Sifting the various input, download difficulties due to the size of the file are posing a formidable challenge to some users on some systems. As a ‘gateway’ problem, this turns people away before we can get them through the door to help them with any other problems, so it concerns me.
I’m going to have to talk to Jane to find out what our options are, but it seems that the omnifile needs to be greatly reduced in size or divvied up. Here are my considerations:
1. We aren’t going to be able to give re-downloads of different formats months later when your device changes: we’re little guys, and our software isn’t capable of storing hundreds, we hope thousands, of records, and we need to be writing, not keeping increasingly complex records. So we have to be sure you get everything you’re going to need in one go, so you can store it and have it, period, forever, all at one price.
2. I’m not sure our system can give you the option to download over half a dozen files, and many users aren’t going to be ‘up’ on exactly which format they’re going to need…they use their download link, are instantly confronted by an alphabet soup of choices relating to a machine they plan to get but haven’t got instructions for yet, or a machine like an iphone that they’ve never used in that application—and they’re baffled. So that’s a problem.
3. One solution would be to offer only 3 formats: non-drm mobi, an e-Pub, and a PDF. Certainly less work for me, but that work is fairly minor to me—one big effort to produce a file, and then I don’t have to do anything more with it. What would you have to do to use those 3 files to produce everything else? You have to go into Calibre on your computer, install the mobi file, and then ask it to produce, one at a time, (erasing the file Calibre now has at each stage, always going back to the original mobi file [prevents errors) all the other formats it can produce. Mobi>FB2. Mobi>LIT. Mobi>RTF, etc, etc.
IF IF IF I can get the software to allow two downloads offered, I could prepare one download with just the 3 files, for those who want the short download and want to do their own conversions; and a second omnifile containing all the versions. I’ve tried to lower the technological barriers to the majority of people by offering all the formats; but that raises a technological barrier in terms of download time. Sigh.
So. Opinions? What do you think? Would you rather do your own conversions? More choices in a big download file, or a smaller download file which you then have to use to create YOUR particular formats—which would you prefer, if you absolutely had to make a choice? I’ll do both if I can—if people actually want the big one. If I have to make a choice, what should it be?
I would prefer the smaller file that I could convert to whichever format I needed later. Having all the files is well and good, but it is redundancy and can be just as confusing. Calibre works well in converting and isn’t hard to use (and you can always put a tutorial up on CC if needed).
I think smaller downloads are good, as long as they include the major ebook platforms – mobi and epub; the pdf is a bonus. Anyone who has a different reader is probably computer-literate enough to know how to convert.
Is it possible for you to have an option where the purchaser decides which format to download? I think Baen Books does it like that, although I have no idea how they’ve set it up.
I agree with Russ: there’s no need to download formats that one isn’t going to use. An option at download time to select the format (perhaps with a help page explaining which format is “best” for the ereader software/hardware one owns) would be my suggestion.
smaller downloads are better. those three formats should cover most people and conversion is so very easy.
As others have said, keep the download smaller.
If you can (simply) give the user a choice of format then that keeps it to an absolute minimum, but if not then the 3-in-1 option plus link to Calibre (and perhaps a quick ‘How To’ on conversion) on CC should be sufficient.
If someone is looking to read e-books that implies a certain level of familiarity with technology, or knowing someone who is able to sort things for you – either way they should be OK.
Three formats seems best to me. The formats will shake out sooner or later as a standard arrises like VHS and Blueray beat their competition eventually.
I think we’re developing a theme here. 😆
I’d miss out PDF unless you want to include clever formatting / pictures etc.
I’d also make a request for simple html. Almost any device can display html, with full allowances for choosing fonts / size at the time of reading.
html is oddly enough one of the most problematic to produce, with the software I have. But PDF would be one of the three.
If you have/are using the Mobipocket Creator to make the Mobi/prc file it does save the html intermediate step in the same folder.
But it’s in 4-10 different pieces…I don’t know how to pull it together without actually turning it into a web page.
Three formats sound good to me…being only semi computer literate I can do these! 😆
I would be happy with the unlocked MOBI format.
Can use Calibre to create anything else I might need.
Or Acrobat itself to produce a PDF (yeah I got the writer version).
Just sayin….
Whatever is easiest for you. Like Geoff, unlocked MOBI is all I need.
I vote for the short download, and we do our own conversions as needed.
😆 I don’t think we’ve ever been this unanimous this fast.
All right. I’ll take you guys as a pretty good statistical sample and say that we will offer The Writing Life v1 version 1.5 as an omnifile containing 1. drm-free mobi, 2. e-Pub and 3. PDF—with the strong, strong, strong! recommendation you install Calibre, Mobipocket Reader, and Adobe Reader on your computer. With those three softwares, two free and one with a modest request for donation, you can either read or convert those 3 files to anything you might foreseeably need.
And it saves me several hours per omnifile, which is good: it makes you happier and saves me hours and hours. I like that.
You’ve got to remember, we’re are all fairly tech savvy people. KISS is always the best way.
I provided a choice of those three formats for my book: 72% of people so far chose PDF, 17% chose MOBI and 11% chose EPUB. Of coursem,I’ve no way or knowing how many people didn’t download it because I didn’t offer the format of their individual choice, but the figures do suggest PDF is actually very popular.
It downloaded in a blink of an eye for me. So I am ok with the file size and the convenience of not having to do all conversion stuff myself as well as having a number of formats on hand should my device change. Are people using dial up or something? I don’t know anyone who doesn’t have a decent internet connection these days, but maybe I’m among the younger crowd or something.
I just downloaded it here at work to take a look at it… It is only 3.1 MB! That is the average size of one mp3 song. Quite reasonable. I don’t know what all the fuss is about. If you download a single mp3 song you should be able to download this zip file no problem. And if you can’t download a single mp3 you are using an internet connection from 15 years ago and should be used to slowness all over the web anyway. I prefer the current zip. If I am buying an ebook as a gift to a friend I don’t want to have to mess with converting things myself or expecting her to do it. An mp3 size file is a drop in the bucket these days and will be increasingly so on down the road. For all we know the free converters will start charging once ebooks really take off. Better have all your ducks in a row now than be forced to do over all these downloads in a year or two.
Of course should you upload some 1,000 page doorstop that would be a much bigger file. I still think once ebooks take off more and more regular people will be getting into them will not have the skills or patience to download conversion software and do things for themselves. If I got my dad a reader he’d have no idea how to do that for himself and wouldn’t care to learn. He’d want to download the book and immediately be able to read it. Heck, my sister would have the same attitude. Neither are good with technology but both read a ton of books and will be the next wave of ebook readers.
There’s lots of places out in the country where broadband isn’t available and it is just too expensive for some people. A satellite system also costs $$$.
Thank you, one and all. Sweetbo, good point. So…Jane is now awake (we were at the theater last night)…and here is the plan.
We can’t offer 2 downloads in the same file.
But we can make a second download button.
The top button will be LG download.
The bottom button will be SM download. With the notation that the LG is all formats, the SM is 3 formats: no, you don’t get a discount for wanting the small size. 😆 and I’m not going to charge extra for the large.
Checking out the file sizes, The Writing Life is actually as long a file as one of the Foreigner novels. So they won’t get much bigger than 3 meg. But for those of you in situations where that 3 meg is way slow, we will have this streamlined alternative. No big deal for us to do. Jane has informed me I get to go in and change the code in the Shop, for all the products now entered. 😉
So in the actual store opening there will be 2 download buttons, one with every format we can conveniently produce, and the next one the essential three, for people who need a fast download for formats they can convert themselves.
THank you all for your suggestions and thoughtful notes.