Does ebook size matter

BeccaPrice · 05-28-2013, 09:43 AM

compiled in mobi, my collection is 700 kb - this is maybe 3x the size of other books, and I think it's because the cover graphic is in such high resolution. Is this an issue?

In epub it's 3,712kb, which is even worse.

Is this something I should worry about?

JSWolf · 05-28-2013, 10:21 AM

In the ePub, if you have embedded fonts, use Calibre to subset the fonts and it will reduce the size of the ePub.

BeccaPrice · 05-28-2013, 10:56 AM

I don't have embedded fonts, that I know of. I'm not sure how to check for this.

I opened the epub file in Sigil and while I saw a Fonts directory, it appeared to be empty.

when I went to validate the eupb, I got an errror that <dc:title /> was empty. I'm not sure how to correct this.

JSWolf · 05-28-2013, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BeccaPrice

I don't have embedded fonts, that I know of. I'm not sure how to check for this.

I opened the epub file in Sigil and while I saw a Fonts directory, it appeared to be empty.

when I went to validate the eupb, I got an errror that <dc:title /> was empty. I'm not sure how to correct this.

Since the fonts directory is empty, there are no embedded fonts. Maybe it's because of the cover.

As for <dc:title />, here is the entry in the eBook I'm fixing up.

<dc:title>Cat & Mouse</dc:title>

Change yours to something like that except use the title of the book you are editing. That is the metadata for the title of the book.

BeccaPrice · 05-28-2013, 11:22 AM

ok, thanks. For the most part, I like scrivener as a writing environment (although I'm still fighting with it) but I think I'll export to epub with it and clean some things up in Sigil and then convert with calibre before I'm ready to publish.

Turtle91 · 05-28-2013, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BeccaPrice

ok, thanks. For the most part, I like scrivener as a writing environment (although I'm still fighting with it) but I think I'll export to epub with it and clean some things up in Sigil and then convert with calibre before I'm ready to publish.

Convert ePub to mobi with Calibre?? I would recommend using Kindlepreview/kindlegen to convert to mobi - it's free(download to your computer) and the official/certified process used by Amazon to convert ePub to their format. You *may* get other errors introduced when you use a 3rd party conversion.

BeccaPrice · 05-28-2013, 01:13 PM

You've convinced me. I've got kindlegen downloaded, but apparently I need the previewer to be able to convert. That's allegedly downloading now, although it's taking forever to download. I'll see how that works.

btw, I know there's an epub validator that you can use online; is there a mobi one, or do just have to hope that kindlegen and the previewer make a clean mobi file that Amazon will accept?

VydorScope · 05-28-2013, 07:06 PM

Yea, it is likely your cover image. How big is it outside of the epub?

JSWolf · 05-28-2013, 07:14 PM

The conversion to Mobi reduces the size of large graphics. So that could account for the size difference between the ePub and the Mobi.

AZW3 will be larger then the ePub because it does not compress as well.

VydorScope · 05-28-2013, 08:02 PM

Oh and "does it matter" - YES. It matters. You pay a delivery fee that is based on the size of the book on every order you sell at some places (like Amazon). But... at 3mb your less then 1/2 the size of my Omnibus and its not that much money.

Turtle91 · 05-28-2013, 11:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BeccaPrice

btw, I know there's an epub validator that you can use online; is there a mobi one, or do just have to hope that kindlegen and the previewer make a clean mobi file that Amazon will accept?

As far as I understand it, since kindlegen is amazon's program, it IS the validator for mobi. If it makes it through that with no warnings then you shouldn't have any problem getting it accepted. YMMV

Andy Farman · 06-16-2013, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BeccaPrice

compiled in mobi, my collection is 700 kb - this is maybe 3x the size of other books, and I think it's because the cover graphic is in such high resolution. Is this an issue?

In epub it's 3,712kb, which is even worse.

Is this something I should worry about?

I've got five hundred page novels that are a quarter that size. What format is the artwork? Bitmap is ten times the size of jpg formats.

Andy Farman · 06-16-2013, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VydorScope

Oh and "does it matter" - YES. It matters. You pay a delivery fee that is based on the size of the book on every order you sell at some places (like Amazon). But... at 3mb your less then 1/2 the size of my Omnibus and its not that much money.

