Speaking of DRM

[PaulineDesigns]

Originally Posted by VydorScope

Well I been wanting to update the book to change it to reflect the release of volume II (since it listed as coming soon in current book) clean up some other title/copyright page stuff, and etc anyways... so I fixed this goof-up while I was there. So if you hope on Smashwords, you can get the fixed copy you helped create!

LOL, cool! My son has been putting off getting his kindle fixed for ages...I'm going to tell him he's gotta get his butt in gear so he can read the book his mom helped edit (then tell him later it was one word ). I wish smashwords would let you buy a book again that you've already bought.

My schedule changed and the show is today not tomorrow. I had time slated for last minute stuff but unfortunately since the post office is still on strike here I didn't get my supplies in. The upside is I had time to start 'The Lost Tales of Power Volume 2: The Academy' last night and it's really good so far. I'm about 1/3 done and can't wait to read the rest tonight!!

[VydorScope]

Originally Posted by PaulineDesigns

I wish smashwords would let you buy a book again that you've already bought.

Actually I am pretty sure you can get the updated copy from Smashwords with out "re-buying" it.

The upside is I had time to start 'The Lost Tales of Power Volume 2: The Academy' last night and it's really good so far. I'm about 1/3 done and can't wait to read the rest tonight!!

Thanks!!! Did you remember the main character from the first book?

[PaulineDesigns]

Originally Posted by VydorScope

Actually I am pretty sure you can get the updated copy from Smashwords with out "re-buying" it.

Oh, yes I'm pretty sure you can...haven't had time yet to get a new copy. I just prefer to use Smashwords over Amazon when possible. I got both at Smashwords, then wanted to 'buy' the first 'cause it was awesome! So I had to go to Amazon to buy book 2 again 'cause I couldn't at Smashwords. I'll use send as gift at Amazon to get them for my son--which is better for him probably since he has a kindle, but I would've gotten all copies at Smashwords if I could have. (Sorry, rushing & rambling a bit, leaving to do the show in a few minutes and no internet at home)

Originally Posted by VydorScope

Thanks!!! Did you remember the main character from the first book?

Not at the very first. Hmm, I think the first time I ran across a reference to stuff in the first book I realized he'd been in it and it was the second or third reference that made me go 'Ah yeah, THAT guy'. I might have clued in sooner in normal circumstances but my fiance was building a last-minute ring display ('cause the @#!@# post office is on strike & my order didn't get here) so I read the first part a few paragraphs or pages at a time in between conferences on design.

ETA: and I'm not sure I'd have remembered who he was as quickly if I hadn't just read the first one.

[crich70]

Originally Posted by PaulineDesigns

Oh, yes I'm pretty sure you can...haven't had time yet to get a new copy. I just prefer to use Smashwords over Amazon when possible. I got both at Smashwords, then wanted to 'buy' the first 'cause it was awesome! So I had to go to Amazon to buy book 2 again 'cause I couldn't at Smashwords. I'll use send as gift at Amazon to get them for my son--which is better for him probably since he has a kindle, but I would've gotten all copies at Smashwords if I could have. (Sorry, rushing & rambling a bit, leaving to do the show in a few minutes and no internet at home)



Not at the very first. Hmm, I think the first time I ran across a reference to stuff in the first book I realized he'd been in it and it was the second or third reference that made me go 'Ah yeah, THAT guy'. I might have clued in sooner in normal circumstances but my fiance was building a last-minute ring display ('cause the @#!@# post office is on strike & my order didn't get here) so I read the first part a few paragraphs or pages at a time in between conferences on design.

ETA: and I'm not sure I'd have remembered who he was as quickly if I hadn't just read the first one.

Well your fiancee can take heart in the knowledge he's not the only one being inconvenienced by the post office PaulineDesigns. I know a guy on another message board who builds guitars and the post office problems up in Canada has slowed down his ability to get things he needs to build them a bit. We never quite appreciate some of the services we get as a matter of routine til something disrupts them I think. Who notices electricity til the service is interrupted for example.

