Comments on: To KF8 or MOBI, that is the question… http://guidohenkel.com/2012/01/to-kf8-or-mobi-that-is-the-question%e2%80%a6/ Welcome to the world of writer and game designer Guido Henkel Tue, 21 May 2013 22:13:16 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.2 By: Guido http://guidohenkel.com/2012/01/to-kf8-or-mobi-that-is-the-question%e2%80%a6/#comment-6177 Guido Fri, 17 Feb 2012 03:34:41 +0000 http://guidohenkel.com/?p=1037#comment-6177 I think you would have to study this on a case by case basis. There is a lot that can be done with the good old MOBI and EPUB formats. Is it worth going for the new KF8 features and potentially degrading the MOBI experience as a result? You need to balance what you want to do with how it can be managed in both MOBI and KF8 formats. Don't forget it is not an either/or situation. The real crux is that Amazon will always create a MOBI version from your KF8 eBook, and the question becomes what will <i>that</i> look like? I think you would have to study this on a case by case basis. There is a lot that can be done with the good old MOBI and EPUB formats. Is it worth going for the new KF8 features and potentially degrading the MOBI experience as a result? You need to balance what you want to do with how it can be managed in both MOBI and KF8 formats. Don’t forget it is not an either/or situation. The real crux is that Amazon will always create a MOBI version from your KF8 eBook, and the question becomes what will that look like?

]]> By: Phyllis Zimbler Miller http://guidohenkel.com/2012/01/to-kf8-or-mobi-that-is-the-question%e2%80%a6/#comment-6176 Phyllis Zimbler Miller Fri, 17 Feb 2012 03:21:55 +0000 http://guidohenkel.com/?p=1037#comment-6176 This is a great discussion for all of you who are working on creating ebooks. But what about us self-published ebook authors who have to make decisions as to what format to have our ebooks created in? I have 2 fiction titles on Kindle, Nook and Smashwords already. I am now about to launch a nonfiction 3-ebook series, and I'm considering what formats these ebooks need to be in. It's so irritating because I want the nonfiction ebooks -- which have some tricky Word formatting -- to look very professional. This is a great discussion for all of you who are working on creating ebooks.

But what about us self-published ebook authors who have to make decisions as to what format to have our ebooks created in?

I have 2 fiction titles on Kindle, Nook and Smashwords already.

I am now about to launch a nonfiction 3-ebook series, and I’m considering what formats these ebooks need to be in.

It’s so irritating because I want the nonfiction ebooks — which have some tricky Word formatting — to look very professional.

]]> By: Daniel R. Marvello http://guidohenkel.com/2012/01/to-kf8-or-mobi-that-is-the-question%e2%80%a6/#comment-5522 Daniel R. Marvello Fri, 27 Jan 2012 01:31:59 +0000 http://guidohenkel.com/?p=1037#comment-5522 Thanks for your insights. I've gotten good at formatting for MobiPocket, and I had planned to stick with that format until the vast majority of devices are KF8-capable. Good to get some validation on that decision. As mentioned by others, readers blame the publisher or the author when the formatting goes wonky. Fortunately, most of the works I've published had minimal formatting requirements, so sticking with MobiPocket isn't really that restrictive. Thanks for your insights. I’ve gotten good at formatting for MobiPocket, and I had planned to stick with that format until the vast majority of devices are KF8-capable. Good to get some validation on that decision. As mentioned by others, readers blame the publisher or the author when the formatting goes wonky. Fortunately, most of the works I’ve published had minimal formatting requirements, so sticking with MobiPocket isn’t really that restrictive.

]]> By: Charles http://guidohenkel.com/2012/01/to-kf8-or-mobi-that-is-the-question%e2%80%a6/#comment-5376 Charles Mon, 23 Jan 2012 19:05:22 +0000 http://guidohenkel.com/?p=1037#comment-5376 I'm not so sure on the backwards compatibility thing anymore. Someone pointed out an e-book on Amazon to me the other day that displays a different font than that of my Kindle-3's default font. It's similar, but he mentioned to me how the capital A had one leg that was severly slanted unlike Kindle's font. I discovered he was right after downloading the book sample. I don't understand how this was possible to do unless perhaps my Kindle might have automatically downloaded some kind of firmware upgrade during the last time I had the wirless turned on or something. Either that or perhaps SOME of the KF8 features pertaining to font actually are backwards compatible. I’m not so sure on the backwards compatibility thing anymore. Someone pointed out an e-book on Amazon to me the other day that displays a different font than that of my Kindle-3′s default font. It’s similar, but he mentioned to me how the capital A had one leg that was severly slanted unlike Kindle’s font. I discovered he was right after downloading the book sample.

