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Author
ryannetta
Posts: 13
Registered: ‎02-11-2010

Request: Please bring back .RTF Book Manuscript Templates

Can Lulu please provide Book Manuscript Templates in alternative formats?

Not everyone in the world has $700 to pay for Microsoft Office, even if we did, not all of us enjoy using it. We all have our favorite applications (OpenOffice.org, Bean, TextEdit, NotePad, ByWord... The list of alternates is endless).

Lulu used to make .RTF files available along side .DOC file templates. Why did they go away? We're begging you to please bring them back! .RTF files worked with EVERYTHING!

We understand that you can't make templates for all the hundreds of alternative competitors for MS Office, but bringing back the generic .RTF files will help us IMMENSELY.

Thank you!!

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Teacher
Ken Anderson
Posts: 10,055
Registered: ‎02-11-2010

Re: Request: Please bring back .RTF Book Manuscript Templates

[ Edited ]

Ryan,
You don't need a template. After all they only set margins for you.
You can create your own document with whatever program you choose. Just set the margins, font type and size and off you go.

If you are really stuck then just ask someone here to make you a template. It's only 10 secs work to do so. 

Ken Anderson - The Lulu'ers Professor

Get the "EPUBs with Lulu" Tutorial

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Author
ryannetta
Posts: 13
Registered: ‎02-11-2010

Re: Request: Please bring back .RTF Book Manuscript Templates

How do I know what the margins are for a particular document? That information doesn't exist in the templates Lulu offers. (I wish they did, that would be so helpful!)
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Teacher
Ken Anderson
Posts: 10,055
Registered: ‎02-11-2010

Re: Request: Please bring back .RTF Book Manuscript Templates

The margins are what YOU want them to be.

There no set dimensions. 

Ken Anderson - The Lulu'ers Professor

Get the "EPUBs with Lulu" Tutorial

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Author
ryannetta
Posts: 13
Registered: ‎02-11-2010

Re: Request: Please bring back .RTF Book Manuscript Templates

>The margins are what YOU want them to be.

>There no set dimensions.

 

I'm completely confised now. If there were no set dimensions, then there would be no manuscript templates. Since there are tempates, I must assume there are required margins an dimensions. I don't think that an 8.5x11 page size would translate well to a pocket size book of 4 inches by 6 inches.

I'm missing something here and I don't know what it is.

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Librarian
kevinlomas
Posts: 12,587
Registered: ‎02-11-2010

Re: Request: Please bring back .RTF Book Manuscript Templates

Just measure them in a book. Do RTFs only deal with text though? Not actual page settings?

You have more or less answered your own question.
You open and save a file (I use Word). You set the page size. You set the margins. You set page numbers. Headers are optional.
In a nutshell you layout a book, just like a book :-)

Those who use the templates have a lot of trouble with them because they never assume they may have to change the defaults, and they have no idea how to. It's best to start blank, and DIY.
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Librarian
kevinlomas
Posts: 12,587
Registered: ‎02-11-2010

Re: Request: Please bring back .RTF Book Manuscript Templates

BTW, MS Office is far from $700! I paid around $130 for the Office 2010 CDs to allow me to put it onto 3 PCs. I think you must have been looking at Office Pro, which few people need.
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