emailed Sony about ebook issues - Page 3

benn600 · 05-17-2007, 10:18 AM

I noticed that when I scrolled all the way to the bottom...lol.

I just emailed Sony in regards to a book I purchased (first one). The ISBN and page count basically match a certain book while the title means another. I wanted the one I didn't get, lol! I'm hoping they can either GET me the one I want (hopefully for free) or refund my money (part of my $50 credit) because I was relying on the ISBN to make sure it was what I want. They responded like 3 minutes later saying they have added the book to be reviewed. Who knows what will happen!

RWood · 05-17-2007, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

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.

When the paperback comes out Sony has to pay the publisher less than when the hardback is out. Generally the publisher is spending its promotion budget when the hardback is released.

RWood · 05-17-2007, 10:41 AM

I did just pick up I'll Sleep When I'm Dead by Crystal Zevon (Warren Zevon's former wife.) It is among the best formatted books I've seen. It has an interactive Table of Contents like the one's Harry provides that highlight the first word of the titles. While the margins are a bit bigger than I care for, it is easy to read on the M font setting.

Some publishers there do seem to be getting their act together for ebooks.

benn600 · 05-17-2007, 01:59 PM

Let's hope they hurry up and get more up there. I don't like it when I go looking for a book and can't find it! They seem more than willing to help in their response to me. Unfortunately, if they don't have a book I don't think they are likely to go beg the publisher...it's up to the publisher or author to get books up. I should email the author of the book I need and ask him to get the book up...it's sold over 15 million copies. Isn't that enough money? How about you give it away for free now?

I think there should be a very short period until everything enters the public domain...lol. Since I don't have any huge amount of intellectual property, I feel that way. But I feel that keeping everything in copyright for so long stunts further production. Everyone just keeps selling their old stuff.

How about 7 years and then everything enters the public domain?

UncleDuke · 05-17-2007, 05:14 PM

zevon was a wild man. crazy as a loon and wrote great music. maybe i'll get that book. never spent my credit.

dhbailey · 05-18-2007, 07:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by benn600

Let's hope they hurry up and get more up there. I don't like it when I go looking for a book and can't find it! They seem more than willing to help in their response to me. Unfortunately, if they don't have a book I don't think they are likely to go beg the publisher...it's up to the publisher or author to get books up. I should email the author of the book I need and ask him to get the book up...it's sold over 15 million copies. Isn't that enough money? How about you give it away for free now?

I did e-mail a few of my favorite authors who aren't yet represented at Connect, and they replied in various ways.

One said that she prefers to remain about 25 years behind the technology curve so that I shouldn't expect ebooks from her at any time soon.

Another said that the publisher's contracts these days include e-book rights, so she had no control over such things.

Another one (husband/wife team) that I thanked for having one of their books at Connect and hoping they would put more up there also confirmed the publisher contract / e-book issue and said they have no control over such things and were in fact surprised that one of their books was up there, and that she would have to look into things further.

So it seems that some authors who have great track records may be able to control their publisher contracts and leave off the e-book rights while others may have the e-book rights in their contracts. So contacting the authors is great but won't necessarily get any results. Contacting the authors and the publishers in a two-pronged attack is the best way to go, because then the publishers can go to the authors and show them the potential market that exists and is growing, and the authors can go to the publishers the same way and complain that the publishers' failure to get their books at the Connect store is depriving them of income.

Get them both persuading each other and the whole process will accelerate!

NatCh · 05-18-2007, 08:17 AM

Nice one, dhbaily, I love playing both ends off the middle!

JSWolf · 05-30-2007, 03:30 PM

When I checked my email today after our trip to Florida, I noticed email from Sony. They said that the publisher has agreed to rework the books. I am very interested in how they come out this time. And hopefully if they come out good that the publisher will go back and fix all their Connect ebooks and also for any future books. This is definately sounding like a step in the right direction.

JSWolf · 06-06-2007, 01:47 AM

These screen caps are from the reworked copy of The Demon Awakens by R. A. Salavtore. The margins and fotn are no better then before. The first is the small font, the second is the medium, and the third is the large. Please have a look. I'd like to know how bad you think this really looks.

HarryT · 06-06-2007, 04:43 AM

What do you regard as being wrong with this? It looks perfectly OK to me!

dhbailey · 06-06-2007, 07:05 AM

I'm with Harry on this one -- all three pages look just fine to me, too.

What exactly is your complaint, JSWOLF?

HarryT · 06-06-2007, 07:13 AM

The only thing I'd change personally would be to make the margins a little smaller, but I don't think they're excessive the way they are.

JSWolf · 06-06-2007, 09:55 AM

Didn't you notice all the excess space between the words? I have no idea how they managed to do that. I cannot do that (that I know of) with BD or html2lrf.

Also, the small size is too small to read for sure. And for a lot, the medium would also be too small. Small is 927 pages. Medium is 1294, and large is 2016 pages. Using The Shirlock Homes Omnibus posted in the forum, the small for this purchased book is smaller then that on small. Medium is also just slightly smaller. I've gotten used to books either I've created or someone else has. And the spacing between the words here is a bit off putting. if they'd increase the small size 1 or 2 point sizes, then medium would be a good size to read. Then move the margins so there is not so much space and fix the spacing between the words so it doesn't look like a double space between each word.