CreateSpace LOADS the costs on and they aren't very honest or clever about it.

Example: My first book is 775K words and their estimate based on size was
₤6.10 but at the end of the process that had become a minimum list price of ₤11.
How do you expect to sell a Paperback at Hardback prices?
I got back an email stating that was the minimum price they could make it for.

However, when I ordered a copy just for myself it was ₤6.10 plus postage.

I don't know who does their marketing but they obviously never heard of 'Less is More'.

VydorScope · 06-16-2013, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy Farman

CreateSpace LOADS the costs on and they aren't very honest or clever about it.

Example: My first book is 775K words and their estimate based on size was
₤6.10 but at the end of the process that had become a minimum list price of ₤11.
How do you expect to sell a Paperback at Hardback prices?
I got back an email stating that was the minimum price they could make it for.

However, when I ordered a copy just for myself it was ₤6.10 plus postage.

I don't know who does their marketing but they obviously never heard of 'Less is More'.

Actually I was talking about the delivery fee that amazon charges on ebooks... has nothing to do with create space.

BeccaPrice · 06-16-2013, 02:42 PM

Turns out I had the wrong version of the cover loaded; when I got the right version, it brought the size way down into something more normal.

775,000 words? that's the size of 7 normal books - that's huge!

05-28-2013, 09:43 AM	#1
BeccaPrice Wizard Posts: 2,145 Karma: 11174187 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Sony 350, K3-3G, K4SO, KPW	Does ebook size matter compiled in mobi, my collection is 700 kb - this is maybe 3x the size of other books, and I think it's because the cover graphic is in such high resolution. Is this an issue? In epub it's 3,712kb, which is even worse. Is this something I should worry about?

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05-28-2013, 10:21 AM	#2
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 73,970 Karma: 128903378 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	In the ePub, if you have embedded fonts, use Calibre to subset the fonts and it will reduce the size of the ePub.

05-28-2013, 10:56 AM	#3
BeccaPrice Wizard Posts: 2,145 Karma: 11174187 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Sony 350, K3-3G, K4SO, KPW	I don't have embedded fonts, that I know of. I'm not sure how to check for this. I opened the epub file in Sigil and while I saw a Fonts directory, it appeared to be empty. when I went to validate the eupb, I got an errror that <dc:title /> was empty. I'm not sure how to correct this.

05-28-2013, 11:22 AM	#5
BeccaPrice Wizard Posts: 2,145 Karma: 11174187 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Sony 350, K3-3G, K4SO, KPW	ok, thanks. For the most part, I like scrivener as a writing environment (although I'm still fighting with it) but I think I'll export to epub with it and clean some things up in Sigil and then convert with calibre before I'm ready to publish.

05-28-2013, 01:13 PM	#7
BeccaPrice Wizard Posts: 2,145 Karma: 11174187 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Sony 350, K3-3G, K4SO, KPW	You've convinced me. I've got kindlegen downloaded, but apparently I need the previewer to be able to convert. That's allegedly downloading now, although it's taking forever to download. I'll see how that works. btw, I know there's an epub validator that you can use online; is there a mobi one, or do just have to hope that kindlegen and the previewer make a clean mobi file that Amazon will accept?

05-28-2013, 07:06 PM	#8
VydorScope Wizard Posts: 3,418 Karma: 35207650 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: iPad	Yea, it is likely your cover image. How big is it outside of the epub?

05-28-2013, 07:14 PM	#9
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 73,970 Karma: 128903378 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	The conversion to Mobi reduces the size of large graphics. So that could account for the size difference between the ePub and the Mobi. AZW3 will be larger then the ePub because it does not compress as well.

05-28-2013, 08:02 PM	#10
VydorScope Wizard Posts: 3,418 Karma: 35207650 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: iPad	Oh and "does it matter" - YES. It matters. You pay a delivery fee that is based on the size of the book on every order you sell at some places (like Amazon). But... at 3mb your less then 1/2 the size of my Omnibus and its not that much money.

06-16-2013, 02:42 PM	#15
BeccaPrice Wizard Posts: 2,145 Karma: 11174187 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Sony 350, K3-3G, K4SO, KPW	Turns out I had the wrong version of the cover loaded; when I got the right version, it brought the size way down into something more normal. 775,000 words? that's the size of 7 normal books - that's huge!