New paperback format

[[deleted user]]

I hope this won't be considered promotion; that's not its intent. If so, the mods may move it or delete it as desired.

I've just revised the paperback version of my novel To Summon The Blackbird (the hardcover revision will follow). I have a new font (Calibri and Felix Titling) on the interior, and a streamlined format. For now I've placed it on Lulu.com where I can delete it at any time. Take a look at the preview and let me know if you like the font and format, or if you'd make changes. Thanks.

http://www.lulu.com/shop/ken-doggett/...

[April]

Hi, Ken

Sure, I'll go look at it. I love talking print formatting. I'm working on formatting my novel for print right now.

[April]

Hi again, Ken

Nice job! Very well done.

I do have a couple of suggestions. These are all stylistic suggestions & very subjective, so take them for what you think they're worth.

1. You might increase the space above and below your *** separators. It's kind of crowded around those separators.

2. Is your page number italicized? It appears slanted, so I was wondering if it is italicized. If so, you might consider removing the italics.

3. How about adding a 2-line drop cap the first paragraph of each chapter? Here's an example: http://www.aprilwilsonwrites.com/imag...

4. You might considering adding a little bit of space below each chapter heading number.

5. You might considering having the text start lower on the page on the first page of each chapter.

As I said, these are very subjective suggestions - these are common practice in my genre (romance), but they may not be common place in your genre. They may not appeal to you at all. Of all the suggestions I made, I think the first one (adding spacing around your separators) would be the most beneficial.

You've done a great job!

[[deleted user]]

Thanks, April. I wanted to simplify as much as possible without adding to the page count, and that's why I didn't start each chapter lower in the page. I figured the stylized chapter number at 24 pt. was ample. I tried drop caps in the first version of my first novel, and didn't really like the look. I italicized both the heading and the page numbers to separate them more from the book text. I found that although Calibi is slightly smaller than Georgia it seems easier to read, and it adds extra space between the lines. I think it has a cleaner look.

[[deleted user]]

By the way, you can see the original at Amazon.com. As you can see, it's a little less elegant: http://www.amazon.com/Summon-Blackbir...

[M.L.]

I think it looks nice, very moody.

My 2 cents! I don't know if this is doable, but off-the-top first impression: The words "Summon" and "Blackbird" along with the moody cover, physical rep of a bird, say "Fantasy", but, the genre category says "Science Fiction". If it is a blend, that's then OK but if not, then I think the picture needs to say SF as well. As it is now, I have an immediate (although not overwhelming) disconnect: is it fantasy or SF with actual science elements. And I had to read the description to know. And IMHO, the description should be reinforcing what the title and cover are already telling me.

Also for the blurb, I would suggest taking out "neighbors". It sounds too friendly. And moving the part about epic chess game higher in the paragraph.

[Quantum]

the new title page is quite attractive. i like the blackbird. if resized, 3 of them nicely spaced might make a good scene separator.

i agree w/April's recommendations as follows:

1. You might increase the space above and below your *** separators. It's kind of crowded around those separators.
[alex g] "whitespace is your friend." i understand that you're also printing hardcopy (and thus the # of pages is a consideration), but being too tight impacts readability.

2. Is your page number italicized? It appears slanted, so I was wondering if it is italicized. If so, you might consider removing the italics.
[alex g] italics is harder to read online (having said that, headings, footers and chapter numbers are short, so it's not terribly bad). as an alternative, you could try using a different font or bold it.

[[deleted user]]

Flash Beagle wrote: "I think it looks nice, very moody.

My 2 cents! I don't know if this is doable, but off-the-top first impression: The words "Summon" and "Blackbird" along with the moody cover, physical rep of a..."

It's pure SF, no fantasy, but with a mixture of the unknown, coupled with superstition. Basically it's a space opera centered on interstellar war. I was worried about it giving the impression of Fantasy, but I had both the cover and blurb reviewed by my peers, and most believed that the two together said emphatically "Science Fiction" and not "Fantasy." I have had a couple of comments about "neighbors," and I'm still mulling it over. Thanks!

Alex G wrote: "the new title page is quite attractive. i like the blackbird. if resized, 3 of them nicely spaced might make a good scene separator.

i agree w/April's recommendations as follows:

1. You might inc..."

I used the blackbird symbol to denote the end of each chapter. I did italicize the headings and footings for more separation from the text, but these are for print only; the ebook won't be changed. The main alteration here from the print format I had is the text font and titles. Thanks!