Content Master List of Books with Known Formatting Issues

whitearrow · 04-23-2009, 01:59 PM

Is this something we could do here? Perhaps make it a sticky? It would be really useful, IMO, to list all known books with formatting problems. When the problem is (hopefully) fixed, we could go back and edit to let people know.

Maybe a format like this?

Title:
Author:
ASIN:
Issue(s):
Steps Taken (if any):(e.g., notified author via blog, Amazon CS, publisher)

Would anyone else find this helpful? I could definitely start off with a couple of books!

Mike L · 04-23-2009, 03:22 PM

Definitely. Great idea. If it gets going, I'll contribute a couple I've bought recently.

whitearrow · 04-23-2009, 05:09 PM

Title: Coldfire Trilogy (Black Sun Rising, Crown of Shadows, When True Night Falls)
Author: C.S. Friedman
ASIN: original: B000FCKPBM, B000GCFDH2, B000FCK7TW
Format: Kindle
Issue(s): 1) Paragraph formatting is backward -- first line of each para. goes to left margin, rest of the paragraph is indented; 2) start of book goes to chapter 1 rather than prologue (BSR)
Steps Taken (if any): Contacted author and Amazon in April 2008; author forwarded concern to publisher (Betsy Wollheim at DAW), who promised a fix; followed up in June 2008, still no fix; books pulled from Amazon at subsequent date. Wrote to Daw in April 2009 for status, received generic response from Penguin about "converting as many new and back list titles to ebook format as we can."

whitearrow · 04-23-2009, 05:15 PM

Title: Turn Coat
Author: Jim Butcher
ASIN: B001V6P124
Format: Kindle
Issue(s): Large spaces between paragraphs; text repeated in first paragraph of ch. 17, ch. 20.
Steps Taken (if any): Several readers contacted Amazon and author via website. Amazon claims to be working with publisher (Penguin) to get spacing issue resolved (see discussion on item's page).

pshrynk · 04-23-2009, 05:17 PM

This is an excellent idea and I made it a sticky.

JSWolf · 04-23-2009, 05:44 PM

Can we make it a non Amazon specific? All you have to do is add in the format and we will know it's from Amazon if it says AZW or Topaz.

whitearrow · 04-23-2009, 05:57 PM

Well, this is in the Kindle forum, but other than to keeping it to commercial books (not free, PD material) I don't really have an objection.

pghaworth · 04-23-2009, 07:26 PM

Title: Phantoms
Author: Dean Koontz
ASIN: B001RWQVSK
Format: Kindle
Issue(s): Extra paragraph spacing. Some pages have only one or two sentences. Makes it hard to read if you are using a larger font.
Steps Taken - Notified Amazon CS several times to no avail. No steps taken to correct.

JSWolf · 04-23-2009, 07:51 PM

Can everyone please edit your posts to add in what format the eBooks are in to your posts as it's possible this thread may be moved? Thanks.

pilotbob · 04-23-2009, 08:19 PM

I can move the thread, but to where?

BOb

thorn · 04-23-2009, 08:27 PM

Title: Death by black hole
Author: Neil De Grasse Tyson
ASIN: B000XPPVCY

Issue: First letter of first word of each chapter is a drop-cap in the print version -- a fancy graphic. The electronic version lacks that letter. In other words, in print a chapter starts "The universe.." but electronically: "he universe." A minor issue, but I didn't buy the book after seeing this flaw in the sample.

Steps taken: I may have e-mailed Amazon customer service. I have also whined a lot.

e/t/a Whoops, sorry. Kindle ed. (in case the thread ever moves.)

JSWolf · 04-23-2009, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilotbob

I can move the thread, but to where?

BOb

I would suggest Reading Recommendations.

koland · 04-23-2009, 08:37 PM

Title: Undone (Outcast Season Book One)
Author: Rachel Caine
ASIN:
Issue(s): two to three blank lines between paragraphs. Book title shows as "OutCast Season Book One: Undone" rather than "Undone" (which is the actual name; Outcast Season is the series name), so book can't be as easily found in library.
Steps Taken (if any): none so far
Format: Mobi (fictionwise)

pilotbob · 04-23-2009, 09:12 PM

Moved to reading reco's thread.

BOb

whitearrow · 04-23-2009, 09:18 PM

Unfortunately, I think the thread is mostly going to be ignored here, which is too bad.

I don't think it has much to do with "reading recommendations."

04-23-2009, 01:59 PM	#1
whitearrow Guru Posts: 808 Karma: 2260766 Join Date: Apr 2008 Device: Kindle Oasis 2	Master List of Books with Known Formatting Issues Is this something we could do here? Perhaps make it a sticky? It would be really useful, IMO, to list all known books with formatting problems. When the problem is (hopefully) fixed, we could go back and edit to let people know. Maybe a format like this? Title: Author: ASIN: Issue(s): Steps Taken (if any):(e.g., notified author via blog, Amazon CS, publisher) Would anyone else find this helpful? I could definitely start off with a couple of books!

