Do you use chapter lists?

AlexBell · 08-17-2012, 02:23 AM

Many of the books I have done for the MobileRead library have many chapters in them - Lorna Doone has 75 - and as I do the books by hand it is a lot of work to put all their names in the Table of Contents.

I think that most of us accept that ebooks are not print books and are not bound by the same conventions, and I'd like to find out whether people actually use the chapter links in an ebook ToC. After all, every ebook reader (as far as I know) will open at the last place in the ebook read, and will allow one to put books marks in.

Please note that I am not discussing whether chapters should have their titles shown at the beginning of the chapter. I'm only trying to find out whether people actually use a list of chapter titles in the Table of Contents.

PS Thanks for the comments so far. I should have mentioned of course that I'm talking about novels or stories, not non-fiction and not anthologies.

Belfaborac · 08-17-2012, 02:37 AM

I've never yet used the chapter list in an ebook. Probably never will if we're talking fiction books, but maybe, just maybe I some day might in a non-fiction book.

Asawi · 08-17-2012, 03:06 AM

I use the chapter list quite often. Sometimes because I read on multiple devices that I don't sync, but more often because I want to go back to some point in the book.
If the chapters have names, not just numbers I appreciate the list even more!

ATDrake · 08-17-2012, 03:13 AM

Depends on the book.

Most often for short story collections/anthologies. I highlight the chapter title in the TOC to indicate which ones I've read.

Also occasionally for omnibuses, so I can keep track of where I am in which book in the omnibus if I decide to abandon one early, sometimes using the same title-highlighting trick to indicate what/how far I've already read so I can clean up any place-holder bookmarks that might otherwise confuse me on where I really left off.

Non-fiction is also a firm yes, for much the same reasons. Admittedly I don't own much in e-book format, but I do extensively use the TOC when available and decently-fleshed-out to navigate all the ones I've tried.

For single volume novels, which are probably the thing you're really talking about, it depends. For many novels with a straightforward linear narrative, it's something I'd appreciate seeing if the chapters are indeed titled anything more fancy than "Chapter 1; Chapter 2". It does help keep track of the story, IMHO, if you go from "Entering the Fearsome Forest of Fire" to "Interlude Back at the Palace" and you can more easily skip ahead to the good parts upon the re-read.

And for something like George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series which has a bunch of alternating viewpoint characters who each get chapters titled with the POV name, I'd consider it fairly essential to include those in a TOC for future easy reference so I can flip back and forth between Character B's chapters if I decide I want to go back over their plotline in particular.

Soldim · 08-17-2012, 06:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Belfaborac

I've never yet used the chapter list in an ebook. Probably never will if we're talking fiction books, but maybe, just maybe I some day might in a non-fiction book.

I mainly read non-fiction, and indeed use chapter lists relatively frequently.

Quote:

Many of the books I have done for the MobileRead library have many chapters in them - Lorna Doone has 75 - and as I do the books by hand it is a lot of work to put all their names in the Table of Contents.

Wouldn't a Regex help tremendously and reduce the chance for errors?

banjobama · 08-17-2012, 06:22 AM

I'm glad you made this poll. Personally I never use chapter lists. However, I still make one for all the ebooks I make. It's a little unnecessary especially when one is generated that the reader can access without having it in the actual book. Yet when I make the books I feel like they're more "finished" with a ToC in front.

So I answered no, but I like to see the list, if only to gauge how big the chapters in the book I'll be reading are.

AlexBell · 08-17-2012, 06:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Asawi

I use the chapter list quite often. Sometimes because I read on multiple devices that I don't sync, but more often because I want to go back to some point in the book.
If the chapters have names, not just numbers I appreciate the list even more!

Thanks, Asawi. I'm afraid I don't provide chapter lists in the ToC in the books I do if the chapters don't have titles. I really can't see the point and think the list of numbers looks ugly.

After looking at the early responses I may have to think again.

AlexBell · 08-17-2012, 06:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Soldim

I mainly read non-fiction, and indeed use chapter lists relatively frequently.

