Why do some authors only offer their ebooks on Amazon?

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by cfrizz

I hate to break it to you, but EVERY corporation plays fast and loose with the rules, all will screw over who and what they can until they get caught. Then they proclaim their innocence, write out a big fat check, and lay low until the heat is off and go right back to it!

Your city/state govt. goes out of their way to offer big tax incentives to get those corps into their cities. Why? because they will provide JOBS, & tax revenue etc.

You can't have it both ways. This is simply life, and I doubt you can go anywhere in the world where it isn't the same.

I hate to break it to you, but we didn't need the Amazon's jobs. Nor did we want them. And we DEFINITELY did NOT want to subsidize one of the richest corporations in the world. The local fast food joints' starting wages in our area are as much as what Amazon offers their employees and we don't have to subsidize them — nor do these employees suffer with bladder issues because of Amazon's bathroom break policies. As an employer Amazon is looked at as a pariah in this area by many of those who have worked (briefly) for them.

And maybe you weren't listening, but the "tax revenue" from Amazon is very limited (at least locally) for ten years. At which time Amazon, being the sleazy corporation they are, will probably pull up their stakes and move on to sucker another city. That's how these slime-balls operate. And the local Chamber of Commerce doesn't work for the local businesses, it works for the sleazy corporations.

As for going anywhere in the world and "finding it just the same," — sorry, but I doubt it. And, even it's true, it doesn't mean I'm not in the mood to just accept it. At least I'm going to try to do something about it, even if that "something" is nothing than complaining about it.

Again, I don't understand defending unethical behavior by huge corporations. It almost like some people admire them for their ruthlessness. I don't get it.

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by Freshmaker

@JSWolf Just curious, what is the advantage of using KindleUnpack to convert to epub rather than using the built in converter in Calibre?

KindleUnpack produces an EPUB that preserves the content and structure of the kindle book. That is, if an EPUB is converted to a kindle format with kindlegen then back to EPUB with KindleUnpack, that EPUB will be close to the same as the original EPUB. A calibre conversion will be quite different.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by j.p.s

KindleUnpack produces an EPUB that preserves the content and structure of the kindle book. That is, if an EPUB is converted to a kindle format with kindlegen then back to EPUB with KindleUnpack, that EPUB will be close to the same as the original EPUB. A calibre conversion will be quite different.

Well said.

But, sometimes the code can be a big mess and a Calibre conversion would be best. But you won't know this until after you see the code after using KindleUnpack.

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

But, sometimes the code can be a big mess and a Calibre conversion would be best. But you won't know this until after you see the code after using KindleUnpack.

I agree that there is not much point in trying to preserve bad HTML, and that in that case a calibre conversion might be an improvement.

[John F]

Originally Posted by j.p.s

KindleUnpack produces an EPUB that preserves the content and structure of the kindle book. That is, if an EPUB is converted to a kindle format with kindlegen then back to EPUB with KindleUnpack, that EPUB will be close to the same as the original EPUB. A calibre conversion will be quite different.

Would <amazon book> -> calibre epub conversion

Produce the same, or nearly the same as:

Kindleunpack -> calibre epub to epub conversion

?

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by John F

Would <amazon book> -> calibre epub conversion

Produce the same, or nearly the same as:

Kindleunpack -> calibre epub to epub conversion

?

Kindleunpack can not unpack an EPUB.

If you meant
Kindleunpack -> calibre epub to azw3 conversion
the results would be very different (under the hood). calibre divdes the book into files by its own scheme and generates a lot of its own classes and, I think, its own CSS.

[John F]

Originally Posted by j.p.s

Kindleunpack can not unpack an EPUB.

If you meant
Kindleunpack -> calibre epub to azw3 conversion
the results would be very different (under the hood). calibre divdes the book into files by its own scheme and generates a lot of its own classes and, I think, its own CSS.

I meant:

<amazon book>->kindleunpack->calibre epub to epub conversion

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by John F

Would <amazon book> -> calibre epub conversion

Produce the same, or nearly the same as:

Kindleunpack -> calibre epub to epub conversion

?

Just did quick test. I would say nearly the same. It would take more in depth testing to say which is better or if it doesn't matter.

[ownedbycats]

Calibre's epub conversion also has structure detection. This has helped split up eBooks that for whatever reason were just one long file.

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by John F

I meant:

<amazon book>->kindleunpack->calibre epub to epub conversion

I don't know. I assume it would be close, but don't see why anyone would want the Kindleunpack step in that data flow.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by John F

I meant:

<amazon book>->kindleunpack->calibre epub to epub conversion

Personally, I would avoid the epub=>epub conversion. calibre has the nasty habit of re-organizing the CSS, adding in it's own classes and, at time, splitting files that have multiple header tags. If I have to edit, I find it easier to start with the kindleunpack generated epub.

Check the output epub from kindleunpack and then decide if you want/need to edit it. Please note that many of the KF8 files make use of epub3 features and media queries that epub2 renderers (looking at you, RMSDK) will disregard leading to some odd looking bits and bobs.

[John F]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Just did quick test. I would say nearly the same. It would take more in depth testing to say which is better or if it doesn't matter.

Thank you.

[John F]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Personally, I would avoid the epub=>epub conversion. calibre has the nasty habit of re-organizing the CSS, adding in it's own classes and, at time, splitting files that have multiple header tags. If I have to edit, I find it easier to start with the kindleunpack generated epub.

Check the output epub from kindleunpack and then decide if you want/need to edit it. Please note that many of the KF8 files make use of epub3 features and media queries that epub2 renderers (looking at you, RMSDK) will disregard leading to some odd looking bits and bobs.

I don't want to edit epubs (other then compressing images, removing embedded fonts, and removing unreferenced stuff.) Epub to epub conversion works well for me.

[catsknit]

Originally Posted by cfrizz

Sorry, I'm not feeling sorry for those who work at Amazon or Walmart for minimum wage. We are all responsible for our own lives and where we choose to work. If you want to earn more than min. wage, then increase your skills and work somewhere else.

There are plenty of jobs out there that only require a high school diploma. They might start low, but if it's a full time job, you will have benefits. If you stay, you will probably get increases.

In theory, I agree with you completely. However, I have seen firsthand how Walmart keeps costs low. My son worked for Walmart for about a year while he was in high school. Pay was fine for an unskilled worker as expected. However, he (and about 10 others) were hired with the promise of working 20 hours/week or more. This lasted only about 6 weeks, then ALL were cut to 10 hours/week while the company hired a new group of 10 people and did the same thing to them.

There were very few full time employees at his store at all, likely to avoid paying benefits.

They certainly are not the only company to follow this practice. I believe McDonald's was one who used to have a lot of full time positions until the Affordable Care Act was passed and companies had to pay more for health insurance; fewer full time positions and more sub-29 hours positions opened up.

[DiapDealer]

Big corps are certainly not the ones who invented keeping all of their employees below full-time status to save money. Mom & Pop, local grocery stores/restaurants, and small manufacturing made hay off that tactic long before mega corps existed. Still do.