Include a cover or not?

[Notjohn]

I am fascinated to see that the current Kindle Publishing Guidelines instruct us that an internal cover is mandatory. Previously we were told that if we included a cover, it would simply be suppressed and replaced by a degraded version of the separately uploaded Product Image. Can anyone enlighten me about this apparent change?

The Guidelines now state:

3.2.2 Cover Image Guideline #2: Internal Content Cover Image Is Mandatory
Kindle books must have an internal cover image provided for use within the book content. Provide a
large, high-resolution cover, because Amazon quality assurance will fail the book if the cover is too small.
Define covers in the OPF file using either of the following methods (underlined elements are mandatory):
Method 1 (preferred):
<manifest>
...
<item id="cimage" media-type="image/jpeg" href="other_cover.jpg" properties="coverimage"/>
...
</manifest>
This syntax is part of IDPF 3.0 standard and described at http://idpf.org/epub/30/spec/epub30-
publications-20111011.html#sec-item-property-values.
Method 2:
Publishing on Kindle: Guidelines for Publishers
Kindle Publishing Guidelines Amazon.com 18
<metadata>
...
<meta name="cover" content="my-cover-image" />
...
</metadata>
...
<manifest>
...
<item href="MyCoverImage.jpg" id="my-cover-image" media-type="image/jpeg" />
...
</manifest>
The use of name="cover" in the metadata element name is mandatory.
This syntax is not part of the IDPF standard, because the standard does not provide for cover images.
However, it was designed with help from the IDPF and will validate in an IDPF validator.

https://kindlegen.s3.amazonaws.com/A...Guidelines.pdf

[Notjohn]

No one has a clue?

[pdurrant]

I suspect that both are true. Including an internal cover image is mandatory, AND it will be replaced by a version of the high-res cover uploaded separately.

[Notjohn]

So let's say that we link to the (included) cover in the table of contents. Will that link continue to work in the book after it goes through the publishing workflow?

To me, this seems so weird (yes, you absolutely MUST include a cover, which we will then suppress and replace with a degraded version of the Product Image) that I can't believe it was written by someone in possession of complete information. More likely, it seems to me, that Amazon hired a refugee from the Nook project at B&N.

[Notjohn]

Amazing that this rather fundamental issue seems to evoke no interest!

Increasingly, I am coming to the conclusion that it is a matter of interest only to Doubleday and Penguin/Random House, who don't use the KDP and who presumably have a whole set of issues that we don't have to worry about, just as they have privileges not available to us.

[pdurrant]

I'm sure the link to the cover will continue to work. But you could try it and report back.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by Notjohn

Amazing that this rather fundamental issue seems to evoke no interest!

Increasingly, I am coming to the conclusion that it is a matter of interest only to Doubleday and Penguin/Random House, who don't use the KDP and who presumably have a whole set of issues that we don't have to worry about, just as they have privileges not available to us.

No offense, nj, but isn't this a mountain out of a molehill?

The reason it says "must include..." is because numerous publishers in the bigs FTP their files. They're not uploaded at the KDP.

However, that being said, it's of no moment to include a cover. We do it all the time. Obviously, we don't create it on an HTML "page" or file. If you don't include a cover, you'll incur an error using KG or KP-cum-KG. As you upload an ePUB, all of that is likely handled for you behind the scenes. And if you are not including the cover--just out of curiosity--how are you indicating the cover in your NCX? Or are you simply assuming that Amazon handles that for you?

Hitch

[Notjohn]

Well, I've never used KG or KP to create the "mobi"; I upload the epub to the KDP, then download the converted file. I have always stripped out the cover for the KDP version. I have never done anything about the NCX file. The Go To > Cover always works on the preview and in the published book.

The question earlier came up in the KDP forums about the wisdom of including a cover. I argued it made no difference, since the included cover would simply be replaced by a degraded version. My interlocutor argued that it DID make a difference, because it ballooned the size of the book file if a cover were included.

So yesterday I revised a book to include the cover in the uploaded file. Its previous size had been 1259KB. Today it shows as 2110KB. So the interlocutor was right.

Depending on how Amazon slices & dices, the download fee on the first version was about 20 cents. On the new version, it's about 33 cents. On one thousand copies, that's a difference of $130.

I can't think of any reason not to rip out the cover and pocket the $130.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Notjohn

Depending on how Amazon slices & dices, the download fee on the first version was about 20 cents. On the new version, it's about 33 cents. On one thousand copies, that's a difference of $130.

I can't think of any reason not to rip out the cover and pocket the $130.

Now that's a good reason. Thanks - I will certainly experiment with no cover when I next do a book.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by Notjohn

<SNIP>
So yesterday I revised a book to include the cover in the uploaded file. Its previous size had been 1259KB. Today it shows as 2110KB. So the interlocutor was right.