Wouldn't a Regex help tremendously and reduce the chance for errors?

It probably would if I had the slightest idea how to use Regex functions. My eyes just glaze over when I try to learn about them.

I normally do a lot of copying and pasting to make HTML markup templates, and then fill in the details by hand.

John F · 08-17-2012, 07:06 AM

Yes. I use them for syncing between devices. I'll also check the TOC to see if there is a lot of fluff at the end so I know how many pages are left to read.

But i really like a TOC because my currnet reader will display chapter breaks, so I know how far I have to read to the end of the chapter. I miss a TOC when it isn't present.

DiapDealer · 08-17-2012, 07:40 AM

I want it there, always. Even though I use it rarely.

JoeD · 08-17-2012, 08:04 AM

Can't you get whatever you're producing the ebooks with to auto generate the table of contents based on the content headers?

I'll admit to been rather ignorant of what software is used for ebooks, but open office, word, lyx, latex all support auto generation of table of contents prior to exporting to whatever output formats they support.

fjtorres · 08-17-2012, 08:21 AM

I use it sometimes.
I prefer that books have it but I don't throw tantrums if they don't.
It's a "nice to have" rather than a "must have".

RichL · 08-17-2012, 08:38 AM

Not only do I prefer not to see them, I remove them unless there is a specific reason to keep them.

leebase · 08-17-2012, 08:39 AM

I switch between phone and tablet and computer...and they syncing of position does not always work. Chapter links help.

paola · 08-17-2012, 08:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ATDrake

Depends on the book.

Most often for short story collections/anthologies.

Non-fiction is also a firm yes, for much the same reasons.

My thought exactly - for pdf I end up creating the list myself via bookmarks, which is not ideal. For novels, I'd probably never check it.

View Poll Results: Do you use the list of chapter titles in the ToC?
Yes I do, and I want to see the list	65	67.01%
No I don't, but still want to see the list	9	9.28%
I don't use the list, and don't care whether it's included	13	13.40%
I don't use the list, and think it's a waste of space	7	7.22%
I prefer not to see a long list of chapter titles.	3	3.09%
Voters: 97. You may not vote on this poll

08-17-2012, 02:23 AM	#1
AlexBell Wizard Posts: 3,413 Karma: 13369310 Join Date: May 2008 Location: Launceston, Tasmania Device: Sony PRS T3, Kobo Glo, Kindle Touch, iPad, Samsung SB 2 tablet	Do you use chapter lists? Many of the books I have done for the MobileRead library have many chapters in them - Lorna Doone has 75 - and as I do the books by hand it is a lot of work to put all their names in the Table of Contents. I think that most of us accept that ebooks are not print books and are not bound by the same conventions, and I'd like to find out whether people actually use the chapter links in an ebook ToC. After all, every ebook reader (as far as I know) will open at the last place in the ebook read, and will allow one to put books marks in. Please note that I am not discussing whether chapters should have their titles shown at the beginning of the chapter. I'm only trying to find out whether people actually use a list of chapter titles in the Table of Contents. PS Thanks for the comments so far. I should have mentioned of course that I'm talking about novels or stories, not non-fiction and not anthologies. Last edited by AlexBell; 08-17-2012 at 06:21 AM. Reason: typo

