Page breaks in ebooks, Yes or No?

nomesque · 06-08-2010, 11:03 PM

I started a thread on this on KindleBoards, and thought it'd be interesting to get opinions from a wider audience

I've heard a number of people comment on the fact that Smashwords ebooks, for example, don't include a page break before a new chapter. Fair enough, I thought, makes sense for people to want each chapter to start on a new page. Then I got my PRS-300, and started reading ebooks with page breaks done correctly, and discovered - much to my surprise - that I HATE them. Passionately. Especially (although this might be caused by dodgy formatting) when I get two lines of text, click to next page, get a BLANK page, click again and get a chapter name and FIVE! lines of text. GAH! It's like eating a sandwich in teensy tiny bits!

So, you've got my opinion now, but I'm interested in hearing yours - what do you prefer? Page break before each chapter, no page breaks, or you really don't care?

capidamonte · 06-09-2010, 12:56 AM

Chapter breaks, definitely. I like the sense of finishing a chapter that it instills. If/when I need to discipline myself, the chapter break stops me from reading on. There is a reason that it evolved over time.

Dodgy formatting is the curse of all things ebook -- thoughts and opinions about how things should work are so often affected (sometimes unknowingly) by terrible layout and bad design. (The second-most effective opinion-warper is bad software -- another design issue.)

dmaul1114 · 06-09-2010, 01:08 AM

I definitely prefer page breaks.

It's not a deal breaker or anything, but it does make it feel more like reading a paper book.

I'm not picky about typography and that stuff in general, but reading this post I have to say that page breaks for chapters is something I do like and that I'm glad that all the Kindle books I've read have.

Solitaire1 · 06-09-2010, 01:09 AM

Although I prefer a page break before a new chapter, I'd have no objection to a visual marker (such as a thick horizontal ruler at the end of the chapter) as another option. Mainly, I prefer some kind of visual indicator that a chapter has ended.

kindlekitten · 06-09-2010, 01:20 AM

your poll didn't allow, but I would like at least a "return" or two. ie; the old fashioned hit enter and drop down a bit. I definetly want a BREAK. not a blank page, but a definet break

Sweetpea · 06-09-2010, 02:25 AM

I hate books without pagebreaks before chapters. I just can't finish them. A chapter is a story-break. And if it's not visible, the chapters will flow together and the story won't make any more sense.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nomesque

Especially (although this might be caused by dodgy formatting) when I get two lines of text, click to next page, get a BLANK page, click again and get a chapter name and FIVE! lines of text. GAH! It's like eating a sandwich in teensy tiny bits!

That sounds like very dodgy formatting! Blank pages are an absolute no-no...

lene1949 · 06-09-2010, 02:57 AM

Breaks between chapters should be visible... but going to a new page is not necessary, and quite annoying, if there's only a couple of lines on the last page..

AlexBell · 06-09-2010, 04:13 AM

I definitely prefer page breaks, and having a couple of lines doesn't bother me at all. Blank pages do, but I'm sure that's just lousy formatting.

If the author has chapters, then surely each one contains a certain amount of the story, usually for a particular time with a particular topic. The page break allows one to finish that topic before one starts on the next one.

If the story is told in one continuous flow why have chapter headings at all? If the story is broken up into segments why not clearly show the end of one segment and the start of the next?

Regards, Alex

AnemicOak · 06-09-2010, 09:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nomesque

Especially (although this might be caused by dodgy formatting) when I get two lines of text, click to next page, get a BLANK page, click again and get a chapter name and FIVE! lines of text.

This is most certainly the formatting of the specific book(s). The couple lines on the last page of a chapter, sure that happens. The blank page following that, I've only had happen on books I formatted myself because I messed up the formatting a bit. The chapter name and 5 lines of text can happen, but I don't see it that often.

I'm definitely in the camp of wanting chapter breaks. I'd almost go so far as saying I NEED them as not having them really drives me crazy. Crazy enough to either not read the book or spend the time to reformat it myself.

