How do I modify HTML web pages that have been copied and pasted into Word?

Hi, Suzanne, thanks for the helpful reply. Since you were kind enough to respond, you might be interested in the discussion thread that prompted me to rephrase my original comments more as a question. The goal is to create eBooks from websites which are large and rich in content. I already know how to format for Amazon Kindle and have done so on several occasions. I would appreciate any additional remarks that you feel would be helpful in this regard, especially with respect to how you yourself might treat a Word document into which an HTML file has been pasted. If this is more involved than you wish to become, I understand and thanks again for your time and feedback.

Bob Anton

Here's the link I referred to:

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/office/forum/office_xp-project/a-new-look-at-using-word-to-convert-websites-into/1640d451-18bc-4024-ac21-bcd195628d7d?tm=1412146831255

I don't believe I had seen that thread before (presumably because it has been moved from Project to Word?). It's an interesting concept, but I'm afraid I don't have any experience or expertise in this area.

Hello, again, Suzanne,

If you don't mind too terribly, just one final response to your last comments. And thanks ahead of time for taking the time; I really do appreciate it.

Apparently no one else has much experience or expertise in this area, which might be expected when one introduces a potentially revolutionary concept. I suppose the whole idea is that we turn to people who possess a basic understanding of the "parts and process" such as the Word program itself, and then things are slowly "pieced" together to create something entirely new. Something with which few if any have had any previous experience.

The fact that no one has told me that I'm either crazy or wasting my time (excluding your own comments :-) is its own testament (and confirmation, perhaps) of the innovative nature of this particular endeavor.

My only parting request is that you file this idea away, and in the event you know or meet someone who's looking to change the world in some small way, that you might send them my way. In the meantime, I will continue seeking the additional help that I feel is likely necessary in these early stages of development.

Thanks again for the generosity of your time.

Regards,

Bob Anton

Your idea isn't "crazy", and not necessarily a waste of time, but it won't be simple or fast to do what you want.

This reply will be somewhat disjointed, as several points have come to mind

First, using Office XP on a computer connected to the network is not a good idea. That version of Office is long out of support so it is open to hacking.

The first problem is that the DOC format used by Word XP is fundamentally structured differently from HTML.  HTML is effectively a simple text file with text and text based (words inside braces) formatting commands embedded in the string of text.  On the other hand, the DOC file is a "binary" format loosely similar to a compiled EXE program file.  For example, you can open a HTML file in a simple text editor and the content is readable, but if you open a DOC file that way most of what you see is unreadable "gibberish".  DOC files use "pointers" to direct Word to another place in the file structure to find the formatting applied to the text.  So, trying to convert from one format to the other is not a clean process. 

Another good way to see the difference between "native" HTML files and DOCs is to take a DOC created in Word and use the SAVE AS command to save it to HTML format (do NOT use the "filtered HTML" option).  Then open the generated HTML file in a HTML editor and look at the generated HTML code.  It is an unreadable mess because it is trying to exactly recreate the DOC structure using HTML.  The most obvious problem is massively duplicated formatting commands.

That being said, I do something similar to what you want to do. I regularly (daily) copy interesting articles from web pages and edit to "clean them up" and save them using Word 2003 or 2010.  I normally use the "Save As" command to save into "Filtered HTML" format.  I do this for 2 reasons. First the "Filtered HTML" format is typically MUCH smaller than a DOC format version of the file.  Second, I use the "Filtered HTML" format because it does a much "cleaner" job of generating the HTML than the other HTML format option available in SAVE AS.    The only time I still use the DOCX format for these copied files is when they include embedded images.  If I use HTML format then the images get saved into a separate "Images" folder which can get lost, while in the DOCX/DOC format the image files are embedded in the same file as the text.   I use DOCX rather than DOC because it is compressed and even for these small files there is often a noticeable (if trivial) file size saving.

(NOTE: when I copy this content I also copy the original Web site link to provide the source of this content.  I got into the habit of copying content after I could no longer file some web pages I had links to.  The pages or sites had gone off line for one reason or another.  Yes I could use the "way back machine' or Internet Archive to try and find this old content, but that is a hit and miss proposition.

OK, all of that being said, you say you are working with web pages you created/own.  So, rather than using Copy Paste to transfer this information to Word have you considered using FIle Open to open these files directly into Word, then using SAVE AS to generate the DOC files?

