Quote:
Originally Posted by Dabcar
Thanks, everyone, that is most helpful.
The reason for not doing PDF was that many of these books will be sold. Iit seems that people get the idea that PDFs (even bought ones) are somehow free to distribute to others. I know, if anyone wants, they can pass on an epub, but most are less inclined to do so. Anyway, I'll give that some further thought.
Thanks, Tex2002ans, for the links and explanations.
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With all due respect, they don't treat ePUB or MOBI any different way. And with Calibre being around, someone can turn your ePUB or MOBI into a distributable PDF in about 30 seconds, too.
And with more all due respect, I think you have absolutely
NO idea what the tech support requirements will be like. I tell people this all the time, and they assume I'm being a drama queen, but my second largest expense, in my company, behind my direct labor costs for my bookmakers, is unpaid tech support. And mind you, we TELL our customers that we're not tech support, we don't provide tech support.
Today? Today I had to walk a woman through opening her PDF, in acrobat Reader, because she was FURIOUS that the icons my handout says should be visible, weren't. Why? Because her Windows computer was opening it in Edge and of course, figuring that out is "too hard."
At least 4x daily, one of my bookmakers needs me, to walk a customer through simply DOWNLOADING files. The average person apparently thinks that 'downloading" means, clicking a link in an email. If they don't have a program on their computer that will open that file, when they click it, OMG, the world will come to an end.
SIDELOADING? Trying to get a file onto their device?
MWAHAHAHAHA. If Amazon, iBooks or B&N isn't delivering it through the magic of wifi, fuhgeddaboutit. And when they sideload that file to their iPad and it looks like crap? Which, no matter WHAT you say on your website, they're going to do? Then what? Someone going to sit on the phone with them, walk them through connecting their iPad to their computer, through iTunes and oh, yeah, tell them how to build an AZK file, too?
I've told this story here before--since 2010, we've had a number of professional customers, lawyers, doctors, etc., decide that they didn't want to pay Amazon, et al, so they would sell their eBooks form their own website. Right? They had web guys, a digital cart, yadda.
Of all of those customers, do you know how many still do that?
NONE. Not one.
Every single one gave it up because the unpaid tech support demands were so excessive that they decided that they'd much, much rather pay Amazon than have to deal with it themselves. They got tired of answering emails, phone calls; one guy had his office manager QUIT over it, because of course, answering angry customer emails, that's clerical stuff, right? How was she supposed to know why someone's computer wouldn't let him do X or Y?
I mean..you're not going to listen to me, so...have at it. BUT...when you feel like pulling your hair out, don't say that nobody warned you. I swear, I'm not trying to be Dora Doom, but...everybody I know in the biz says exactly the same thing. I've driven myself to insanity, writing, rewriting, videoing, etc., instructions, to NO avail. People can run smartphones and post on social media. After that...well. If you're the one that will get stuck doing this, RUN.
Hitch