Dear readers:
I have had to remove this article, having discovered that the person I was quoting here is a bit – well, the best way to say it is unreliable. But irrational would be appropriate as well. My apologies for presenting such information.
I will be scouting for more accurate tips on self-publishing, to be presented on this site as found.
Don’t just write a great short story, poem, article, or novel. Get it published. In these days of self-publishing, that’s easier than ever as long as you start with a properly formatted manuscript. And don’t forget to edit, edit, edit!
Hope you found this helpful and have been inspired to start and/or continue writing!
Please check out my WIPs. And thanks for reading.
Disclaimer: I get no compensation for links in this post or on my site to other sites and/or products.
A.C. Cargill, Author 
A comment on MeWe about this article from author Ruth Ann Nordin:
I’ve never had issues with smart quotes when formatting for ebooks or paperbacks. Is the issue with them solely because they’re not professional? I checked my Kindle and the Smashwords files, and while the quotes have a slight curl to them, they appear just fine. So I don’t know why smart quotes are a problem. Regarding font type, I’ve found Garamond to the most paperback friendly. It seemed to be easiest on my eyeballs. Smashwords recommends using Times New Roman for the ebook version, so I’ve been using that one for years across multiple platforms. The only places I upload a pdf to are Google Play and Payhip. Otherwise, I use Word 2003. I have the 2010 version, but Smashwords just spits that out, so I don’t even bother anymore. Though Amazon will take 2010 without any issues. I agree with a lot of his points, by the way. Just wanted to toss in a few things I noticed. Smashwords is a pain when it comes to formatting. It took me a full year to nail that one down.
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My reply to Ruth:
John Van Stry is quite professional. He has 49 novels in print so far and makes a good living from them. I’m happy to hear, though, that smart quotes may not be an issue, since I use them as well as smart ellipses. Glad I stuck with Word 2003, considering the issue you have with 2010 version. John just meant his posting as a sharing of experience. Every author has to take it with a grain of salt. I’m sticking with Times New Roman for text. Thanks for your input and best wishes!
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