Vaginal Fantasy Book Club discussion
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Best and Worst Features of E-Books?
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Best feature: Your arms not killing you after holding a hardcover above your head while lying down.
Best feature: being able to resize the font.Worst: not representing breaks in the page properly, such as when there's a space to show that there is a new narrator.
i find that some of the current e readers are difficult to navigate, bookmatk, select, and return to pages. Size changes in font are preferable as well as background color (bright white hurts in the dark).
I really like text-to-speech. I use that feature a ton.
Things I wantFont size changing- makes a huge difference on tired eyes.
I love love love the sepia and night features in iBooks.
I'd love more manual control over the information I see in a main menu- like I'd like to be able to see whether I've read a book, what page I last stopped on. Like it would be nice to see whether I only read the synopsis and the intro or whether I got a couple of chapters in.
Cross platform/device memories of where I am are mmmgood.
Don't want-
I dislike the bad breaks too. I also dislike chapters that start on the same page as the previous chapter.
I also love that mine tells me how long I've been reading a book and an estimate of how long it will take to finish, although I'm guessing that is hardware based.
best: ability to change fonts, font size.worst: 1) DRM--I had to return 2 books because the DRM screwed up the formatting, switching lines, and making the font size so enormous there were only a few words on each page.
2) Too-large files. I've gotten books that were around 100 MB that would crash my device. Illustrations, fancy fonts, and decorative first chapter letters are good for paper, but don't translate well to e-ink.
3) Poor editing--this isn't particularly a problem with ebooks, as far as I know, but it's a problem even with big publishers. I can put up with a typo or two, but someone should read the finished product from start to finish, to catch things like a scene breaking off mid-sentence.
Another good feature for ebooks: the ability to search back for a particular word, name, or phrase. This could be improved if it were easier to get back to where I left off.
On font size: Would you prefer having a drop-down menu with a few options, or a pinchable touchscreen?
Rachel wrote: "best: ability to change fonts, font size.
Eliste wrote: "Things I want
Font size changing- makes a huge difference on tired eyes.."
JoAnna wrote: "Size changes in font are preferable as well"
Caitlin wrote: "Best feature: being able to resize the font."
Rachel wrote: "best: ability to change fonts, font size.
Eliste wrote: "Things I want
Font size changing- makes a huge difference on tired eyes.."
JoAnna wrote: "Size changes in font are preferable as well"
Caitlin wrote: "Best feature: being able to resize the font."
A good table of contents and/or index with links is something I appreciate. I also really like it when the jacket synopsis is included in the file. I'm always forgetting which book is which and it's nice when I don't have to change devices or go online to look it up.
For scholars, the auto-formatting of citations in the Kindle for PC app is very nice. Incorporating some type of system that helps you to categorize and keep track of related things that you highlight and/or quote across all of your books would be nice too. I also like clicking a word to access the dictionary. It would be cool to be able to click things and access the web too. For example, when I read "On the Island", I would have clicked a link that took me to a page on the Maldive Islands had it been there.
WANT: A way to tell series order without a)opening book or b)changing title name to include the series order. I currently insert a metajacket at the front of all my books so I'll have a synopsis (I have waaayyy too many to remember what they're about) and this also includes series order (if applicable) but I'd like to be able to see the order without opening the book. Right now I rename titles to include series order (HP01 - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, HP02 - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, etc.), but I don't like having to do that. Of course I know the series order for Harry Potter so I don't *have* to do it, but for unfamiliar series it's a necessary evil.
michi (mick-ee) wrote: "...I currently insert a metajacket at the front of all my books so I'll have a synopsis (I..."I just looked up metajackets and that is a fantastic idea. It's going to be a massive undertaking to update all of my ebooks--but definitely worth the effort. Thank you for the idea!
Kristen wrote: "I just looked up metajackets and that is a fantastic idea. It's going to be ..."Happy to be of service! I didn't do this when I first got my Kindle--I didn't even know about conversion software like Calibre. Even after I found Calibre I still wasn't paying much attention to what I was adding to my Kindle. I was constantly having to look up the books I wanted to read (or *thought* I wanted to read), and it was a headache. It wasn't until I upgraded to the Kindle Paperwhite that I became more particular about my library--and it was quite the undertaking to update, but as you say, well worth it.
