(non-affiliate) FREE Nuance Dragon Naturally Speaking Software
Okay first things first - I have an author's page!!!! I know nobody picked me out of the crowd and crowned me Queen High Mistress of the Universe - I did that myself - but I HAVE AN AUTHOR'S PAGE!!!! LOOK!!! Click here (US) or here (UK).
So back to the title of the post...
I've heard about Dragon software for years and it looks pretty cool... but I'm cheap. So I was perusing the web, trying to find the best price on an item for a drawing I'm going to host to launch my book, when I ran across something completely unexpected: Free Dragon software (after rebates... it's not the prize I was looking for, just something really cool):
If you're interested I've included the link to Tiger Direct. It is not an affiliate link.
So other than that.. Wednesdays blog post got pushed to today but I wrote it. I finally hacked away at the superweed growing next to my porch but it seems to be forming a trunk so I'll probably have to eradicate the rest with a shovel. The fence is DONE!!!
Here's where I might need some help:
As for the book itself, it is up for pre-order but I'm trying to figure out how to get the file size down (suggestions welcome). At the moment it is 5.142 mb which doesn't affect my bottom line. But once the contest ends and I switch to KDP for the 70% royalty, each mb costs me $0.15 in delivery fees, so ~$0.77 I could have earned on each book... but won't. All the files are .jpg, I used MS Word's compression feature, and I made some of them physically smaller which took me from 6-something mb to my current amount before converting the whole thing to a PDF. I feel like I should be able to decrease this further and just don't know how.
I'm also working on the print version through CreateSpace (which is easy so far) but some of the pics are less than 200 DPI so I am going to have to get a proof to see if this is actually a problem. It's always something isn't it?
To end, a funny Bo-Bo story... Mike wanted to drink beet juice (I know, yuck - I said the same thing but he claimed they have health benefits). So I got a bushel from a local farmer for $25. Woot! Mike did nothing with them. He procrastinated and then had to go to Maryland for work. I didn't want the beets and had other things to do so they are siting in the basket on the kitchen floor, rotting. Daisy loves them, so from time to time I find little shriveled baby beets on the floor and pick them up.
I just looked over at Bo. He's covered in spots but I noticed some new spots, bigger, red splotches on his white fur. My first reaction was "Oh no! Did you hurt yourself? Is that blood???" But as I examined them closer I noticed that they were more maroon in color... he apparently laid down on a couple of Daisy's snacks.
This is what I'm up against when I try to work:
Have a nice day!!!
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Thank you so much! I was stumped for a little while and then I found my voice - then I tried to preview it, Amazon made me sign in and IT WAS BLANK!!! Luckily I'd obsessed over it so much that I pretty much rewrote it from memory. PHEW! *happy dance*
WOW! That is so cool! An author's page! Congrats! And you are so beautiful - I wish we saw your smiling face here on the WA website Kristy! You are my hero! I'm gonna write a book... I am...
Thanks. I like to be behind the scenes :)
And if you want to write a book, DO IT. It's such a rush... every feeling possible.
I laughed so hard. I could see me wondering for hours, "What did she do? What happened to her? Should I take her to the vet?" and then finally realizing it was the beets.
My daughter came home one day and it looked like she had bruises around her neck. I freaked out and yelled, "Who did that to you?" She had no idea what I was talking about and I just kept looking at her neck trying to figure out what it could be that caused the marks. After, literally 3 hours, I remembered that I had gotten her charcoal soap for her face. I started laughing and called her into the room. When I told her what caused the marks we both fell out in laughter. All she had to do was rinse the soap off.
Looks like my house! Two houndies and soon to be four. OYE!!! I wish I knew how to help you compress those files even further. I don't. We have so many knowledgeable people here. Somebody must know. Hang on a bit and you'll probably get the right response, Kim. Proud of you for how far you've gotten! I have Dragon, BTW, and have to install it and give it a try.
It's kind of cute to watch them nibble and chew on them, if only it didn't make her farts noxious... it's like they permeate the entire house (sorry to speak plainly, but you have dogs, I'm sure you get it)
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Well Done Kristy!!!!! I looked at your author's page and you should be extremely proud, that's quite an accomplishment.
At least my Opie doesn't have to be in my lap while I work, just under my feet.
She is usually next to me but at some point in the day she generally lays down with her head next to me, slips is under my arm and starts wriggling her way over. She's like a freight train, but one that likes to snuggle. And thank you!