JSWolf · 06-09-2010, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nomesque

I started a thread on this on KindleBoards, and thought it'd be interesting to get opinions from a wider audience

I've heard a number of people comment on the fact that Smashwords ebooks, for example, don't include a page break before a new chapter. Fair enough, I thought, makes sense for people to want each chapter to start on a new page. Then I got my PRS-300, and started reading ebooks with page breaks done correctly, and discovered - much to my surprise - that I HATE them. Passionately. Especially (although this might be caused by dodgy formatting) when I get two lines of text, click to next page, get a BLANK page, click again and get a chapter name and FIVE! lines of text. GAH! It's like eating a sandwich in teensy tiny bits!

So, you've got my opinion now, but I'm interested in hearing yours - what do you prefer? Page break before each chapter, no page breaks, or you really don't care?

What you are describing is poor formatting. A well done eBook will have proper page breaks at the beginning of each chapter. I prefer the chapter title to be in a noticeably larger font size then the body font. But, I'd like to have the chapter header to be close to the top of the screen. Then I get room for more of the body. The next pages until the next chapter will all be normal. Sometimes you do get like "Part One..." on a separate page. That I do not mind either.

One problem you will run into if you have no page breaks is that in ePub you probably will not conform to the mobile ADE standard and thus, a lot of people won't be able to view your eBook. And if they are all like that, your sales will drop to almost nothing.

Take a look at the ePub of For the Win http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=83384 and you will see proper page breaks and proper italics too.

Kevin2960 · 06-09-2010, 09:36 AM

Page Breaks YES YES YES, if the formatting is also good, that helps, But I definitely LOVE page breaks,

Terisa de morgan · 06-09-2010, 09:42 AM

Page breaks, of course. Blank pages are a no, no, no, it's a bad formatted text.

simplyparticular · 06-09-2010, 03:16 PM

I prefer some form of break between chapters - whatever has to be done to proclaim a break.

My bigger pet peeve is the lack of scene/section breaks within chapters. This is especially annoying in dialogue-heavy fiction. Without the scene break, it can be very confusing. I end up reading the two paragraphs at least twice to figure out what happened.

Well-formatted eBooks have the same curlicue dingbats as the paper books, but I'll take a a dotted line, or anything, so I know we've shifted voice/place.

AnemicOak · 06-09-2010, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by simplyparticular

My bigger pet peeve is the lack of scene/section breaks within chapters.

GeoffC · 06-09-2010, 03:28 PM

A break is ideal, it helps the mind realise one chapter of the story has finished, and another is to begin.

Perhaps not separated by a blank page, but certainly more than a couple of lines, a line/symbol ideal ....

View Poll Results: Page breaks before new chapters?
Yes, I prefer page breaks	117	78.00%
No, I prefer no page breaks	13	8.67%
I really don't care either way	18	12.00%
Chapters? Kill 'em all	2	1.33%
Voters: 150. You may not vote on this poll

06-08-2010, 11:03 PM	#1
nomesque Snooty Bestselling Author Posts: 1,487 Karma: 1000000 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Ipswich, QLD, Australia Device: PRS-650	Page breaks in ebooks, Yes or No? I started a thread on this on KindleBoards, and thought it'd be interesting to get opinions from a wider audience I've heard a number of people comment on the fact that Smashwords ebooks, for example, don't include a page break before a new chapter. Fair enough, I thought, makes sense for people to want each chapter to start on a new page. Then I got my PRS-300, and started reading ebooks with page breaks done correctly, and discovered - much to my surprise - that I HATE them. Passionately. Especially (although this might be caused by dodgy formatting) when I get two lines of text, click to next page, get a BLANK page, click again and get a chapter name and FIVE! lines of text. GAH! It's like eating a sandwich in teensy tiny bits! So, you've got my opinion now, but I'm interested in hearing yours - what do you prefer? Page break before each chapter, no page breaks, or you really don't care? __________________ ... Last edited by nomesque; 06-08-2010 at 11:05 PM.

06-09-2010, 01:20 AM	#5
kindlekitten Professional Adventuress Posts: 11,515 Karma: 40406970 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	your poll didn't allow, but I would like at least a "return" or two. ie; the old fashioned hit enter and drop down a bit. I definetly want a BREAK. not a blank page, but a definet break __________________ WELL BEHAVED WOMEN RARELY MAKE HISTORY! IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN BUYING OR SELLING REAL ESTATE IN WASHINGTON STATE, I CAN HELP!

