Comments on: Should self-published authors use an e-book conversion service? http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/bowker-and-data-conversion-laboratory-team-to-help-self-publishers/ News & views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics Sat, 25 May 2013 13:44:41 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: David Derrico http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/bowker-and-data-conversion-laboratory-team-to-help-self-publishers/comment-page-1/#comment-1240308 David Derrico Wed, 13 Feb 2013 20:38:50 +0000 http://www.teleread.com/?p=78853#comment-1240308 Well, it must be worth it if they "insure that the files you receive have gone through rigorous quality assurance testing." Hopefully they can ENsure that their quality assurance team is as good as their proofreading team. Well, it must be worth it if they “insure that the files you receive have gone through rigorous quality assurance testing.” Hopefully they can ENsure that their quality assurance team is as good as their proofreading team.

]]> By: Juli Monroe http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/bowker-and-data-conversion-laboratory-team-to-help-self-publishers/comment-page-1/#comment-1240292 Juli Monroe Wed, 13 Feb 2013 19:36:20 +0000 http://www.teleread.com/?p=78853#comment-1240292 Thanks, Paul, for confirming what I'd thought. I'm sure I'll be talking to you about conversion some day soon. Thanks, Paul, for confirming what I’d thought. I’m sure I’ll be talking to you about conversion some day soon.

]]> By: Paul Salvette http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/bowker-and-data-conversion-laboratory-team-to-help-self-publishers/comment-page-1/#comment-1240195 Paul Salvette Wed, 13 Feb 2013 14:22:31 +0000 http://www.teleread.com/?p=78853#comment-1240195 Juli, The additional markup for the MOBI does not justify the cost. It's good to learn how to do this formatting stuff. Good luck and let us know if we can help. Juli,

The additional markup for the MOBI does not justify the cost. It’s good to learn how to do this formatting stuff. Good luck and let us know if we can help.

]]> By: Juli Monroe http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/bowker-and-data-conversion-laboratory-team-to-help-self-publishers/comment-page-1/#comment-1240192 Juli Monroe Wed, 13 Feb 2013 14:10:40 +0000 http://www.teleread.com/?p=78853#comment-1240192 Paul, I hear you on the stylesheet. However, does it really cost enough more that their statement makes sense? I'd consider using you, Paul, if your book on formatting hadn't been so darned good. :) For the moment, I'm happy to do it myself. I figure its good experience to have. Maybe in the future, when my books are making enough money that it makes financial sense to outsource the work. Paul, I hear you on the stylesheet. However, does it really cost enough more that their statement makes sense?

I’d consider using you, Paul, if your book on formatting hadn’t been so darned good. :) For the moment, I’m happy to do it myself. I figure its good experience to have. Maybe in the future, when my books are making enough money that it makes financial sense to outsource the work.

]]> By: Paul Salvette http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/bowker-and-data-conversion-laboratory-team-to-help-self-publishers/comment-page-1/#comment-1240035 Paul Salvette Wed, 13 Feb 2013 04:15:36 +0000 http://www.teleread.com/?p=78853#comment-1240035 I don't understand the pricing model on a "per page" basis (disclosure: our company is a competitor). A 12-page brochure is actually more complicated to turn into an eBook than War and Peace, since images and different styles of text require special attention. A straight-forward novel can be done pretty quickly. Regarding EPUB -> MOBI/KF8, it's a best practice to use a different stylesheet for the Kindle devices. There's also a few caveats like MOBI/KF8 doesn't allow an HTML cover page. I hope you'll consider us, Juli, for your book. We charge a lot less than $375 (a lot less). I don’t understand the pricing model on a “per page” basis (disclosure: our company is a competitor). A 12-page brochure is actually more complicated to turn into an eBook than War and Peace, since images and different styles of text require special attention. A straight-forward novel can be done pretty quickly.

Regarding EPUB -> MOBI/KF8, it’s a best practice to use a different stylesheet for the Kindle devices. There’s also a few caveats like MOBI/KF8 doesn’t allow an HTML cover page. I hope you’ll consider us, Juli, for your book. We charge a lot less than $375 (a lot less).

]]> By: Frank Lowney http://www.teleread.com/ebooks/bowker-and-data-conversion-laboratory-team-to-help-self-publishers/comment-page-1/#comment-1239818 Frank Lowney Tue, 12 Feb 2013 18:48:22 +0000 http://www.teleread.com/?p=78853#comment-1239818 Conversion services are solutions in search of a problem that shouldn't exist in a standards-based environment. Web designers suffered for years with this and are now in a much better but still not perfect, position because of better standards compliance. Today, few web browsers would dare to ignore HTML 5 as ePub 3 seems to be ignored in the world of eBooks. Conversion services are solutions in search of a problem that shouldn’t exist in a standards-based environment. Web designers suffered for years with this and are now in a much better but still not perfect, position because of better standards compliance. Today, few web browsers would dare to ignore HTML 5 as ePub 3 seems to be ignored in the world of eBooks.

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