08-17-2012, 03:13 AM	#4
ATDrake Wizzard Posts: 11,517 Karma: 33048258 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Roundworld Device: Kindle 2 International, Sony PRS-T1, BlackBerry PlayBook, Acer Iconia	Depends on the book. Most often for short story collections/anthologies. I highlight the chapter title in the TOC to indicate which ones I've read. Also occasionally for omnibuses, so I can keep track of where I am in which book in the omnibus if I decide to abandon one early, sometimes using the same title-highlighting trick to indicate what/how far I've already read so I can clean up any place-holder bookmarks that might otherwise confuse me on where I really left off. Non-fiction is also a firm yes, for much the same reasons. Admittedly I don't own much in e-book format, but I do extensively use the TOC when available and decently-fleshed-out to navigate all the ones I've tried. For single volume novels, which are probably the thing you're really talking about, it depends. For many novels with a straightforward linear narrative, it's something I'd appreciate seeing if the chapters are indeed titled anything more fancy than "Chapter 1; Chapter 2". It does help keep track of the story, IMHO, if you go from "Entering the Fearsome Forest of Fire" to "Interlude Back at the Palace" and you can more easily skip ahead to the good parts upon the re-read. And for something like George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series which has a bunch of alternating viewpoint characters who each get chapters titled with the POV name, I'd consider it fairly essential to include those in a TOC for future easy reference so I can flip back and forth between Character B's chapters if I decide I want to go back over their plotline in particular. Last edited by ATDrake; 08-17-2012 at 03:22 AM. Reason: There's a difference between overlapping and alternating which I usually remember before midnight.

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08-17-2012, 02:37 AM	#2
Belfaborac Wizard Posts: 1,498 Karma: 5199835 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Norway Device: Sony PRS-505, PRS-950	I've never yet used the chapter list in an ebook. Probably never will if we're talking fiction books, but maybe, just maybe I some day might in a non-fiction book.

08-17-2012, 03:06 AM	#3
Asawi Gadgetoholic Posts: 1,462 Karma: 2731820 Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Sweden Device: Kobo Libra2, Tolino Vision 6	I use the chapter list quite often. Sometimes because I read on multiple devices that I don't sync, but more often because I want to go back to some point in the book. If the chapters have names, not just numbers I appreciate the list even more!

08-17-2012, 06:22 AM	#6
banjobama Busy Read'n Posts: 980 Karma: 5039283 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Auburn, WA Device: Pocketbook Touch Lux 5	I'm glad you made this poll. Personally I never use chapter lists. However, I still make one for all the ebooks I make. It's a little unnecessary especially when one is generated that the reader can access without having it in the actual book. Yet when I make the books I feel like they're more "finished" with a ToC in front. So I answered no, but I like to see the list, if only to gauge how big the chapters in the book I'll be reading are.

08-17-2012, 07:06 AM	#9
John F Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,166 Karma: 63764653 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Kobo Glo HD	Yes. I use them for syncing between devices. I'll also check the TOC to see if there is a lot of fluff at the end so I know how many pages are left to read. But i really like a TOC because my currnet reader will display chapter breaks, so I know how far I have to read to the end of the chapter. I miss a TOC when it isn't present.

08-17-2012, 07:40 AM	#10
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 27,548 Karma: 193191846 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD	I want it there, always. Even though I use it rarely.

08-17-2012, 08:04 AM	#11
JoeD Guru Posts: 895 Karma: 4383958 Join Date: Nov 2007 Device: na	Can't you get whatever you're producing the ebooks with to auto generate the table of contents based on the content headers? I'll admit to been rather ignorant of what software is used for ebooks, but open office, word, lyx, latex all support auto generation of table of contents prior to exporting to whatever output formats they support.

08-17-2012, 08:21 AM	#12
fjtorres Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,732 Karma: 128354696 Join Date: May 2009 Location: 26 kly from Sgr A* Device: T100TA,PW2,PRS-T1,KT,FireHD 8.9,K2, PB360,BeBook One,Axim51v,TC1000	I use it sometimes. I prefer that books have it but I don't throw tantrums if they don't. It's a "nice to have" rather than a "must have".

08-17-2012, 08:38 AM	#13
RichL Evangelist Posts: 407 Karma: 1096520 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: back to x51v	Not only do I prefer not to see them, I remove them unless there is a specific reason to keep them.

08-17-2012, 08:39 AM	#14
leebase Karma Kameleon Posts: 2,934 Karma: 26616647 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: iPad Mini, iPhone X, Kindle Fire Tab HD 8, Walmart Onn	I switch between phone and tablet and computer...and they syncing of position does not always work. Chapter links help.

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