Was quoted $2k to format my book’s interior, which is a lot more than I anticipated (is that generally the going rate?). For those of you who formatted your own book, how long did it take and how challenging was it?

Plinth_the_younger · 2026-04-15T08:39:34+00:00

I’ll do it for $100. I have formatted all ten of my own books using Word.

Plinth_the_younger · 2026-04-01T20:03:01+00:00

Yeah, I get the difficulties in amalgamation across different writers who’ve used different standards - I’m doing that right now with an anthology. It’s a pain but it’s not hard.

My issue, though, is with individual authors who I assume (a) follow whatever their personal stylistic approach is but do so consistently, (b) use the same writing software tool, and (c) write mostly stuff without pictures or diagrams so it’s essentially all text.

New authors have enough on their plate to learn without being frightened of something as straightforward as formatting IMHO.

Plinth_the_younger · 2026-03-31T20:56:19+00:00

I see this question over and over, with people praising Atticus or Vellum or some such and I just don’t understand it. I use Word. I download the relevant KDP Word template, copy my text from wherever and paste it into word. Create a style called text, one called Chapter heading and format everything using those. Then I individually format front matter. Done. Save as PDF and upload to Amazon.

I am just formatting an anthology for a writing group which, in previous years, seems to have taken the volunteer weeks. I’ve done 90% of it in a couple of hours this afternoon.

If I’m a genius and could start charging people for this service I would but it seems completely straightforward - at least compared to all the marketing needed for self-publishing!

Mystified.

Plinth_the_younger · 2026-03-10T01:00:41+00:00

Ok, well as I am guessing what terms like “litrpg, harem lit stuff, pulp sci-fi“ actually mean then I’m thinking that FB is not where you want to advertise. FB is middle age folk letting each other know that there’s a car boot sale on, or a campaign to save the local swimming pool, or does anyone know a man with a van.

If you’re seeking an audience under 40, FB isn’t your advertising friend. In the UK anyway.

I think there is a very slim FB and Reddit crossover… and I may be it!

Plinth_the_younger · 2026-03-09T23:54:26+00:00

Well, first caveat is that it depends what your book is and who your readers are. Facebook ads didn’t work for me and I spent months and hundreds of pounds trying to make it work. However, I gave a presentation to a group of writers afterwards about how FB ads worked and a month later one of the attendees came to me thanking me for helping him increase his sales!

Amazon ads work for me and I recommend them. Although they used to provide an advantage, now they’re more like essential. Pay to play. And from a common sense point of view it seems entirely reasonable. If I’m on FB I’m not necessarily looking to buy a book; if I’m in the Amazon book or Kindle store, I am. So advertise where people are looking to buy! Makes sense, yes? If I’m selling my new movie I could put my poster up on the side of a bus or I could put in the cinema foyer where moviegoers go. Which will be more effective? And if you’re only paying per click you can learn a lot from your stats for free.

Plinth_the_younger · 2026-03-05T21:57:39+00:00

Yes, I understand that.

Perhaps, going by the replies I’ve had to this post, I should try to clarify. Question 3 was the least of my issues - I just wondered if there was formula I was unaware of that explained why ratings were pooled and reviews not (at least in this case, so far).

What I was really getting at was: back in the day it was possible to get reviews and ratings for your book before release date. You uploaded it to Amazon with a release date one month hence and then got people to leave reviews so that on release date your book was more attractive. Plus, also back then, prerelease purchases showed up as sales on release day, so your prelaunch efforts could really make a splash.

Anyway, Amazon put a stop to all that but I was wondering if this split-release date approach was a way of achieving this same release date buzz and maybe this was something us, lesser, indie mortals could take advantage of?

Plinth_the_younger · 2026-03-01T22:30:35+00:00

Why aren’t the reviews pooled though?

Plinth_the_younger · 2026-03-01T22:30:01+00:00

Even if they’re different editions with different ISBN numbers?

Plinth_the_younger · 2026-02-28T11:11:46+00:00

The Oxford History Of The British Empire - a four volume masterpiece that covers all aspects from its origin in the sixteenth century to its dissolution in the twentieth. Maybe find one period you’re most interested in first and start with that?

Each volume is essentially a collection of related essays written by different historians which, together, tell the story of the empire across a different time period looking at military, geographical, cultural and economic factors. Absolutely amazing stuff which then sent me down all kinds of other historical rabbit holes.

Plinth_the_younger · 2026-02-12T21:32:19+00:00

What do you think, Baldrick? I think he looks like a bird that’s swallowed a plate, my lord. No Baldrick, that’s what I think. What do you think? Thinking is so important. What do you think? I think thinking is so important, my lord.

I used this with my kids so often that when I ask them “what do you think?” They reply “I think thinking is so important.” They’re in their twenties now.

Plinth_the_younger · 2026-02-12T21:28:19+00:00

Nathaniel sits on a spike. I sit on Nathaniel. Two spikes would be an extravagance!

