Finishing Touches on ‘The Jim Garraty Chronicles’

Tuesday, July 21, 2026 – Orlando, Florida

Hi, everyone. It’s another exquisitely hot and sticky midsummer day in Central Florida. As I write this, it’s just past noon, and the temperature outside is a sizzling 91°F (33°C) under sunny and windy conditions. Add 59% humidity to the mix, and the heat index is 98°F (37°C). Things might cool down a bit if those scattered light rain showers show up, but the high is still expected to reach 94°F (34°C).

Well, I can confidently say that after yesterday’s fiddling around with The Jim Garraty Chronicles and the metadata for its associated book series on Amazon, I think my work on the omnibus edition is finished. Kindle Direct Publishing says I can still create a hardcover edition if I want to, but unless I see a real demand for it – or my ego gets the better of me – I don’t think I’m going to produce one.

It’s not a particularly difficult task, making a hardcover edition of an existing book; I can use the same source file I used for the Kindle and paperback editions. I would, of course, have to replace the paperback edition’s ISBN number on the Kindle Create copyright page template with the one KDP will assign to the hardcover, but unless I slip up and accidentally scramble part of the text – as I did while prepping the omnibus for publication – changing formats is relatively easy.

The most complicated part of making a hardcover edition is the cover. KDP’s collection of pre-designed covers is somewhat limited and suitable mostly for e-books and paperbacks because those formats don’t demand high-resolution art. Hardcovers do. The minimum specifications require a single PDF file, 300 DPI resolution, and a full-wrap layout that includes front, back, spine, and case-wrap margins. I’m a writer, not a graphic designer, and although I can coax Canva Pro into producing a semi-decent cover, I don’t have the dexterity or the patience for the more advanced apps on my computer.

I’d also have to redo the text on the front and back covers because the original design I created for the Kindle and paperback editions of The Jim Garraty Chronicles: A Life in Four Movements isn’t transferrable. The resolution simply isn’t high enough for hardcover specs. Adding copy isn’t hard, but you do have to leave space for the barcode and author bio, and you must be careful with alignment, so nothing spills over the margins.

I went through this process for Reunion: Coda because it was my first novel, and because hardcovers – as expensive as they are – are my preferred version of a book. They last longer, they don’t get dogeared, and in my mind, at least, they say to the world, “This is a real book.” But the process was more complicated, frustrating, and time-consuming than I had bargained for.

So unless I see a groundswell of support for a deluxe hardcover of The Jim Garraty Chronicles, the e-book and paperback editions will suffice.

I am pleased with the omnibus as it is, though. I think I fixed everything that was fixable in the Reunion: Coda section; the other books in the Chronicles are shorter, cleaner, and had already been edited several times before I pasted them into the Kindle Create project file. The only flaw that remains is the odd capitalization in the back matter page titles and subheadings, but that’s an app design quirk, not a “me” one.

I’m also glad that Amazon updated my book series’ metadata now that I’ve changed the series name from its Reunion focus to the more encompassing The Jim Garraty Chronicles. The original name worked when Jim’s story was confined to the Duology (Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda) and Comings and Goings – The Art of Being Seen was simply a “related story.” But once the omnibus entered the picture, the branding needed to evolve. I didn’t want the omnibus to look like an orphaned volume, and seeing a tag that said “Book 3 of the Reunion Duology” would have taken me too far into Douglas Adams territory for my taste.

So, as of late yesterday afternoon, Amazon now shows the series with its simple but effective new branding – The Jim Garraty Chronicles.

And since the omnibus is now officially out in the world, I hope readers who’ve followed Jim’s story – or who are just discovering it – will consider picking up the collection. The omnibus contains all three titles, as well as The Summer of Two Movies: A Jim Garraty Story, which is exclusive to that edition. Whether you prefer reading the books individually or diving into the full arc in one volume, I’d be grateful for your time, your thoughts, and, if you’re so inclined, your reviews. Independent authors live and die by word of mouth, and every reader who takes a chance on Jim’s journey helps keep the lights on.

Stay cool out there. Florida isn’t making it easy today.