lost images

[jimbo2907]

Hi folks,
The images have been replaced by black squares with red crosses. I have read everything in the smashwords style guide and the FAQs but I am at a loss to know what is wrong.
I put the book through the epub checker and its said everything was fine.
What am I missing please?

[Ted]

Make sure all images are 'Insert'-ed and not 'Paste'-ed into your MSWord .doc file. An image which has been pasted into a document instead of inserted will behave in the manner you mentioned. Also, make sure images follow the Style Guide format.

As well, please take a moment to review the Smashwords Formatting Guide in our Author Resources section. While not pertaining to images, the guide does offer valuable information.

[jimbo2907]

Thanks ted. The images were all inserted correctly....and I am sure the style guide was followed. But I'll have a look at Smashwords Formatting Guide in our Author Resources section

[jimbo2907]

Oh I think I ticked the box "Upload in plain text". Now when I go to upload an updated edition it does not offer me the option to untick that box. What shall I do? The style guide says "Do NOT UNPUBLISH".

[Ted]

Jimbo2907, go to your Dashboard and under the Operations column you'll find the phrase "Upload new version". Click on that link then upload new version.

[jimbo2907]

Hi Ted,
Unfortunately, whilst i unchecked plain text and uploaded as new version. I still lost the images

[Ted]

If you've followed the Style Guide and are still having problems then it sounds like your MSWord file is corrupted. You'll have to go the nuclear method as described in the Style Guide.

My puzzle ebooks are all jpg images, full page size, set to 72 DPI. They pass the meatgrinder and appear in epub format, if this information helps you.

[jimbo2907]

Hi again Ted. I've found the solution!
The problem was related to the way in which images were linked in Word. I played around with it for a while trying to change the linked .imgs' location...but eventually the problem was solved by simply breaking the links (there is a box on the menu for doing this). This meant that the imgs' were firmly embedded in the .docx.
For anyone wondering what this all means: If you click on your word .doc in Win Explorer and it says the .doc is only like a few hundred kb then the images are not properly embedded . After you break the link and click again you'll find that the value of the imgs' has made the .doc Mbs...not kbs.
Then I saved the 2010 docx file as 1997-2003 .doc, uploaded it to smashwords and voila! she worked mate!
Thank you for your help Ted. Kind regards from down-under.

[chelsfield]

Thanks for raising this issue. I am about to put my secong book which has a number of images through meatgrinder. I'll check this to make sure they are all inserted properly....

[Ted]

The proper steps are Insert > Picture. This is the method suggested in the Style Guide.

It sounds like Jimbo2907 did Insert > Hyperlink > Existing file or Web Page. This method does not embed an image.

Authors storing images on an Internet site like Flickr or something similar should download the images to their computer before Inserting them in their ebook.

[chelsfield]

Ok. I did Insert>Picture for all of them, so that should be good. I am a bit concerned about the sizing, but I'll cross that bridge....

[Ted]

Chelsfield, I'd just wish I knew enough about ebooks and coding so an author could include a larger image in the file which would appear when a reader clicked on an image containing the phrase "Click for larger image".

[chelsfield]

Ted, from your lips to (the digital) God's ears. I don't know which is more fiddly-the images in the text or the cover image. Probably the cover image, as you also have to go into artistic/commercial mode.

[Ted]

Chelsfield, I completely agree with your "artistic/commercial" comment. My ebook covers show my skills haven't made it to the level one might classify as naive.