What's the best way to complain about errors? - Page 2

pidgeon92 · 11-22-2011, 12:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

What do you mean? People get notified by Amazon all the time when new versions of their purchases are available. If they don't get notified... there's probably no new version available.

Are you suggesting that ebooks are being revised and Amazon's not always notifying people? How could that even be verified?

Absolutely. I don't know what their criteria is for sending notifications, but it doesn't happen with self-published books. I've read dozens and dozens of accounts of this over on Kindleboards, where many authors update their ebooks, republish them, try to download them again, and they get the original version. However, if someone else makes a new purchase, they get the new version. The only way to get the updated copy is to contact Amazon, "return" the original, and purchase a new copy.

DiapDealer · 11-22-2011, 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by misling

In my experience, if the author/publisher/whoever actually UPDATES the book, you always get notified.
If they are clueless, and upload a new copy under a different ASIN, and delete the old copy from Amazon sales lists, you don't. Understandably. Amazon can't tell it's the same book.

That makes perfect sense to me.

Quote:

Originally Posted by pidgeon92

Absolutely. I don't know what their criteria is for sending notifications, but it doesn't happen with self-published books.

I'm guessing a lot of self-pubbers are making the mistake that misling mentioned (and I quoted) above.

mr ploppy · 11-22-2011, 07:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

What do you mean? People get notified by Amazon all the time when new versions of their purchases are available. If they don't get notified... there's probably no new version available.

Are you suggesting that ebooks are being revised and Amazon's not always notifying people? How could that even be verified?

I put a short story up on Kindle a few weeks ago, then waited for them to make it free. About a week after they did that I revised it to include 2 more stories and changed the cover. Nobody who "bought" the original version got an email from Amazon, I asked around on Facebook. With the new content and cover it still worked from the same link as the old one, and registered as previously purchased from when I "bought" it myself.

I also know for a fact that The Kult by Shaun Jeffrey has been updated since I bought it because the version that is up there now has my name on the copyright page

I didn't get an email when that was updated either.

Nancy Fulda · 11-23-2011, 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I'm guessing a lot of self-pubbers are making the mistake that misling mentioned (and I quoted) above.

I doubt it. The Amazon system is designed so that it's far easier to modify an existing book than it is to upload a new version with a new ASIN.

Amazon explicitly states that they will not send updated content without the consent of both the publisher and the customer. From Amazon's Publishing FAQ:

Quote:

We request your explicit permission, and will do the same for any customers who contact us to receive the updated content, prior to sending the revised file because the new version will not have previously saved Highlights, Last Page Read, Bookmarks, and the location of notes may not match. If this is acceptable, please email kdp-support@amazon.com confirming your permission and which title/s you’d like to have re-sent. Thank you.

mr ploppy · 11-23-2011, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nancy Fulda

I doubt it. The Amazon system is designed so that it's far easier to modify an existing book than it is to upload a new version with a new ASIN.

Amazon explicitly states that they will not send updated content without the consent of both the publisher and the customer. From Amazon's Publishing FAQ:

How would people know there was a new version to ask for?

DuskyRose · 11-23-2011, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr ploppy

How would people know there was a new version to ask for?

Amazon sends out an email that says one of the books you got from them has been corrected or revised.

If you want a corrected copy reply with only "Yes" in the first line of the reply.

Then they apparently just replace the book in your library with the corrected one. I checked the first one out and it did have corrections. I've just assumed the others have been replaced as I gave permission.

I get them once in a while.

Nancy Fulda · 11-23-2011, 12:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DuskyRose

Amazon sends out an email that says one of the books you got from them has been corrected or revised.

Yup. But Amazon only sends out an email if the publisher specifically asks them to do so.

mr ploppy · 11-23-2011, 01:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nancy Fulda

Yup. But Amazon only sends out an email if the publisher specifically asks them to do so.

How does the publisher do that?

Nancy Fulda · 11-23-2011, 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr ploppy

How does the publisher do that?

By sending an email to kdp-support@amazon.com giving the title of the book and stating that they'd like customers to be notified that an updated version is available.

Scott Nicholson · 11-23-2011, 04:53 PM

Authors love to be notified because ultimately they are the ones responsible. It's their name on the cover. From there, authors can try to get publishers to correct it. If it is an indie author, most are glad to hear of how they can make their book better.