If opening the HTML file directly in Word, using SELECT ALL to Copy/Paste from a browser into Word includes too much "extraneous ****" have you considered being selective about what text you Select for Copy and Paste?  I understand the desire to get rid of advertising and other unneeded "stuff" from a web page.

Exactly why do you want to remove tables and boxes?  Actually, another way of achieving that goal is to use Paste Special > Unformulated Text. This will strip out all formatting, giving you text only. You will have to copy and paste any embedded pictures one at a time.

Note: when copying from the web pages, one thing to look for is to check your embedded pictures for links to the original source picture file on the internet. Right click on the picture. If the context menu includes the options to "Edit Hyperlink", "Open Hyperlink" and "Remove Hyperlink", click on the Remove option. The picture will then be completely embedded in your resulting file. If you allow the hyperlink to remain, if the web page goes off line you will no longer be able to see the picture. All you will see is a blank "placeholder".  Very annoying!

Hi, Rohn007 (I like the name; it sounds like a robotic version of James Bond)

Your reply is well received, appreciated, and for the most part, understood. For purposes of clarity, because the subject is somewhat involved, please allow me to annotate my responses, thank you.

Your idea isn't "crazy", and not necessarily a waste of time, but it won't be simple or fast to do what you want.

To be clear, the solitary end-game has been, and continues to be, the creation of an Amazon Kindle eBook from preexisting website pages. Since Amazon requires all submissions to be formatted in Word, and because I am familiar with the formatting process itself, the endeavor in question should be significantly easier and faster than writing and creating an eBook from scratch. Which, of course, is the whole idea in a nutshell. But I don't want to get ahead of myself. 

First, using Office XP on a computer connected to the network is not a good idea. That version of Office is long out of support so it is open to hacking.

Because the exact details of what I'm doing and working with, have yet to be thoroughly explained (and may never be, depending on your patience and indulgence) I believe the XP operating system and its network vulnerabilities are not an issue in this particular case.

The first problem is that the DOC format used by Word XP is fundamentally structured differently from HTML.  HTML is effectively a simple text file with text and text based (words inside braces) formatting commands embedded in the string of text.  On the other hand, the DOC file is a "binary" format loosely similar to a compiled EXE program file.  For example, you can open a HTML file in a simple text editor and the content is readable, but if you open a DOC file that way most of what you see is unreadable "gibberish".  DOC files use "pointers" to direct Word to another place in the file structure to find the formatting applied to the text.  So, trying to convert from one format to the other is not a clean process. 

Although I think your technical explanation here is above my pay grade, my response poses (as both an answer and a question) that we circumvent some (but not necessarily all) of these kinds of problems by initially "saving" the pasted HTML file in Word as a DOC file. After, once all the editing is complete and the file has been formatted as an eBook, the DOC is then converted back into HTML the same as any other file would be, prior to uploading it to Amazon. Word, of course, automatically separates text and images into separate folders, which is also normal. This is an oversimplification of the process, but at this stage, the basics are all that need be dealt with. The project likely rises or falls at its most fundamental level of development. 

Another good way to see the difference between "native" HTML files and DOCs is to take a DOC created in Word and use the SAVE AS command to save it to HTML format (do NOT use the "filtered HTML" option).  Then open the generated HTML file in a HTML editor and look at the generated HTML code.  It is an unreadable mess because it is trying to exactly recreate the DOC structure using HTML.  The most obvious problem is massively duplicated formatting commands.

Once again (and fortunately so) none of that is our concern. After Word has its way with converting the eBook DOC files into HTML, our work is essentially done. From that point on, it's Amazon's baby. If this makes sense, especially given your own observations and reservations, it seems to me there is every opportunity for real understanding to be had in this situation. And thanks again for your thoughtful deconstruction of my basic premise.

That being said, I do something similar to what you want to do. I regularly (daily) copy interesting articles from web pages and edit to "clean them up" and save them using Word 2003 or 2010.  I normally use the "Save As" command to save into "Filtered HTML" format.  I do this for 2 reasons. First the "Filtered HTML" format is typically MUCH smaller than a DOC format version of the file.  Second, I use the "Filtered HTML" format because it does a much "cleaner" job of generating the HTML than the other HTML format option available in SAVE AS.    The only time I still use the DOCX format for these copied files is when they include embedded images.  If I use HTML format then the images get saved into a separate "Images" folder which can get lost, while in the DOCX/DOC format the image files are embedded in the same file as the text.   I use DOCX rather than DOC because it is compressed and even for these small files there is often a noticeable (if trivial) file size saving.

