How can I buy the typeset/pdf version of an ebook?

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by andrew73249

I didn't know about Smashwords, or that there were so many indie ebooks that had fixed layout/pdfs available. Thanks!

These are generated by Smashwords. Their publishing page allows the author to supply either a Word file, or an ePub. For Word submissions, they will generate the other formats including PDF. To me they don't fit your original question.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by davidfor

These are generated by Smashwords. Their publishing page allows the author to supply either a Word file, or an ePub. For Word submissions, they will generate the other formats including PDF. To me they don't fit your original question.

Clearly not. That's exactly what the OP could do by converting books from ePub to PDF himself.

[andrew73249]

Originally Posted by davidfor

These are generated by Smashwords. Their publishing page allows the author to supply either a Word file, or an ePub. For Word submissions, they will generate the other formats including PDF. To me they don't fit your original question.

Thanks for clarifying this. If the pdfs at Smashwords are just conversions from epub or some other format that isn't intended to retain information about page layout, then you're right, this is not what I was looking for.

So I guess it looks like the only options for purchase of fixed layout, "print replica" ebooks as of January, 2019 are

• the original publishers (who rarely make them available)
• Google Play "original pages" (which frequently have issues)
• Amazon "print replicas" (which are rarely available)
• eBooks.com secure pdfs (which are becoming increasingly rare)

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by andrew73249

Thanks for clarifying this. If the pdfs at Smashwords are just conversions from epub or some other format that isn't intended to retain information about page layout, then you're right, this is not what I was looking for.

So I guess it looks like the only options for purchase of fixed layout, "print replica" ebooks as of January, 2019 are

• the original publishers (who rarely make them available)
• Google Play "original pages" (which frequently have issues)
• Amazon "print replicas" (which are rarely available)

Correct.
As far as narrative text books go, pdf is generally contra-indicated as it negates most of the benefits of doing an ebook in the first place.

PDF originated as an archival format for print with the idea that it would be transmitted digitally but printed before reading. It was not designed from the ground up for screen reading like the reflowable formats.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by andrew73249

Thanks for clarifying this. If the pdfs at Smashwords are just conversions from epub or some other format that isn't intended to retain information about page layout, then you're right, this is not what I was looking for.

So I guess it looks like the only options for purchase of fixed layout, "print replica" ebooks as of January, 2019 are

• the original publishers (who rarely make them available)
• Google Play "original pages" (which frequently have issues)
• Amazon "print replicas" (which are rarely available)

You might also want to consider that many pdf ebooks are for books that do not have a print edition so there is no page layout information to retain. As in the case of Smashwords where including page numbers in the TOC is "a sure sign you ignored the Smashwords Style Guide".

As for the preferred input format, Smashword's preference is for .doc files with well-formed epubs being the second choice.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by andrew73249

So I guess it looks like the only options for purchase of fixed layout, "print replica" ebooks as of January, 2019 are

• the original publishers (who rarely make them available)
• Google Play "original pages" (which frequently have issues)
• Amazon "print replicas" (which are rarely available)

Pretty much. If this was say 2005 or so you'd have had a much easier time finding what you're looking for.

[gmw]

Originally Posted by DNSB

You might also want to consider that many pdf ebooks are for books that do not have a print edition so there is no page layout information to retain. As in the case of Smashwords where including page numbers in the TOC is "a sure sign you ignored the Smashwords Style Guide".

As for the preferred input format, Smashword's preference is for .doc files with well-formed epubs being the second choice.

Just a small elaboration: Smashwords accept epubs but do no conversion from that format. That is... If the author supplies a .doc then Smashwords generates many other formats and online preview. If the author also supplies an .epub then it is used in place of the generated .epub but nothing more. If the author only supplies .epub then no other formats (not even a preview) will be available at Smashwords. As a result, not every ebook on Smashwords has a pdf version.

[Difflugia]

Originally Posted by andrew73249

Thanks for clarifying this. If the pdfs at Smashwords are just conversions from epub or some other format that isn't intended to retain information about page layout, then you're right, this is not what I was looking for.

So I guess it looks like the only options for purchase of fixed layout, "print replica" ebooks as of January, 2019 are

• the original publishers (who rarely make them available)
• Google Play "original pages" (which frequently have issues)
• Amazon "print replicas" (which are rarely available)

I'm a little late to the party, but eBooks.com offers ADE downloads in PDF when the publisher makes one available. That's becoming more rare with new books and publishers are even removing the PDF option on some older ones, but there are still a number of books with a PDF option. You can even download both formats with the same purchase.

If you go that route, eBooks.com enforces a max number of downloads that is set by the publisher and not disclosed anywhere. It's usually five, but it's occasionally three or (fortunately rarely) even one. Second, the available formats can change. I have books that had PDF available when I bought them, but don't any longer. Third, eBooks.com tends to have higher prices on average (often MSRP for print versions) and seems to be included in publisher sales less often. I usually check them, though, and have been pleasantly surprised a few times.

The advanced search allows you to select format ("PDF" means a PDF with ADE DRM). A book with both PDF and epub available will have a line below the description that says, "Read online, or download in secure PDF or secure EPUB format."

[andrew73249]

Originally Posted by Difflugia

I'm a little late to the party, but eBooks.com offers ADE downloads in PDF when the publisher makes one available. That's becoming more rare with new books and publishers are even removing the PDF option on some older ones, but there are still a number of books with a PDF option. You can even download both formats with the same purchase.

If you go that route, eBooks.com enforces a max number of downloads that is set by the publisher and not disclosed anywhere. It's usually five, but it's occasionally three or (fortunately rarely) even one. Second, the available formats can change. I have books that had PDF available when I bought them, but don't any longer. Third, eBooks.com tends to have higher prices on average (often MSRP for print versions) and seems to be included in publisher sales less often. I usually check them, though, and have been pleasantly surprised a few times.

The advanced search allows you to select format ("PDF" means a PDF with ADE DRM). A book with both PDF and epub available will have a line below the description that says, "Read online, or download in secure PDF or secure EPUB format."

Fantastic, thanks very much! I didn't know about ebooks.com, and I've already found some "print replica" pdfs for books that don't seem to be available anywhere else, including from the original publisher. For example, Wiley does not seem to offer any of the "X for Dummies" books that I'm interested in as pdfs anymore, but ebooks.com still has a great many. I have edited my summary of resources above to include ebooks.com.