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Reap The Whirlwind back in print? (here we go again...)

Art Vandelay said:
Is it just me or is the Kindle version of Reap the Whirlwind currently unavailable again? What's up with that?
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I just had a look and Reap the Whirlwind is not available at Amazon for some reason. But, it is available at Sony. If you can strip the ePub DRM, you can buy it from Sony and convert it to Mobipocket using Calibre.
 
bfollowell said:
Art Vandelay said:
Is it just me or is the Kindle version of Reap the Whirlwind currently unavailable again? What's up with that?
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Yes, and it appears to be only the Kindle version. Barnes & Noble seems to have it available for the Nook and Books on Board seems to have it available in several formats.

As a matter of fact, I gave up on the poor quality formatting of the TrekLit books I've bought for my Kindle. I've had to do so much editing that, I've decided to save myself a step and I now purchase all of my TrekLit in epub format from Books on Board, edit them and convert to mobi for my Kindle.

- Byron
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Yes, that's the best way to go about fixing the errors. I do it that way and I read the ePub. But if I had a Kindle, I'd still buy the ePub to fix and convert. In fact, don't bother buying Watching the Clock for the Kindle as it's missing the italics. But to fix the italics, you might need to fix the mess S&S made with the embedded fonts in the ePub. I'm not fully sure on that as I did fix the fonts so it will look good on my 650.


Anyway, I do have the all the Vanguard eBooks in ePub or MS Reader. If anyone can send me proof of purchase in any format, I can convert to ePub, and then to Mobipocket from there. If the moderators feel this is inappropriate, please feel free to edit this message.
 
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Other than a few broken lines, I didn't have any issues with WTC on the Kindle. What were the italics used for?
 
BrotherBenny said:
Other than a few broken lines, I didn't have any issues with WTC on the Kindle. What were the italics used for?
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Italics are used a lot in trek books to highlight thought and communications. So not having the italics really does lead to a much lesser reading experience.
 
JWolf said:
BrotherBenny said:
Other than a few broken lines, I didn't have any issues with WTC on the Kindle. What were the italics used for?
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Italics are used a lot in trek books to highlight thought and communications. So not having the italics really does lead to a much lesser reading experience.
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I know what they're generally used for, I was asking specifically for this book. I read it on the Kindle and had a perfectly enjoyable reading experience.

I do have to ask though (since I'm curious), since you seem to take exception with something in every book, how do you know what the "proper" format and layout is supposed to be unless you have the paperback version and use that as a basis for comparison?
 
BrotherBenny said:
JWolf said:
BrotherBenny said:
Other than a few broken lines, I didn't have any issues with WTC on the Kindle. What were the italics used for?
Click to expand...

Italics are used a lot in trek books to highlight thought and communications. So not having the italics really does lead to a much lesser reading experience.
Click to expand...
I know what they're generally used for, I was asking specifically for this book. I read it on the Kindle and had a perfectly enjoyable reading experience.

I do have to ask though (since I'm curious), since you seem to take exception with something in every book, how do you know what the "proper" format and layout is supposed to be unless you have the paperback version and use that as a basis for comparison?
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In this case, I used Google books to have a look and saw about the missing bold in the section headers. The italics code was in the XML files, but the CSS didn't have the proper code to display italics. So that was an easy fix.

In other Trek eBooks, the fix is margins how I like and fixing the embedded font. Then reading and fixing any errors found. Usually the formatting is pretty good. But if I need to look at the pBook, Google will do fine.

I had one Terok Nor eBook that didn't display at all in ADE. I had to strip the DRM to get it to display (DRM was botched) and then when it did display, it looked a mess. The CSS was the issue. Somehow the CSS got formatted wrongly and ADE didn't like it so basically ignored it. Once I fixed the CSS, it worked. Then I could fix the margins and anything else I felt needed fixing.

S&S is charging more and delivering less. That's the problem. I've basically had to fix some problem in every ePub since (I think) the 2nd Destiny eBook.
 
BrotherBenny said:
Other than a few broken lines, I didn't have any issues with WTC on the Kindle. What were the italics used for?
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I'm only a couple chapters in, but the place I've noticed it most is on ship names, which are almost always in italics, but aren't in my version.
 
sfroth said:
BrotherBenny said:
Other than a few broken lines, I didn't have any issues with WTC on the Kindle. What were the italics used for?
Click to expand...

I'm only a couple chapters in, but the place I've noticed it most is on ship names, which are almost always in italics, but aren't in my version.
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What S&S seems to have done is make the ePub, botched it, then used that to convert to Mobipocket for the Kindle.

With the mess of the italics and the few broken lines, this leads me to believe that S&S is using PDF as the source. This can cause all kinds of problems. Way to go S&S.
 
They'll have to fix it eventually. I still say fire the idiot that's doing it now and outsource it to someone reputable.
 
BrotherBenny said:
They'll have to fix it eventually. I still say fire the idiot that's doing it now and outsource it to someone reputable.
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Another problem with S&S is that there is no easy way to find anyone in the eBook department to actually tell about the eBook problems. I might have a go at trying to find a way to contact the eBook department. But it may not be easy or even possible.

Actually, I could do a lot better job then whoever is doing it now. If they are using a PDF source, then there has to be a source that made the PDF. Get that and then go from there. But if that is say in a DTP program, maybe get the source from that. It really isn't too hard to do it right or at least check that it's right.
 
Sorry for the necromancy, but I wanted to mention that I found a used copy of Reap the Whirlwind (that's in better shape that the one I bought new) for $7. This is cool because I have two different friends who have expressed interest in Vanguard, but I didn't want to let RtW out of my possesion considering how hard it is to find. Now I have a lending copy.

What's interesting is the format. It's larger than a MMPB and yet smaller than a trade.
 
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As noted above, the larger size would indicate they are selling the reprints, which are still in production if I understand correctly.
 
Turtletrekker said:
What's interesting is the format. It's larger than a MMPB and yet smaller than a trade.
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But the area of typeface is identical to the MMPB, just in the bigger paper size, which must be the most cost-effective format for shorter-run reprints. Some buyers get very angry when they realise they're paying more for the larger format, but no benefit to their eyesight.

My local SF bookshop recently got in several copies of "Stargazer: Enigma" in the same POD format.
 
I've recently come across some 8th Doctor Dr Who books in Waterstones retailing for £9.99 that look a little 'odd' - very white paper, shiny cover that looks like a scan, old (original) print dates. All are the same size as normal paperbacks. To the best of my knowlege they have been out of print for a while - could these be POD's ?

I hope so - I might get a copy of Lungbarrow or Dying Days that way...
 
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