I don’t understand how this was possible to do unless perhaps my Kindle might have automatically downloaded some kind of firmware upgrade during the last time I had the wirless turned on or something. Either that or perhaps SOME of the KF8 features pertaining to font actually are backwards compatible.

]]> By: Guido http://guidohenkel.com/2012/01/to-kf8-or-mobi-that-is-the-question%e2%80%a6/#comment-5154 Guido Wed, 18 Jan 2012 06:15:37 +0000 http://guidohenkel.com/?p=1037#comment-5154 You're absolutely right, Kaz. Amazon can afford to take the easy way out and push responsibility onto publishers because readers simply don't know that it could be different. You’re absolutely right, Kaz. Amazon can afford to take the easy way out and push responsibility onto publishers because readers simply don’t know that it could be different.

]]> By: Kaz Augustin http://guidohenkel.com/2012/01/to-kf8-or-mobi-that-is-the-question%e2%80%a6/#comment-5150 Kaz Augustin Wed, 18 Jan 2012 04:55:47 +0000 http://guidohenkel.com/?p=1037#comment-5150 Thank you, Paul! That's what I do with my images as well. Whew, it's nice to have one's private opinions validated. :) Guido, having the ability to upload two separate files (KF8 or MOBI) is, of course, the logical conclusion but think about it. If Amazon doesn't do anything then the problems of one ebook not being rendered properly on either the Kindle or the K-Fire is not Amazon's problem because the vast majority of readers will blame the author/publisher for it. Amazon comes out of it looking pretty clean because, really, the only people interested in the intricacies of KF8 vs MOBI are people like you, Paul, the lurkers and I. As with all things technological, the average person just doesn't care. They just want it to "work" and, since their ereader seems to start and operate just fine, any issues must be the content provider's fault. Lazy Amazon, but well played too! Thank you, Paul! That’s what I do with my images as well. Whew, it’s nice to have one’s private opinions validated. :)

Guido, having the ability to upload two separate files (KF8 or MOBI) is, of course, the logical conclusion but think about it. If Amazon doesn’t do anything then the problems of one ebook not being rendered properly on either the Kindle or the K-Fire is not Amazon’s problem because the vast majority of readers will blame the author/publisher for it. Amazon comes out of it looking pretty clean because, really, the only people interested in the intricacies of KF8 vs MOBI are people like you, Paul, the lurkers and I.

As with all things technological, the average person just doesn’t care. They just want it to “work” and, since their ereader seems to start and operate just fine, any issues must be the content provider’s fault.

Lazy Amazon, but well played too!

]]> By: Paul Salvette http://guidohenkel.com/2012/01/to-kf8-or-mobi-that-is-the-question%e2%80%a6/#comment-5141 Paul Salvette Wed, 18 Jan 2012 02:01:48 +0000 http://guidohenkel.com/?p=1037#comment-5141 Thanks, Guido. Tremendous insight, as always. On the bright side, at least they included a media query function instead of having to rely on hacks ala Internet Explorer. I'm definitely sticking with turning tables into GIF images. Yes, it stinks, but it's better than nothing. For the image issue, I usually wrap imgaes alone in paragraph tags to make it a block element along with a margin-bottom CSS declaration. This helps force the line break. Thanks, Guido. Tremendous insight, as always. On the bright side, at least they included a media query function instead of having to rely on hacks ala Internet Explorer. I’m definitely sticking with turning tables into GIF images. Yes, it stinks, but it’s better than nothing. For the image issue, I usually wrap imgaes alone in paragraph tags to make it a block element along with a margin-bottom CSS declaration. This helps force the line break.

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