Email from Penguin concerning ebook covers

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by stxopher

But let's be honest. Baen uses such a sophisticated error reporting system that it's very easy to see why they can fix errors so fast.

"Toni, the covers are missing on this release of BookX, HTML version."

"Really? Thanks, we'll get it fixed today or tomorrow."

And THEN you have to download the fixed copy (if you need it) the next day. It's horrible!

Curse their high-tech trouble shooting and complex reporting requirements!

I prefer how the major houses do it.

"Dear Major Publisher, the covers are missing from this release of BookX, mobi version."

Then you receive a reply of either "..." or "So?" and can then rest easy in knowing you have no reason to re-download your ebook since they have no real reason to fix it. This actually gives you MORE time to read!

Yet another proof that the benign neglect of large, faceless publishing is better than the responsiveness and communication of smaller publishers. Hurray for Benign Neglect!

[alehel]

I just bough "Quantum Theory Cannot Hurt You" by Marcus Chown and published by faber and faber and I'm happy to say that they have done an excellent job on their ebook. The cover image is high quality and the book is put together really well. I really recommend it. So far it's the only ebook that actually looks good in my ebook library.

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

Yea....sorry. Currently editing a book on customer service stories and my Snark and Cynicism levels are both up 3 points. Deadpan rebellion is all I can muster to fight the power anymore.

Sad, really.

[richardigp]

Originally Posted by alehel

I just bough "Quantum Theory Cannot Hurt You" by Marcus Chown and published by faber and faber and I'm happy to say that they have done an excellent job on their ebook. The cover image is high quality and the book is put together really well. I really recommend it. So far it's the only ebook that actually looks good in my ebook library.

Alehel,

It is really good to hear that feedback. Our company does the eBook production for Faber and Faber. The production team puts a lot of effort into the extra finishing details possible with ePub eBook presentation, facsimile print book-look styles, linked indexes, and X-Y layout. Its a balancing act between eBook device performance and added value. The Faber and Faber editorial and production team are highly interactive, highly involved, and give us constant feedback and inputs.

Thank you for this post. The production team got a real boost out of your comment (we mostly hear about defects). You have given 150 people a great end of the year present, and a reason to continue to lift the eBook production game in the New Year.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by MaggieScratch

Boy--I wrote to Ballantine complaining about the lack of cover art on Victory of Eagles and got a rather snotty answer about how they contract out ebook production so it's not their fault. Um, could you maybe pass it on to your contractor, then?

I actually really dislike Ballantine's generic covers. They are awful. That's one reason I buy in a format I can convert. When I get an eBook with a generic cover, I replace it with a good cover.

[alehel]

Originally Posted by richardigp

Alehel,

It is really good to hear that feedback. Our company does the eBook production for Faber and Faber. The production team puts a lot of effort into the extra finishing details possible with ePub eBook presentation, facsimile print book-look styles, linked indexes, and X-Y layout. Its a balancing act between eBook device performance and added value. The Faber and Faber editorial and production team are highly interactive, highly involved, and give us constant feedback and inputs.

Thank you for this post. The production team got a real boost out of your comment (we mostly hear about defects). You have given 150 people a great end of the year present, and a reason to continue to lift the eBook production game in the New Year.

I'm just glad that someone is actually taking this seriously and not leaving ebooks in the back seat. The footnote linking was also what pleased me the most. When I click to read a footnote I can just click it again to go back to where I was reading. Simple and yet so very, very usefull. The formatting really makes it look like a real book. Great work people.

[rhino79]

This is an old thread, but I would like to point out that Penguin STILL releases their ebooks with generic cover art (a page-size image of their logo). The original poster pointed this out five years ago, yet they haven't done anything about it.

My issue with this is that the ebooks are advertised on Amazon, etc. with the original cover art. This leads the purchaser to believe that the ebook will have the original cover art. This is deceptive.

By the way, Oxford World's Classics does this, too.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by rhino79

This is an old thread, but I would like to point out that Penguin STILL releases their ebooks with generic cover art (a page-size image of their logo). The original poster pointed this out five years ago, yet they haven't done anything about it.

My issue with this is that the ebooks are advertised on Amazon, etc. with the original cover art. This leads the purchaser to believe that the ebook will have the original cover art. This is deceptive.

By the way, Oxford World's Classics does this, too.

Penguin and pretty much every other big pub do this randomly, only on do you get actual cover art.

It's a bit of a pain, but Penguin has a website for book sellers to download nice high rez cover images for many of their books. I usually download it from there and change it myself.
http://booksellers.penguin.com/

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

Penguin and pretty much every other big pub do this randomly, only on do you get actual cover art.

It's five years later and the ebook market is significantly larger. The cover issue should be resolved because it makes a more pleasing product, and because some ereaders use the cover only as the primary way to present books (e.g. Kobo's home screen).

One would think that they'd automatically negotiated the electronic rights by this point in time, and black-list cover artists who are unwilling to negotiate electronic rights at a reasonable rate (for both parties). In the case of older books where that's not practical and the cost of designing a new cover given potential sales is prohibitive, they should be providing more useful generic covers (moderately attractive, instead of ugly, and containing the title).

[woe]

They're not likely to view this as an issue, because these days the vast majority of ebook sales are through the big integrated ecosystems (Kindle, Nook, Kobo) and those all include (and transfer to the device) the book cover image as metadata outside of the actual ebook itself.

[Namekuseijin]

hi

and I never judge a book by its cover. best cover to me is brown leather and that's about it

[crich70]

Originally Posted by acidzebra

You mean it is a cover-up!?!

Well I guess we can say the topic has been covered.

[Lutraa]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

Penguin and pretty much every other big pub do this randomly, only on do you get actual cover art.

It's a bit of a pain, but Penguin has a website for book sellers to download nice high rez cover images for many of their books. I usually download it from there and change it myself.
http://booksellers.penguin.com/

Anyone who uses Calibre to manage their ebooks can easily add a cover for any book in their collection. Calibre searches Amazon, Google, etc. and gives you the option of choosing the cover art you like best. E.g. you can grab an image of an edition of the book published by another publisher -- you aren't stuck with the version the ebook is associated with. You could even create your own cover art using a related photo, drawing, etc.

I've only been skunked once or twice. On both occasions, the "uncovered" books were in the public domain, and apparently no one had gotten around to scanning a hard copy cover to the internet yet. OTOH I was able to find the original cover for one of PG's latest releases last week. Remarkable, given that the book was published in 1902 in very limited quantities.

I read on one of my Kindles so seldom look at the cover while reading, but as a visual thinker I find it much easier to find books within Calibre if I can see their covers. Plus, the cover art often adds to my enjoyment of the book.

[magicmonster]

The cover initially draws you to the book, then the snip they use lead to purchase... I too hate those generic covers... would prefer at least a cheesy cover with book name (like indy authors use) compaired to penguins choice.