People! Stop using Word to convert to HTML!
For everyone out there who uses Word to automatically convert to HTML -- STOP. Seriously. More than half of the Word-to-HTML files I encounter are nearly unusable due to tables (guess what? They don't work if your reader is using a different screen size), pictures (which invariably end up over the text), single line spacing between paragraphs (I can't even figure out where Word screwed up there), or a half-dozen other issues. Even worse, even the readable files have at least one problem with them (usually the text coming out way too large). It may look great on your computer, but trust me -- it's not going to work on *everyone's* computer. And how stupid is it to lose readers just because HTML 4.0 came out and your Word-created HTML isn't 100% compatible or because Microsoft apparently makes a special effort to have Word produce HTML files that look like shit in Firefox?
Plus, adding injury to injury, Word-converted HTML files are completely non-tweakable at the code level, which means that when I find a file with 14 pt. font, I can't just go into the code and fix it. I have to either copy and paste it into Word (is it irony or tragedy?) or I just have to do what I usually do -- hit the back button and find a story that doesn't require me to physically manipulate it to be read.
Instead of doing the automatic conversion, here's an easy way to format your story in Word so that pretty much everyone on earth can at least read it. It won't be pretty, it won't be fancy, and it won't have any bells and whistles. What it *will* offer, however, is the ability to have your story be readable on every single computer/cell phone/eReader on the planet that is capable of displaying HTML files.
-Before you start typing, *turn off smart quotes*. You can do this under Tools -> Auto Correct Options -> Auto Format *and* Auto Format As You Type. Frankly, if you intend for people to be able to read your stories on archives, cell phones, and/or eReaders, it's best to uncheck nearly everything on those two tabs.
-If you've already finished typing your story, you can also turn off smart quotes and then do a find-replace (Control+H) for the opening and closing double quote (do them separately) as well as one for apostrophes.
-Once the story is done, type at the very top.
-Put in front of every word/phrase/section you want bolded and at the end. Ditto for (italics), (underline), (center).
-Do a find-replace (control+H) and click on 'More'. Then click on 'Special'. Then on 'Paragraph Mark'. This will put a ^p in the 'Find' field. In the 'Replace' field, put:
-Click 'Replace all'. This should add lots and lots of
s into your file. If this is not the case, do the previous step again, only instead of 'Paragraph Mark', click on 'Manual Line Break' (^l).
-At the very end of your file, type
-Copy and paste the entire file into notepad and save it using the file name you want to use when uploading the file.
-Find the file where you saved it and change the extension from .txt to .html (if you can't see your extensions, open up any folder and go to Tools -> View and in that massive list uncheck 'Hide extensions for known file types').
-Upload the file.
Easy as that! Trust me, your readers (especially your readers with eReaders) will thank you!
ETA: Apparently there are other programs that also use Word's incredibly shitty convert to HTML programming (CoffeeCup Editor, I'm looking at you). Avoid those as well as they result in the exact same problems.
Plus, adding injury to injury, Word-converted HTML files are completely non-tweakable at the code level, which means that when I find a file with 14 pt. font, I can't just go into the code and fix it. I have to either copy and paste it into Word (is it irony or tragedy?) or I just have to do what I usually do -- hit the back button and find a story that doesn't require me to physically manipulate it to be read.
Instead of doing the automatic conversion, here's an easy way to format your story in Word so that pretty much everyone on earth can at least read it. It won't be pretty, it won't be fancy, and it won't have any bells and whistles. What it *will* offer, however, is the ability to have your story be readable on every single computer/cell phone/eReader on the planet that is capable of displaying HTML files.
-Before you start typing, *turn off smart quotes*. You can do this under Tools -> Auto Correct Options -> Auto Format *and* Auto Format As You Type. Frankly, if you intend for people to be able to read your stories on archives, cell phones, and/or eReaders, it's best to uncheck nearly everything on those two tabs.
-If you've already finished typing your story, you can also turn off smart quotes and then do a find-replace (Control+H) for the opening and closing double quote (do them separately) as well as one for apostrophes.
-Once the story is done, type at the very top.
-Put in front of every word/phrase/section you want bolded and at the end. Ditto for (italics), (underline), (center).
-Do a find-replace (control+H) and click on 'More'. Then click on 'Special'. Then on 'Paragraph Mark'. This will put a ^p in the 'Find' field. In the 'Replace' field, put:
-Click 'Replace all'. This should add lots and lots of
s into your file. If this is not the case, do the previous step again, only instead of 'Paragraph Mark', click on 'Manual Line Break' (^l).
-At the very end of your file, type
-Copy and paste the entire file into notepad and save it using the file name you want to use when uploading the file.
-Find the file where you saved it and change the extension from .txt to .html (if you can't see your extensions, open up any folder and go to Tools -> View and in that massive list uncheck 'Hide extensions for known file types').
-Upload the file.
Easy as that! Trust me, your readers (especially your readers with eReaders) will thank you!
ETA: Apparently there are other programs that also use Word's incredibly shitty convert to HTML programming (CoffeeCup Editor, I'm looking at you). Avoid those as well as they result in the exact same problems.