For fonts, I'd say a drop down menu is best. With a touchscreen gesture, sometimes I'll do the action by accident--easy to fix back, but annoying and distracting.Also, are you also designing a reader or app? If so, I'd love to have some way to queue books into the reading order I want (and if anyone knows how to do this for nook, I'd be grateful). I have enough books that it's hard to remember what I wanted to read next, and too many to conveniently scroll through to remind myself.
Definitely a drop down menu - pinch to zoom often involves panning around the screen if it doesn't resize properly. Although it is handy for pictures.Seconding no DRM. It is ridiculously easy to steal content even when it has DRM. As such, DRM is really only a hindrance to those who purchase the book. Tor got rid of theirs over a year ago and published a follow up basically stating "yeah, as we expected, there was no appreciable difference". Plus at this point, having DRM is a bit like saying "hey valued customer, we think you're a shitty person who will steal from us".
( As an aside, who ever thought DRM was a good idea in the first place? A dedicated person could just type the entire book over, or scan the pages...)
Agree with a lot of the comments. I tend to want to be able to share highlights or quotes of a reasonable size (not huge) with friends, especially if it's for a group or class. I know that when I read game of thrones I wanted to send some Tyrion quotes to a disability reading group, and I had to go to my computer to manually type quotes. It makes discussing works harder when you can't share quotes easily.
I love the dictionary lookup (and actually my paperwhite does allow you to link to Wikipedia) and the translation feature. Something similar with a glossary of words used in that book, and/or character index would be awesome. Reading a lot of fantasy/sci fi means lots of made up words and wired names to keep track of.
Another want of mine is a calendar with the ability to keep track of future release dates of books that I want to read. Oh, and a price tracker that monitors the prices and notifies me when there is a change would be great too.One of the reasons why I like the kindle so much is because I like having the ability to read across all of my devices. (kindle/smartphone/tablet/pc) I wouldn't be willing to switch to anything else if I had to give that up.
Anna wrote: "I love the dictionary lookup..."Omg, that is amazing! I always have to "remember" to look up a word, and most times I forget cuz I'm too lazy to open up Safari (I read on my iPod touch.)
(Like honestly, who uses the word "Catty-corner"? o_0)
As we discovered on Twitter this week, kitty-corner is actually a bastardisation of catty-corner, which came from cater-corner. It still sounds weird to me though, even though I have read it many times (mostly in historical novels).
Rachel wrote: "For fonts, I'd say a drop down menu is best. With a touchscreen gesture, sometimes I'll do the action by accident--easy to fix back, but annoying and distracting.
Also, are you also designing a reader or app?"
Right now, that's still under debate. I work with early printed books (1450s-1500s), and every time a major technology like the printing press occurs, there's a period of furious experimentation before stable conventions emerge. We're in that period now for e-books. It's not clear yet what's going to stick, but 95% of today's e-book technology (app, reader, platform, etc.) is going to be gone by 2023. So we're focusing on the big question of "What do people want out of their reading experience?" and looking at software AND hardware solutions.
Also, are you also designing a reader or app?"
Right now, that's still under debate. I work with early printed books (1450s-1500s), and every time a major technology like the printing press occurs, there's a period of furious experimentation before stable conventions emerge. We're in that period now for e-books. It's not clear yet what's going to stick, but 95% of today's e-book technology (app, reader, platform, etc.) is going to be gone by 2023. So we're focusing on the big question of "What do people want out of their reading experience?" and looking at software AND hardware solutions.
I second the comment about syncing across multiple devices. That's a deal breaker for me now. I LOVE it!
Joia wrote: "On font size: Would you prefer having a drop-down menu with a few options, or a pinchable touchscreen?I'm not pushed. I just want the option. Pinchable is cool, but if there was the possibility that it would randomly rechange if I had two fingers on the page, that would be annoying.
I would like more than just 2 if possible though. A slider might be a better option than pinchable imo.
michi (mick-ee) wrote: "WANT: A way to tell series order without a)opening book or b)changing title name to include the series order."Seconded!! OMG yes.
