Downloading updated ebooks: Kobo and Amazon

[GeoffR]

To tell if one of your Kobo books has been updated, go to your library on the Kobo website and click on a book title. It will show a "This item is no longer available" screen if the book has been updated. If it shows the book details with a "View in library" button, then the book has not been updated.

(Note that "no longer available" just means that the version in your library is no longer available for sale, you can still sync and download the book as normal).

[hedwig]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

How do you tell Amazon to email you?

I've had that email a couple of times and I never clicked on any button to be notified. I think it is an automated email that is sent out whenever a book you own is updated.

[Purple Lady]

Originally Posted by GeoffR

To tell if one of your Kobo books has been updated, go to your library on the Kobo website and click on a book title. It will show a "This item is no longer available" screen if the book has been updated. If it shows the book details with a "View in library" button, then the book has not been updated.

(Note that "no longer available" just means that the version in your library is no longer available for sale, you can still sync and download the book as normal).

Do you know if there is a way to get the updated version?

[jscarbo]

Calibre users may not want to use Amazon's auto update feature because it won't update the previously stored versions in your Calibre library.

For me, it's much better to periodically check for updates in Manage Your Content and Devices and manually download them. Then delete the old versions and add the updated ones to your Calibre library. Otherwise your Calibre library will quickly become out of date with no easy way I know of to fix it.

If anyone knows of an easier way to do it, I'd like to know about it.

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

How do you tell Amazon to email you?

I've been looking into this and it's something decided by Amazon and the publishers. For example, I just updated Executive Lunch to remove old technology references. There's an option to discuss with Amazon whether I want buyers notified, or just have the update go to those who have selected "update automatically." From what I can gather, if I do NOTHING, no one will be notified. But I can discuss with Amazon whether I want a mass email sent out or if I just want auto updates. Amazon will NOT just email everyone because I say so--they apparently will only do so if they deem the updates large enough to warrant such. In my case I streamlined Executive Lunch by removing a lot of technology references (that were now getting long in the tooth--things that had a dollar amount assigned or a size assigned -- these days servers are not as large as described in one scene and they aren't worth the hundreds of thousands of dollars described either) and that sort of thing. I have no idea if a reader even cares.

That is what got me started on this question--because at Kobo I can't tell how the updates work. Sometimes a book I bought becomes unavailable for download, but then the button comes back (in my library).

I have an email in to their CS to see what they say.

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by Purple Lady

Do you know if there is a way to get the updated version?

I have a question into CS to find out. Will let you know if they tell me!

[BearMountainBooks]

Here's one of the books that caused me confusion:

http://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/boo...A&PageNumber=1

This was a free download. It's in my library. But there's no download button (I've already downloaded it). When the download button went away, I wondered if there had been an update. But when I click the book, I go to the page and it has "view in library" or "read on..." But there's still no download button.

[BearMountainBooks]

Okay, response from Kobo:

You can request the updated file if you already own it. There is no notification process.

Unfortunately, the book content won't be updated automatically to readers library and we don't notify the readers.

When they contact kobo customer care, we can replace the content for them. You can advise them to contact us at help@kobo.com.

We are very sorry for the inconvenience by this.

So in the case of Executive Lunch, if I decided it was pertinent enough, I could blog that I changed the file and anyone who follows my blog could request the update (for that matter if they wanted the new file, I'd be happy to just email them the epub myself. But that might cause them confusion because the old one would be sitting in their kobo library). But there doesn't appear to be a way for anyone to know unless the author/publisher/another reader told them.

Still working on the Amazon stuff to make sure I understand it correctly. I plan to at least do the auto-update option and then see how long it takes. The one time I used it before (I added illustrations to Tracking Magic) it took MONTHS for people to get the update.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by BearMountainBooks

I've been looking into this and it's something decided by Amazon and the publishers. For example, I just updated Executive Lunch to remove old technology references. There's an option to discuss with Amazon whether I want buyers notified, or just have the update go to those who have selected "update automatically." From what I can gather, if I do NOTHING, no one will be notified. But I can discuss with Amazon whether I want a mass email sent out or if I just want auto updates. Amazon will NOT just email everyone because I say so--they apparently will only do so if they deem the updates large enough to warrant such. In my case I streamlined Executive Lunch by removing a lot of technology references (that were now getting long in the tooth--things that had a dollar amount assigned or a size assigned -- these days servers are not as large as described in one scene and they aren't worth the hundreds of thousands of dollars described either) and that sort of thing. I have no idea if a reader even cares.

That is what got me started on this question--because at Kobo I can't tell how the updates work. Sometimes a book I bought becomes unavailable for download, but then the button comes back (in my library).

