If you have noticed that I haven’t posted anything new to this blog in while, there is a good reason: I have been busy.
Please allow me to explain.
In the summer of 2017, I was nearing completion of the book For the Love of Lorna, which vividly tells her wonderful life story in words, pictures, and video. At that time, I had made arrangements with the publisher to produce, not just printed copies of the book, but also two electronic versions. My plan was to release all three of these editions simultaneously.
Sadly, due to technical problems with the publisher’s computer system, one of the two versions failed the conversion process multiple times. The other one was readable, but suffered from formatting errors (such as text overlapping other text or running behind photos) when viewed on certain devices.
By July of 2018 the publishing house still had no resolution to their conversion issues and I had lost all confidence in their ability to overcome the problems. As fine as the printed edition was, I knew the electronic ones were not acceptable.
So, I set about recreating the book myself. This time, rather than using the publisher’s own proprietary software, I worked with a widely-available, commonly-used office suite. My goal? To produce working, superior versions of both electronic copies. This involved not only copying and resetting all of the text, but also in resizing and placing all 1,000-plus photographs and video links in the proper locations. I began the work this past August and can now state that the project has been completed. Not only was the entire book recreated, but the process allowed me to discover and correct a number of small textual flaws. From this re-creation I was then able to produce two new highly accurate electronic versions.
Best of all, both of these electronic versions feature hot links. Whenever reference is made to another section of the book, all you have to do is click or tap the link and you will arrive at that spot instantly. (This includes the Table of Contents.) Additionally, every video is hot linked as well, meaning you only have to activate the link and your device’s browser will immediately start playing the video.
Today, as a result of this work, I am happy to announce three new or improved versions of the book are now available:
- A pdf version renders the book in the popular Adobe pdf format. This format allows the reader to see each page of the book in the same layout as each appears in the printed edition.
- An all-new ePub version is now released. The entire book has been recreated in the widely-supported ePub format. This file setup allows popular eReader programs and devices to display the contents in a flowable style. Thus, if you like to read books or publications on an iPad, an Android smartphone or table, a Kindle, a Nook, or on another compatible eReader, this file format works beautifully. The text is fully scalable, meaning you can adjust the character size at will and the pictures and other graphics will be adjusted automatically. Most eReaders also allow you to select either a page-by-page or scrolling presentation. And all references are live hot links as explained above.
- And, as a result of this intense work, a revised Second Edition print version of the book is available for purchase from the publisher. It includes scores of the textual corrections without any change to the content itself.
How does one go about obtaining any or all of these? For the electronic versions, the matter is quite simple. On the sidebar of this blog—at the far right when viewed on a computer screen, at the very bottom when using a smartphone or tablet—are two big, red buttons. One is labeled “Download PDF” while the other reads “Download ePub.” (These buttons are only visible to registered users after they have logged in.)
Simply tap or click a download button and the process will begin immediately. (Depending on your device, you may need to select into which app the electronic book should open. For example, on an Apple iPad you might select iBooks.)
As for the printed version of the book, a tap or click on the icon of the book cover, also found on the sidebar, will open the ordering page at the publisher, Blurb, Inc. From there one can place an order for whichever cover style you desire. (A small aside: All charges indicted simply cover the cost of printing. I make no profit at all from any copies purchased.)
Please feel free to contact me if you have any problems downloading the electronic files or with ordering printed copies. As always, you can email me at jay@ilovelorna.info.
Now that this major project is complete, I can happily resume writing stories about our dear Lorna, shining a light to illuminate little corners of her colorful world.
I look forward to sharing more memories and reading your comments.