Criteria for duplicates?

[AlexBell]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I understand that it is frowned upon to upload an ebook if there is already a version of that book in the MobileRead library. Are there criteria which would make a duplicate acceptable?

I'm nearly finished preparing an ePub version of Scenes of Clerical Life by George Eliot. No problem there, since there is not an ePub version in the library. But there is a .prc version from 2007, so would an azw3 version of my ePub version be frowned upon?

The original print book went through many editions. The azw3 version would be from an edition which has an introduction by Grace Rhys, and the prc version does not. And the print editions had a Greek couplet and a Greek phrase embedded in the text. The 2007 prc version does not include the Greek characters, while the azw3 version would.

[GrannyGrump]

I remember being advised to go ahead with "duplicate" titles, if your new edition was

a. a different file format or upgraded file format version (prc to azw3)

b. improved version or "added value" (curly quotes, add italics, better proofing, add illustrations, add annotations / footnotes, add glossary, etc.)

Many of the older ebooks in the library are simply re-packaging of the Project Gutenberg "vanilla text" versions, and I don't think anyone would object to improved editions of those.

Particularly knowing the care you take to produce a classy book, I think you should go for the gusto!

[DaleDe]

Totally agree. Both the formats are new and different than the original and the PRC format lack so many features it would not made an sense trying to upgrade it. Many of the books are getting long in the tooth compared to modern formats.

Dale

[doubleshuffle]

Well, of course there is pynch's complete edition of George Eliot's works, which contains the Scenes.

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=216520

But I wouldn't frown upon anyone uploading alternative versions; more like shrug and wonder why. But of course you always modernise spelling and stuff, Alex, which pynch most certainly doesn't do, and that will constitute added value for some.

[AlexBell]

Thanks for your responses; they're most helpful.

[Jellby]

Quoting from the General Book Uploads Posting Guidelines:

4. If you are considering creating a particular eBook, please check before you start whether or not that book has already been uploaded to MobileRead (this can be done by clicking the "E-Books" link on the blue bar near the top of the screen, selecting the "Browse Latest Uploads" option, then selecting the "Search E-Books" link and entering either the title or the author into the search box). If you find that the book has already been uploaded, you are very welcome to upload a new version provided that it "adds" something different to the version already present - this might be a better layout, a new format, significant proof-reading and correction, proper dashes or "curly quotes", for example. If this is the case, when you upload your new version, please add a link to the earlier version (or simply say who the uploader was), and state in the description of your book how it differs from the earlier version.

Now, that's what the guidelines say, but I would say it is often ignored and almost never enforced. If you think it is worth spending your time in creating a new version of an existing book, this probably means your new version "adds" something.

[AlexBell]

Originally Posted by Jellby

Quoting from the General Book Uploads Posting Guidelines:... .

Thanks for your help.