We want to sell eBooks - Page 2

Book Depository · 12-01-2009, 11:36 AM

Rest assured, we will be getting all available formats that a publisher has made for any book. Currently, on other sites, we have seen some titles with many different formats and yet some are extremely limited.

I am sure we will end up with the same issues but we should be able to provide a lot better range of titles which will be be far greater than any other eBook retailer. Watch this space!

Unfortunaltey, getting the source material is something I don't think we will be persuing, or at least for the foreseable future. However, it doesn't mean we won't consider it in the future and I am sure we will let you know if we do.

Great advice on the tagged PDF, thanks. I am going to look into that.

neilmarr · 12-02-2009, 04:24 AM

***You should talk to your publishers about providing multiple formats, or providing you with source material so you can generate the multiple formats.***

I reckon this process is down to publishers themselves rather than their retailers, Steve. One thing we immediately found, by the way, is that the source material for PDF can't be converted to other formats as easily as we thought. There are occult formatting flaws that show up in formats other than PDF.

The conversion process is a bit nit-picky, and to do the job properly, each title should be thoroughly proof read in each new format. Pain in the neck, eh?

We've just started conversion of about 120 titles, I can only hope the process becomes more streamlined as we get into the swing of things. New releases (a couple a month) will be a doddle, of course.

Cheers. Neil

Steven Lyle Jordan · 12-02-2009, 08:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by neilmarr

I reckon this process is down to publishers themselves rather than their retailers, Steve. One thing we immediately found, by the way, is that the source material for PDF can't be converted to other formats as easily as we thought. There are occult formatting flaws that show up in formats other than PDF.

The conversion process is a bit nit-picky, and to do the job properly, each title should be thoroughly proof read in each new format. Pain in the neck, eh?

Agreed: Publishers should be willing to do this; after all, it's their product, why wouldn't they want it to look its best? OTOH, if vendors want to volunteer to do that for publishers, and can demonstrate a good product (ala Smashwords), I see no reason for a publisher not to go for that if it works for them.

And yes, I know the rigors of doc creation... I produce 7 versions of every book I sell, too. I look forward to the day I start whittling them down to 1 or 2, but I don't think we're nearly there yet. But I may knock off a format next year, after I check my sales and see what's not moving.

neilmarr · 12-02-2009, 09:02 AM

I've been impressed by Mark Coker and Smashworsds, too, Steve. Their *meatgrinder* auto-conversion system is very much a GIGO process, of course ... garbage in, garbage out. But they do have some quality control over production (though not editorial) and are still small enough to offer personal advice along the way. It's the job of publishers themselves (self-publishers in the case of independent authors like your good self) to adjust source files, proof and get it right, but a helping hand is no mean thing, eh? A SW book of yours I bought, by the way, looks spot on at a glance. On my weekend reading list. Cheers. Neil

JSWolf · 12-02-2009, 09:08 AM

If you are going DRM free, then you can use Calibre to convert. If you start off with a good source such as a well made HTML or a well made ePub, then going to all the other formats (except PDF) is a simple process.

neilmarr · 12-02-2009, 09:30 AM

We've no choice but to start from corrected Word.doc source material right now, Jon. But I take your point. One thing that's likely to cause us a headache or two is that we come out with a couple of poetry anthologies a year and the layout and fonts can sometimes be ... well ... let's say 'eccentric'.

And we are committed to non-DRM, although some retailers, I guess, impose their own so-called 'protection'. As far as I'm concerned, when a copy of a book (treebook or ebook) is sold by us, it becomes the customer's property to do with as he will. Only if someone was blatantly cashing in on our hard work by making a business of it would I kick up any fuss.

What would you say to a store that sold a football that could only be kicked by one player? Some things -- books included -- are made for sharing.

Best. Neil

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12-01-2009, 11:36 AM	#16
Book Depository Member Posts: 16 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Eton Device: iPhone 3G S, Kindle	Rest assured, we will be getting all available formats that a publisher has made for any book. Currently, on other sites, we have seen some titles with many different formats and yet some are extremely limited. I am sure we will end up with the same issues but we should be able to provide a lot better range of titles which will be be far greater than any other eBook retailer. Watch this space! Unfortunaltey, getting the source material is something I don't think we will be persuing, or at least for the foreseable future. However, it doesn't mean we won't consider it in the future and I am sure we will let you know if we do. Great advice on the tagged PDF, thanks. I am going to look into that.

12-02-2009, 04:24 AM	#17
neilmarr neilmarr Posts: 7,215 Karma: 6000059 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Monaco-Menton, France Device: sony	*You should talk to your publishers about providing multiple formats, or providing you with source material so you can generate the multiple formats.* I reckon this process is down to publishers themselves rather than their retailers, Steve. One thing we immediately found, by the way, is that the source material for PDF can't be converted to other formats as easily as we thought. There are occult formatting flaws that show up in formats other than PDF. The conversion process is a bit nit-picky, and to do the job properly, each title should be thoroughly proof read in each new format. Pain in the neck, eh? We've just started conversion of about 120 titles, I can only hope the process becomes more streamlined as we get into the swing of things. New releases (a couple a month) will be a doddle, of course. Cheers. Neil

12-02-2009, 09:02 AM	#19
neilmarr neilmarr Posts: 7,215 Karma: 6000059 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Monaco-Menton, France Device: sony	I've been impressed by Mark Coker and Smashworsds, too, Steve. Their meatgrinder auto-conversion system is very much a GIGO process, of course ... garbage in, garbage out. But they do have some quality control over production (though not editorial) and are still small enough to offer personal advice along the way. It's the job of publishers themselves (self-publishers in the case of independent authors like your good self) to adjust source files, proof and get it right, but a helping hand is no mean thing, eh? A SW book of yours I bought, by the way, looks spot on at a glance. On my weekend reading list. Cheers. Neil

12-02-2009, 09:08 AM	#20
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 79,294 Karma: 145488788 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	If you are going DRM free, then you can use Calibre to convert. If you start off with a good source such as a well made HTML or a well made ePub, then going to all the other formats (except PDF) is a simple process.

12-02-2009, 09:30 AM	#21
neilmarr neilmarr Posts: 7,215 Karma: 6000059 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Monaco-Menton, France Device: sony	We've no choice but to start from corrected Word.doc source material right now, Jon. But I take your point. One thing that's likely to cause us a headache or two is that we come out with a couple of poetry anthologies a year and the layout and fonts can sometimes be ... well ... let's say 'eccentric'. And we are committed to non-DRM, although some retailers, I guess, impose their own so-called 'protection'. As far as I'm concerned, when a copy of a book (treebook or ebook) is sold by us, it becomes the customer's property to do with as he will. Only if someone was blatantly cashing in on our hard work by making a business of it would I kick up any fuss. What would you say to a store that sold a football that could only be kicked by one player? Some things -- books included -- are made for sharing. Best. Neil

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