Designing Beautiful Books With Microsoft Word
Our Latest Technical Guide . . .
"Designing Beautiful Books: the Self-Publisher's Guide To Creating and Using Microsoft Word Templates and Styles" is now ready.
The book was written to teach self-publishers the proper way to format their manuscripts, using the best features of Microsoft Word. Especially those books destined for Lulu Press, Cafe Press, and other POD publishers and printers.
By no means, is our book the final ‘Word on Word;’ it was written to explain the essential features all writers need to understand before they tackle the design and layout a book project using Microsoft Word.
On this web site, you will find ordering information as well as the preface, introduction, and partial table of contents. We also offer free products such as MS-Word templates.
We no longer directly sell and distribute products from our web sites. We have decided to deal with a growing company called Lulu Press. They handle printing and distribution; you receive a better quality product, and you receive it faster.
In addition, you can pay by credit card. Lulu Press can be trusted; we are perhaps a tad too shady and we should never be trusted with personal financial information.
The book was written to teach self-publishers the proper way to format their manuscripts, using the best features of Microsoft Word. Especially those books destined for Lulu Press, Cafe Press, and other POD publishers and printers.
By no means, is our book the final ‘Word on Word;’ it was written to explain the essential features all writers need to understand before they tackle the design and layout a book project using Microsoft Word.
On this web site, you will find ordering information as well as the preface, introduction, and partial table of contents. We also offer free products such as MS-Word templates.
We no longer directly sell and distribute products from our web sites. We have decided to deal with a growing company called Lulu Press. They handle printing and distribution; you receive a better quality product, and you receive it faster.
In addition, you can pay by credit card. Lulu Press can be trusted; we are perhaps a tad too shady and we should never be trusted with personal financial information.
A Few Site Updates . . .
A few recent projects include three new books,one of which is detailed on this web site. Other than that, nothing new, here at the ranch.
Custom Designs and Word Templates
If you are a self-publisher (or you want to be, must be, cannot bear to breath another breath unless you are published, for better or worse) and you need something special, please ask. We know the problems Word often presents when the beginning user decides to create a nice looking book using Word.
We do not “do” Microsoft Publisher, Ventura, Quark and the rest, just Microsoft Word. We do not offer manuscript editing services either.
If you are looking for a nice cover design, do not ask us. We are not artists. We have lots of cool tools and we can fake it. I mean, if a new writer needs a cover, he or she perhaps feels lost and he or she will hire just about anyone.
Especially those with a cool web site like this here web site.
Yes, we know,” How successful can those guys be if they must resort to a free web site, on a free ISP, and they used the bloody site builder. No HTML skills, I guess.”
Feel free to ask us for cover art. We will sell you something acceptable. If you hate it, stop payment on your check.
We do one thing here at the ranch and what we do is all we do. Well, we do many things, but not everything we do is useful to writers and publishers.
We usually make educated guesses about things our clients ask for; frequently we Google so we can seem, well, worth hiring.
To paraphrase the estimable Chet Atkins, “All our notes are a matter of ‘guessin.”
So, if you are having problems trying to get great looking results from Microsoft Word, ask us for help. Most of us are caffeine powered late into the night, so we can usually answer your messages.
Eventually.
We do not generally charge for technical help. We do charge for custom Word Templates, so before you start thinking that we provide a free ride, guess again. We can be costly.
We do not “do” Microsoft Publisher, Ventura, Quark and the rest, just Microsoft Word. We do not offer manuscript editing services either.
If you are looking for a nice cover design, do not ask us. We are not artists. We have lots of cool tools and we can fake it. I mean, if a new writer needs a cover, he or she perhaps feels lost and he or she will hire just about anyone.
Especially those with a cool web site like this here web site.
Yes, we know,” How successful can those guys be if they must resort to a free web site, on a free ISP, and they used the bloody site builder. No HTML skills, I guess.”
Feel free to ask us for cover art. We will sell you something acceptable. If you hate it, stop payment on your check.
We do one thing here at the ranch and what we do is all we do. Well, we do many things, but not everything we do is useful to writers and publishers.
We usually make educated guesses about things our clients ask for; frequently we Google so we can seem, well, worth hiring.
To paraphrase the estimable Chet Atkins, “All our notes are a matter of ‘guessin.”
So, if you are having problems trying to get great looking results from Microsoft Word, ask us for help. Most of us are caffeine powered late into the night, so we can usually answer your messages.
Eventually.
We do not generally charge for technical help. We do charge for custom Word Templates, so before you start thinking that we provide a free ride, guess again. We can be costly.
For better or worse, a new book
After due consideration, I have decided to take a stab at a self-publishing project. The result is my grandest effort, "Designing Beautiful Books: The Self-Publisher-s Guide to Creating and Using Microsoft Word Templates and Styles.”
Now, with fewer spelling mistakes and fifty percent more commas and semi-colons.
After additional and even more due consideration, I selected Lulu Press to handle the heavy lifting. Why? Well, free publishing and no rejections from agents, editors, and publishers.
About all I can say is please purchase the book.
Now, with fewer spelling mistakes and fifty percent more commas and semi-colons.
After additional and even more due consideration, I selected Lulu Press to handle the heavy lifting. Why? Well, free publishing and no rejections from agents, editors, and publishers.
About all I can say is please purchase the book.
Other Books . . .
My primary job is "to be the best, darn technical writer in the cubicle farm. Having failed miserably, my next job function is to sell junk from my web site. So, please buy something.
Actually, much of what I sell, I also give away. If anyone wants a free template, just ask me. Please tell me a little but about you and send me a request at the email address listed below. I promise not to spam you with offers, ads, and links to my eBay listings.
Put “free template offer” or something like it in the subject of your message.
Actually, much of what I sell, I also give away. If anyone wants a free template, just ask me. Please tell me a little but about you and send me a request at the email address listed below. I promise not to spam you with offers, ads, and links to my eBay listings.
Put “free template offer” or something like it in the subject of your message.