I hesitate to trouble you with a string of questions,
one by one. Right now the two critical files are:
\input formatting.tex
-----------------------------------------------
\usemodule [simplefonts]
\definefont [titlefont][MyriadPro-Bold*default at 70bp]
\definefont [subtitle][MyriadPro-Bold*default at 25bp]
\definefont [gauthor][MinionPro-Regular*default at 25bp]
-----------------------------------------------
\startenvironment[formatting]
\usemodule [simplefonts]
\definefont [titlefont][MyriadPro-Bold*default at 70bp]
\definefont [subtitle][MyriadPro-Bold*default at 25bp]
\definefont [gauthor][MinionPro-Regular*default at 25bp]
\stopenvironment
followed by:
\input title.tex
\component[title]
---------------------------------------------
\startstandardmakeup[align=middle]
\startstyle[titlefont]
Classic COBOL
\stopstyle
\vfil
\style[subtitle]{A Concise Guide}
\vfil
\null
\vfil
\style[gauthor]{John Culleton}
\vfil
\style[subtitle]{Wexford Press}
\stopstandardmakeup
--------------------------------
When you use \startcomponent etc. you can compile individual parts of your
document whig is faster when you want to check the content of them.