Kindle only - Page 4

Steven Lyle Jordan · 08-17-2011, 12:52 PM

When an author puts their book in the Kindle store only, it says that they want to have their book in the store that has the undisputed largest ebook customer base, and don't want to have to keep track of multiple output vendors like B&N, Smashwords, Sony, Kobo, Overdrive, etc, etc... the path of least resistance. That's all.

I can understand that desire, and wouldn't hold it against an author if they did that... it's their choice. If I decide I don't want the book in that format... that's my choice.

pidgeon92 · 08-17-2011, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steven Lyle Jordan

When an author puts their book in the Kindle store only, it says that they want to have their book in the store that has the undisputed largest ebook customer base,

Oh, he'll find a way to dispute it.

anamardoll · 08-17-2011, 02:23 PM

I dispute it, too. There are quite a few books I want that are available elsewhere, but not on Amazon. And I've yet to see anyone trot out a meaningful "size of catalog" for the Big 4 and do a comparison. Considering that the Amazon store had bloat of the "it's in another thread, but basically there were a lot of duplicate books with different titles" variety, I question that such a comparison could even be feasibly made.

JSWolf · 08-17-2011, 02:39 PM

This reminds me of Target. Target does sometimes get an exclusive CD release that has more tracks. But because my CD player will play this exclusive CD, I'm OK with it.

But because Amazon has chosen to stick with Mobipocket (in the guise of AZW), an exclusive eBook is not good. It's either going to be Mobipocket or ePub and that means it's not available for all. But an exclusive CD is available for all. You just have to buy at a different shop. So really, Amazon should go ePub via ADE if nothing else then to help it's customers.

Lazybones · 08-17-2011, 03:09 PM

Can you elaborate on the specific issues with Smashwords and ePubs?

I sell on both Amazon and Smashwords. I don't have an ePub device, but I've checked all of my Smashwords ePubs on Calibre and haven't noticed any issues. My books are just text, no graphics, tables, maps, etc. If I'm reading you correctly there are issues with certain functions on certain devices?

Harry_Y · 08-17-2011, 03:50 PM

And here I was going to make a Kindle only book

GoSharks · 08-17-2011, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

So really, Amazon should go ePub via ADE

Wow, you've really got to admire the persistence! What is this, the 999th or 1000th time you've posted the same thing?

Andrew H. · 08-17-2011, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

So really, Amazon should go ePub via ADE if nothing else then to help it's customers.

Amazon's customers are doing fine. You are the person most concerned about Amazon's e-books not being available.

Maybe you should come out of the closet and get a Kindle?

Elfwreck · 08-17-2011, 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lazybones

Can you elaborate on the specific issues with Smashwords and ePubs?

I sell on both Amazon and Smashwords. I don't have an ePub device, but I've checked all of my Smashwords ePubs on Calibre and haven't noticed any issues. My books are just text, no graphics, tables, maps, etc. If I'm reading you correctly there are issues with certain functions on certain devices?

If you've formatted your books correctly, using the SW style guide, they should be fine.

Some ereaders have trouble with SW ePubs, because even if you follow the guide exactly, the Meatgrinder doesn't make great ePubs; the coding choices are limited and problematic for some ePub-reading software. However, if it follows the guide and doesn't have complex parts, it'll be fine for normal reading. A book carefully designed could be better--SW doesn't support drop caps, for example, nor even simple tables--but that's not going to matter to most readers.

(Hey, you could set up a sig with a link to your books at Amazon & SW.)

OneandonlyDoc · 08-17-2011, 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Why can't the author make sure his/her eBooks are available in ePub as well? It sends the wrong message to to potential customers. And there are a lot of people out there who do not format convert. It's either available int he format they use or it's not available. This is not just about me. Sure, I can convert. But I don't want to be FORCED to pay amazon for any eBook. If I do, it's going to be because I want to.

This is me. I don't convert. I don't use Calibre. I'd very much like folks to just take the extra time to offer themselves on platforms other than Amazon, because Amazon isn't the only fish in the *censored*

pond.

Ron. · 08-17-2011, 05:37 PM

There are so many books out that I want to read and will never get around to as is, It's probably a blessing if a few are not available to me...

JSWolf · 08-17-2011, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrew H.

Amazon's customers are doing fine. You are the person most concerned about Amazon's e-books not being available.

Maybe you should come out of the closet and get a Kindle?

