emailed Sony about ebook issues - Page 2

HarryT · 05-15-2007, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by benn600

If they just added book reviews, people could post about them and tell people don't buy this!!

I just look on Amazon for book reviews.

JSWolf · 05-15-2007, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dhbailey

Including all the errors in the bundles and such, as complained about in the first message above.

It will be interesting to see what the response is from Sony.

Content is the responsibility of the content-provider. And I bet the market is still too small for the publishers to really care if people are unhappy with their content.

I would be interested to response if Jon were to send to the publisher of the books the very same complaint that he sent to Sony.

That is a good idea to contact the publisher. I think I'll try to do that once i find out how to do so. These books are very poorly formatted. They do not fit in really with some of the samples that are ok.

P.S. I edited my original message to Sony and sent it to Randomhouse. Let's see who does what and when.

HarryT · 05-15-2007, 01:47 PM

Perhaps we should send them some of the books we've created ourselves and say "here's how it should be done"

.

JSWolf · 05-15-2007, 02:15 PM

I do suggest that if anyone gets books from the Connect store that you find have problem(s), please contact Sony and the book publishers. They'll never know of such if nobody tells them. I don't know who's at fault for this DemonWars bundle mess, but a mess it really is. They need to know we are unhappy witht he poor formatting and won't put up with it. The small size text is too small, the medium can be a strain depending on your eyes and the large is too large because of the margins. We need them to fix things so they work the way they should. I love the default margins in Book Designer. I like having the font at 11pt as the small size. I get more pages per book with BD and that means it will use less battery life to read a book I format in BD.

JSWolf · 05-15-2007, 04:51 PM

I've gotten a reply from Sony. The have sent my comment to to the content team so they can see what's going on. So I'll see what happens when they let me know. I'm hoping they can fix the issues.

Jon

BruceW · 05-15-2007, 05:30 PM

I hope it is soon, as I bought the same package a couple of days ago and have not yet looked at it. I hope what ever positive response will be available to everyone who has purchased the bundle without having to jump through all kinds of hoops.

JSWolf · 05-15-2007, 07:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BruceW

I hope it is soon, as I bought the same package a couple of days ago and have not yet looked at it. I hope what ever positive response will be available to everyone who has purchased the bundle without having to jump through all kinds of hoops.

if you want to do me a favor, please have a look at your bundle and if you find it a problem, please report it to Sony. The more people that mention the problems, the better. It will give them more incentive to get it fixed properly. And if nothing else, they might just give you your money back for it if nothing else. Besides, I would like to know what you think of the way these books are formatted. Thanks!

Jon

caro · 05-16-2007, 12:20 PM

I understand what all of you are saying but I was wondering why a company like Sony, who has no problem creating standards for all of their customers, can't apply that same mentality to the publishers. I would think that it would be fairly simple to require that they all use the same format if they wanted to sell through connect. I doubt that this type of requirement would cause the publishers to decide against it. If that was done then then we would all at least know what to expect for every book purchased.

HarryT · 05-16-2007, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by caro

I would think that it would be fairly simple to require that they all use the same format if they wanted to sell through connect.

I really don't think that would be very practical - for example, would you really want the same format for a book of poetry as for a novel?

It really is down to the publisher to determine the "house style" of their e-books.

stxopher · 05-16-2007, 01:47 PM

Plus add the fact that they generally don't CARE if they sell on the Connect store right now. This may change rapidly though as more and more readers start to hit the mainstream and become an accepted distribution method. Between the branding of Sony with the Connect store (general awareness) and the online presence of Amazon (for online people) coming into play, publishers may be forced to take a more serious look at their final product presentation.

This would be even more rapid if they were to start utilizing on-site feedback per book. (Product feedback being something most publishers have none of.) They would notice a dissatisfied customer more if said customer could point out better products from competitors.

JSWolf · 05-16-2007, 04:08 PM

The problem is that I can purchase the same books in LIT format and convert and it would look fine on the reader for most books. But that would just cause the publishers to not have any sales of the Reader version and thus they would not care even less then they do now. I've yet to get a reply to my message to the publisher. I don't think they really care.

dhbailey · 05-17-2007, 07:20 AM

What will start to turn the tide in favor of publishers paying more attention to the Reader is when sales of paper books starts to drop. I plan on buying whichever new books I can for the Reader, since that is my preferred reading device these days, and not buy them in paper versions.

I have always waited to buy them in paperback simply because I hate reading hard-cover books, and economically it would make sense to wait for the prices to drop at Connect before buying them but I think I may be willing to spend the new-book price for an e-book and not waiting for the price-drop which seems to coincide or shortly follow the release of paperback versions.

But I really think that when the old-fashioned distribution model for paper books begins to decrease, that will be the time that the publishers en masse wake up and say, "Gee, maybe this e-book stuff is something we should pay more attention to!"