Depending on how Amazon slices & dices, the download fee on the first version was about 20 cents. On the new version, it's about 33 cents. On one thousand copies, that's a difference of $130.

I can't think of any reason not to rip out the cover and pocket the $130.

That's the difference for the deliverable size? So, that's what Amazon is quoting you, on the 2nd page of the upload at the Bookshelf? A 1mb difference? OR, is this the total size of the file? Is that 1mb the calculated incremental delivery size difference?

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Now that's a good reason. Thanks - I will certainly experiment with no cover when I next do a book.

Yes, of course, if it actually makes a difference in the delivery fee, it is worth considering. We shan't, of course; our clients want MOBIs delivered to them with a cover (so that they can in turn send out review copies, copies to loved ones, yadda...)

Hitch

[Notjohn]

Originally Posted by Hitch

That's the difference for the deliverable size? So, that's what Amazon is quoting you, on the 2nd page of the upload at the Bookshelf? A 1mb difference? OR, is this the total size of the file? Is that 1mb the calculated incremental delivery size difference?

The figures as shown under Product Details on the Amazon store page, in the new version:

>File Size: 2110 KB

Previously 1259

Obviously, one could degrade the included cover oneself. The included cover was a bit over 1 MB, so probably I should have done that.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by Notjohn

The figures as shown under Product Details on the Amazon store page, in the new version:

>File Size: 2110 KB

Previously 1259

Obviously, one could degrade the included cover oneself. The included cover was a bit over 1 MB, so probably I should have done that.

No, NJ:

That's not what I'm talking about. That figure is utterly unrelated to the delivery fee issue. I'm talking about the difference in the deliverable size calculation. I take it you didn't review that for this book? Given that that's what we're actually talking about, rather than the total size?

Hitch

[Notjohn]

The file size as shown on the Amazon product page isn't related to the delivery fee? Then what in the world IS it related to?

The more I learn, the weirder it all seems.

If the file size ostensibly increases, while the delivery fee remains the same, then obviously the better thing to do is to include a cover, since it fools the shopper into thinking he's getting a more capacious book for his money.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by Notjohn

The file size as shown on the Amazon product page isn't related to the delivery fee? Then what in the world IS it related to?

What do you mean, what is it related to? Why do you think the "product details" section on the sales page has bupkus to do with what the publisher is paying Amazon to deliver?

The more I learn, the weirder it all seems.

You know, you're the publisher, not me. It seems to me you ought to know this stuff, a hell of a lot more than I do. Don't you think?

If the file size ostensibly increases, while the delivery fee remains the same, then obviously the better thing to do is to include a cover, since it fools the shopper into thinking he's getting a more capacious book for his money.

You amaze me, you do. Why on earth do you think that the shopper actually looks at the FILE SIZE of a book, prior to buying it? I don't know how many K books I've bought, since my first Kindle, but I can honestly say that in all those books--hundreds, or even thousands, I suspect--I've never ONCE looked at the file size in the product details. I don't think I'm any different than anyone else in that regard.

I have a client's book sitting on my bookshelf, that we created for him, etc., that has a deliverable size (for the fee calculation) of 3.59MB. Including the original, in-book cover. On the product page, it says it's 8.1MB. (n.b.: twice the size of the original mobi that we created for him, I'd add).

So: as I said: the file size on the sales page is utterly and completely unrelated to the "product details" size.

Now, to dispel the rest of the myths:

I just tested a book we've done. Just to be absolutely, positively, 100% certain that my memory isn't faulty. This is the same book--3.59 mb del. fee, 8.1mb "product details" size--that I mentioned above.

I added a 1549 x 2500px cover to the upload in Step whatever-it-is. And guess what, everyone? The deliverable size changed by....NOTHING!! NOTHING AT ALL!!

So, I don't know where that thread is on the KDP, but, if you opined or claimed or said that the addition of a cover would impact the DELIVERY FEE, notjohn, I'd highly recommend that you change your opinion post-haste. Because that is quite clearly and unarguably incorrect.

Hitch

[Little.Egret]

Originally Posted by Hitch

You amaze me, you do. Why on earth do you think that the shopper actually looks at the FILE SIZE of a book, prior to buying it? I don't know how many K books I've bought, since my first Kindle, but I can honestly say that in all those books--hundreds, or even thousands, I suspect--I've never ONCE looked at the file size in the product details. I don't think I'm any different than anyone else in that regard.Hitch

People are different.

I look because (a) it's a detector for fixed format books (b) for books with lots of images and maps it gives an indicator of quality. (c) it's an indicator of time needed to download, especially if not using broadband.

But perhaps this is geekish ?


Jamie's 15-Minute Meals by Jamie Oliver

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00R6IHBUQ/

File Size: 299 415 KB
Print Length: 288 pages
Publisher: Michael Joseph (12 Mar. 2015)