The foregoing scares me because I actually understood most of what you're talking about. I didn't realize I was so far along on my path to achieving "geekdom" status :-) That said, your explanation also clarifies, I think, the true differences in how you and I are dealing with similar stuff. While your efforts are essentially "one way" whereby you use the files and alter them for your own purposes -- which may or may not have anything to do with re-publishing them in some manner, my intentions are virtually circular in nature. By this I mean to say that what I remove from the web, I return to the web, but in a highly modified form, the final conversion of which is accomplished for me -- by Amazon -- for free. The whole thing has a sweet irony to it that I won't go into for now, if ever.

OK, all of that being said, you say you are working with web pages you created/own.  So, rather than using Copy Paste to transfer this information to Word have you considered using FIle Open to open these files directly into Word, then using SAVE AS to generate the DOC files?

OK, confession time on my part. I'm not nearly as smart or savvy as I try to make myself out to be. Which is why I need help. Not where I want someone else to do the work, but simply to keep pointing me in the right direction until such time that I can do away with the training wheels. My confession is that I'm new to building websites. About a year and a half ago, a friend suggested that I create my own site. I laughed, of course, and asked if he was crazy. Much to my surprise, things had progressed to the point where Windows "weenies" could now build their own sites using a program like "Weebly Drag & Drop". Such programs make building sites ridiculously easy and allow those who are too lazy, dumb, or busy to learn HTML, to quickly create their own website. Count me guilty as charged. From what I can tell, copy and paste is my only option, other than using a FTP utility like Filezilla. But then the question becomes one of how to transfer those files into Word. It seems to me that direct "insertion" is the way to go. Given the circumstances as described, don't you agree?

If opening the HTML file directly in Word, using SELECT ALL to Copy/Paste from a browser into Word includes too much "extraneous ****" have you considered being selective about what text you Select for Copy and Paste?  I understand the desire to get rid of advertising and other unneeded "stuff" from a web page.

 Absolutely, positively correcto, my friend. The idea is to be entirely selective, picking and choosing logical "portions" of the site, one section at a time. This is especially critical because many of the website pages are extremely deep, requiring lengthy, vertical scrolls before reaching the "bottom" of a given page.While I don't believe it's appropriate for me to list my actual URL in this venue, I would certainly be grateful if you would check my profile page and click the link to my site, the name of which is Dragonopolis. Once there, it will become quickly apparent as to what I have in mind, per this discussion. Thank you for taking the time, if you do.

Exactly why do you want to remove tables and boxes?  Actually, another way of achieving that goal is to use Paste Special > Unformulated Text. This will strip out all formatting, giving you text only. You will have to copy and paste any embedded pictures one at a time.

Indeed, this was one option I considered. And still remains viable. It also represents the most time consuming method which should be used only as a last resort. Obtaining both images and text in the same document is very tempting, and greatly decreases and simplifies the balance of editing required. I believe that converting tables, and hopefully removing them, will resolve most of the "clutter" I've seen. Resizing boxes and so forth are acceptable, provided they do not interfere with the "book" creation process. In the past, they have not caused a problem when formatting my other eBooks, but I want to avoid any potential nasty "surprises" should they (or other things) lie hidden and ready to strike. Needless to say, I'm poised myself, ready to strike out on my own, ready to dive into the deep end and just go for it. It did seem prudent, however, to acquire some outside "approval and permission" before lunging ahead, somewhat in the dark. It's still a lot of work no matter how one slices it, and a degree of support from one or more persons who are familiar with Word, would go a long way in granting me the motivation and confidence to proceed.   

Note: when copying from the web pages, one thing to look for is to check your embedded pictures for links to the original source picture file on the internet. Right click on the picture. If the context menu includes the options to "Edit Hyperlink", "Open Hyperlink" and "Remove Hyperlink", click on the Remove option. The picture will then be completely embedded in your resulting file. If you allow the hyperlink to remain, if the web page goes off line you will no longer be able to see the picture. All you will see is a blank "placeholder".  Very annoying!

I consider this as sound advice regardless of where we go from here, if anywhere -- and thank you for the heads-up. I try to look for those crummy hyperlinks and usually remove them just as a matter of course. This also brings us to the conclusion of this exchange, although I sincerely hope it's not an end to the discussion. I look forward to your feedback now that I've had a chance to more fully explain things, and especially if you've had an opportunity to check out my site. Please sign the guest registry while you're there, if you feel so inclined. Most people don't which always seems odd to me. Then again, I'm no one to be judging strange behavior :-) 

Once again, please allow me to thank you for your time and indulgence of my personal shot at the moon. You are very kind to have given me the benefit or your knowledge and experience.

