I've started a book, through Amazon. So far all I've done is the cover. I used one of their templates, but as an ex-graphic designer, and obsessive, I found it a bit restrictive. I've been trying unsuccessfully to import a photo of myself from another file, but that seems to be above my pay grade. I'll keep working on it. This could take a while. I was hoping to have it done for my birthday, at the end of August. I had to read most of my poems to try to come up with a short list for the book, I was hoping to find 25 good ones, as an arbitrary number, and came up with 60...so I have some editing to do. Not all of them have images to go with them, so that's a challenge. I don't have time to do that many paintings in time, and I'm not sure I want to do a mixture of paintings and photographs. I guess I'll start with the ones I do have paintings for and go from there. This is the cover painting. It's a close up from the poem 'anchor'.
She moves like the world leans hard to the left,
her bones tumble out of their grave,
they dance with the devil on seven-inch heels,
since this is how bad bones behave.
anchor #185 verse:7
Well, I know this took far longer than I thought it would, but I can finally say, with much pleasure, that the book ‘dancing down entropy street’ is now available on Amazon. Today, November 26 2018 would have been my brother Howard’s 61st birthday. It wasn’t planned that way, it just happened. I’m very happy, and relieved that this part is over. Now I can reconfigure it for an e-book, and I want to sell some of the images as prints on Amazon. Two more projects to keep me busy. The iris painting is going to have to wait. I also made a piece of stained glass for the window in the stairwell, so there’s that too. I ordered an artist’s copy for myself today, so there’s my first book sold. Ha. It might be the only book sold…but that’s not the point. I just wanted something to exist in the world that as many people as possible could see.
Added a short bio to my Author’s Page on Amazon.
Got my author’s proof of the book in the mail today.
The cover. It arrived two days earlier than the tracking email said it would, which is great. I’m going to go through it very carefully to make sure there aren’t any mistakes. There are a couple of layout issues I had when I uploaded this, that I’ve since figured out how to fix, but they’re minor problems. I’m still working on the ebook. It’s done, now I have to convert it to a file format that Amazon likes, and upload it. I’ve been trying to figure out how to sell ‘archival quality prints’ on Amazon from images from the book. I find most websites are like some kind of a Stygian maze. I keep ending up back at the same place I started from.
This is the author’s proof I ordered for myself so I could proofread it, and make any corrections. I found it hard to learn how to use the Word program on my own. It’s like trying to catch eels in a bucket.
This is the book, on top of the original painting. The painting is for a poem called ‘anchor’.
The book, opened to page 6, with the image for the poem ‘dancing down entropy street’. The photograph on the right hand page at the bottom is of a see-through doll I got at the thrift shop. I don’t know who he’s supposed to be.
I’ve been trying to do an ebook version of the paperback book. I managed to generate a table of contents that connects to the poem titles, but then it wouldn’t upload… Things are never easy. They sent me instructions, but they seem a bit above my pay grade, so I’ll have to seek technical assistance.
Brenda’s copy of the book.
My friend Carol with the pink poodle painting, and a copy of the book.
Harris, with his copy of ‘dancing down entropy street’. Dec 25 2018.
Brenda, with the book, in front of the original painting.
Me, with ‘anchor’, the painting/collage with the image I used for the book, at the Lindsay Art Gallery.
Also, the painting/collage ‘the unspoken language’, behind me.
I had to change service providers to get a faster uploading speed, so I could finally upload the e book version of the book. I can’t believe it took me this long to do, but it’s done now. I am greatly relieved. I’m sure there are some layout issues I’ll have to tweak, but it’s basically done. The next step is to order a copy for myself, so I can see what it looks like on a tablet. My next venture is to have individual prints for sale from the book. I have at least a dozen I’d like to have available. I have some photos in the book too, my favourite one is of a shell on a black sand beach in New Zealand. I have a framed photo in my bathroom and it looks great. I like the ‘ICE Y’ photo too, taken in Peterborough, Ont. I also have a large framed print of that, in my other bathroom. The room is painted grey, so it looks great hanging on the wall.
Sending a copy to the library in Gibsons. It’s true home.
This is the shell photo. Available on DeviantArt.
This is the ‘Ice Y’ photograph. Cracked ice on the lake, Peterborough, Ont. Available on DeviantArt.
