A Learning Curve and a Half

When I put twelve of my magazine stories together for publishing on Kindle as Three’s a Crowd it was a learning curve and a half to format them. I've used Word for years and years but there were sections of the formatting palette I hadn't known existed.

And – aargh – the hyperlinking, linking the contents to each chapter head. Apparently hyperlinking is easy-peasy on a PC but I work on a Mac … a kind friend pointed me in the direction of this YouTube video.

Then there was all the US tax info to sort out. They say tomayto, we say tomahto … they don’t call it your UTR (Unique Tax Reference) number but that’s what they are looking for. However, thankfully, the tax form only needs to be completed the first time you publish on Kindle.

There were a couple of things I couldn’t figure out so I got in touch via the KDP contact form and got friendly, helpful replies – from real people  –within twenty-four hours.

And I happen to have a graphic-designer husband who was also friendly and helpful, in the matter of putting the cover together.

If you’re planning to publish through Kindle Direct Publishing for the first time my first top tip would be to print out all their directions first and read through them, highlighting anything you’re not sure about and finding out how to do that first. Much easier than trying to juggle the directions on one half of your computer screen and your Word doc on the other. 

My second top tip is to marry a graphic designer.

Easy when you know how … second time around, I wondered what I’d made such a fuss about. I’ve put one of my magazine serials up: The Ferryboat

When Judy and Tom Jeffreys are asked by their daughter Holly and her Scottish chef husband Corin if they will join them in buying The Ferryboat hotel in the West Highlands, they take the plunge and move north.

The rundown hotel needs much expensive upgrading – and what with local opposition to some of their plans, and worrying about their younger daughter, left down south with her flighty grandma, Judy begins to wonder if they’ve made a terrible mistake.

I might even do it a third time …

Coming on Kindle NEXT WEEK, written by me but published by Black & White Publishing is:

You can pre-order it now for a bargain 99p and it will be on your Kindle on 3 November.

One phone call can change everything...

Six days before Christmas, Stella could never have anticipated the impact on her life when the phone rings in her London office.

The phone call is from a friend of the family informing Stella that her grandmother has been hurt in a fall at her home in the Scottish borders and is in hospital. Torn between her responsibilities at work and the need to be with her grandmother she decides she must return to Scotland immediately.

However, on her return to where she grew up, it becomes apparent that her grandmother’s health is not her only concern. Relationships which have lain dormant for years are re-kindled and fresh opportunities present themselves – if she will only dare to take them...