06-09-2010, 02:57 AM	#7
lene1949 Wizard Posts: 1,966 Karma: 213930 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Ipswich, Queensland, Australia Device: Kindle 2, Sony PRS 650, Ipod Touch	Breaks between chapters should be visible... but going to a new page is not necessary, and quite annoying, if there's only a couple of lines on the last page.. __________________ Lene Last edited by lene1949; 06-09-2010 at 02:59 AM.

06-09-2010, 04:13 AM	#8
AlexBell Wizard Posts: 1,830 Karma: 2831780 Join Date: May 2008 Location: Launceston, Tasmania Device: Sony PRS 650, Kindle3, iPad2, Sony PRS T1, Sony PRS T2	I definitely prefer page breaks, and having a couple of lines doesn't bother me at all. Blank pages do, but I'm sure that's just lousy formatting. If the author has chapters, then surely each one contains a certain amount of the story, usually for a particular time with a particular topic. The page break allows one to finish that topic before one starts on the next one. If the story is told in one continuous flow why have chapter headings at all? If the story is broken up into segments why not clearly show the end of one segment and the start of the next? Regards, Alex Last edited by AlexBell; 06-09-2010 at 04:14 AM. Reason: typo fixed

06-09-2010, 12:56 AM	#2
capidamonte Not who you think I am... Posts: 332 Karma: 5337 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Honolulu Device: Sony PRS-T1	Chapter breaks, definitely. I like the sense of finishing a chapter that it instills. If/when I need to discipline myself, the chapter break stops me from reading on. There is a reason that it evolved over time. Dodgy formatting is the curse of all things ebook -- thoughts and opinions about how things should work are so often affected (sometimes unknowingly) by terrible layout and bad design. (The second-most effective opinion-warper is bad software -- another design issue.)

06-09-2010, 01:08 AM	#3
dmaul1114 Wizard Posts: 2,300 Karma: 3607 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Amazon Kindle 1	I definitely prefer page breaks. It's not a deal breaker or anything, but it does make it feel more like reading a paper book. I'm not picky about typography and that stuff in general, but reading this post I have to say that page breaks for chapters is something I do like and that I'm glad that all the Kindle books I've read have.

06-09-2010, 01:09 AM	#4
Solitaire1 Samurai Lizard Posts: 3,964 Karma: 10493428 Join Date: Nov 2009 Device: NookColor & Kobo Touch eReader	Although I prefer a page break before a new chapter, I'd have no objection to a visual marker (such as a thick horizontal ruler at the end of the chapter) as another option. Mainly, I prefer some kind of visual indicator that a chapter has ended.

06-09-2010, 09:36 AM	#11
Kevin2960 YODA's Uglier Twin Posts: 968 Karma: 6295251 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Leicester, UK Device: PRS-600 and 2 Kindle 3's - and now a K4 + HTC Desire HD	Page Breaks YES YES YES, if the formatting is also good, that helps, But I definitely LOVE page breaks, __________________ Kevin

06-09-2010, 09:42 AM	#12
Terisa de morgan Wizard Posts: 1,492 Karma: 1233494 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Madrid, Spain Device: Pink Sony Prs-350, Kobo Mini, iPhone, iPad	Page breaks, of course. Blank pages are a no, no, no, it's a bad formatted text. __________________ Ciao Terisa de Morgan

06-09-2010, 03:16 PM	#13
simplyparticular Breecisely Posts: 496 Karma: 1023060 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: New York Device: see signature	I prefer some form of break between chapters - whatever has to be done to proclaim a break. My bigger pet peeve is the lack of scene/section breaks within chapters. This is especially annoying in dialogue-heavy fiction. Without the scene break, it can be very confusing. I end up reading the two paragraphs at least twice to figure out what happened. Well-formatted eBooks have the same curlicue dingbats as the paper books, but I'll take a a dotted line, or anything, so I know we've shifted voice/place.

06-09-2010, 03:28 PM	#15
GeoffC Chocolate Grasshopper ... Posts: 26,684 Karma: 16550486 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Scotland Device: Cybook Gen3 , Pocketbook 302 (Black) , Nexus 10: wife has PW	A break is ideal, it helps the mind realise one chapter of the story has finished, and another is to begin. Perhaps not separated by a blank page, but certainly more than a couple of lines, a line/symbol ideal .... __________________ > My Cats

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