Karavansara

East of Constantinople, West of Shanghai

Category Archives: Other


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Ebook file formats

Ok, let’s do a request.

Friend allsho wrote

Maybe in one of your next posts you might tell us why you keep your options open about mobi and epub and how you choose from time to time between them.

Nice question.

I’ll begin by saying that, as a writer, my purpose is reaching the widest audience possible among those parties that might be interested in what I write.
The last bit is – to me – essential, as I do not believe in bombing the whole world with my ebooks, as I know the whole world is not interested in what I do.
I prefer to focus my energies and meagre resources on “my readers”, while keeping my options open.

So far, it seems to work.
My ebooks have a good enough ciurculation – being in Italian and all that, I can claim a few thousand copies for a total of eight titles, four non fiction and four fiction.
Circulation depends on publicity, platform and – especially for small acts like mine – file format.

So, let’s talk formats. Continue reading →


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Afghanistan in the 1960s

A short extra post.
The Denverpost.com blog just published a selection of photos from Afghanistan, shot in the 1960s by Dr William Podlich.
These are great images, and provide much food for thought.

Check them out.

More photos by Dr Podlich can be found here.


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Writing Tools

Ok, this is the usual boring “tools I use for writing” post which they tell me is a must on an author’s blog.
But then who knows, someone out there might find it interesting, or useful.

First thing first – the only piece of hardware you need to be able to write anywhere/anytime is a paper notebook (aka “the platform”) and a pen (aka “the input device”).
And please take notice – this is not some form of silly nostalgia thing, but a simple statement of fact: in the middle of the wilderness, with no energy grid and no hi-tech, good old pen-and-paper works.
meadOne has to spend some time to find the right notebooks and the right pen – because writing is also a phisical activity, and the tool must fit the hand.
But given some times, anyone can find his fave low-tech writing environment.
For me, it’s Mead Composition Notebooks and BIC black-ink pens.
But I’m developing a sort of fetish for the sort of rough, blank-pages hardbound notebooks you find at IKEA or other such places.

Incidentally, a notebook can be used for two good writing practices
. keeping a journal
. keeping a commonplace book, to use H.P. Lovecraft’s definition – a book in which you jot down ideas for future reference.

Moving on to computers and software, now… Continue reading →


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Welcome to the caravanseray

THANKS FOR VISITING!
Please don’t mind the noise and the dust
– we are still putting stuff up,
and designing certain elements of this blog.
Things will probably change in the next days.
Sorry for the inconvenience.

* * * *

This is the first post on this blog.
So, for the time being, a word of explanation and some hints at what’s coming.

As stated in the Info thingy, this blog is currently my English-language home.
I’m a paleontologist, moonlighting as an independent author.
I mostly write fantasy and pulp stories, and I’ve also published a number of essays on wild historical subjects such as explorers, dinosaurs, strange planets and old writers.
Some of them were also published in English (a list is forthcoming – with links and buying options).
While I keep blogging and writing in my native tongue – Italian – I’m also trying to expand into the English-reading world.

So, I need some practice and some time to get my bearings, and a reason to keep going despite my chronic lazyness – and in my experience, writing a blog is the best way to keep in shape, to keep the writing juices flowing, and to create a sense of commitment.
Hence, my new blog – Karavansara.

Continue reading →