The Picture Day Update (Part One) - Dabble v2.3 Release

Hey Dabblers! I have some very exciting news for you: we are releasing the newest version of Dabble on Monday, April 18 to make your book-writing experience even better. I’ve affectionately named this update the Picture Day Update, because it will have your manuscript smiling for the camera.With a bunch of new features, I’ve broken the good news over two blogs. This blog will be all about using images in Dabble, but come back on Thursday to see all of the other cool (and I mean really cool) features coming with this update.

Images, Images, and More Images

At its core, Dabble is a powerful platform for writing your book, but sometimes you need to include some images in your work. Us writers want cover art, images in Character and World Building Notes, and more. Sometimes you need a picture to say the thousand words for you. So we’re adding official image support in this update.

Add a Front Cover to Your Dabble Book

You can now add a front cover image to your Dabble book. This image will show up at the top of your Project, filling the first space. [caption id="attachment_1418" align="aligncenter" width="800"]

Big thanks to AJ Hunter for sharing their cover![/caption]The first cover image in your book will also show up on the Recent Projects list on the Dabble Home Screen. How freaking cool is that?[caption id="attachment_1419" align="aligncenter" width="500"]

Another thank you to AJ Hunter![/caption]Adding your cover is easy, too. All you have to do is click or tap the three dots next to your Book in the Left Navigation Pane to open the Book Menu. From there, click or tap on Set Cover Art.

This will open the Cover Art box, where you can drag an image file or click to upload an image from your saved files. Keep in mind, ideal dimensions for cover images in Dabble are 816px by 1056px (but the cover you need for a published book may be different).

Add Full-Page Images Within or Between Chapters

Add a little pizazz to your manuscript by adding a full-page image within a chapter or between them. Like the front cover, these images will take up an entire page (I know they are called full-page images but I wanted to make sure you got it, too).To add an image, click on the three dots next to your Book or a Chapter to open the Book or Chapter Menu, respectively. Next, click or tap on Add New Image. This will add a full-page image to your Project, either at the bottom of the chapter (if you used the Chapter Menu) or at the end of the book (if you used the Book Menu).

You can then drag an image file to the page holding the new image or upload from your files by clicking or tapping on the Browse Files button. Keep in mind that a 1:1.5 or 1:1.6 ratio is best for your image dimensions.Voila! You have a sweet image in your book now. And, of course, you can rename these images and drag and drop them around your book.

Add Title Images to Chapters and Parts

Just like a cover image for your book, you can now add Title Images to Chapters and Parts in Dabble. This can help you set the mood for what’s coming up or add some extra flair for your reader. It can be great for kicking your inspiration into gear when those muses are keeping quiet, too.Just click or tap the three dots next to a Chapter or Part to open their respective menus. Then click or tap on Set Title Image to open the Title Image box.

Then drag and drop an image you’d like to use or upload from your device by clicking or tapping on the Browse Files button.

That’s all there is to it! Let your imagination run wild with your images.

Add Images in a Scene or Note

Don’t worry, not every image takes up an entire page. You can add images into your Scenes or your Notes in Dabble. This is perfect for some decoration in a scene or to buff up all the notes you take if you’re a plotter like me.There are three different ways to add an image to a Scene or Note:

1. Drag an image file into a blank line. Simply drag an image file from somewhere else onto a blank line in Dabble. The image will populate automatically.
2. Upload an image file. Click or tap on the Plus symbol on a new line to open the Line Options. Click or tap on Insert Image to add an image from your device.

3. Search for an image. Click or tap on the Plus symbol on a new line to open the Line Options. Click or tap on the third symbol, Search & Insert Unsplash Image. This will open the Search Unsplash Images box, allowing you to search a database of stock images from Unsplash. To use this feature, you must be online.

Two things that Dabblers should note with this update. First, you can no longer copy and paste an image file into a note from a webpage. Drag and drop it instead! Second, any images larger than 10MB will be automatically compressed.

Show Off Your Images!

There’s no real substitute for 1,000 words in your novel, but images can add a lot of flair and depth to your book… even if you’re the only ones who see it (for now).Honestly, it feels really cool to put your cover art on your Dabble Project and see it every time you get ready to write. How are you going to use images when you Dabble?That’s all for today, though. Come back on Thursday to see what else is coming in the Picture Day Update!