HarryT · 06-06-2007, 10:19 AM

Oh, OK. Yes, I see what you're saying, but some people like smaller text than others, I guess. As I say, I wouldn't be too unhappy with this the way it is, but we're all different in what we like when it comes to these things.

That's the nice thing about creating your own books - you can get them exactly the way that you like them

.

NatCh · 06-06-2007, 12:40 PM

The between word spacing is just an artifact of the full justification. I don't like it either, but it's pretty standard.

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05-17-2007, 10:18 AM	#31
benn600 Enthusiast Posts: 41 Karma: 50 Join Date: May 2007	I noticed that when I scrolled all the way to the bottom...lol. I just emailed Sony in regards to a book I purchased (first one). The ISBN and page count basically match a certain book while the title means another. I wanted the one I didn't get, lol! I'm hoping they can either GET me the one I want (hopefully for free) or refund my money (part of my $50 credit) because I was relying on the ISBN to make sure it was what I want. They responded like 3 minutes later saying they have added the book to be reviewed. Who knows what will happen!

05-17-2007, 10:41 AM	#33
RWood Technogeezer Posts: 7,233 Karma: 1601464 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Virginia, USA Device: Sony PRS-500	I did just pick up I'll Sleep When I'm Dead by Crystal Zevon (Warren Zevon's former wife.) It is among the best formatted books I've seen. It has an interactive Table of Contents like the one's Harry provides that highlight the first word of the titles. While the margins are a bit bigger than I care for, it is easy to read on the M font setting. Some publishers there do seem to be getting their act together for ebooks.

05-17-2007, 01:59 PM	#34
benn600 Enthusiast Posts: 41 Karma: 50 Join Date: May 2007	Let's hope they hurry up and get more up there. I don't like it when I go looking for a book and can't find it! They seem more than willing to help in their response to me. Unfortunately, if they don't have a book I don't think they are likely to go beg the publisher...it's up to the publisher or author to get books up. I should email the author of the book I need and ask him to get the book up...it's sold over 15 million copies. Isn't that enough money? How about you give it away for free now? I think there should be a very short period until everything enters the public domain...lol. Since I don't have any huge amount of intellectual property, I feel that way. But I feel that keeping everything in copyright for so long stunts further production. Everyone just keeps selling their old stuff. How about 7 years and then everything enters the public domain?

05-17-2007, 05:14 PM	#35
UncleDuke books & doughnuts Posts: 882 Karma: 37857 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: usa Device: sony reader, kindle2	zevon was a wild man. crazy as a loon and wrote great music. maybe i'll get that book. never spent my credit.

05-18-2007, 08:17 AM	#37
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	Nice one, dhbaily, I love playing both ends off the middle!

05-30-2007, 03:30 PM	#38
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 79,745 Karma: 145864619 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	When I checked my email today after our trip to Florida, I noticed email from Sony. They said that the publisher has agreed to rework the books. I am very interested in how they come out this time. And hopefully if they come out good that the publisher will go back and fix all their Connect ebooks and also for any future books. This is definately sounding like a step in the right direction.

06-06-2007, 01:47 AM	#39
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 79,745 Karma: 145864619 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	These screen caps are from the reworked copy of The Demon Awakens by R. A. Salavtore. The margins and fotn are no better then before. The first is the small font, the second is the medium, and the third is the large. Please have a look. I'd like to know how bad you think this really looks.

06-06-2007, 04:43 AM	#40
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	What do you regard as being wrong with this? It looks perfectly OK to me!

06-06-2007, 07:05 AM	#41
dhbailey Guru Posts: 604 Karma: 733 Join Date: Mar 2007 Device: HP iPAQ211 / PRS 500, 700 and 505	I'm with Harry on this one -- all three pages look just fine to me, too. What exactly is your complaint, JSWOLF?

06-06-2007, 07:13 AM	#42
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	The only thing I'd change personally would be to make the margins a little smaller, but I don't think they're excessive the way they are.

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06-06-2007, 09:55 AM	#43
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 79,745 Karma: 145864619 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	Didn't you notice all the excess space between the words? I have no idea how they managed to do that. I cannot do that (that I know of) with BD or html2lrf. Also, the small size is too small to read for sure. And for a lot, the medium would also be too small. Small is 927 pages. Medium is 1294, and large is 2016 pages. Using The Shirlock Homes Omnibus posted in the forum, the small for this purchased book is smaller then that on small. Medium is also just slightly smaller. I've gotten used to books either I've created or someone else has. And the spacing between the words here is a bit off putting. if they'd increase the small size 1 or 2 point sizes, then medium would be a good size to read. Then move the margins so there is not so much space and fix the spacing between the words so it doesn't look like a double space between each word.

06-06-2007, 10:19 AM	#44
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Oh, OK. Yes, I see what you're saying, but some people like smaller text than others, I guess. As I say, I wouldn't be too unhappy with this the way it is, but we're all different in what we like when it comes to these things. That's the nice thing about creating your own books - you can get them exactly the way that you like them .

06-06-2007, 12:40 PM	#45
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	The between word spacing is just an artifact of the full justification. I don't like it either, but it's pretty standard.