MY WordTree: 2 INTRODUCTION... 2 MYWORDTREE: LOOK, FEEL AND PURPOSE Pictures:... 3 MARKETING:...

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1 Publishing Project Rationale: My WordTree Contents MY WordTree: 2 INTRODUCTION... 2 MYWORDTREE: LOOK, FEEL AND PURPOSE... 2 Pictures:... 3 MARKETING:... 3 AMAZON:... 4 TECHNICAL DECISIONS AND RESTRICTIONS... 4 Blog Name:... 4 Kindle Format:... 5 Online e-books:... 5 To sum up:... 5 CONCLUSION:... 5

2 2 MY WordTree: INTRODUCTION: I examine words as I examine architecture. Behind their facade are further ideas like so many hidden doors and staircases leading to other explanations. Whilst writing Fishing for Birds 1 I was surprised by multiple uses for the word shroud. In the Publishing Project I wanted to create a space to play with words, meanings and test methods for writing about Time. For the first time, My WordTree included links to all my online writing in one place. As this an online project, I have concentrated on e-publishing using e-books, Kindle and the use of the Social Networks and Amazon in particular as marketing tools MYWORDTREE: LOOK, FEEL AND PURPOSE: The WordTree became an extended metaphor throughout the seven posts. In IT terms, a Tree is known as a means of organising search structures and indexing items quickly. From this conceit it grew into Eden s Tree and is a theme that Eve picks up. The blog as a whole explores the techniques of writing repeating story patterns, exile and Time; I see several stories evolving from these short posts. As the blog evolved, it became clear how useful feedback was for further writing Readers gave comments on what they wanted to see more of (e.g. Elworth Hall). Particularly helpful was a comment highlighting the houses were dying along with the people. As a writer reacting to the feedback, the blog has been invaluable for finding what people want to read and their reactions. Subsequently, I have setup a blog for my draft novel Salt Marsh House 2 and will invite readers to comment as the plot develops. 1 Submitted for Advanced Fiction module 2 (also on MyWordTree)

3 3 I included links for the reader; these lead to further information. As a reader I love detail and the more footnotes the better - I know some readers can see this as distracting, but I love text that feeds me more words and rejoice in the hyperlink. Each word was given an OED definition and each had its own rather subjective title, as words are not only the static creatures of dictionaries. They move with each individual s point of view. Pictures: The template was updated with original artwork. Personally, I enjoy detail, fabric and texture in text and try to replicate this on paper and digital formats. MARKETING: Throughout the publishing project, the necessity of good marketing was hammered home. Online searches revealed that a Sarah Keen already publishes books of knitting patterns on Amazon. I wanted an accessible but unique name. Consequently I decided to use sarah@sarahnet.com. As an address it means any online reader can access me instantly. I will update site to reflect the new publishing side of my company sarahnet Ltd. I setup a Facebook page for sarahnet, and linked the blog to Facebook and twitter. The e-book files ask for information about the book: what category it belongs to, what distribution rights you retain. These Meta tags are sent to search engines for relevant indexing. Each post on the blog has Meta tag for online searches and generates more traffic. When promoted, the blog peaked at 62 visitors on one day. In the month that it has been active it has 450 visitors.

4 4 AMAZON: Amazon is a powerful marketing tool and tailors precise ads to individual customers. It delivers a bespoke and reliable service. To take advantage of this, I setup as an e-book seller on Amazon. See copy of MyWordTree in Kindle format below. i Already Amazon links are building. The publishing model I will explore further is to sell e-books and then approach an agent to publish hardcopy books. TECHNICAL DECISIONS AND RESTRICTIONS WordPress: WordPress.Com hosts this blog. It is one of the more powerful online blog sites. The following was taken into consideration. 1. WordPress no longer supports old browsers. To overcome this, I had to adapt the template. 2. All blogs put the most recent post first. This made structuring a fictional piece difficult. Therefore Welcome became a sticky post that always appears first. 3. The free version cannot upload.prc files (standard e-book format) 4. WordPress automatically reformats blogs to be read on mobile devices see screen below ii. Blog Name: Originally I wanted the name The WordTree but this was taken. Consequently I selected My WordTree which, to me, demanded a more personal account for each post. I wrote in the first person for this reason.

5 5 Kindle Format: The Kindle displays in black and grey only and degrades images. The blog was reformatted without pictures and to the correct font and margin specifications for Kindle. The format enables an automatic text to speech feature. Online e-books: These are designed to be read by i-pads or computer/tablets. They retain original font styles and display pictures very well. All text can be resized and annotated by the reader if required. They can also be downloaded and read off line in the original format. See endnote for screen shot of the blog prepared for industry standard MobiPocket Reader iii To sum up: Preparing online publications is complex and versions must be prepared for each format. Each requires specific copy editing /html skills CONCLUSION: My WordTree became both a fascinating and frustrating blog to develop as a fictional piece. It had several technical demands that do not apply to the printed page: not least of which was getting the posts in a coherent story order. It is a fantastic tool for reader feedback and development of story plots. The online format enabled highlighted words to thread through the posts and contain links that emphasize its circular story patterns. Learning how to format and publish e-books has been invaluable.

6 6 Bibliography: The Bible The Holy Bible (The Definitive Revised English Version) Complete Old Testament and New Testament (Special Kindle Enabled with DirectLink Technology) Bestselling... (The Bible for Kindle / The Kindle Bible) [Kindle Edition] God (Author), Christian Faith Publishers (Editor) The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam [Kindle Edition] Omar Khayyám (Author), Edward FitzGerald (Translator)

7 7 i Amazon kindle page: The alert reader will notice that the author is Sarah Keen I added the name as a contributor and Amazon added it as an author. I have reset this.

8 8 ii The following screen shows a photo of MyWordTree as displayed on a mobile phone. WordPress puts adverts on this view, depending on the contents of the blog. In this case Fruit an advertising agency. iii The following shows a page formatted for industry standard Mobi-Reader. Select the right or left pointing triangles to turn pages forward or back. The menu on the left shows existing e-library and where to to buy more online.

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