Also on the no to DRM bandwagon.
michi (mick-ee) wrote: "WANT: A way to tell series order without a)opening book or b)changing title name to include the series order. I currently insert a metajacket at the front of all my books so I'll have a synopsis (I..."YES YES YES! And the same for paper books as well.
This could really be as simple as having the series # in the title.
Many of the other suggestions I've seen in the kindles I've had.
I personally would love a menu screen that is a mixture between my paperwhite and my kindle fire. Something where it shows the last opened and then the one before that, etc. It makes it easier to flip back and forth between books, but in a neater format.
Also for people who have more than one person using a ereader maybe a login screen like on a PC where you can have multiple accounts. Some things shared and some only on certain accounts. (Moms erotica stays on her side and Dr. Seuss stays on little Jimmy's side or whatever)
The calendar app to show upcoming books- awesome! And to add to that idea... If you could click on the title in the app for reviews/preview chapters/etc.
Kristen wrote: "the jacket synopsis is included in the file. I'm always forgetting which book is which and i don't have to change devices or go online to look it up. "Agree completely.
I would love the book to open with the cover but I've been told that's a publisher'd decision. I like reading the author's dedication or if there are any quotes before starting the first chapter.
Also, I battery % would be nice. Just seeing a tiny battery symbol makes me nervous. But that's probably a hardware issue.
Would like a really good ability to organize. On my Kindle Paperwhite, every time I add a book to a collection, I have to keep swiping until I reach it alphabetically; at present, I've got 19 screens worth.
michi (mick-ee) wrote: "WANT: A way to tell series order without a)opening book or b)changing title name to include the series order. I currently insert a metajacket at the front of all my books so I'll have a synopsis (I..."Not sure if it's that helpful since you do it manually anyway, but the program Calibre can do exactly what you're doing without having to change the title yourself. When you add the books to the library, you can put in Series info. Add this to the metadata plugboard.
format: mobi
device: kindle2
template: {series}{series_index:0>2s| - | - }{title}
destination: title
When it sends the books via the cable to your kindle (I assume it works with other devices as well), it will add the series name and number to the front of the title.
Would love to be able to family lock a book. Hate when I'm reading on my kindle or other library required reader and I have to not order a book due to its racy cover. I don't want my kids to see some of these dust jackets but we do share book accounts since we share 75 percent of the same interests.
Joia wrote: "On font size: Would you prefer having a drop-down menu with a few options, or a pinchable touchscreen?Rachel wrote: "best: ability to change fonts, font size.
Eliste wrote: "Things I want
Font s..."
Pinchable is a no-no for me. I already get into trouble accidentally turning pages and highlighting things. Pinchable would be just another thing for me to accidentally mass up. Something in an options menu would be good. That way the font size is a conscious decision and no an accidental finger swipe.
Definite want: a way to organize my books other than in the order they were downloaded. I don't like making a collection for every series and the books still being out of order when I move them into the new folder.
Just begging you, don't forget to think about access for people with disabilities. People with motor or visual impairments in particular. Also some way to lend an ebook would be good.
Oh my goodness I agree with everything everyone else has said. I read (almost exclusively now) on my iPod, using iBooks (epub format). My biggest wishes are the series order, no DRM, text to voice and a way of reading a synopsis of a book on the bookshelf.
personally I love ebooks, though i won't consider buying one unless it meets two criteria1) no DRM. I still remember when Microsoft shut down their ebook authentication servers. This meant the books only worked on the device they were currently on, when the device died so did the books.
2)the ebook format needs to be fully open and documented.
If people can write file converters then you can use whatever ebook reader platform that suits your needs and it is trivial to change as better technology comes along.
I want to know how many pages there are overall, so I know what I'm committing to when I start reading. I'd like highlighting and also note capability. In the best world, sending a quote to your email would bring bibliography information with it.
I'm starting an e-book publication company, and was hoping you could provide some feedback.
What are your favorite and least-favorite features of e-books? What kinds of features would you like to see? We're hoping to build a brand-new platform with a more flexible format, so please dream big :).
Thank you so much for your thoughts.
J.
EDIT: If you've experienced issues specific to a particular e-reader or platform, please feel free to include those comments, too. Thank you!