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-   -   Downer publishes his book! (http://forum.barrowdowns.com/showthread.php?t=17875)

davem 02-06-2012 01:57 AM

Downer publishes his book!
 
Narrforc has finally gotten around to releasing his book The Followship of the Ring (being the First Part of The Lord of the Grins) as a kindle book. Available now from all good Amazon sites for a very small price ( http://www.amazon.co.uk/Followship-R...8514491&sr=8-3 for Uk & http://www.amazon.com/Followship-Rin...8514643&sr=8-6 for US). And if you don't own an actual Kindle remember you can download the free kindle application from Amazon. Mark has been working on this book for the best part of a decade and it's really nice for his friends to see his work finally available.

Mithalwen 02-06-2012 11:19 AM

It is being delivered to Lady Mondegreen (which is what I call my Kindle) as I type...

Inziladun 02-06-2012 12:20 PM

We have a Nook, not a Kindle. :rolleyes:

How does one get the app?

Mithalwen 02-06-2012 12:30 PM

I have looked at the Amazon.com site and it seems similar to the .co.uk
Go to the Shop by departments and then Kindle and there should be options for free reading apps

http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.htm...cId=1000493771

narfforc 02-06-2012 02:36 PM

There are a few errors which I hope to put right in the next few days.....but I hope you enjoy it, because it get's really deeply funny later on. The Two Townies is a much bigger book, and The Retinue of the King has to be split in two... this creates a four book trilogy.


Wait until you meet Earmore Eadache son of Earnaught, and his sister The Lady Earwax The Milk-maid of Bovine in The Hall of the Golden King, which in the tongue of The Ruminates or Riders of Ridicule, is Milkingshed in Udderas,

davem 02-06-2012 03:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by narfforc (Post 667007)
There are a few errors which I hope to put right in the next few days.....but I hope you enjoy it, because it get's really deeply funny later on. The Two Townies is a much bigger book, and The Retinue of the King has to be split in two... this creates a four book trilogy.

In case anyone doesn't realise edits made to kindle books by the author are automatically downloaded to the kindle book you bought :)

Mithalwen 02-06-2012 03:53 PM

I did think it was a fat lot of good telling me now......:rolleyes:

davem 02-06-2012 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mithalwen (Post 667014)
I did think it was a fat lot of good telling me now......:rolleyes:

It's just minor grammatical errors we both missed while proofreading and preparing the ebook Also, I had to take Mark's original file, convert it into a different file type in order to turn it into an ebook (.epub file) and then convert that file into a .mobi file format version to upload to kindle. I suspect that errors may have occurred during the conversion process - or were possibly due to drunkenness. :p

davem 02-06-2012 04:49 PM

And of course, the other good thing is that if anyone spots any errors we miss you can let us know and we can fix them :)

Mithalwen 02-06-2012 05:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davem (Post 667015)
Also, I had to take Mark's original file, convert it into a different file type in order to turn it into an ebook (.epub file) and then convert that file into a .mobi file format version to upload to kindle.

Nods as if I understand any of that.... but I wish who ever prepped the free classic I downloaded yesterday would do some corrections .. not everyone has Project Gutenberg standards *sniff*

davem 02-07-2012 02:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mithalwen (Post 667025)
Nods as if I understand any of that.... but I wish who ever prepped the free classic I downloaded yesterday would do some corrections .. not everyone has Project Gutenberg standards *sniff*

It's just that Amazon use a file type (.mobi or.azw) which isn't the industry standard (.epub) - so that you don't go buying books from other suppliers like Waterstones, Smiths or Barnes & Noble, etc. Problem is the program I use (Sigil - which is free to download) for creating ebooks produces them in .epub format so they have to be converted on another program Calibre, into .mobi to upload to Amazon. You can lose commas, speech marks & stuff, or be so concerned with the little things like that that you end up not spotting things like 'that very next day' not being corrected to 'the very next day'. It's all minor stuff like that which Mark is sorting. He missed some things as well because he's so focussed on getting part two ready. We did put a lot of effort into getting it right, and they're the kind of thing you find in a lot of paper books - but at least we can correct them and you'll get the corrected text sent through as soon as it's done.

Estelyn Telcontar 02-07-2012 04:19 AM

Is anyone else smiling over the fact that davem's signature contrasts vividly with the subject of this thread and his involvement in the project? ;) I am amused. Nevertheless, I applaud both of you for bringing this book to the light of the public eye and for the work you put into it. This just may be the straw that breaks the camel's back of my resistance and gets me to buy a Kindle...

