EPUB Updates

[Apparition B5]

From what I understand, Kobo does not update EPUBs you buy with typo fixes and such unlike Amazon. What EPUB file that Kobo has on hand the day you purchase the eBook is what you'll always get. Is that still the case?

Just wondering if I'd still be better off waiting a couple of years after an eBook is initially published before buying to give it time for any minor corrections needed.

[AnemicOak]

Not sure what their process is now. Years ago, when Michael Tanblyn was still Chief Content Officer, I had to get the publisher to upload corrected copies to Kobo and then get Kobo to push those to my account, but that was so long ago it may no longer be relevant. I do know they don't notify you, at least I've never gotten notification, if there are changes like Amazon sometimes does.

[GeoffR]

Updates only happen if the publisher requests it. But it is the same at Amazon, the publisher has to intervene to get already-purchased books updated, otherwise only new purchasers get the updated version.

Also some publishers don't actually update the existing book, but instead they remove the old book from sale and add a new edition with the corrections. If this happens then I think the only way to get the updated book is to persuade customer support to add the new edition to your library. Again, it is the same at Amazon.

[Tarana]

I don't think Kobo ever fixes them. I reported two books were the WRONG books that were downloading (to clarify - the title page was right, but the rest was a different book). After 2 years, they still didn't fix it, and they were STILL SELLING IT so I asked for a refund, then bought the corrected books at Amazon.

[GeoffR]

Originally Posted by Tarana

I don't think Kobo ever fixes them. I reported two books were the WRONG books that were downloading (to clarify - the title page was right, but the rest was a different book). After 2 years, they still didn't fix it, and they were STILL SELLING IT so I asked for a refund, then bought the corrected books at Amazon.

I've had updated books from Kobo.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by GeoffR

I've had updated books from Kobo.

Same here. But, the only reason I ever noticed was that the cover changed.

[RobertJSawyer]

Although self-published ebooks get corrected at the author's whim -- or Amazon's demand, if there are customer complaints over typos, etc. -- very few commercial publishers ever update their ebooks. For most of the big-five publishers, the ebooks being offered today in ePub format are the one and only release the ebook is going to have. I've been published by four of the five big New York houses (Macmillan, Penguin Random House, Hachette, and HarperCollins); most of them simply don't care about ebook quality.

[Apparition B5]

Good to know. Thanks, y'all.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by RobertJSawyer

Although self-published ebooks get corrected at the author's whim -- or Amazon's demand, if there are customer complaints over typos, etc. -- very few commercial publishers ever update their ebooks. For most of the big-five publishers, the ebooks being offered today in ePub format are the one and only release the ebook is going to have. I've been published by four of the five big New York houses (Macmillan, Penguin Random House, Hachette, and HarperCollins); most of them simply don't care about ebook quality.

Sounds about right. I remember a number of years ago a new release coming out with the text mistakenly all in italics for the entire book (at multiple vendors). It took tracking down an email for the executive editor of that particular imprint to get it fixed as the publisher in general showed no interest in fixing it. Even the author had no luck in getting them to do anything until the exec. editor got involved.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

Sounds about right. I remember a number of years ago a new release coming out with the text mistakenly all in italics for the entire book (at multiple vendors). It took tracking down an email for the executive editor of that particular imprint to get it fixed as the publisher in general showed no interest in fixing it. Even the author had no luck in getting them to do anything until the exec. editor got involved.

You've already bought the book. Why the heck should we be interested in fixing it?

At times, Amazon seems to go to the opposite extreme in removing books until an issue has been fixed even when the issue comes down to personal choices in typography and layout. The book that brought that to mind used ragged right and, as far as I am aware, 3 people out of all the purchasers complained so Amazon insisted on this being fixed.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by RobertJSawyer

Although self-published ebooks get corrected at the author's whim -- or Amazon's demand, if there are customer complaints over typos, etc. -- very few commercial publishers ever update their ebooks. For most of the big-five publishers, the ebooks being offered today in ePub format are the one and only release the ebook is going to have. I've been published by four of the five big New York houses (Macmillan, Penguin Random House, Hachette, and HarperCollins); most of them simply don't care about ebook quality.

I download a lot of eBooks from Overdrive. I have checked and there have been a lot of updates. New covers, better formatting, errors corrected. So there are more eBooks corrected then you think. The problem is that eBooks you buy from most places don't let you know there are updates even if you could redownload and get the new version.