E-book Complaints Thread

[Wald07]

Not truly "owning" an e-book I "purchased", and not legally entitled to treat it as my property. (I.E. loaning to friends)

[VaporPunk]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

The problem with the hash-marks on the Kindle's progress bar is that it depends heavily on how the ebook creator chose to build things. They can be completely non-existent (getting somewhat more rare, but not unheard of to be lacking an NCX file), or the ebook can be divided into sections/parts (with no individual chapter points), or even "books" in an omnibus-type ebook. Different NCX points can also be nested, and lurking, for those who suspect, but not available graphically for those who don't.

Those points are certainly most often used as "chapters," but there's no hard and fast rules governing that. Sure, it wouldn't be impossible (or even difficult) to have an X "pages" until the next ebook-creator-inspired NCX point on the Kindle. It just might not always be a "chapter."

Well somebody make some then. Are you listening, Kindle programmer types? Amazon? Hello, anybody out there?

[Rob Lister]

Originally Posted by VaporPunk

Well somebody make some then. Are you listening, Kindle programmer types? Amazon? Hello, anybody out there?

This point needs to be emphasized. It doesn't matter whether the solution to our whine is easy, hard or even possible. A whine stands on its own, independent of any trivial reality.

We are the spoiled. Our sense of unreasonable entitlement knows no bounds. If I want a nook that tracks my eye movement so as to 'know' when to turn the page, then that's what I want. And if they make a nook that does just that and sometimes--even very rarely--gets it wrong, then by god, I'll whine about that too!

[BearMountainBooks]

FASCINATING READING. I may have to come back and review this thread periodically. This is a GOLDMINE for me.

My pet peeve is probably the lack of a blurb in the front, but the other thing I find annoying (and I'm not sure there is a fix) is that when reading, I can't remember the title or author of a book. I'll go to mention it to someone and I can't look down beside my chair like I can a paperback. When reading a paperback, it's by my chair and I can snap it up and check. When reading on e-reader, I have to open it and turn it on and go look. I wish the screen saver were automatically the book cover I was last reading.

I read a lot of new stuff and I'm often on forums or GR adding the books and with the e-reader, I have a much harder time remember titles and authors. I don't see it every time I start reading--I never see it unless I look.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Joykins

While I'm at it, lack of page numbers in many (most?) kindle books.

That can be sorted using Calibre. You can put in a custom column for page numbers and use that to generate an apx file when you transfer the content to the Kindle.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by ATDrake

ETA: My complaint is people yanking existing stuff for KDP Select exclusivity.

read post 15 of this thread. I did complain of Amazon exclusive eBooks. To me it doesn't matter new or old. Just that they are available only at Amazon.

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

read post 15 of this thread. I did complain of Amazon exclusive eBooks. To me it doesn't matter new or old. Just that they are available only at Amazon.

Just a question: You are aware that Amazon makes it pretty attractive for authors to do this? (I don't, but it has cost me a lot of sales). The additional "page views" and placement has made a big difference to a lot of authors who were completely unnoticed before. Or kept those who were doing well, doing well.

I have another kind of OT question. What is the proper tag to get a book in kindle to open at the Title page? When I upload HTML Amazon seems to grab either "prologue" or "chapter 1" regardless of how I tag, say a 'preface' or title page. I know it can be done because I've seen books open at the title page, but I don't know what tag is being used...

Thanks and sorry for the OT.

Maria

[ATDrake]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

read post 15 of this thread. I did complain of Amazon exclusive eBooks. To me it doesn't matter new or old. Just that they are available only at Amazon.

You complain of exclusives in general. I complain about retroactive exclusives that are being offered to one store at the expense of existing customers in other stores who can no longer fill a series they may have already invested in, which was previously available to them at the venue of their choice.

I'd be annoyed if this were being done at other stores as well, but Amazon right now is the one which is actively encouraging the practice to everyone's detriment, IMHO.

[Joykins]

Originally Posted by BearMountainBooks

Just a question: You are aware that Amazon makes it pretty attractive for authors to do this? (I don't, but it has cost me a lot of sales). The additional "page views" and placement has made a big difference to a lot of authors who were completely unnoticed before. Or kept those who were doing well, doing well.

Authors' and readers' interests don't always coincide.

I benefit from the KDP exclusives only because I gobble up the freebies and utilize the technology necessary to buy from wherever. If I had bought the books elsewhere, or wanted to, the exclusivity would annoy me.

[ScalyFreak]

Originally Posted by BearMountainBooks

FASCINATING READING. I may have to come back and review this thread periodically. This is a GOLDMINE for me.

My pet peeve is probably the lack of a blurb in the front, but the other thing I find annoying (and I'm not sure there is a fix) is that when reading, I can't remember the title or author of a book. I'll go to mention it to someone and I can't look down beside my chair like I can a paperback. When reading a paperback, it's by my chair and I can snap it up and check. When reading on e-reader, I have to open it and turn it on and go look. I wish the screen saver were automatically the book cover I was last reading.

Tap the lower edge of a Kindle app while in a book, and it displays the user interface (progress bar at bottom, etc). This includes the title of the book, at the top of the page. The new Sony android app does the same thing, and with the Sony reader it's an easy thing to just press Home", and the cover of book I'm reading is right there at the top of the home screen.

[DrNefario]

I'd also like to be able to use the cover as a screensaver on the Kindle (I already can on the Kobo, although I wish I could move the %-complete overlay).

I'd like to be able to see the book blurb easily from the book list, as well as other metadata like the series.

Sometimes, I'd also like to be able to quickly jump to a map or diagram and back, from wherever I am in the text. If it's more than a couple of presses - ideally one each way - it's not worth it.

[Wald07]

OOOH! Good ones!

[MickiTee]

My pet peeve is the geographic restrictions that publishers are applying to ebooks. There's a long list of books I'd like, but they're not available in the UK.

[MickiTee]

This is also a pet peeve of mine and there's a reason for it.

Its because there's 20% VAT (sales tax) on ebooks. This is EU regulation, but can be reduced or removed at discretion of individual governments. There's a petition on HM Goverment ePetition web site. Please consider signing it. The link will take you straight to the correct petition and its open until August - http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/114

[BearMountainBooks]

Originally Posted by Joykins

Authors' and readers' interests don't always coincide.

I benefit from the KDP exclusives only because I gobble up the freebies and utilize the technology necessary to buy from wherever. If I had bought the books elsewhere, or wanted to, the exclusivity would annoy me.

I don't like the exclusivity because I think it's bad news all around. I never liked having to send exclusive queries to agents or editors and I don't like the practice of signing with just one retailer. Oh sure, if I were given enough incentive, I'd have to do it. But the mass signups are not likely to be good for authors or readers long term.

Meanwhile...I don't have a touch screen so I can't tap the lower corner. There's probably another way to show the title, but the point is that with a paper book, I see the cover every time I pick up the book--and I like that feature. I don't get it with the kindle and the only way I'd likely get it would be via the screen saver.