Grateful regards,

Bob Anton

#1

To be clear, the solitary end-game has been, and continues to be, the creation of an Amazon Kindle eBook from preexisting website pages. Since Amazon requires all submissions to be formatted in Word, and because I am familiar with the formatting process itself, the endeavor in question should be significantly easier and faster than writing and creating an eBook from scratch. Which, of course, is the whole idea in a nutshell. But I don't want to get ahead of myself. 

#2

Because the exact details of what I'm doing and working with, have yet to be thoroughly explained (and may never be, depending on your patience and indulgence) I believe the XP operating system and its network vulnerabilities are not an issue in this particular case.

#3

Although I think your technical explanation here is above my pay grade, my response poses (as both an answer and a question) that we circumvent some (but not necessarily all) of these kinds of problems by initially "saving" the pasted HTML file in Word as a DOC file. After, once all the editing is complete and the file has been formatted as an eBook, the DOC is then converted back into HTML the same as any other file would be, prior to uploading it to Amazon. Word, of course, automatically separates text and images into separate folders, which is also normal. This is an oversimplification of the process, but at this stage, the basics are all that need be dealt with. The project likely rises or falls at its most fundamental level of development. 

#4

your explanation also clarifies, I think, the true differences in how you and I are dealing with similar stuff. While your efforts are essentially "one way" whereby you use the files and alter them for your own purposes -- which may or may not have anything to do with re-publishing them in some manner, my intentions are virtually circular in nature.

#5

build their own sites using a program like "Weebly Drag & Drop". Such programs make building sites ridiculously easy and allow those who are too lazy, dumb, or busy to learn HTML, to quickly create their own website. Count me guilty as charged.

From what I can tell, copy and paste is my only option, other than using a FTP utility like Filezilla. But then the question becomes one of how to transfer those files into Word. It seems to me that direct "insertion" is the way to go. Given the circumstances as described, don't you agree?

#6

Indeed, this was one option I considered. And still remains viable. It also represents the most time consuming method which should be used only as a last resort. Obtaining both images and text in the same document is very tempting, and greatly decreases and simplifies the balance of editing required. I believe that converting tables, and hopefully removing them, will resolve most of the "clutter" I've seen. Resizing boxes and so forth are acceptable, provided they do not interfere with the "book" creation process. In the past, they have not caused a problem when formatting my other eBooks, but I want to avoid any potential nasty "surprises" should they (or other things) lie hidden and ready to strike. Needless to say, I'm poised myself, ready to strike out on my own, ready to dive into the deep end and just go for it. It did seem prudent, however, to acquire some outside "approval and permission" before lunging ahead, somewhat in the dark. It's still a lot of work no matter how one slices it, and a degree of support from one or more persons who are familiar with Word, would go a long way in granting me the motivation and confidence to proceed.   

Once again, please allow me to thank you for your time and indulgence of my personal shot at the moon. You are very kind to have given me the benefit or your knowledge and experience.

Grateful regards,

Bob Anton

Since you are creating DOC files to be converted to Kindle format, you should talk someone familiar with that process to find out how to best setup your documents for them.

#1 OK, you want to "convert" web pages to DOC format files.  Can be done. 

Question, when you are formatting do you apply formatting ie "Bold", Italics, indents, font changes, font size changes, "directly" from the menu/ribbon or do you use styles?  You really should be using styles.  Define a set of styles that cover all of your formatting needs and use them.  Personally, I have taken that one step farther and defined "shortcut keys" for my commonly used styles. That way I can apply the styles directly from the keyboard rather than fuzting around with the menu or ribbon.  ie <CTL SHF 1> is Heading 1

<CTL SHF N> is "Normal style

<CTL SHF H> is hidden font style

etc

#2 "Office XP" and "Windows XP" are 2 separate computer programs / things. Many different versions of OFfice can run on Windows XP.  That being said, still running either Office XP or Windows XP connected to the internet is no longer a good idea.  But if you are comfortable with it, that is your choice.

#3  Just to be clear. You want to copy content from existing HTML pages, save in DOC format while you do "cleanup" then finally SAVE AS back to HTML format for submission to Amazon.

#4 Yes, my process is "one-way". I copy content from the web to for saving on my local machine for my personal use.  There is no intent at this time to republish the full content, I use it mostly as reference for providing answers to questions asked by other people.