The other old standby is to write a public review and showcase a few of the errors. Sometimes commercial threat can achieve the goal.

mish · 11-23-2011, 10:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pidgeon92

Absolutely. I don't know what their criteria is for sending notifications, but it doesn't happen with self-published books...

Yes, it does happen with self-published books, just not that often. I got a notice just a few weeks ago for a self-published book that was revised to correct some typos. I'm not sure of the protocol to make it happen but I think the author may have to send a request to Amazon to notify the buyers of the new version.

pidgeon92 · 11-24-2011, 01:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mish

Yes, it does happen with self-published books, just not that often. I got a notice just a few weeks ago for a self-published book that was revised to correct some typos. I'm not sure of the protocol to make it happen but I think the author may have to send a request to Amazon to notify the buyers of the new version.

Not to say that it can't happen with self-pubbed books, but I don't think there is an obvious link somewhere that those who self-pub can ask for this option. You would think the option would be right there, when someone goes to update a file.

starrigger · 11-24-2011, 02:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pidgeon92

Not to say that it can't happen with self-pubbed books, but I don't think there is an obvious link somewhere that those who self-pub can ask for this option. You would think the option would be right there, when someone goes to update a file.

No, there's no way that's obvious to the author when a revised file is uploaded. You do have the option of checking a box that says, "new edition," but who knows what that means? Is it a new edition if you've corrected two typos? Is it a new edition if you fixed formatting problems? Is it a new edition if you've rewritten the text? There's no clear way to distinguish these cases, and there's no indication at all of how to trigger an email to buyers to tell them of an updated version.

It's a significant weakness in an otherwise well-designed publishing platform.

DiapDealer · 11-24-2011, 06:09 PM

Quote:

Is it a new edition if you've corrected two typos? Is it a new edition if you fixed formatting problems? Is it a new edition if you've rewritten the text?

I'd say yes, yes, and yes myself. If you've changed the ebook one iota from what was originally uploaded... I would say you'd definitely want to identify it as a new edition. But that's just an uninformed hunch on my part.

And then follow-up with an email to the address Nancy posted above, stating that you'd like customers to be notified of the updated version.

starrigger · 11-25-2011, 04:37 AM

The problem is that to many people, "new edition" implies substantive changes--new material, rewritten material, something more than just an update to fix a few errors. (Particularly true with nonfiction books.) You can easily set up an expectation that won't be met if someone downloads a new version and can't even see the difference.

What you need is a designation of an updated or corrected file, rather than a new edition. And yes, you can email KDP support if you know that's a way to get it reported to previous customers, but there's nothing to tell you of this option. It all just seems needlessly cumbersome.

At the same time, I've heard from a number of authors that they've gotten notices from Amazon that errors have been reported (sometimes just one or two typos), and been told the books would be pulled off sale if the corrections weren't made pronto. That's the other extreme, and not very helpful, either. (In some cases, the "errors" were colloquial dialogue used intentionally.)

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11-23-2011, 04:53 PM	#25
Scott Nicholson Scott Nicholson, author Posts: 363 Karma: 2029337 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Boone NC Device: Kindle	Authors love to be notified because ultimately they are the ones responsible. It's their name on the cover. From there, authors can try to get publishers to correct it. If it is an indie author, most are glad to hear of how they can make their book better. The other old standby is to write a public review and showcase a few of the errors. Sometimes commercial threat can achieve the goal.

11-25-2011, 04:37 AM	#30
starrigger Jeffrey A. Carver Posts: 1,355 Karma: 1107383 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Massachusetts, USA Device: Lenovo Yoga Tab Plus, Droid phone, Nook HD+	The problem is that to many people, "new edition" implies substantive changes--new material, rewritten material, something more than just an update to fix a few errors. (Particularly true with nonfiction books.) You can easily set up an expectation that won't be met if someone downloads a new version and can't even see the difference. What you need is a designation of an updated or corrected file, rather than a new edition. And yes, you can email KDP support if you know that's a way to get it reported to previous customers, but there's nothing to tell you of this option. It all just seems needlessly cumbersome. At the same time, I've heard from a number of authors that they've gotten notices from Amazon that errors have been reported (sometimes just one or two typos), and been told the books would be pulled off sale if the corrections weren't made pronto. That's the other extreme, and not very helpful, either. (In some cases, the "errors" were colloquial dialogue used intentionally.)