JSWolf · 05-17-2007, 08:13 AM

if they priced hardcover books at the paperback price since it's the same frigging file then they'd sell more. I am not spending that kind of money on a file that will still be the same when they finally do lower the price. Yes hardcover books cost more to physically make so they charge more for them. But the ebook costs the same no matter what copy of the book in paper is being printed.

NatCh · 05-17-2007, 09:10 AM

I figure part of the higher hardback price is an "impatience premium" for not waiting, some of that would still apply to hardbacks from my perspective.

JSWolf · 05-17-2007, 09:15 AM

Part of the higher price is the fact that they can get away with it. But for ebooks, there's no reason to prie it so high since it is the same thing as when the price is lowered because the paperback is out. Greedy B*stards.

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05-15-2007, 01:47 PM	#18
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Perhaps we should send them some of the books we've created ourselves and say "here's how it should be done" .

05-15-2007, 02:15 PM	#19
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 79,750 Karma: 145864619 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	I do suggest that if anyone gets books from the Connect store that you find have problem(s), please contact Sony and the book publishers. They'll never know of such if nobody tells them. I don't know who's at fault for this DemonWars bundle mess, but a mess it really is. They need to know we are unhappy witht he poor formatting and won't put up with it. The small size text is too small, the medium can be a strain depending on your eyes and the large is too large because of the margins. We need them to fix things so they work the way they should. I love the default margins in Book Designer. I like having the font at 11pt as the small size. I get more pages per book with BD and that means it will use less battery life to read a book I format in BD.

05-15-2007, 04:51 PM	#20
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 79,750 Karma: 145864619 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	I've gotten a reply from Sony. The have sent my comment to to the content team so they can see what's going on. So I'll see what happens when they let me know. I'm hoping they can fix the issues. Jon

05-15-2007, 05:30 PM	#21
BruceW Connoisseur Posts: 55 Karma: 773 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Ottawa Canada Device: Sony Reader	I hope it is soon, as I bought the same package a couple of days ago and have not yet looked at it. I hope what ever positive response will be available to everyone who has purchased the bundle without having to jump through all kinds of hoops.

05-16-2007, 12:20 PM	#23
caro Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 48 Join Date: May 2006 Location: Nashville	I understand what all of you are saying but I was wondering why a company like Sony, who has no problem creating standards for all of their customers, can't apply that same mentality to the publishers. I would think that it would be fairly simple to require that they all use the same format if they wanted to sell through connect. I doubt that this type of requirement would cause the publishers to decide against it. If that was done then then we would all at least know what to expect for every book purchased.

05-16-2007, 01:47 PM	#25
stxopher Nameless Being	Plus add the fact that they generally don't CARE if they sell on the Connect store right now. This may change rapidly though as more and more readers start to hit the mainstream and become an accepted distribution method. Between the branding of Sony with the Connect store (general awareness) and the online presence of Amazon (for online people) coming into play, publishers may be forced to take a more serious look at their final product presentation. This would be even more rapid if they were to start utilizing on-site feedback per book. (Product feedback being something most publishers have none of.) They would notice a dissatisfied customer more if said customer could point out better products from competitors.

05-16-2007, 04:08 PM	#26
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 79,750 Karma: 145864619 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	The problem is that I can purchase the same books in LIT format and convert and it would look fine on the reader for most books. But that would just cause the publishers to not have any sales of the Reader version and thus they would not care even less then they do now. I've yet to get a reply to my message to the publisher. I don't think they really care.

05-17-2007, 07:20 AM	#27
dhbailey Guru Posts: 604 Karma: 733 Join Date: Mar 2007 Device: HP iPAQ211 / PRS 500, 700 and 505	What will start to turn the tide in favor of publishers paying more attention to the Reader is when sales of paper books starts to drop. I plan on buying whichever new books I can for the Reader, since that is my preferred reading device these days, and not buy them in paper versions. I have always waited to buy them in paperback simply because I hate reading hard-cover books, and economically it would make sense to wait for the prices to drop at Connect before buying them but I think I may be willing to spend the new-book price for an e-book and not waiting for the price-drop which seems to coincide or shortly follow the release of paperback versions. But I really think that when the old-fashioned distribution model for paper books begins to decrease, that will be the time that the publishers en masse wake up and say, "Gee, maybe this e-book stuff is something we should pay more attention to!"

05-17-2007, 08:13 AM	#28
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 79,750 Karma: 145864619 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	if they priced hardcover books at the paperback price since it's the same frigging file then they'd sell more. I am not spending that kind of money on a file that will still be the same when they finally do lower the price. Yes hardcover books cost more to physically make so they charge more for them. But the ebook costs the same no matter what copy of the book in paper is being printed.

05-17-2007, 09:10 AM	#29
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	I figure part of the higher hardback price is an "impatience premium" for not waiting, some of that would still apply to hardbacks from my perspective.

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05-17-2007, 09:15 AM	#30
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 79,750 Karma: 145864619 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	Part of the higher price is the fact that they can get away with it. But for ebooks, there's no reason to prie it so high since it is the same thing as when the price is lowered because the paperback is out. Greedy B*stards.