GRRM's new Enhanced Ebook

[FFiore]

Do a search on Google for enhanced ebooks and you will find that there’s a divergence of opinion on them. The main critique falls into three areas.

The first opinion states that enhanced ebooks with embedded video, sound and graphics, takes away from the enjoyment of the book because the enhanced ebook intrudes on the reader’s ability to imagine the story in his mind. The very popular Harry Potter books loved by children are used as a prime example.

This opinion states that any attempt to add greater dimensions to the Harry Potter story telling like the movies takes away from the imagination of the children. But that’s a false argument.

Sure, when a child reads a Harry Potter book, he or she congers up a vivid picture in their mind of the characters and environment in the book. Those critics hold that the movies made from those books somehow take away from that imagination process.

But if that were true, how do you account for the hundreds of millions of dollars each book in the series has generated as a movie? And most of the audience for these movies are the children that read the Harry Potter book.* The children enjoyed both versions of the story telling and it did little to take way their imagination of the story.

Of course, the professional handling of the book material by the movie studio did the story justice. As in anything creative – it has bee done well.

The second critique of enhanced ebooks comes from those that say the imbedded multimedia and extended material interrupts the reading experience. They claim, rightfully so, that the embedded video, audio and links to the Internet within the text interrupts the reading of the book. But if one places the 'whistles and bells' out side of the flow of text, in lets say in the margin, and can be turned off at will, this** marginalia can add to the ebook's use.*

The third critique has nothing to do with the reading experience. It has to do with economics — the cost of producing enhanced ebooks. This is a valid critique. It does cost more to produce an enhanced book. Thus the retail cost of the ebook is higher than the traditional ebook.

But a solution to that. Make the enhanced book apps* FREE by having ads in the app just like for any other app we today. The advertising supported ebook app* pays for the production of the ebook.

[self-promotional link deleted - MODERATOR]

[Ken Maltby]

Originally Posted by FFiore

Do a search on Google for enhanced ebooks and you will find that there’s a divergence of opinion on them. The main critique falls into three areas.

The first opinion states that enhanced ebooks with embedded video, sound and graphics, takes away from the enjoyment of the book because the enhanced ebook intrudes on the reader’s ability to imagine the story in his mind. The very popular Harry Potter books loved by children are used as a prime example.

This opinion states that any attempt to add greater dimensions to the Harry Potter story telling like the movies takes away from the imagination of the children. But that’s a false argument.

Sure, when a child reads a Harry Potter book, he or she congers up a vivid picture in their mind of the characters and environment in the book. Those critics hold that the movies made from those books somehow take away from that imagination process.

But if that were true, how do you account for the hundreds of millions of dollars each book in the series has generated as a movie? And most of the audience for these movies are the children that read the Harry Potter book.* The children enjoyed both versions of the story telling and it did little to take way their imagination of the story.

Of course, the professional handling of the book material by the movie studio did the story justice. As in anything creative – it has bee done well.

The second critique of enhanced ebooks comes from those that say the imbedded multimedia and extended material interrupts the reading experience. They claim, rightfully so, that the embedded video, audio and links to the Internet within the text interrupts the reading of the book. But if one places the 'whistles and bells' out side of the flow of text, in lets say in the margin, and can be turned off at will, this** marginalia can add to the ebook's use.*

The third critique has nothing to do with the reading experience. It has to do with economics — the cost of producing enhanced ebooks. This is a valid critique. It does cost more to produce an enhanced book. Thus the retail cost of the ebook is higher than the traditional ebook.

But a solution to that. Make the enhanced book apps* FREE by having ads in the app just like for any other app we today. The advertising supported ebook app* pays for the production of the ebook.

[Self-promotional link delete - MODERATOR]

There is a "Shameless Self-promotion forum" here some place.

Luck;
Ken

[wannabee]

Sorry FFiore, But I think you had it coming.

