Hi,

I wrote a book and in order to submit it, it needs to be in Adobe format. I tired my little 6.0 reader, but I can't create a new file.

I guess I have to buy the Adobe program. At costco, there is a 6.0 upgrade for $89, and on Adobe's website, they sell the standard edition for $299!

I only need to put my book into adobe to send it off. Do I really need to spend $300? Will the $89 upgrade work? Is there a place to try it free for a week? Or are there any stores that will let me pay to convert?

I really need to get me book out!

Thanks.

You don't need to buy anything to produce PDF files.

In what format is your book at the moment? OpenOffice will happily output PDFs of any document it can open.

You can also install a dummy PostScript printer, print to file and convert the .ps file into .pdf with GhostScript.

There are also free trial PDF printer drivers that will let you "print" anything directly into .pdf files.

And no matter how desperate you get do not buy that upgrade - it upgrades an Adobe 5.x Professional copy to 6.0 Professional.

These guys have an evaluation download of an excellent program:
http://www.jawspdf.com/download/index.html

It leaves a watermark on each page. Try it out if it is intrusive.
Otherwise costs $ 79.-

Apparently there are plenty of freeware PDF printers out there too..

Try CutePDF for one. You will need to download and install GhostScript too.

Thank you for your help.

I have two computers. My book is on Microsoft Works on my Windows 98 computer. Since writing my book, I have installed Office XP on my other computer. I could convert my book to office xp word fairly easily.

I am not sure I understand how ghostscript works. I have looked at the web page..but...?

Do I install it and then open my file and export to Ghost print? DO I need another application like Cute PDF? I am not sure how all these prgrams iteract wth each other and my microsft works document.

I don't need to print my book, I just need it in PDS format to send it on a disc.

GhostScript is a program that works with PostScript files and can convert them in all sorts ways. (FYI PDF is just PostScript in fancy package).

CutePDF uses installed GhostScript in your computer to emulate a printer that outputs PDF.

You can also use GhostScript to manually convert a PS file into PDF. You can get a .ps file if you tell a PS printer to print into a file.

OpenOffice has its own PDF engine AFAIK so you just need to open a document in OO and click the export PDF button.

All you have to do is either:
- Install OpenOffice
- open your book in OO and export it to .PDF
or:
- Install GhostScript
- Install CutePDF
- Print your document into the CutePDF "printer"

Check out http://buy.abbyy.com/content/default.aspx, it is not cheap.
But it is one of the best.

How big is this word document that is your book? It just seems simplier if someone such as myself just did this guy a favor and converted it for him.