Which eReader platforms make upgrading ebooks easy?

[Cootey]

I was wondering which eReader platforms make upgrading ebooks easy? I know that iBooks offers an update badge to let you know when an ebook has been updated. Updating the ebook replaces the one on your device. It's fairly easy, though some authors abuse the feature and have almost weekly updates. What about other platforms? With Kindle, I believe you delete the book, then redownload it to update it. What about Nook and Kobo? Any thoughts?

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by Cootey

I was wondering which eReader platforms make upgrading ebooks easy? I know that iBooks offers an update badge to let you know when an ebook has been updated. Updating the ebook replaces the one on your device. It's fairly easy, though some authors abuse the feature and have almost weekly updates. What about other platforms? With Kindle, I believe you delete the book, then redownload it to update it. What about Nook and Kobo? Any thoughts?

No, you do not have to delete the book on a Kindle, just go to manage my content and send the update.

Now what kind of books are these authors updating?
Are they adding chapters or just correcting the mistakes their very cheap proofreader made?
Earlier idea makes sense, latter idea is well never mind.

Now are you an author thinking about messing up your readership by changing key information in your own book or a curious reader?

[Cootey]

Haha No. Most authors on iBooks seem to update the ads for new books that are at the back of the book. I haven’t updated a Kindle book in a while since it required deleting, then redownloading. Glad they updated that process. But do readers have to open a web browser to get the update? There’s no way to do it on a Kindle?

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by Cootey

Haha No. Most authors on iBooks seem to update the ads for new books that are at the back of the book. I haven’t updated a Kindle book in a while since it required deleting, then redownloading. Glad they updated that process. But do readers have to open a web browser to get the update? There’s no way to do it on a Kindle?

All kindles have a browser.
Oh you are talking ads for new books, not content. I don't know of any kindle authors that do that.
I do believe to get updates on the kindle you have to either set it up as auto-update or go to Myc.
I figured you were an author because you posted it in the writer's corner.

[gmw]

Cootey, I am a little confused. Are you asking this from a reader's perspective or a publisher's perspective?

On the publishing side:

Smashwords make it easy to update existing books, I've done it with a couple of my short stories (one to fix some text, the other to fix a cover error).

The only experience of book changes I've had with Amazon was when I changed from using BookBaby to going direct. In that case the old edition had to be deleted and the new one added. This was a shame, since the reviews on the old edition got lost as well.


On the reading side: Kobo has not told me about updates to books I've bought, and I never go looking for updates. I don't expect fiction to change, and for non-fiction any significant changes I expect to come out in a new edition (separate book). I guess it doesn't have to work like this, it's just the way I've grown up expecting it to work.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Cootey

Haha No. Most authors on iBooks seem to update the ads for new books that are at the back of the book. I haven’t updated a Kindle book in a while since it required deleting, then redownloading. Glad they updated that process. But do readers have to open a web browser to get the update? There’s no way to do it on a Kindle?

My Kindle and Kindle app (windows,android) auto downloads the update when synced (My K4 lives in airplane mode to conserve battery, so I get to see the sync). On the windows version, you get to see the 2 (versions) covers during the session. The covers may be the same (content update) or different (cover and/content update)

[Cootey]

Originally Posted by gmw

Cootey, I am a little confused. Are you asking this from a reader's perspective or a publisher's perspective?

From a reader's perspective. As a publisher, updating a book's a simple matter of uploading the new file to Smashwords or Kindle. However, I have questions about how the process affects readers. More below…

Originally Posted by gmw

On the reading side: Kobo has not told me about updates to books I've bought, and I never go looking for updates. I don't expect fiction to change, and for non-fiction any significant changes I expect to come out in a new edition (separate book). I guess it doesn't have to work like this, it's just the way I've grown up expecting it to work.

I haven't been pushed by Kobo to update books either. I have not noticed if book updates happen during syncing with Kobo's servers. It might be a transparent, automatic process for Kobo.