Spoiler:

But wait! There's more. If you call in the next twenty minutes we'll give you an extra enhanced ebook absolutely free. That's right, buy the first book for no payment down, no payment ever and we'll send you another enhanced ebook absolutely free. Yes, you get the free enhanced ebook with the bells and whistles, the meta data and the cover and if you are not completely satisfied you can send it back, even if you've read it, no questions asked.

HI Frank. Serious feedback. The link in MR takes you to page 7 with a ringtones advertisement. The only buttons that work are the rotate buttons. I really have no idea of Cole's decision, but the serious feedback from me is that I think you should stick the advertisements further back in the book. Way back in the book.
I think this advertising technique reminds me of another book, Shelley's Frankestein. What the hell is it?
Using an iPad and Safari.

[CWatkinsNash]

I was just thrown off by the asterisks. I still feel unfulfilled by the lack of footnotes I was expecting at the end of the post.

I wouldn't download such an ad supported "enhanced ebook app" thing even if Stephen King had written it. And from me, that's saying a lot. Advertisements that obtrusive would completely wreck my reading experience. Now, a standalone ad before the title page, maybe af ew in between chapters and one in the back - that would be more like those stupid advertisement cards they put in paper books. But NEVER EVER EVER should there be ads on the page with the actual book text! That's just... WRONG!

That's my feedback.

[FFiore]

CWatkinsNash

Interesting comment. I suppose then you would never download a free game app because the ads throw you off your game or a free utility app because it has ads for other utilities in it? I assume you only pay for your apps to avoid ads?

[QuantumIguana]

The Harry Potter movies are not books, enhanced or otherwise. Movies do offer less opportunity for imagination, as one interpretation is fixed into place. The fact that the movies made a fortune is a non sequitur.

But this isn't really about movies, because movies are not any kind of book at all. That would lead to nonsense like "I read it on TV." The problem with enhanced books is that they very rapidly cease to be books at all. Being based on a book doesn't make it a book.

[CWatkinsNash]

Originally Posted by FFiore

CWatkinsNash

Interesting comment. I suppose then you would never download a free game app because the ads throw you off your game or a free utility app because it has ads for other utilities in it? I assume you only pay for your apps to avoid ads?

I don't play games on my android devices, but I do use a few ad-supported apps. As I intended my comment to convey, my issue isn't with ads per se - it's where the ads are located and how they effect the usage experience. The screenshot on the app page shows an ad right there on the page of text. I would find that incredibly distracting to the point where I would not be willing to read the text.

When it comes to ad-supported free apps, I'm far more likely to upgrade to the paid version if the app dev made good choices with ad placement in the free version. If the ads interfere with the intended purpose of the app, I simply won't use it. For me to pay, there has to be a reason other than just making ads go away. That's always felt like extortion rather than any sort of value-add. I have to feel like I'm paying for something, whether that be good app design, added features in the paid version, or something else. It varies.

[MrsJoseph]

Originally Posted by FFiore

CWatkinsNash

Interesting comment. I suppose then you would never download a free game app because the ads throw you off your game or a free utility app because it has ads for other utilities in it? I assume you only pay for your apps to avoid ads?

I don't care about ads in free games...because games - for me - are only something to do if I don't have enough time to read comfortably or if I don't have any good books on me at that moment.

In other words...for killing time. When I have a book I want to be able to immerse myself in the story. Ads break that ability...which in turn makes me a harsher reader/reviewer.

A story that sucks me in and doesn't let me go till the end? I ignore a lot of that story's faults and I feel satisfied.

A story in which I keep getting pulled out? I start to notice grammar, typos, clunky sentences, bad descriptive prose, etc. I turn into a cranky reader and start cranking out harsher reviews...

[Fringecup]

I don't understand the need for 3D maps. What do you all mean by that term? Are you talking about relief maps? Or do you mean interactive maps where you can click on a location and it enlarges or opens into a more detailed map? I'd be happy with just a normal map that's large enough to actually READ the place names in it!

[Abtacha]

Originally Posted by Fringecup

I'd be happy with just a normal map that's large enough to actually READ the place names in it!

Oh please yes!
A map that's so low resolution that you can't see anything even when zooming in is incredibly frustrating.