#5 Yes, I believe that copy and paste is the way for you to go.  Now the specific type of cut and paste you use is still in question.  Will you decide to keep the formatting, or paste text only.  Personally, I would go with text only and reapply formatting.  That will make for a "cleaner" resulting file

#6

Can you provide specific examples of problems you encounter.  For example, when you are doing you copy and paste and encounter an 'issue', paste it into a separate new document, add a description of what you see and what you want to do then put a copy of the file in your skydrive and post a "edit link" in this forum for us to 'play with it' to find a possible work around.

Upload files to Skydrive - Post files to Skydrive

1.    Create the file on your computer
2.    Log in to your Skydrive (or other cloud service) account
3.    Navigate to the folder you want to load the file into. For example, when sharing files with general public (not just friends or co-workers) I prefer to put them into the Public folder, keeping contents of my other folders private
4.    Click on the “Upload” icon in the blue title bar
5.    In the “File Upload” dialog, navigate to the file to be uploaded
6.    Double click on the file name to start the upload
7.    After file is uploaded, right click on it
8.    Select “Share” option
9.    Select “Get a Link” option

10. Select the edit rights you want to grant “View Only” / “Edit” / “Public”
View only is same as read only. They can see contents but cannot edit or download
Edit allows them to make changes to the file and to download it
Public allows anyone on the internet to see the file, ie when they do a google search

11. Click on the “create a link” button

12. Click on the “shorten link” words (they are a button, just no obvious <sigh>)

13. Select and copy the new link to the Windows clipboard

14. Paste the link where ever you need to, such as in a reply to the forum or in an email

I'm not really into fantasy, more sci fi, but I did get into Anne McCaffrey's "Dragon Riders of Pern" series of books. Are you familiar with them?

#1. I always use styles when doing eBooks. We can never trust any other method to be consistent. I've never created shortcuts like you have, though. Believe it or not, I like the futzing part but only because that's what I'm used to. Plus I'm not sure how to create the shortcuts you describe. I told you I'm good with some stuff, dumb as a rock with others.

#2. For now, I'm stuck with XP everything because my computer cannot be upgraded to Win 7 (or anything else for that matter). I'd have to get a whole new machine, as this one is seven, almost eight years old. For word processing, it runs fast and smooth, however, so it's hard to make the change. My graphics program is more than 15 years old, was designed for 32-64MB of ram, and thus runs perfectly on the GB's of ram it currently has to work with. I know I'm operating on borrowed time, but until then, don't fix what ain't broken, as they say.

#3. Yes, thank you.

#4. Got it.

#5. From what I've seen in terms of what the Word program spits onto the page, I believe I can use "Paste Special -- HTML Format". That vomits everything onto a given page and assuming I can remove the tables that appear to accompany the rest of it, the images, all the text, and the basic formatting that is carried over from the original website looks to be something I can work with. If you're familiar with formatting for eBooks, the whole affair has to arranged according to some rather stringent guidelines, so I'm expecting to "adapt" the preexisting formatting as best I can. Most of it will require modification, in one way or another, but the key is having it all there, with a reasonably coherent structure.

One of the big deals to contend with is the fact that websites are wide, while eBook screens tend to be narrow. So just setting the appropriate margins for a Kindle upload will jostle whatever formatting remains, so I'm prepared for that.

#6. I've never used a cloud service like skydrive, but have no qualms about learning. I like the suggestion and see no reason why such an approach wouldn't work. Let me search the cloud service, create an account, and learn how to use it. At that point I'm sure I will be able to follow your directions, if need be.

I could be very wrong, but my gut instincts tell me that there may, in fact, be no major issues which common sense and some educated diddling with Word can't overcome. It's new territory as you seem to agree somewhat, if not a lot. My intuition also tells me that if the process is indeed doable, then it's not hyperbole to suggest that the eBook industry could undergo a secondary revolution whereby many websites (not all, of course) are reborn in the form of publishable "books".

What you and I have been discussing may indeed be the forerunner of a prototype model that breaks entirely new ground. Then again, it may fall flat on its face. That, too, is a possibility. There are some drawbacks, such as large memory consumption, that may curtail the project. I'm hoping that a first edition, in color, and containing several hundred images, will not surpass Amazon's size restriction on memory size. That remains to be seen. Amazon is pretty liberal and a given book can be fairly memory intensive.

