[libreoffice-marketing] Book distribution, production, and related matters

I changed the subject line.

On Mon, Mar 17, 2014 at 6:01 AM,  <timothy.m.butterworth@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Sunday, March 16, 2014 09:47:33 AM you wrote:
> > On Sun, Mar 16, 2014 at 6:58 AM,  <timothy.m.butterworth@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > On Saturday, March 15, 2014 03:24:11 AM you wrote:
> > > > On Saturday, March 15, 2014 03:15:06 AM you wrote:
> > > > > On Saturday, March 15, 2014 04:08:59 PM you wrote:
> > > > > > > Jean,
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Is it possible to get Amazon.com to stock hard/soft copy and Google
> > > > > > > Books
> > > > > > > to stock soft copy (they already support PDF in addition to epub.)
> > > > > > > It
> > > > > > > would would not be bad to see if Barnes and Noble as well as Kobo
> > > > > > > would
> > > > > > > also stock the soft copy for their Ebook Readers as well. This
> > > > > > > would
> > > > > > > certainly assist with in reaching new users particularly if they
> > > > > > > are
> > > > > > > provided for free and would provide some great advertising as well.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > I know Amazon and Google have programs to self publish but I have
> > > > > > > not
> > > > > > > actually tried them out though.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Is anyone interested is publishing them in epub or mobi? I would
> > > > > > > like
> > > > > > > to
> > > > > > > learn how to format and produce epub so if someone knows how and
> > > > > > > wants
> > > > > > > to
> > > > > > > lead this then I am willing to port some chapters!
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Tim
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Tim,
> > > > > > As I have said on previous occasions when this topic came up: yes, it
> > > > > > is possible to get printed books and ebooks (in several formats) to
> > > > > > be
> > > > > > stocked by Amazon and others. Lulu (where we publish our books) will
> > > > > > take care of it for us (previously there was a fee, but now there is
> > > > > > not). There is some extra work involved that sounds easy but is not.
> > > > > > I
> > > > > > have begun taking steps to do this for the v4.2 books.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Amazon's self-publishing program (I don't know about Google's) has
> > > > > > cost, taxation, and other problems for us that I don't have the
> > > > > > energy
> > > > > > to describe in detail right now. I personally will not consider using
> > > > > > them, but others can pursue this if they wish to.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > We can, of course, produce our own ebooks (epub, mobi, other formats)
> > > > > > from chapters and/or full books with or without Lulu's help, and
> > > > > > publish them on our own wiki and website along with the ODTs and PDFs
> > > > > > for users to download at no cost.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Dan Lewis has done some work converting files to epub. He has said
> > > > > > that the latest version of Calibre does a much better and easier job
> > > > > > of converting our files than earlier versions did. I don't think Dan
> > > > > > is available to lead an effort to do major conversions, but that's
> > > > > > for
> > > > > > him to say.
> > > > > > ev
> > > > > > IMO we need to make some changes to our template to make the
> > > > > > conversion process easier and give better results. I have documented
> > > > > > some of this somewhere. You might be able to find it by searching the
> > > > > > archives for this list, or it might be on the wiki. IIRC, mainly the
> > > > > > changes involve getting rid of our custom style names wherever
> > > > > > possible and using the built-in style names instead.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > This change in style names is part of the plan to produce a new
> > > > > > template for our books, but that plan keeps getting stalled for
> > > > > > various reasons. Also, work on the template over the past few years
> > > > > > seems to have focused on changes that affect mainly the appearance of
> > > > > > the resulting PDFs & printed books and not on changes that affect the
> > > > > > conversion process to other formats.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > --Jean
> > > > >
> > > > > Jean,
> > > > >
> > > > > I decided I wanted to go ahead and try out The Google Books Partnership
> > > > > Publishing, I went ahead and published The LibreOffice 4.0 Getting
> > > > > Started
> > > > > Guide in its official non-modified state to Google Books and Google
> > > > > Play
> > > > > for the low price of FREE with no DRM. Google Is currently processing
> > > > > it
> > > > > for full text search/indexing it is set to become available immediately
> > > > > upon finishing and it will be available in PDF download format from
> > > > > Google
> > > > > Play/Books as well. I was also able to advertise the printed version
> > > > > from
> > > > > Lulu as well.
> > > > >
> > > > > I will send out the URL for it when I goes online, The process is
> > > > > pretty
> > > > > fast and relatively easy.
> > > > >
> > > > > I will look at publishing the rest of them after I see how this one
> > > > > turns
> > > > > out.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Also the partnership Publishing accounts can be configured for multiple
> > > > > administrators to ease management/updates etc.
> > > > >
> > > > > Tim
> > > >
> > > > Jean,
> > > >
> > > > I attempted to upload the .ODT version hoping to make it an additional
> > > > available format for download but Google currently rejects that file
> > > > type.
> > > > It is limited to PDF, epub as well as cover art in jpeg/gif.
> > > >
> > > > Tim
> > >
> > > Jean,
> > >
> > > According to Google The getting started guide is now live and online in
> > > The
> > > PE, US and VE sales regions. I am currently not able to located it though
> > > through their search tools.
> > >
> > > I did find that there is another group that has uploaded some but not all
> > > of the manuals under the Google Play Books Textbooks. They are missing
> > > covers and have other minor issues though but they did get ISBN Numbers
> > > assigned for them though.
> > >
> > > http://books.google.com/books/about/Getting_Started_with_LibreOffice_4_0.h
> > > tml?id=H3ennAEACAAJ
> > >
> > > I will let everyone know when I am finished publishing all of them and
> > > they
> > > actually show up in the content search.
> > >
> > > Tim
> >
> > That "other group" is us. Those are copies of the printed editions
> > published by Friends of OpenDocument, Inc and sold through Lulu.com.
> > The ISBN are the ones from the interior PDFs of the printed editions,
> > which is why they lack covers. They would be formatted for 6"x9" and
> > in black-and-white.
> >
> > When I published the printed editions, I ticked a box on Lulu's site
> > for making them available through Google. I didn't pay enough
> > attention to know where they would end up. I note, however, that there
> > is no link to where one can actually buy the book, at least not in
> > Australia; when I look at that page, I see links to 4 Australian
> > retailers, but none of them actually have the book (which is what I
> > would expect). I assume that you, in the USA, see links to different
> > retailers.
> >
> > --Jean
>
>
> Jean,
>
> I have the books set for work wide distribution but due to Google business
> limitations they are currently only available for PE, US and VE sales regions.
>
> Also I am going to contact some of the US publishers ORielly etc and ask them
> to publish hard copy. Some of them do this already for other open source
> projects like MySQL. I will let you know if any of them agree to publish them.
>
> Tim

Good to see someone taking initiative on further distribution of LO
user guides and production and distribution of ebooks. Despite my
interest in the subject, I ran out of energy to keep pursuing all of
that several years ago, beyond the simplest level of Lulu paperback
publishing.

Of course, we need more people to actually update (write, review,
edit, index, and in some cases translate updates from German or
French) the books in a timely manner.

And I'm still hoping someone (or more than one) will step forward to
take over what I do, or in many cases should do but don't, as
so-called team leader. Mentoring new volunteers, for example.

--Jean

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