, I only physically create two formats in Scrivener, my draft format and the "_format" suffixed novel. That one has all my little pretty ponies and full justification.

I find that with Scrivener 2.0, using the default "Compile to..." Kindle, ePub, and Doc formats produce really good results.

Unless you export Doc to Pages, then you're in a whole other world of hurt.

chrisanthropic · 08-06-2011, 02:25 AM

I manually edit mine with the use of a few "templates" I've come up with and a checklist. Sad but true.

First I clean up the formatting of whatever source/text my wife gives me and replace any special characters with their html equivalent then I copy and paste that whole thing into my html template which I then run through calibre to create epub/mobi. (I do tweak a few of the settings in calibre fore each format as well)

Smashwords starts as a nuked text file and then I run it through my basic formatting.

Of course now you have me considering creating some macros to simplify everything.

anamardoll · 08-06-2011, 11:00 AM

I've been using Sigil to tweak the ePub with the intention of using Calibre to convert to mobi later. I had assumed the epub --> mobi conversion would be largely loss-less, but that may be a bad assumption.

I agree that this is definitely crying out for computer automation.

Lazybones · 08-07-2011, 07:23 PM

For me the hardest part was learning the initial e-book formatting rules of each site I've published on. Fortunately most of the work I did for Smashwords remained valid for Amazon.

Harper Kingsley · 08-09-2011, 12:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by avantman42

the same company also have Drive Thru Fiction, which is likely to be a better fit. There are three sub-sites for fantasy, horror and sci-fi.

Thanks for the link

I don't really have anything to add to the macro debate. I just follow a formatting checklist and go with that.

07-27-2011, 05:09 PM	#1
avantman42 Wizard Posts: 1,090 Karma: 6058305 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: UK Device: Kindle Paperwhite	Write once, publish everywhere This is something I've been thinking about for a while. I publish to Smashwords, Amazon and Wargame Vault. They all get the same content, but they all want submissions in different formats, and I like to include links to other books/articles at the relevant site. In other words, each book will have three different start and end sections. Initially, I wrote in OpenOffice, and edited the start/end sections manually to suit each shop. Being a computer geek, I really wasn't happy with this - it is my firm view that computers are supposed to do the drudge work. I've now written a script that will allow me to write my content in HTML, and will create three different HTML files for the three different shops. Currently, the HTML files will have to be manually converted to doc/mobi/PDF, but I'll work on automating that part of the process later. Does anyone else have a similar system? Or do you all just manually edit to suit each shop? Or do you only send your books to one shop?

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07-27-2011, 05:17 PM	#2
John Carroll kookoo Posts: 1,461 Karma: 7772454 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Colorado Springs Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Nook, LG4	I manually edit to each shop and have versions specifically for Amazon and Smashwords. I've never heard of Wargame Vault, but I'll check them out now too.

07-27-2011, 08:18 PM	#4
VydorScope Wizard Posts: 3,418 Karma: 35207650 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: iPad	I just use the same links all all the books, and I have gotten my format nailed enough that the one Word Doc can go to both Smash and Amazon without any massaging. I dont post anywhere else currently.

08-05-2011, 03:30 PM	#5
Giggleton Banned Posts: 1,687 Karma: 4368191 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Oregon Device: Kindle3	It is kind of annoying having to think about all those containers for your content. I would think eventually we will all have some storage somewhere that is synonymous with ourselves, anything we wish to upload will be able to be accessed and converted automatically by these computers you speak of. I mean it's ridiculous having all these ebookstores isn't it? What exactly are they offering that is different? The interface? Some might balk at a centralized depository of all knowledge but if it can be decentralized at the same time, by offering mirrors of itself to anyone/anything that asks, I think that would be fine. The news of Facebook acquiring PushPop Press made me think of something called LifeBook, where users simply open up their book, write what they wish to, be it photos, videos, or straight narrative fiction... Then other users simply open their Books to another User's page to read what has been written...

08-05-2011, 10:14 PM	#6
jaxx6166 Wizard Posts: 1,222 Karma: 769316 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Eternal summer Device: 350, iPad, PW	I've only really had to create two separate formats for both print and digital. My discovery at least with the Sony and Nook1 (gave the kindle to the ex as a parting gift) is that if you use "left justify" and 10 or 12 pt Optima, nothing else really matters and the formats have thus far been acceptable at best. I test on S and M font sizes, to try and get all different sizes would be an exercise in futility. Then again, I haven't received any complaints because I haven't sold anything yet. =) As a whole though, I only physically create two formats in Scrivener, my draft format and the "_format" suffixed novel. That one has all my little pretty ponies and full justification. I find that with Scrivener 2.0, using the default "Compile to..." Kindle, ePub, and Doc formats produce really good results. Unless you export Doc to Pages, then you're in a whole other world of hurt.

08-06-2011, 02:25 AM	#7
chrisanthropic Fiend Posts: 148 Karma: 559930 Join Date: Apr 2011 Device: none	I manually edit mine with the use of a few "templates" I've come up with and a checklist. Sad but true. First I clean up the formatting of whatever source/text my wife gives me and replace any special characters with their html equivalent then I copy and paste that whole thing into my html template which I then run through calibre to create epub/mobi. (I do tweak a few of the settings in calibre fore each format as well) Smashwords starts as a nuked text file and then I run it through my basic formatting. Of course now you have me considering creating some macros to simplify everything.

08-06-2011, 11:00 AM	#8
anamardoll Chasing Butterflies Posts: 3,132 Karma: 5074169 Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: American Southwest Device: Uses batteries.	I've been using Sigil to tweak the ePub with the intention of using Calibre to convert to mobi later. I had assumed the epub --> mobi conversion would be largely loss-less, but that may be a bad assumption. I agree that this is definitely crying out for computer automation.

08-07-2011, 07:23 PM	#9
Lazybones Groupie Posts: 162 Karma: 1719250 Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Sacramento Device: Kindle	For me the hardest part was learning the initial e-book formatting rules of each site I've published on. Fortunately most of the work I did for Smashwords remained valid for Amazon.

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