Save lots of money *and* make Kindle better

lyric · 03-02-2011, 01:54 PM

Hi everyone,

I am sure you, like me, have been disappointed with badly formatted and typo-ridden Kindle ebooks from Amazon.

My slightly facetious title has a serious point.

If we all *complain* and *demand a refund* when an ebook is in poor shape, not only will we get lots of money back from Amazon, we will also encourage publishers to get their act together.

I now demand a refund on every title which obviously has not been proof read. And I suggest you do too.

Publishers would never consider publishing on paper without proof reading, and yet they seem to think that this is unnecessary for ebooks - tell them no!

Giggleton · 03-02-2011, 01:58 PM

I don't like badly formatted texts either.

I've only bought a few books though and they have been nicely formatted. I read a lot of indie books though and those can be atrocious.

I'll ask for refunds on badly formatted texts in the future though.

I do think that a system that allows you to read the book in its entirety before deciding to purchase is the better way to go, for now and the foreseeable future.

kindlekitten · 03-02-2011, 02:03 PM

very few books I have purchased have been poorly formatted. it seems to be mostly limited to freebies, and books from *other* places

lyric · 03-02-2011, 02:19 PM

For me the formatting is the lesser problem (mainly just lack of chapter marks and weird TOC formatting) - but awful typos (and clear scanning errors) have been in almost every book I have bought - even recent / expensive ones!

JaneD · 03-02-2011, 02:19 PM

Another option: review the content of the book and the quality of the kindle edition. For example, your title for the review could be: "Heartbreaking novel, horribly formatted for kindle." Then review the content on one hand and the formatting in detail on the other. This is VERY useful for the publisher, who can then read exactly what they need to do to improve the ebook version, and the next reader, who won't be tempted to buy that poorly formatted book.

lyric · 03-02-2011, 02:20 PM

Please note - that when Amazon refunds you, the book you bought is *removed* from the Kindle over Whispersync. So only do this if you are happy to lose the book!

(Yes there are workarounds, but let's not bother discussing them)

abookreader · 03-02-2011, 02:24 PM

In over 2 years I've only felt the need to return a book once.

lyric · 03-02-2011, 02:35 PM

Maybe I have been unlucky, or maybe I am just very sensitive to it. Scanning typos drive me round the bend!

carld · 03-02-2011, 02:49 PM

I've returned one book since buying my K1. It was in Topaz format, and I just didn't like the font. I ended up buying it again anyway and putting up with it. I've hit a few typos, spelling and usage errors, usually at least one per book, sometimes several. And it's not limited to ebooks either. I see the same in print books.

DiapDealer · 03-02-2011, 02:57 PM

I find typos in almost every printed book I buy, too. No need to pick on Kindle books. I think I've returned one ebook in two years.

Surely you're not reading the entire ebook and then asking for a refund? Because that's the only way I can see this practice ever saving you money.

captkjaneway · 03-02-2011, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I find typos in almost every printed book I buy, too. No need to pick on Kindle books. I think I've returned one ebook in two years.

Surely you're not reading the entire ebook and then asking for a refund? Because that's the only way I can see this practice ever saving you money.

I agree - printed books were never perfect either. I would only send a Kindle book back to Amazon if the mistakes were throughout the book not just the odd typo or spelling mistake.

ATDrake · 03-02-2011, 08:28 PM

I think I notice typos more in print books now that I've gotten used to paying attention to them in Kindle versions.

But generally print book typos tend to be fairly mild: dropped punctuation, misspelling, a single dropped or added letter once in a while. While e-book typos can get very, very bad, simply due to poor OCR proofreading and careless use of auto-correct.

Most hilarious example I remember was from a library e-book on the history of US-style car racing (which was riddled with them), quoting from some guy named "R-emphasis Petty"*. I still wonder exactly what combination of scanning/software/conversion house mishaps could cause that.

Anyway, if the typos aren't bad enough to render the book unreadable (or very annoyingly readable), I'm more likely to fix them myself if the price was low.

Though I would request a return if they were seriously distracting to the point where I should just save my money and check out the library copy instead because the e-book version was clearly not providing value for money spent.

* Turned out to be this guy, who did a voice on Pixar's Cars.

captkjaneway · 03-02-2011, 08:37 PM

As an addendum, I think it also depends on what types of books you read. I myself only read fiction, so if there is a typo/mistake I can generally read around the problem and it doesn't affect my enjoyment or comprehension; obviously if you are reading technical or non-fiction books this may cause more issues.

Kitezh · 03-13-2012, 12:43 AM

What I've noticed is not typos but variation of styles, including font and justification. There doesn't seem to be be a way of standardising this within the Kindle. It would be good to find a way of re-formatting Kindle ebooks to make them easier to read.

HarryT · 03-13-2012, 02:13 AM

Be careful - if you return an excessive number of items, you run the risk of having your account closed and losing access to all your books.

I agree that it would be dishonest to read the book and then request a refund.

03-02-2011, 01:54 PM	#1
lyric Enthusiast Posts: 41 Karma: 3948942 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Kindle 3	*Save lots of money and* make Kindle better** Hi everyone, I am sure you, like me, have been disappointed with badly formatted and typo-ridden Kindle ebooks from Amazon. My slightly facetious title has a serious point. If we all complain and demand a refund when an ebook is in poor shape, not only will we get lots of money back from Amazon, we will also encourage publishers to get their act together. I now demand a refund on every title which obviously has not been proof read. And I suggest you do too. Publishers would never consider publishing on paper without proof reading, and yet they seem to think that this is unnecessary for ebooks - tell them no!