OneandonlyDoc does not convert eBooks and she cannot use exclusive eBooks via Amazon. How is this fair? Would you like it if we had Sony getting lots and lots of exclusive eBooks and you didn't strip DRM/convert? You'd not be able to read any of them.

As for getting a Kindle. I don't like Amazon's obsolete format.

JSWolf · 08-17-2011, 07:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OneandonlyDoc

This is me. I don't convert. I don't use Calibre. I'd very much like folks to just take the extra time to offer themselves on platforms other than Amazon, because Amazon isn't the only fish in the *censored*

pond.

When this issue is mentioned, the answer (a lot of the time) is to convert via Calibre. But that's not always an answer. And they just don't care. Because if they cared, they'd be saying, they'd get right on it and create an ePub version.

JSWolf · 08-17-2011, 07:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elfwreck

If you've formatted your books correctly, using the SW style guide, they should be fine.

Some ereaders have trouble with SW ePubs, because even if you follow the guide exactly, the Meatgrinder doesn't make great ePubs; the coding choices are limited and problematic for some ePub-reading software. However, if it follows the guide and doesn't have complex parts, it'll be fine for normal reading. A book carefully designed could be better--SW doesn't support drop caps, for example, nor even simple tables--but that's not going to matter to most readers.

(Hey, you could set up a sig with a link to your books at Amazon & SW.)

Actually, part of the problem is that in the ePub CSS is redundant code that breaks things. Like font-family for tines new roman or other font families/styles, color codes that prevent changing color, and other things. And to go into the ePub to fix this is not all that easy for a lot of people also, sometimes there isn't a proper ToC for the ePub as the proper ToC is external, not internal.

JSWolf · 08-17-2011, 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ron.

There are so many books out that I want to read and will never get around to as is, It's probably a blessing if a few are not available to me...

Actually, that's not good. The more Amazon get exclusive, the more Amazon will try to get even more exclusives.

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08-17-2011, 12:52 PM	#46
Steven Lyle Jordan Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,478 Karma: 5171130 Join Date: Jan 2006 Device: none	When an author puts their book in the Kindle store only, it says that they want to have their book in the store that has the undisputed largest ebook customer base, and don't want to have to keep track of multiple output vendors like B&N, Smashwords, Sony, Kobo, Overdrive, etc, etc... the path of least resistance. That's all. I can understand that desire, and wouldn't hold it against an author if they did that... it's their choice. If I decide I don't want the book in that format... that's my choice.

08-17-2011, 02:23 PM	#48
anamardoll Chasing Butterflies Posts: 3,132 Karma: 5074169 Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: American Southwest Device: Uses batteries.	I dispute it, too. There are quite a few books I want that are available elsewhere, but not on Amazon. And I've yet to see anyone trot out a meaningful "size of catalog" for the Big 4 and do a comparison. Considering that the Amazon store had bloat of the "it's in another thread, but basically there were a lot of duplicate books with different titles" variety, I question that such a comparison could even be feasibly made.

08-17-2011, 02:39 PM	#49
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 73,877 Karma: 128597114 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	This reminds me of Target. Target does sometimes get an exclusive CD release that has more tracks. But because my CD player will play this exclusive CD, I'm OK with it. But because Amazon has chosen to stick with Mobipocket (in the guise of AZW), an exclusive eBook is not good. It's either going to be Mobipocket or ePub and that means it's not available for all. But an exclusive CD is available for all. You just have to buy at a different shop. So really, Amazon should go ePub via ADE if nothing else then to help it's customers.

08-17-2011, 03:09 PM	#50
Lazybones Groupie Posts: 162 Karma: 1719250 Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Sacramento Device: Kindle	Can you elaborate on the specific issues with Smashwords and ePubs? I sell on both Amazon and Smashwords. I don't have an ePub device, but I've checked all of my Smashwords ePubs on Calibre and haven't noticed any issues. My books are just text, no graphics, tables, maps, etc. If I'm reading you correctly there are issues with certain functions on certain devices?

08-17-2011, 03:50 PM	#51
Harry_Y Addict Posts: 305 Karma: 704492 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: NY Device: Kindle 3, Kindle DX, Galaxy Tab 2	And here I was going to make a Kindle only book

08-17-2011, 05:37 PM	#56
Ron. Evangelist Posts: 448 Karma: 864744 Join Date: Mar 2011 Device: Kindle 3, LookBook, Nook Simple Touch	There are so many books out that I want to read and will never get around to as is, It's probably a blessing if a few are not available to me...

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