Purchased new Jim Butcher book..no cover..

Now, now, let's stop all the bad feelings towards the houses and try and be a little more understanding.

Did it never occur to all the complainers that they may have only gotten 1 file for the cover art? Yes, just a single file to use for all the books sold of that title that go out over the wires. Just imagine how ratty and worn that file would look if you put that cover on every digital book you sold? After a few thousand it would look horrible and entirely unprofessional. Who then would buy them? No one! And then they would have to quit putting that cover on later issues.

Imagine the riots, the chaos that would erupt as people started dividing themselves between 'covered' and 'coverless'. The toll on an already weakened global economy would be devastating. A possible world collapse and new dark age of society could occur.

Personally, I think we should THANK those forward thinking and altruistic publishers for helping to stave off global calamity and I would appreciate it if you would please keep that in mind before assuming that their actions are all based on incompetence, sloth and selfishness.

I said Good Day, Sir.

[davers]

I printed out the cover from Sony's site and I pasted it on the front flap of my 505's cover...

Dave

[calvin-c]

Originally Posted by susan_cassidy

It would be interesting to know what percentage of ebook readers care about covers. I do not care at all - I never look at the cover in an ebook. I just want to read the book.

Maybe the publishers don't think it is worth the time and cost to put covers in, if they think the majority of readers don't care. Or, they could just be lazy.

Eventually (not today, but eventually) I'll have a touchscreen monitor dedicated to my ebook library. It'll display the covers, with 'page' tabs I can touch to browse my library and, by touching a cover I can transfer that (wirelessly) to my reader. (Actually the touch will probably bring up a shortcut menu which will have, as one option, transfer to my reader.)

I actually have most of the design done-but implementing it will take some time-like maybe a few years. But it's a nice retirement project.

So there's a (future) reason for nice covers.

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by susan_cassidy

It would be interesting to know what percentage of ebook readers care about covers. I do not care at all - I never look at the cover in an ebook. I just want to read the book.

I'm with you on this one, Susan. I don't care a bit about covers for e-books. There seems to be a trend here during these past few months to complain about different really serious problems such as e-books missing semi-colons, improper use of italics, right-hand justification that isn't exactly lined up, etc., and now... OH MY GOD!!! THE COVER IS MISSING!!!

Fortunately, we have been told that we can take the publishers to court and file suit over this issue. I'm relieved.

Stitchawl

[riemann42]

Hmmm. I confess to having a script that adds the cover to all my eBooks. Of course I don't decrypt it! You can add content to encrypted epub.

Can't you? If not ignore my post.

Damn good book. Just finished.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

I'm with you on this one, Susan. I don't care a bit about covers for e-books. There seems to be a trend here during these past few months to complain about different really serious problems such as e-books missing semi-colons, improper use of italics, right-hand justification that isn't exactly lined up, etc., and now... OH MY GOD!!! THE COVER IS MISSING!!!

Perhaps you don't have a reading device on which the primary method of selecting a book from the library is by its cover. If you did, you'd perhaps feel differently about it. There are a number of devices which do it this way, such as the Bookeen readers.

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Perhaps you don't have a reading device on which the primary method of selecting a book from the library is by its cover.

I was taught at an early age not to pick a book by its cover...
(Sorry. I couldn't resist. )


Stitchawl

[HarryT]

Joking aside, the point is, Stitchawl, that there really are valid reasons why it's important to have a recognisable cover for an e-book. It's not just "complaining for sake of complaining" as you suggest in your earlier post. On many devices it's a real pain not to have a cover on a book.

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Joking aside, the point is, Stitchawl, that there really are valid reasons why it's important to have a recognisable cover for an e-book. It's not just "complaining for sake of complaining" as you suggest in your earlier post. On many devices it's a real pain not to have a cover on a book.

Now that you point it out and explain it, I can understand that there is a valid reason to want a cover. If I used a device that required them, I'd certainly want them too. My reader lists books by title, author, date, or collections. I only see a cover (if one even came with the book) when I begin reading something new. I wasn't aware that other readers had such limitations. My fault for assuming that all readers gave options. Thanks for helping me understand.

Is there as valid a reason for keeping track of misused semi-colons?

Stitchawl

[davers]

I think some may be missing the point concerning the missing cover and say missing semi-colons, spelling errors or whatever. Are you really willing to spend that much money on something a publisher didn't feel it was worth spending the time on to make sure was both correct and complete? My point is why should a book I pay for electronically and download be inferior to one I purchased at a store? I could make a better book than that, and I have. Could the same argument then be made for hardcover books? You pick up your new book and walk to the counter and pay for it. When you get home, you realize they removed the dust jacket and kept it before putting it in the bag. Should you then say "I never look at the dust jacket so who cares that they didn't include that?" Or I never read the dedication so who cares they didn't include that? ...etc etc? When I spend hard earned money on something, I expect what I'm purchasing to be what is displayed on their site.

Dave

[TallMomof2]

I disinfect any of my DRMed titles and then use Calibre to add covers where necessary. Most of the time a suitable covrt is found in Calibre so it's a fairly painless operation. In the rare cases Calibre doesn't find a cover I download one and add it manually. An extra step or two but worth it for me.

[calvin-c]

Originally Posted by TallMomof2

I disinfect any of my DRMed titles and then use Calibre to add covers where necessary. Most of the time a suitable covrt is found in Calibre so it's a fairly painless operation. In the rare cases Calibre doesn't find a cover I download one and add it manually. An extra step or two but worth it for me.

Of course doing so potentially violates the copyright on the cover image. I'm not certain, legally, but I'll make the assumption that if the cover you download is from the catalog where you purchased it, then you presumably have a right to download that image. Unless the seller is using it in violation of the copyright, anyway. You probably don't have the right to download images from other sources though. (There's a pretty gray area right now though, as to what constitutes the image. I'll sometimes download the 'same' image as was in the catalog, but from another source, because the image in the catalog is lo-res whereas the other source has it hi-res. Assuming I do have the right to download the image, to which version do I have the right? The right would be under copyright, and the same copyright would apply to both versions so, possibly, I would have the right to download either. I'm not sure about that though-haven't seen any cases covering it yet.)

[davers]

This is a bit off topic...but you guys are doing that with DRM'd books? Using Calibre? And if so, why am I using the Sony software again...

Dave

[Hellmark]

Calibre will add covers to DRM'ed ebooks. You just need the Sony software if you want to buy from Sony's ebook store. If you buy DRM'ed books elsewhere, the Adobe Digital Editions software works good too. I normally strip DRM, because not all my devices support ADE (plus I'm a linux user, and ADE is cludgy with WINE), but you can buy with ADE and then import straight into Calibre.

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by davers

Are you really willing to spend that much money on something a publisher didn't feel it was worth spending the time on to make sure was both correct and complete?

Yes.

As Harry pointed out to me, in some cases a cover is really needed. To my way of thinking that is quite different from getting upset over poor typography. If I have to experience a ration of wrath I prefer it to be over the lack of world peace or the homeless problem in California.

You pick up your new book and walk to the counter and pay for it. When you get home, you realize they removed the dust jacket and kept it before putting it in the bag. Should you then say "I never look at the dust jacket so who cares that they didn't include that?"

Absolutely not!!! You should simply pay it no mind at all. It's not worth the time or effort to get upset over something so trivial.

When I buy a book, I'm buying what the author says. That being said, when I purchase a painting, if I got home and found the canvas bare I'd most likely take it back to the store and ask for the paint.

Stitchawl