Question: Appendix with Who is Who?

[The Author Guy]

Previously I had very little control on the X-Ray. Now whether that’s because it’s just not obviously documented or they don’t give it to us is a good question that I need to explore.

There are a lot of weird features that are only obvious if you use the platform a lot.

For example, for years, I’d read Kindle books on my iPad, about a month after using a kindle paperwhite I got to see the first book, I realized that I could see all public comments and notations that people had made.

I am like…this is so cool. I really wish Amazon had a beta program that used that feature. Where you could create a group of users to share your comments with and then have a mechanism to distribute ebooks just to beta readers (for free) I’d pay up for that feature, as I am sure a lot of authors would

So let me take a look at Xray. I’ll do that while the book is at the Editor and I’m otherwise biting my nails…

[The Author Guy]

[The Author Guy]

Hi,

One complaint I have heard in reviews is that keeping track of all the characters gets difficult. Particularly as they can pop in at any time.

First: Try reading “A Song of Ice and Fire” you want to talk about a cast of characters that no one can keep track of? When a new one appears on GoT, I’m like OK, who was this again? Which book? What did they do? Will they do?

But anyway…There is a Who’s Who on the website. Doesn’t get a lot of visits, but then it doesn’t have long biography entries at this point.

Would it be useful to have this in an Appendix in the book?

First a note on new Appendices.

In the 2nd Edition, only the shortest/most critical appendices stay in line. The rest move to the end and have links between chapters where they used to be, and return links at the end of each appendix to take you back to where you left.

In Book II, all appendices are at the end, and the links to them are wherever appropriate in the book, either inline with the story or between sections or chapters.

So for example when someone views the Crystal Balling, there is a link to the transcript of the Crystal Ball recording of the battle right there in line. (At least the first time, otherwise the return links get confusing)

Also keep in mind, the more appendices, the less story. We are limited to about 240,000-250,000 words in the Dead Tree Edition.

[smw]

I vote no. I had no issue following the characters in this book and I often have issues with too many players. You managed to make the characters unique enough that I can recognize them even if I can’t give their name.

How much control do you have over kindle x-ray? Can you ensure it has good data on your characters?

I would much rather have more story than more appendices.

[Pathologic]

smw has a point. I am pretty sure one can use x-ray for short character descriptions. For a kindle ereader a return link is not necessary, cause one can use the go back arrow (whatever it is called).I guess there is a similar function in their non kindle programs. (The question is how many ppl do know that.)

[Author]

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