This page explains the process of editing a book using OpenOffice.
Preamble
Once your template has been developed and provided to you, you may start the editing process. Two rules are critical:
- All formatting must be done using STYLES, and
- You must increment all filenames BEFORE you change anything.
Understand the critical importance of these two things and you will NEVER have any problem with overwriting data!
Preliminary Steps
Download and install Apache OpenOffice from https://www.openoffice.org/download/
If you wish to use an FTP server (instead of emailing) download and install Filezilla https://filezilla-project.org/download.php
If you wish WTW to view your computer for support reasons download and install Team Viewer: https://www.teamviewer.com/en-us/
Open your book ODT file and IMMEDIATELY save it as [your-file-name-slug+number] incrementing the number by one every time. If your book name slug is say, Sexy-Legs, then the file name will be Sexy-Legs2.odt. Always use a number for all documents except for the final version which will be simply Sexy-Legs.odt and Sexy-Legs.pdf. Never use the word “final” in a file name.
NOTE: Do not use, nor copy any text from Microsoft Word, unless it is first copied into a simple text editor to strip out all formatting.
The Process
Editing a book is never done. Typically you will work with Writing the Wrong even long past the publication date. Fixing spelling errors or changing URLs are common, even after a book has been published. The same ISBNs may contain slightly different text. Books with new chapters or major changes require new ISBNs.
Once the Styles are developed by WTW, you will be ready to tweak the book using those Styles provided. It is unwise to add or modify Styles. Your book should be preformatted (usually to A5) with mirrored margins.
WTW will usually provide you with a working version of an ODT with Styles included. Style formatting will usually include:
- A Verso Page (Hint: always update your version or release number to match the draft number, so that for example, Sexy-Legs23.pdf could be Ver: 1.23)
- A Contents Page (right click to manually update page numbering) – Automatically generated from H1s
- Headings (Normally just H1 & H2)
- Sub Headings (Optional)
- Default or Body Text
- Pull Quote Paragraphs (typically used only on pages without images)
- Footnotes (the normal location of all references & URLs) – Place your cursor where you want the footnote number to be, then insert a footnote with ALT+I, fullstop, ENTER.
- Footers (usually only a centered page number)
- Emphasis (character formatting)
- Headers, Tables and other styles (optional)
Once the book is ready for printing, create a PDF (File/Export or click the red PDF Icon – usually found to the left of the Print Icon) and upload it to KDP/Amazon along with the covers as provided by WTW.
Images
Inserting images can be a challenge, especially when trying to keep file sizes down. Use JPGs from a local computer if possible, locating all images in the same directory with standardised naming conventions – ph for a photo; gr for a graphic and naming all ‘lowercase-with-hypens’ dot file type (e.g. ph-sexy-legs.jpg for an original photo then ph-sexy-legs1.jpg for the first resized image or perhaps ph-sexy-legs-700.png for a photo resized to 700 pixels wide).
Black and white images are always smaller – important if you are using more than one image per chapter.
It is good practice to save all your original images in their own directory local then resize them down to the width you need them in your final document. Never reformat them up in size, but you can generally resize them down to the required width.
HINT: Right click an image in a browser then “open in a new window” to get the original from most websites, then right-click Save As.
To start with in your editing, insert an image right aligned, 50% width, anchored to the first paragraph in a chapter and optimal wrapping with a margin left and bottom only. Right click an image for all formatting options. Practice. Practice. Practice!
Troubleshooting on a problematic image location is usually caused by anchoring to a page, instead of anchoring to a paragraph, or attempting to drag an image ‘out of bounds’ into another page, rather than setting its location relatively (left, right or centered).
Ensure that your non-printing characters are showing.
HINT: To troubleshoot an image placement problem, delete the image and reinsert it in a new empty paragraph.
Stretched images can be reset to their original (right click, Picture, Type) then narrowed with relative widths (say, 50% right aligned or 100% centered). Images hiding behind or overlapping others can be fixed by arranging and/or wrapping. In worst cases, simply delete them and re-enter them.
Practice makes perfect, so do not panic or give up early. Learn the rules just the same as riding a bike, snowboarding or driving a car, and you will get there. Lean on WTW whenever you need help! Watch how we troubleshoot problems and learn how to think logically.
Graphics
Using computer generated graphics should always be left to professionals. Slapping in clip art is a sure-fire way to reduce the presentation of your work!
Here are a few examples of hand drawn graphics WTW has used in previous publications.