03-02-2011, 02:57 PM	#10
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 27,552 Karma: 193191846 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD	I find typos in almost every printed book I buy, too. No need to pick on Kindle books. I think I've returned one ebook in two years. Surely you're not reading the entire ebook and then asking for a refund? Because that's the only way I can see this practice ever saving you money. Last edited by DiapDealer; 03-02-2011 at 03:02 PM.

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03-02-2011, 01:58 PM	#2
Giggleton Banned Posts: 1,687 Karma: 4368191 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Oregon Device: Kindle3	I don't like badly formatted texts either. I've only bought a few books though and they have been nicely formatted. I read a lot of indie books though and those can be atrocious. I'll ask for refunds on badly formatted texts in the future though. I do think that a system that allows you to read the book in its entirety before deciding to purchase is the better way to go, for now and the foreseeable future.

03-02-2011, 02:03 PM	#3
kindlekitten Professional Adventuress Posts: 13,368 Karma: 50260224 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: The Olympic Peninsula on the OTHER Washington! (the big green clean one on the west coast!) Device: Kindle, the original! Times Two! and gifting an International Kindle	very few books I have purchased have been poorly formatted. it seems to be mostly limited to freebies, and books from other places

03-02-2011, 02:19 PM	#4
lyric Enthusiast Posts: 41 Karma: 3948942 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Kindle 3	For me the formatting is the lesser problem (mainly just lack of chapter marks and weird TOC formatting) - but awful typos (and clear scanning errors) have been in almost every book I have bought - even recent / expensive ones!

03-02-2011, 02:19 PM	#5
JaneD Addict Posts: 322 Karma: 1057749 Join Date: May 2010 Location: LA, CA Device: Kindle Paperwhite 2013	Another option: review the content of the book and the quality of the kindle edition. For example, your title for the review could be: "Heartbreaking novel, horribly formatted for kindle." Then review the content on one hand and the formatting in detail on the other. This is VERY useful for the publisher, who can then read exactly what they need to do to improve the ebook version, and the next reader, who won't be tempted to buy that poorly formatted book.

03-02-2011, 02:20 PM	#6
lyric Enthusiast Posts: 41 Karma: 3948942 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Kindle 3	Please note - that when Amazon refunds you, the book you bought is removed from the Kindle over Whispersync. So only do this if you are happy to lose the book! (Yes there are workarounds, but let's not bother discussing them)

03-02-2011, 02:24 PM	#7
abookreader Wizard Posts: 1,516 Karma: 2567610 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: Kindles - Keyboard, Fire, 2-US, iPhone, iPAD	In over 2 years I've only felt the need to return a book once.

03-02-2011, 02:35 PM	#8
lyric Enthusiast Posts: 41 Karma: 3948942 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Kindle 3	Maybe I have been unlucky, or maybe I am just very sensitive to it. Scanning typos drive me round the bend!

03-02-2011, 02:49 PM	#9
carld Wizard Posts: 2,698 Karma: 4748723 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Kindle Paperwhite	I've returned one book since buying my K1. It was in Topaz format, and I just didn't like the font. I ended up buying it again anyway and putting up with it. I've hit a few typos, spelling and usage errors, usually at least one per book, sometimes several. And it's not limited to ebooks either. I see the same in print books.

03-02-2011, 08:28 PM	#12
ATDrake Wizzard Posts: 11,517 Karma: 33048258 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Roundworld Device: Kindle 2 International, Sony PRS-T1, BlackBerry PlayBook, Acer Iconia	I think I notice typos more in print books now that I've gotten used to paying attention to them in Kindle versions. But generally print book typos tend to be fairly mild: dropped punctuation, misspelling, a single dropped or added letter once in a while. While e-book typos can get very, very bad, simply due to poor OCR proofreading and careless use of auto-correct. Most hilarious example I remember was from a library e-book on the history of US-style car racing (which was riddled with them), quoting from some guy named "R-emphasis Petty". I still wonder exactly what combination of scanning/software/conversion house mishaps could cause that. Anyway, if the typos aren't bad enough to render the book unreadable (or very annoyingly readable), I'm more likely to fix them myself if the price was low. Though I would request a return if they were seriously distracting to the point where I should just save my money and check out the library copy instead because the e-book version was clearly not providing value for money spent. Turned out to be this guy, who did a voice on Pixar's Cars.

03-02-2011, 08:37 PM	#13
captkjaneway Cockney Sci-Fi Geek! Posts: 472 Karma: 1463094 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Wan Chai, Hong Kong Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Samsung Tab S 8.4", Samsung S6 Edge	As an addendum, I think it also depends on what types of books you read. I myself only read fiction, so if there is a typo/mistake I can generally read around the problem and it doesn't affect my enjoyment or comprehension; obviously if you are reading technical or non-fiction books this may cause more issues.

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03-13-2012, 12:43 AM	#14
Kitezh Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2010 Device: Kindle	What I've noticed is not typos but variation of styles, including font and justification. There doesn't seem to be be a way of standardising this within the Kindle. It would be good to find a way of re-formatting Kindle ebooks to make them easier to read.

03-13-2012, 02:13 AM	#15
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Be careful - if you return an excessive number of items, you run the risk of having your account closed and losing access to all your books. I agree that it would be dishonest to read the book and then request a refund.