New online preview feature on Kobo's website

[BearMountainBooks]

Checked a few more books. I'm in the US. No previews on any I checked.

[GeoffR]

Originally Posted by BearMountainBooks

Checked a few more books. I'm in the US. No previews on any I checked.

It looks like they have removed the feature today. Maybe yesterday was just a trial run.

[jiminrussell]

Still working here, at least on the books I have looked at in the last few minutes.

[jiminrussell]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

Copying Amazon.

Well, this took long enough then.

I know I can send a sample to my device from the Amazon site but how do you preview it in your browser?

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by jiminrussell

I know I can send a sample to my device from the Amazon site but how do you preview it in your browser?

Click on the book cover. There should be an overlay saying "Look Inside" with an arrow pointing inward. The preview will open in a popup.

I believe they have been doing this since before the ebook, actually. They offer a Kindle View, but also a Print view (I remember that one from WAY back).

The print view has pages and shows random ones from throughout the book, not just the first 10%.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by GeoffR

The preview I see in the browser by tapping the new "Preview Now" button seems to be a preview of the epub version of the book, whereas adding the preview to my library and downloading it to a Kobo app or device gives a preview of the kepub version.

I don't know. I logged out and checked a book I already own that has issues (missing cover, missing italics, CSS messed up) and it looked great in the preview so I re-downloaded the full book and it still has issues so the preview didn't seem to come from either the ePub or kePub they have on file.

[GeoffR]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

I don't know. I logged out and checked a book I already own that has issues (missing cover, missing italics, CSS messed up) and it looked great in the preview so I re-downloaded the full book and it still has issues so the preview didn't seem to come from either the ePub or kePub they have on file.

If the publisher fixes the book and uploads a new version, it won't automatically replace the version linked to your account. You need to make a complaint about the book content and ask Kobo to replace it with the fixed version.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by GeoffR

If the publisher fixes the book and uploads a new version, it won't automatically replace the version linked to your account. You need to make a complaint about the book content and ask Kobo to replace it with the fixed version.

Which is absolutely backwards (I do think I remember reading that before though now that you mention it). How is a person to know if the publisher has updated the book or not? I notice too that a lot of times when a new version gets added it's cataloged separately (with a new URL, doesn't show as yo already own it) at Kobo will they update those too or do they consider them a different book?

[GeoffR]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

Which is absolutely backwards (I do think I remember reading that before though now that you mention it). How is a person to know if the publisher has updated the book or not? I notice too that a lot of times when a new version gets added it's cataloged separately (with a new URL, doesn't show as yo already own it) at Kobo will they update those too or do they consider them a different book?

If you look up the book in the device's bookstore and it has a price instead of a details button, then you know the version for sale doesn't match the version on your device.

The problem is that some publishers seem to update very frequently for no obvious reason, so even though nothing has changed in the book it shows as a different version. I find it easier just to fix the errors myself.

[peterwardgd]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

Copying Amazon.

Well, this took long enough then.

ha, give and take it seems. Flush bezel/display and an quirky angled back on an ereader hmm that sounds familiar.

[jiminrussell]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

Click on the book cover. There should be an overlay saying "Look Inside" with an arrow pointing inward. The preview will open in a popup.

Thanks for the instructions. I just tried this on amazon.ca and all I get is a larger version of the book cover in a pop-up. I tried on amazon.com and see now what you are referring to. So this option doesn't appear to work on the Amazon Canada site but does on the US site.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by jiminrussell

Thanks for the instructions. I just tried this on amazon.ca and all I get is a larger version of the book cover in a pop-up. I tried on amazon.com and see now what you are referring to. So this option doesn't appear to work on the Amazon Canada site but does on the US site.

Thanks! I was unaware of that difference, good to know.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by GeoffR

If the publisher fixes the book and uploads a new version, it won't automatically replace the version linked to your account. You need to make a complaint about the book content and ask Kobo to replace it with the fixed version.

That is bizarre.

They should do like Amazon and offer an Update Now, New Version Available button in your library.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by peterwardgd

ha, give and take it seems. Flush bezel/display and an quirky angled back on an ereader hmm that sounds familiar.

The difference is Amazon's contribution I actually value.

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

That is bizarre.

They should do like Amazon and offer an Update Now, New Version Available button in your library.

It took Amazon a couple of years to implement--and it still doesn't always work right. I added some illustrations to two of my anthos a couple of years ago. It took 4 months before people who had checked "send me updates automatically" to get them. And I had to bug Amazon about it. It may work better now, but I'm signed up to get "auto-notified" when certain authors publish a new book (including Ilona Andrews, myself and Frank Tuttle). I have gotten one notification. For Patricia Briggs. None of the others and I've been signed up since they started the program...