I have an email in to their CS to see what they say.

Thanks for the insider info!

[Purple Lady]

Originally Posted by BearMountainBooks

Okay, response from Kobo:

You can request the updated file if you already own it. There is no notification process.



So in the case of Executive Lunch, if I decided it was pertinent enough, I could blog that I changed the file and anyone who follows my blog could request the update (for that matter if they wanted the new file, I'd be happy to just email them the epub myself. But that might cause them confusion because the old one would be sitting in their kobo library). But there doesn't appear to be a way for anyone to know unless the author/publisher/another reader told them.

Still working on the Amazon stuff to make sure I understand it correctly. I plan to at least do the auto-update option and then see how long it takes. The one time I used it before (I added illustrations to Tracking Magic) it took MONTHS for people to get the update.

Thanks for the info. I would be afraid that Kobo's legendary CS would possibly delete my book without adding the updated one and then tell me they can't add the book to my library because they have no record of my ever purchasing it.

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by Purple Lady

Thanks for the info. I would be afraid that Kobo's legendary CS would possibly delete my book without adding the updated one and then tell me they can't add the book to my library because they have no record of my ever purchasing it.

Lord knows it could happen. Or they have no record of the update. It can really depend on WHERE the book was updated FROM. I don't know if they track or care about smashword updates, for example. It can be very hard to tell if they do those updates. I used to upload my books to kobo from there. (I still do for a couple of the short story anthos). For the ones where I use their uploader, I know they can tell and do track it. But from other sources, they may not keep records.

In some cases, it might be easier to just ask the author if it's an indie book. But even for some small publishers I don't know if Kobo would be able to tell (or would care to track such).

That leaves me with wondering whether to even tell readers via my blog. Most probably won't care and it could turn into a hassle for them to get a new copy.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by BearMountainBooks

I've been looking into this and it's something decided by Amazon and the publishers. For example, I just updated Executive Lunch to remove old technology references. There's an option to discuss with Amazon whether I want buyers notified, or just have the update go to those who have selected "update automatically." From what I can gather, if I do NOTHING, no one will be notified. But I can discuss with Amazon whether I want a mass email sent out or if I just want auto updates. Amazon will NOT just email everyone because I say so--they apparently will only do so if they deem the updates large enough to warrant such. In my case I streamlined Executive Lunch by removing a lot of technology references (that were now getting long in the tooth--things that had a dollar amount assigned or a size assigned -- these days servers are not as large as described in one scene and they aren't worth the hundreds of thousands of dollars described either) and that sort of thing. I have no idea if a reader even cares.

That is what got me started on this question--because at Kobo I can't tell how the updates work. Sometimes a book I bought becomes unavailable for download, but then the button comes back (in my library).

I have an email in to their CS to see what they say.

I would hate that unless the book is a new edition.

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by tompe

I would hate that unless the book is a new edition.

You mean you'd rather not see updates/know about them or wish they wouldn't be updated? Or you want it labeled Edition 2?

I didn't think readers would want such updates either, but I saw a discussion over at DailyCheapReads a while back and a lot of readers seemed to think that some of the backlist books should first be updated with things like cell phones before being brought to e-readers. I was surprised. When I read, I can readily just immerse myself in whatever the time period is, but I was in the minority with that opinion. It seems some readers were really frustrated by some descriptions because "Today they could just pick up a cell phone and call..."

The stuff I changed is pretty minor--really it's just a dollar amount assigned to equipment (thousands of dollars as opposed to hundreds of thousands) and removal of some of the sentences that were probably boring technical stuff anyway. By removing it, it not only tightened the text, it made it less likely to become dated. I did change the edition number, but I'm not sure that readers even see that. While we put it in during the upload, I haven't looked to see if it's evident on the sales page!

While I was there, I noticed that Sedona said "Uh..." a lot. That annoyed me so I took that sort of thing out. The poor woman had an obvious stuttering problem that I hadn't even noticed. These characters. They go off and do things you don't even realize.

At any rate, I appreciate your comment and feedback. The idea that a book can change like this is new to me and I'm still not sure how I feel about it.

[BearMountainBooks]

The edition number does change on the sales page and shows Edition 3 in the case of the Sedona book. (I changed the cover a while back for Edition 2 and fixed some minor typos.)

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by BearMountainBooks

[...] a lot of readers seemed to think that some of the backlist books should first be updated with things like cell phones before being brought to e-readers. I was surprised. When I read, I can readily just immerse myself in whatever the time period is, but I was in the minority with that opinion. It seems some readers were really frustrated by some descriptions because "Today they could just pick up a cell phone and call..."

I don't get it either. Some people just have no imagination. I bet they never read stuff based on other worlds either.