Metadata, Subheadings, and Other Monday Mischief

Monday, February 16, 2026, Orlando, Florida

Hi there.

It’s late morning here in my corner of Orange County, and from my bedroom window it looks like one of those chilly—by Florida standards, anyway— late‑winter days. My Weather app says it’s 66°F (19°C) under cloudy skies, with a feels‑like temperature of 68°F (20°C). Not exactly beach weather unless you’re a penguin or a polar bear.

About an hour ago, I checked my ACX project dashboard to see how the audiobook edition of Reunion: Coda is progressing through its four-step review process. I’d hoped to see movement on the metadata review—Step 2—now that the cover meets Audible’s strict design requirements—no such luck. The day isn’t over, though, so maybe I’ll see an update later this afternoon or tonight.

As for today, I plan to put in more time on The Jim Garraty Chronicles, even though reformatting subheadings in Kindle Create remains as tedious and time-consuming as ever. I’ll never understand why Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing can’t find an app designer who not only knows how to code and build a clean interface but also grasps the finer points of proper capitalization. Especially in titles and subheadings.

Yes, I can fix the subheads manually—and I have, off and on, for months. But I’ll admit that part of the slowdown is on me. I get impatient when I’m forced to correct mistakes introduced by a tool that’s supposed to prevent them. My original Word manuscript has the capitalization right, and spellcheck would have flagged any slip-ups. Why an app designed to streamline Kindle publishing struggles with something so basic, even after I report it every time, is beyond me.

Still, that’s on today’s “To Do” list. I’ll probably tackle it after lunch, even if the omnibus—Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, and Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen—sometimes feels like a quixotic project.

Before I sign off, though, here’s a small invitation. If you’ve been following my updates about Jim Garraty and want to spend more time in his world, all three stories in the cycle are available now. Each one explores a different facet of Jim’s journey, and if you enjoy character‑driven fiction with emotional depth, I think you’ll find something to love in them.

Well, I’d better close for now—it’s lunchtime, and those subheads won’t reformat themselves. Until next time, Dear Reader, adios, amigo, and I’ll catch you on the sunny side of things.