[PaulineDesigns]

I really feel bad for anyone who relies on online sales in Canada right now. I've got on online store in the works but have been concentrating on local sales the last few years. My guy, Dan, loves to make stuff for me so he didn't mind at all. I had planned to advertise a new design line to premier at this show and couldn't get the materials in--they are somewhere in transit and I bet will be delivered the first day we get mail service.

It's funny you mention electricity. A couple weeks ago the power here for the whole city was out for 6 hours (from 3-9pm). Wow, you should have heard people complain how they were so bored and had nothing to do! We had a great time...candlelight & conversation, a board game, watched a movie on the laptop and I curled up for a while with a book on the ereader while Dan had a nap.

Vincent:
Sorry for derailing your thread! I'm about 1/2 way through The Academy and am really looking forward to the second half! I found one error...in calibre's viewer, on page 210.3/506 of the epub..."I do not need to tell you how critical it is we do something, as that is plan to all"

Are you planning more books after #3?

[VydorScope]

Originally Posted by PaulineDesigns

Are you planning more books after #3?

Since Volume II mentions a Volume IV... I would suspect it is in the cards. Was originally planing 5 or 6 in this direct series... not 100% sure on that at this stage. At least four though. Maybe 10 or 15...

[VydorScope]

Originally Posted by PaulineDesigns

Vincent:
Sorry for derailing your thread! I'm about 1/2 way through The Academy and am really looking forward to the second half! I found one error...in calibre's viewer, on page 210.3/506 of the epub..."I do not need to tell you how critical it is we do something, as that is plan to all"

heh, this thread is so far derailed at this point I dunno that anyone remembers the topic!

But thanks! I will look for that, and update it... but not till you finish it at least LOL

[PaulineDesigns]

Originally Posted by VydorScope

Since Volume II mentions a Volume IV... I would suspect it is in the cards. Was originally planing 5 or 6 in this direct series... not 100% sure on that at this stage. At least four though. Maybe 10 or 15...

LOL, caught me...I obviously skim over everything before the story starts. I'm glad to hear it will go on for at least a few more books.

One thing that stands out for me is that I think you've done an excellent job of introducing the all the story elements. In long books or series it can sometimes be hard to keep track of the details and you always provided enough information to know what was going on (plus just enough extra to enrich it and tie it in to the big picture) without interrupting the flow of the story.

Originally Posted by VydorScope

heh, this thread is so far derailed at this point I dunno that anyone remembers the topic!

Well, I don't think I actually stated an opinion but I agree with mr ploppy and ApK. The kindle-only users probably won't notice and the ones aware of the issues with DRM will know how to handle it. I see you do have a statement about it on the page for the book on your website, and you could do a blog post about it if you wanted to make more of a statement about it.

Incidentally, I like the longer blurb at your website for book one more than the shorter one at Smashwords.

Originally Posted by VydorScope

But thanks! I will look for that, and update it... but not till you finish it at least LOL

I got to read the second half last night--it was really, really good!! I can't wait to not only read the next one to find out what happens next but also reread these two!

The only thing that jumped out at me in the rest of the book was the line below. My grammar sucks (missed all the basic grammar & sentence structure stuff in school) but this sounds wrong and I think either the 'In' OR the 'into' should be removed.
"In the smoke rising out of the fire was forming into an image of "
It's on the last page, fourth paragraph from the end.

[VydorScope]

Originally Posted by PaulineDesigns

The only thing that jumped out at me in the rest of the book was the line below. My grammar sucks (missed all the basic grammar & sentence structure stuff in school) but this sounds wrong and I think either the 'In' OR the 'into' should be removed.
"In the smoke rising out of the fire was forming into an image of "
It's on the last page, fourth paragraph from the end.

Wow that is bad. Looks like 2 sentences got smashed together some how. GRRR. Not sure how that got by everyone. I guess cant expect perfection. I will definitely fix that and upload it.