Galadriel55 02-07-2012 06:28 AM

All hail Narfforc and Davem, the Lords of the Grins! :D

Way to go!

Like Esty, I don't have a Kindle...

Quote:

Is anyone else smiling over the fact that davem's signature contrasts vividly with the subject of this thread and his involvement in the project?
:Merisu:

Mithalwen 02-07-2012 07:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davem (Post 667042)
It's just that Amazon use a file type (.mobi or.azw) which isn't the industry standard (.epub) - so that you don't go buying books from other suppliers like Waterstones, Smiths or Barnes & Noble, etc. Problem is the program I use (Sigil - which is free to download) for creating ebooks produces them in .epub format so they have to be converted on another program Calibre, into .mobi to upload to Amazon. You can lose commas, speech marks & stuff, or be so concerned with the little things like that that you end up not spotting things like 'that very next day' not being corrected to 'the very next day'. It's all minor stuff like that which Mark is sorting. He missed some things as well because he's so focussed on getting part two ready. We did put a lot of effort into getting it right, and they're the kind of thing you find in a lot of paper books - but at least we can correct them and you'll get the corrected text sent through as soon as it's done.

You say that and I still hear lalalalal Amazon lalalalala Barnes and Noble lalala Amazon...

My problem with my other e book is that Chapter 1 has become Chapter L !!! and they haven't taken the zero-tolerance approach to extraneaous spaces PG insist on... and they haven't removed the page headings so the chapter title and page number interrupt sentences !!! But I have waited decades to get my hands on this particular volume so I will forgive it.

davem 02-07-2012 10:13 AM

It was a learning experience for me. Sounds like the ebook you bought was done with zero concern for the reader's experience. We both put real effort into getting it right and making it as' professional' looking as possible. I think Mark can rightly feel proud of what he's produced, and I hope as many people as possible give it a go. And remember, you don't need a kindle- just download the free app :)

Mithalwen 02-07-2012 01:56 PM

To be fair it didn't cost me anything but it has clearly hasn't been through the rigourous procedure that PG use for their e publications.

davem 02-07-2012 02:36 PM

And please remember everybody-you can download the free Kindle app to your computer or smartphone and a free sample of the book if you don't want to risk your hard earned cash.

Mithalwen 02-07-2012 02:59 PM

However since it is less cash than my daily paper I felt that would be churlish....

Faramir Jones 02-10-2012 01:58 PM

Congratulations!
 
My (belated) congratulations to you, narrforc! :D

Pervinca Took 02-11-2012 11:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davem (Post 666982)
you can download the free kindle application from Amazon.

I went on Amazon, found The Followship Of the Ring, but couldn't find the free Kindle application or how to download it.

Mithalwen 02-11-2012 12:47 PM

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/feature.h...rd_i=341677031

That is the page for the UK site.

Pervinca Took 02-11-2012 01:16 PM

Thanks, Mithalwen! Downloading now.

Cycling Nazgul? Great parodists must think alike. (Viz: "The Trouble Of The Rings"). ;)

I'm sure Bilious was called Bulbous in an earlier draft?

Enjoying it, though. Very nice work.

davem 02-11-2012 03:40 PM

We're at work on part two, The Two Townies, at the moment & hopefully that won't be too long appearing. Mark wants to sort out a new cover, blurb page & map. Also, we'll try harder with the punctuation ;) I've just sent Mark the ebook in kindle compatible format and we're both checking it over-along with one of his friends wot teechus inglish so we're living in hope. Please bear with us re the slight imperfections in the text of Followship-hopefully they don't spoil your enjoyment of the story and Mark is sorting them and will upload the corrected version soon.

Long term the plan is to put out a second, third, and at the very least, an anniversary edition, each with minor changes of no real significance but motivated by a very real desire to get fans to purchase another copy of what will effectively be the same book. :)

narfforc 02-11-2012 09:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pervinca Took (Post 667157)

I'm sure Bilious was called Bulbous in an earlier draft?


Yes you are quite right he was, but as you will read in His Stories of Muddy-earth of how the names change like Oddo Baggytrousers from Foodo Binbags....

narfforc 02-11-2012 09:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davem (Post 667159)
We're at work on part two


Are we!!!, I'm working on The Shamarra Trilogy of :-


The Swearword of Shamarra
The Gallstones of Shamarra
The Washing of Shamarra

and as we discussed:-

Potty Harry and The Goblins on Fire
Hairy Pothead and The Prisoner's on a Razor-ban


I am of course also working on:-

Unfinshed Tales
His Stories of Muddy-earth volumes 1 to 12.


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