04-23-2009, 05:09 PM	#3
whitearrow Guru Posts: 808 Karma: 2260766 Join Date: Apr 2008 Device: Kindle Oasis 2	Title: Coldfire Trilogy (Black Sun Rising, Crown of Shadows, When True Night Falls) Author: C.S. Friedman ASIN: original: B000FCKPBM, B000GCFDH2, B000FCK7TW Format: Kindle Issue(s): 1) Paragraph formatting is backward -- first line of each para. goes to left margin, rest of the paragraph is indented; 2) start of book goes to chapter 1 rather than prologue (BSR) Steps Taken (if any): Contacted author and Amazon in April 2008; author forwarded concern to publisher (Betsy Wollheim at DAW), who promised a fix; followed up in June 2008, still no fix; books pulled from Amazon at subsequent date. Wrote to Daw in April 2009 for status, received generic response from Penguin about "converting as many new and back list titles to ebook format as we can." Last edited by whitearrow; 04-24-2009 at 12:12 PM. Reason: received reply from Penguin

04-23-2009, 05:15 PM	#4
whitearrow Guru Posts: 808 Karma: 2260766 Join Date: Apr 2008 Device: Kindle Oasis 2	Title: Turn Coat Author: Jim Butcher ASIN: B001V6P124 Format: Kindle Issue(s): Large spaces between paragraphs; text repeated in first paragraph of ch. 17, ch. 20. Steps Taken (if any): Several readers contacted Amazon and author via website. Amazon claims to be working with publisher (Penguin) to get spacing issue resolved (see discussion on item's page). Last edited by whitearrow; 04-23-2009 at 09:21 PM.

04-23-2009, 07:26 PM	#8
pghaworth Fervent Pleasure Seeker Posts: 1,220 Karma: 712073 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: The Windmills of My Mind Device: Clara HD	Title: Phantoms Author: Dean Koontz ASIN: B001RWQVSK Format: Kindle Issue(s): Extra paragraph spacing. Some pages have only one or two sentences. Makes it hard to read if you are using a larger font. Steps Taken - Notified Amazon CS several times to no avail. No steps taken to correct. Last edited by pghaworth; 04-24-2009 at 10:50 AM.

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04-23-2009, 03:22 PM	#2
Mike L Wizard Posts: 1,479 Karma: 3846231 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Edinburgh, Scotland Device: Kindle 3, Samsung Galaxy	Definitely. Great idea. If it gets going, I'll contribute a couple I've bought recently.

04-23-2009, 05:17 PM	#5
pshrynk Beepbeep n beebeep, yeah! Posts: 11,726 Karma: 8255450 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: La Crosse, Wisconsin, aka America's IceBox Device: iThingie, KmkII, I miss Zelda!	This is an excellent idea and I made it a sticky.

04-23-2009, 05:44 PM	#6
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 73,988 Karma: 128903378 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	Can we make it a non Amazon specific? All you have to do is add in the format and we will know it's from Amazon if it says AZW or Topaz.

04-23-2009, 05:57 PM	#7
whitearrow Guru Posts: 808 Karma: 2260766 Join Date: Apr 2008 Device: Kindle Oasis 2	Well, this is in the Kindle forum, but other than to keeping it to commercial books (not free, PD material) I don't really have an objection.

04-23-2009, 07:51 PM	#9
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 73,988 Karma: 128903378 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	Can everyone please edit your posts to add in what format the eBooks are in to your posts as it's possible this thread may be moved? Thanks.

04-23-2009, 08:19 PM	#10
pilotbob Grand Sorcerer Posts: 19,832 Karma: 11844413 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Tampa, FL USA Device: Kindle Touch	I can move the thread, but to where? BOb

04-23-2009, 08:27 PM	#11
thorn Connoisseur Posts: 91 Karma: 7940 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: currently: ipod touch	Title: Death by black hole Author: Neil De Grasse Tyson ASIN: B000XPPVCY Issue: First letter of first word of each chapter is a drop-cap in the print version -- a fancy graphic. The electronic version lacks that letter. In other words, in print a chapter starts "The universe.." but electronically: "he universe." A minor issue, but I didn't buy the book after seeing this flaw in the sample. Steps taken: I may have e-mailed Amazon customer service. I have also whined a lot. e/t/a Whoops, sorry. Kindle ed. (in case the thread ever moves.)

04-23-2009, 08:37 PM	#13
koland Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,560 Karma: 8033155 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: TN, USA Device: kindle(all), nook, nookcolor, Sony, Kobo, epic, iphone, iPad, pc	Title: Undone (Outcast Season Book One) Author: Rachel Caine ASIN: Issue(s): two to three blank lines between paragraphs. Book title shows as "OutCast Season Book One: Undone" rather than "Undone" (which is the actual name; Outcast Season is the series name), so book can't be as easily found in library. Steps Taken (if any): none so far Format: Mobi (fictionwise)

04-23-2009, 09:12 PM	#14
pilotbob Grand Sorcerer Posts: 19,832 Karma: 11844413 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Tampa, FL USA Device: Kindle Touch	Moved to reading reco's thread. BOb

04-23-2009, 09:18 PM	#15
whitearrow Guru Posts: 808 Karma: 2260766 Join Date: Apr 2008 Device: Kindle Oasis 2	Unfortunately, I think the thread is mostly going to be ignored here, which is too bad. I don't think it has much to do with "reading recommendations."

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