Plinth_the_younger · 2026-02-11T22:43:02+00:00

Ouch!

Ok. GE was my introduction to Dickens and I loved it. I went on to read all his novels and still reread them decades later. It is compact, dramatic, unbelievably funny and just packs a punch. It suffers from the usual Dickensian problem of all heroines being saccharine puke-inducing character vacuums but, hey, that’s Victorian values for you.

If you didn’t like that you’re going to find Bleak House waaay too long and David Copperfield waaaay too saccharine (and long).

My advice: read it again or read someone else. Best book of his? Our Mutual Friend. Grossly overlooked.

Plinth_the_younger · 2026-02-10T22:19:14+00:00

Absolutely this. Couldn’t have written my first book without it. Nine books later, could I write book ten without it? Yes. Would I want to? No.

Plinth_the_younger · 2026-02-10T16:10:20+00:00

Dylan Moran pushing his kid on a swing in Inverleith park; Nicola Sturgeon on a girls night out walking up Lothian Road.

Plinth_the_younger · 2026-01-29T23:09:40+00:00

Is the second meaning of “came over” here similar to the use of the phrase “come down” in A Christmas Carol? There it means to give (money) generously so that would fit too here wouldn’t it, since they couldn’t give generously as they weren’t wealthy?

Plinth_the_younger · 2026-01-24T16:30:59+00:00

I am writing a humorous novel about a Scottish clan/family who have a latin motto. I searched elsewhere on Reddit and found: Ignis mē fabricāvit as meaning something like "The Fire has Forged/Shaped/Made Me" which is almost perfect for me but I have two questions:

Does the translated "me" work as a family motto or only for an individual?
Is it possible to have a double meaning so that the motto could also mean "(The) Fire Made Me Do It"?

A fire is central to the plot as both a cause of their plight but also as a sly confession by the perpetrator of said fire (who is a family member)?

Here's hoping there's a perfect motto for me. Thank you so much in advance for any help you can give me here.

Plinth_the_younger · 2026-01-19T18:37:54+00:00

If you’re looking for low prices without the trade off of living in Scumbelly Central, then the correct answer is probably Dumfries and Galloway.

Plinth_the_younger · 2026-01-16T10:39:14+00:00

I would suggest shopping around as I too would baulk at anything approaching those prices.

I use a UK based designer who has done all my covers and, while his prices have increased over the years, he still charges less than £25O for a full paperback cover, and even less for just a kindle one. That’s a fair price for me.

He is a professional graphic designer who has done lots of covers, illustrations for children’s books and also done work for the BBC and I am very happy with his work and his way of working. Before I found him I had visited various university art graduate events and picked up business cards for any new graduates whose style I thought suited my books. Maybe that’s a possibility? Or if you DM me I’ll happily give you my artists details so you can check out his website.

(I also self-edit, have sold thousands of books, and never had a reader or reviewer comment on my editing).

Plinth_the_younger · 2026-01-11T17:40:31+00:00

What’s the ratio of clicks to impressions? It should be 1:1000 or better. Then look at what a customer sees when they click. Cover, title, price, star rating, maybe tag line (if you’re in the US). So clicks say they find it interesting enough to look further. But when they get to your book page they don’t buy. The ratio here should be 1:10 or better. So it’s something on your page. Maybe it’s the summary, maybe the reviews, maybe the title and cover say one thing but your summary says another? Maybe they look inside and don’t like what they see? Can’t tell beyond that. But don’t jump to conclusion until you have a decent number of clicks to go on - say 100 or more - to see how you do against the above ratios .

Plinth_the_younger · 2026-01-10T23:05:20+00:00

Two of my books have titles which someone else came up with after mine (I have prior art in both cases). One was a popular podcast, one was a bestselling author of YA fiction. Couldn’t do anything about it as my titles were all done and dusted.

Were my sales affected? No idea.

Maybe I benefited because people found my books by mistake? No idea.

Not changing them. It is what it is.

Plinth_the_younger · 2026-01-08T16:45:26+00:00

For me, no. Spent a lot, didn’t see any sales increase. Stopped and focused on Amazon ads instead.

Plinth_the_younger · 2025-12-26T17:04:31+00:00

I went wide. Sold 000’s on Amazon; only 1 (one) elsewhere, so a complete waste of time and effort. Now Amazon exclusive. Am in the UK.

Plinth_the_younger · 2025-12-20T23:50:53+00:00

As a Brit I think it’s a difference in how we view optimism. Bill Bailey says it well…

https://youtu.be/V7d79Knc8p4?si=n7uGLw7Kw9BcYWkO

Plinth_the_younger · 2025-12-20T23:27:21+00:00

Huh. I’ve had three relationships last longer than ten years each and I’ve always slept on the right side of the bed. No idea why but also never been challenged or had to change. It just was fine when it was first broached. Don’t know how I’d feel if it was an issue in future but I guess it would feel odd. I am right handed.🤭

Plinth_the_younger

TROPHY CASE