Yesterday, when I opened iBooks on my Mac, I was prompted to update two books. Today, I was prompted to update three more. When I click on the "Details" link under the update pane for Cassandra Clare's "City of Bones", I see the following:

"Version History
Dec 21, 2017
Teasers added for CITY OF ASHES, CLOCKWORK ANGEL, and LADY MIDNIGHT. Author "Also by" page, backs, and registration pages updated."

You can click on "show all versions" to see more of the same. Meanwhile, Barbara Hambly's "The Silent Tower" was updated to address ebook conversion typos.

On one hand, this is a very handy feature, but some prolific authors push updates through all their book series perhaps excessively. I once downloaded 50 or so free mystery novels from iBooks. The indy published authors kept pushing updates, almost weekly, to update the ads in their books. It was a nightmare, so I removed all of those books.

Since I have updated books of my own because of typos, I wondered what the experience was like for readers on other platforms. I may have to make a change for experiment's sake and see which platforms automatically update the book without prompting, which simply leave the update on the server, forcing the reader to delete and redownload, or which prompt for an update as iBooks does.

Does that clarify things for you?

[gmw]

Originally Posted by Cootey

[...] Does that clarify things for you?

Yes, thank you. That's very clear.

I would have been less than happy to receive edition updates that were simply marketing (as you noted for City of Bones.). Conversion updates, okay, they're good. And, like you, I would be removing any ebooks showing constant updates - if I want dynamic content I'll go to a website.

I do think your experimental approach is probably the most reliable means of finding out how it works for readers. To keep up-to-date you might have to repeat the experiment every 6 or 12 months, since this stuff may change without notice.

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by Cootey

From a reader's perspective. As a publisher, updating a book's a simple matter of uploading the new file to Smashwords or Kindle. However, I have questions about how the process affects readers. More below…



I haven't been pushed by Kobo to update books either. I have not noticed if book updates happen during syncing with Kobo's servers. It might be a transparent, automatic process for Kobo.

Yesterday, when I opened iBooks on my Mac, I was prompted to update two books. Today, I was prompted to update three more. When I click on the "Details" link under the update pane for Cassandra Clare's "City of Bones", I see the following:

"Version History
Dec 21, 2017
Teasers added for CITY OF ASHES, CLOCKWORK ANGEL, and LADY MIDNIGHT. Author "Also by" page, backs, and registration pages updated."

You can click on "show all versions" to see more of the same. Meanwhile, Barbara Hambly's "The Silent Tower" was updated to address ebook conversion typos.

On one hand, this is a very handy feature, but some prolific authors push updates through all their book series perhaps excessively. I once downloaded 50 or so free mystery novels from iBooks. The indy published authors kept pushing updates, almost weekly, to update the ads in their books. It was a nightmare, so I removed all of those books.

Since I have updated books of my own because of typos, I wondered what the experience was like for readers on other platforms. I may have to make a change for experiment's sake and see which platforms automatically update the book without prompting, which simply leave the update on the server, forcing the reader to delete and redownload, or which prompt for an update as iBooks does.

Does that clarify things for you?

Very clear. Agreeing I would just delete them too. Oh you said mostly freebies. You probably aren't missing much especially if the author is taking all that time to change things.

Now my opinion on authors that redo their books after publication (and there are some out there), I won't read more than one of their books. That said I have seen books that just needed pulled and totally redone due to errors.
I think the record was 8 errors in a 12 word sentence.

[HLS]

I really have no clue that we ever have book updates. Always thought if a book was rewritten in some way we had to buy an new copy? I do know covers are updated periodically automatically

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by kcladyz

I really have no clue that we ever have book updates. Always thought if a book was rewritten in some way we had to buy an new copy? I do know covers are updated periodically automatically

Only if they put out a new edition, if they just update the ebook, then it will either automatically update if you have that feature turned on or on the kindle, you can go to myc and click on the update.

Luckily, you do not have to buy a new copy of the ebook.

Now yes, some books are put out as new editions. Those are usually through the big 5.
Example Better Homes & Gardens New Cookbook. They do put out new editions.

Joe Blow's... My mother was a teenage alien will just get updated every time he gets a review of someone didn't like something in the book.