Minor Quibbles
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Who says one’s ability to bring about improvement in one’s own work is limited? It’s verily unlimited, or at least this is what I’m getting to realise these days. Yes, I’m talking about the proof reading of “The Remix of Orchid”. After twelve tedius rounds of revision and refinement spread over two years, I thought the text would go straight to the page setting from the file, which is in MS-WORD format. But now I’m stuck with the second revision of the proof: where to put the page number—at the top or at the bottom; where to use a fancy font and where not to; where to start a new story—at the bottom quarter of the page of at its half leaving the rest of the space in that page blank…. I know the DTP technician would not allow me the luxury of revision more than two.
So, I’ve to do everything in this round. And leave the text for sieving at the hands of readers and critics. I churned as much as I could; now is their turn to sieve!
Sometimes I wonder how much of the success of a book comes from its content and how much from its eye-catching appearance. With the perfection of software for DTP and photo editing, there is practically no end to the possible ways of designing a book. There are mind-boggling varieties of paper for printing. Binding, gumming, lamination—there are many ways of making the book look better. So, it is not the contents alone that can make a difference between a good book and a bad book.
The place where I’m located does not have any trade outlet for offering good quality printing paper. So I’ve to get it from distant towns. Onerous, isn’t it?
Internet cannot come to my help here. Don’t they say Web offers recipe but not breakfast? How easy it was to spot on the web a proper image for the cover page , seek the owners permission through e-mail, and get a quick design made out of it through MS-PAINT, and show it to the friends and get ideas for improvement! Now for paper of good quality, the same ease of the virtual world should not be expected; there has to be a physical movement of the real material along the real channel.
This will also be solved. “The Remix of Orchid” is blessed: here everything is inspirational and good things will happen just like that.
______________________________________________
By
A. N. Nanda
BHUBANESWAR
18-02-2007
________________________________________________
Who says one’s ability to bring about improvement in one’s own work is limited? It’s verily unlimited, or at least this is what I’m getting to realise these days. Yes, I’m talking about the proof reading of “The Remix of Orchid”. After twelve tedius rounds of revision and refinement spread over two years, I thought the text would go straight to the page setting from the file, which is in MS-WORD format. But now I’m stuck with the second revision of the proof: where to put the page number—at the top or at the bottom; where to use a fancy font and where not to; where to start a new story—at the bottom quarter of the page of at its half leaving the rest of the space in that page blank…. I know the DTP technician would not allow me the luxury of revision more than two.
So, I’ve to do everything in this round. And leave the text for sieving at the hands of readers and critics. I churned as much as I could; now is their turn to sieve!
Sometimes I wonder how much of the success of a book comes from its content and how much from its eye-catching appearance. With the perfection of software for DTP and photo editing, there is practically no end to the possible ways of designing a book. There are mind-boggling varieties of paper for printing. Binding, gumming, lamination—there are many ways of making the book look better. So, it is not the contents alone that can make a difference between a good book and a bad book.
The place where I’m located does not have any trade outlet for offering good quality printing paper. So I’ve to get it from distant towns. Onerous, isn’t it?
Internet cannot come to my help here. Don’t they say Web offers recipe but not breakfast? How easy it was to spot on the web a proper image for the cover page , seek the owners permission through e-mail, and get a quick design made out of it through MS-PAINT, and show it to the friends and get ideas for improvement! Now for paper of good quality, the same ease of the virtual world should not be expected; there has to be a physical movement of the real material along the real channel.
This will also be solved. “The Remix of Orchid” is blessed: here everything is inspirational and good things will happen just like that.
______________________________________________
By
A. N. Nanda
BHUBANESWAR
18-02-2007
________________________________________________
Labels: Story Book
posted by The Unadorned at
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