Right now struggling with my hard cover. The proof copy came and the pages are all messed up. Looks like I might have uploaded the paper back template by mistake. GRRR.

[VydorScope]

Originally Posted by PaulineDesigns

Incidentally, I like the longer blurb at your website for book one more than the shorter one at Smashwords.

Originally it was to long to fit, so I created the shorter version, but since releasing the book they have expanded the space you can use for that. It would fit now. I just never thought about going back and putting the longer one in.

[VydorScope]

OPs duplicate post moderator delete at will

[PaulineDesigns]

Originally Posted by VydorScope

Wow that is bad. Looks like 2 sentences got smashed together some how. GRRR. Not sure how that got by everyone. I guess cant expect perfection. I will definitely fix that and upload it.

Just goes to show how differently everyone reads. I see discussions on the forums where people have a really hard time reading anything with any typos and will quit reading because of it. For me, I'm a pretty fast reader and, if I'm reading for pleasure, typos just kinda get auto-corrected and I barely notice them (e.g. if it's 'plian' instead of 'plain'). When the typo/error is the wrong word (like 'plan' instead of 'plain') or the phrasing is awkward then it's like hitting a pothole and I get bumped out of the story.

Originally Posted by VydorScope

Right now struggling with my hard cover. The proof copy came and the pages are all messed up. Looks like I might have uploaded the paper back template by mistake. GRRR.

Sorry to hear it I hope the next proof turns out well

[crich70]

Originally Posted by PaulineDesigns

Just goes to show how differently everyone reads. I see discussions on the forums where people have a really hard time reading anything with any typos and will quit reading because of it. For me, I'm a pretty fast reader and, if I'm reading for pleasure, typos just kinda get auto-corrected and I barely notice them (e.g. if it's 'plian' instead of 'plain'). When the typo/error is the wrong word (like 'plan' instead of 'plain') or the phrasing is awkward then it's like hitting a pothole and I get bumped out of the story.



Sorry to hear it I hope the next proof turns out well

Part of that is a quirk of the human brain. As long as the 1st and last letters of a word are in the right place we can often scan over a sentence and make sense of a given word even if it is mis-spelled. Our brain fills in the right word for us. i.e. "A dog is man's best fiend." rather than "A dog is man's best friend." since the 1st and last letters of fiend are the same as the word friend we might easily scan over it and unconsciously correct the error. On the other hand if we find that a wrong word that isn't in context is used in a sentence we find ourselves jarred out of whatever we're reading.

[VydorScope]

Originally Posted by crich70

Part of that is a quirk of the human brain. As long as the 1st and last letters of a word are in the right place we can often scan over a sentence and make sense of a given word even if it is mis-spelled. Our brain fills in the right word for us. i.e. "A dog is man's best fiend." rather than "A dog is man's best friend." since the 1st and last letters of fiend are the same as the word friend we might easily scan over it and unconsciously correct the error. On the other hand if we find that a wrong word that isn't in context is used in a sentence we find ourselves jarred out of whatever we're reading.

Well you need more then just the first letter...

examples:
A dog is man's best fd
A dog is man's best fxxd
A dog is man's best ftierd
A dog is man's best fneird

and so on. Minor errors the brain auto corrects on the fly, but you do need more then just first and last letter

[crich70]

Originally Posted by VydorScope

Well you need more then just the first letter...

examples:
A dog is man's best fd
A dog is man's best fxxd
A dog is man's best ftierd
A dog is man's best fneird

and so on. Minor errors the brain auto corrects on the fly, but you do need more then just first and last letter

What I meant was if the 1st and last letter are right in a given word it's easy for the brain to skip over errors like having the letters in a word mixed up. You still have to have the right number of letters or nearly so, but if you do and the 1st and last letter are right the brain often corrects things for you when reading. That's probably one reason editors are needed. To catch such errors, though even they don't catch everything of course.