Need help modifying a "template" document
Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2018 8:43 am
I am a writer and downloaded the 6 x 9 sample document from Createspace but it includes elements I don't want. I tried deleting the extra pages, but that completely screwed up the formatting. I'd like to pay someone for their service in reformatting the document to suit my needs. I will then use that document as a "template" for each novel (I don't want to get into actual templates -- a document formatted like I want will do just fine). I have a PDF (created from a manuscript when I was using Mac Pages) that looks like what I want.
I don't want to have to learn how to format a document from scratch -- creating paragraph and character formats, page layouts, headers/footers, etc. I was a technical writer for 25 years and was a Certified Expert User of FrameMaker. Now I write novels and I don't want to have to go back through all that again. I would much rather pay someone else to set it up using the paragraph, character, and page types I want available.
I've previously used Mac Pages to write, but both my editor and my ebook conversion guy were having a hard time. They are the reason I want to switch to OpenOffice. Here are links to two helpful files. Both files were too big too attach, so I've put them into my DropBox folder and made them public (hopefully -- DropBox has changed how the handle public files).
1. The CreateSpace Word sample document I'd like to use from now on: goo.gl/CbNzSB
2. The first two chapters (in PDF) of my previous novel, showing the format I was using in Mac Pages: goo.gl/a9Wdqi
As I said, the two biggest problems I have are that there's extra stuff at the beginning of the sample document (dedication, table of contents, etc.) that I don't want, and the fact that the header displays on chapter first pages. It is supposed to be off for each beginning of chapter. I've pulled my hair out trying to fix these two seemingly simple problems.
You can email me directly at janetch (at) mac.com.
I don't want to have to learn how to format a document from scratch -- creating paragraph and character formats, page layouts, headers/footers, etc. I was a technical writer for 25 years and was a Certified Expert User of FrameMaker. Now I write novels and I don't want to have to go back through all that again. I would much rather pay someone else to set it up using the paragraph, character, and page types I want available.
I've previously used Mac Pages to write, but both my editor and my ebook conversion guy were having a hard time. They are the reason I want to switch to OpenOffice. Here are links to two helpful files. Both files were too big too attach, so I've put them into my DropBox folder and made them public (hopefully -- DropBox has changed how the handle public files).
1. The CreateSpace Word sample document I'd like to use from now on: goo.gl/CbNzSB
2. The first two chapters (in PDF) of my previous novel, showing the format I was using in Mac Pages: goo.gl/a9Wdqi
As I said, the two biggest problems I have are that there's extra stuff at the beginning of the sample document (dedication, table of contents, etc.) that I don't want, and the fact that the header displays on chapter first pages. It is supposed to be off for each beginning of chapter. I've pulled my hair out trying to fix these two seemingly simple problems.
You can email me directly at janetch (at) mac.com.