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New Author Quick Q - Preface section in TOC

sublock ๐Ÿšซ

Just wondering how some authors are able to get a bit of boxed text on their story's index page next to the "Show Story Details", usually to write a bit of preface or author's notes kind of thing.

No big deal if it's not something everyone can do, I don't want to write a whole preface and potentially mess up my chapter listings, but I had a few notes to the readers I'd love to throw out there and I'd seen them already on some stories but couldn't find where in the interface you can add them.

Switch Blayde ๐Ÿšซ
Updated:

@sublock

are able to get a bit of boxed text on their story's index page next to the "Show Story Details"

Can you give an example? It's the "next to the 'Show Story Details'" that I don't understand.

If it's the yellow box before the "Show Story Details" it's done with the {notice} {/notice}. I've used that, like in my "Death of a Hero" story.

Replies:   sublock
sublock ๐Ÿšซ

@Switch Blayde

Sure, something like this, the "Note to Readers"

Replies:   Switch Blayde
Switch Blayde ๐Ÿšซ

@sublock

Like I said, that's done with the {notice} {/notice}.

I did it with my story "Death of a Hero." When you post the first chapter, say "Chapter 1", you put the {notice} before the chapter name. For example:

Death of a Hero

Switch Blayde

{notice}

Blah blah

{/notice}

Chapter 1

Blah blah (story text for Chapter 1)

Replies:   sublock
sublock ๐Ÿšซ

@Switch Blayde

And that shows up on the Table of Contents page and not on the Chapter 1 page? Huh!

Cool, thanks so much!

Switch Blayde ๐Ÿšซ

@sublock

And that shows up on the Table of Contents page and not on the Chapter 1 page? Huh!

Yes, because it appears before the chapter heading.

Lazeez Jiddan (Webmaster)

@sublock

And that shows up on the Table of Contents page and not on the Chapter 1 page? Huh!

For an existing story, it's done by reposting the 'Cover'.

Replies:   Switch Blayde
Switch Blayde ๐Ÿšซ
Updated:

@Lazeez Jiddan (Webmaster)

For an existing story, it's done by reposting the 'Cover'.

I didn't know that.

My {notice} is in my Chapter 1 file after my name and before the "Chapter 1." That's the file I uploaded to the Wizard when I posted the story. If I were to make a change to Chapter 1 and repost it, the {notice} would be included. Would that be a problem? And if I were to only change the {notice}, are you saying I should take it out of my Chapter 1 file and create a notice file and repost that with the "Cover"? (I assume you don't mean a book cover.) I would have simply reposted Chapter 1 with the modified notice in it.

Lazeez Jiddan (Webmaster)

@Switch Blayde

If you post it with chapter 1, even above the chapter 1 header, you risk having one on the index page and one in the chapter 1.

As for 'Cover', here I don't mean as the book cover image.

In the repost chapter process, when you're selecting which chapter to repost, the menu starts with 'Cover' for the index, then chapter 1 or prologue.

I guess I should rename it to index page in that menu now that there are actual cover images so as to avoid confusion.

hitch.walker.author ๐Ÿšซ

@Lazeez Jiddan (Webmaster)

Laz, if I already have a custom cover uploaded, can I use the Replace Chapter page with just text to replace the {notice} section or should I also include the image again?

Replies:   Switch Blayde
Switch Blayde ๐Ÿšซ

@hitch.walker.author

Laz, if I already have a custom cover uploaded, can I use the Replace Chapter page with just text to replace the {notice} section or should I also include the image again?

What Laz said is the word "cover" is used in 2 different situations. The "cover" for the {notice} is really the index page where the notice shows, not the book cover. When he chose the name "cover" for the index page, the book cover didn't exist.

But what he also said, which was new to me, was that the {notice} shouldn't be in the Chapter 1 file that you upload (or repost). I guess it should be in a separate file uploaded before Chapter 1 (or Prologue or Cast or whatever) and reposted separately by selecting "Cover" in the list of chapters.

Laz, if my explanation is wrong, please correct me.

hitch.walker.author ๐Ÿšซ

@Switch Blayde

I'm still not completely getting it, but I'm tired. Lol. I'll come back tomorrow and read it again.

Replies:   Switch Blayde
Switch Blayde ๐Ÿšซ

@hitch.walker.author

I'll come back tomorrow and read it again.

Maybe this will help. In my explanation, I referred to what was being re-posted as the "cover." It's actually "Cover Page." It's the cover page (or index page) of the story.

It has nothing to do with book covers.

Lazeez Jiddan (Webmaster)

@Switch Blayde

I changed the name in the submission wizard from 'Cover' Chapter 1 etc... to 'Index Page', 'Chapter 1' etc...

Replies:   Vincent Berg
Vincent Berg ๐Ÿšซ

@Lazeez Jiddan (Webmaster)

Wouldn't the actual cover replace the Index Page in that case, or does is the Index Page updated separately?

Lazeez Jiddan (Webmaster)

@Vincent Berg

The old 'Cover' which is the text on the index page above the links to the chapters still works as before implementing support for cover images.

So now, you have cover images, which you can control directly through the 'Manage Stories' functionality, and you have additional ability to have text between the cover image and the chapter links. That text is currently managed by reposting the 'Index Page' in the submission wizard.

I may change the system so that one can directly edit the index page text. We'll see.

Replies:   H. Malcom Walker
H. Malcom Walker ๐Ÿšซ

@Lazeez Jiddan (Webmaster)

Does this mean we no longer need to use the {notice} tag for the text?

Lazeez Jiddan (Webmaster)

@H. Malcom Walker

It was never 'NEEDED'.

It depends on the context. If it's a notice, even if the author doesn't use it, we add it.

There are plenty of instances in stories where the index page text is not wrapped in a {notice} tag.

Crumbly Writer ๐Ÿšซ

@sublock

Another feature is the "End Note". Most of us use it for adds for our published work on Bookapy, but I also use it to list my posting days, or to alert readers if there are delays in the regular postings, such as if I'm behind schedule or had to backtrack to correct something I'd overlooked.

Plus, the "Notice" can be used to issue warnings or cautions given the contents of any given chapter (though I believe there IS a separate "Warning" tag for this, but it's been a while since I last posted anything).

So, if you have an on-screen rape scene, that's definitely worth warning readers about so they don't start posting 1-votes for the ENTIRE story.

Replies:   Switch Blayde
Switch Blayde ๐Ÿšซ

@Crumbly Writer

Another feature is the "End Note".

When I added the comments/warnings for "Death of a Hero," I asked Lazeez which I should use. He said the {notice} was intended for that page.

I think the font is smaller for notice than end notes, but it's been a while and I can't remember.

sublock ๐Ÿšซ

@sublock

Super appreciate all of you for responding and helping me figure this out. This is a great writing and publishing community.

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