If you've seen my site, you'll have noticed that it contains as much text as it does artwork. With lots of both spread out over a couple hundred pages. If we include the scroll-depth of all the pages, those numbers increase dramatically. Since a well formatted eBook might contain thousands of pages of text, we'd be loading those pages with a huge number of illustrations as well. Hence my trepidation as to memory usage. There's also a good chance that because most of the images are small, we may slide in under the limit. I'll just have to see how that part proceeds.

By the way, there's nothing that says a single website, if dense enough, couldn't produce two, or even three separate volumes. And since Amazon provides their services for free, the crux of the endeavor will always be a matter of pure labor combined with consistently attractive literary and artistic design.

One last thought on the Skydrive thing, which is say that "screen shots" (with my scribbles) might well come in handy and be very useful. I assume such "pictures" are acceptable as viewable files? Then again, as I mentioned earlier, the ideal scenario is not having to cope with any of that. That the process may be so straightforward, though labor intensive, that it's just a matter of plugging along and seeing where it all goes. It would be kind of cool for this to be the very first thing of its kind. But would anybody buy a copy? I think so.

Once on a Kindle (or other eBook) one wouldn't need a computer or be online to casually flip through the pages of their favorite website. I can think of a lots of uses for this idea, none of which need be reviewed at the moment. Suffice it to say that this seems like a logical and practical exploitation of the available technology. If I don't do it, it's likely only a matter of time before someone else does. It's almost too logical, and that's always scary.

Be that as it may, please respond with as few or as many additional comments with which you're comfortable. I'm all ears (or in this case, eyes) and extremely appreciative for the time and effort you've already invested in this.

Yes, I'm very familiar with Anne's books which, by the way, served as an inspiration for my own books. Just between you and me (while no one else is looking) the idea for my dragons to ingest platinum in order to create fire was derived from Anne's dragons digesting rocks for the same reason. I tried to improve on the concept and some believe I succeeded. Small world, as always.

Thank you once more, my friend. You're a total pal with this.

With much gratitude,

Bob

Absolutely, positively correcto, my friend. The idea is to be entirely selective, picking and choosing logical "portions" of the site, one section at a time. This is especially critical because many of the website pages are extremely deep, requiring lengthy, vertical scrolls before reaching the "bottom" of a given page.While I don't believe it's appropriate for me to list my actual URL in this venue, I would certainly be grateful if you would check my profile page and click the link to my site, the name of which is Dragonopolis. Once there, it will become quickly apparent as to what I have in mind, per this discussion. Thank you for taking the time, if you do.

I peeked at a tiny portion of your site (it is quite overwhelming--I see that you have set yourself quite a job!), and may I just suggest that black type on a charcoal-grey background is not a good idea? On the lobby page I thought there were unexplained gaps between words until I peered more closely and discerned "DRAGONOPOLIS" in black.

Well, aren't you nice for taking a look. And I mean that. My quandary, however, is that I must assume you're referring to how the Lobby page appeared in your own version of Word, once you pasted it into a blank page? Or that you intentionally wanted to replicate the website experience by using Word's ability to reverse black on white with white on black, or in this case, what turned into black on black. If this is correct, then a bit of added explanation is in order. See the trouble that results from trying to help out? Just kidding, and once again, thanks very much for your kind attention.

Because the intent is to produce an eBook, we are forced to use white pages with both images and black text. The reason is because Kindle users themselves, for example, have the ability to reverse pages from black to white, white to black. If one wanted to design an elaborately illustrated text such that it worked equally well against a black or white background, I get a headache just thinking about it :-)

For the time being, just building (or re-building) the site as simply as possible, while retaining most of the charm and wit of the original web content :-) is and ought to be, the primary goal. This means black on white, first page to last. This also means pasting the copied website HTML into blank white pages. Fortunately, Word automatically reverses the color when pasting white on white.

Since we jumped ahead slightly, going a step or two ahead of where we had yet to go with this, the next step would be choosing "Select All" and converting all the text into Times Roman, one of the two fonts that Amazon recommends as optimal for eBooks. Because I already used Times Roman for most of my text, that particular matter is of no concern. After that, the margins must be set accordingly and then using the "Styles" menu, separate headings from body text. Sounds simple, right? Hardly, I know :-)

Be that as it may, please let me know whether I accurately targeted what concerned you, or whether I missed something along the way (which I am more than apt to do :-) I can't say too often, how much it means to me to have an opportunity to explain things in more detail, let alone be helped along the way. Thanks again.

Bob