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

On Sunday, March 16, 2014 04:48:09 PM you wrote:
> On Monday, March 17, 2014 06:39:24 AM you wrote:
> > 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
>
> All,
>
> I was able to publish all of the documentation through Google Play Books as
> well as Google Books except for the Draw Guide which The Google Processing
> service is currently rejecting stating "error 001 - To Poor Quality PDF
> please publish a better copy" unfortunately it does not provide any other
> feedback to exactly what object in the PDF it does not like.
>
> Here is a screen shoot of Google Play Books for those who would like to see
> if it is not available in your geographical area as I stated earlier
> currently they are only available in US, PE and VE countries.
>
> https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6wiyQNyg6-0Q0ZqS0o4LWJYM1U/edit?usp=sharin
> g
>
> If you have a Google Gmail/Google+/Google Books/Google Play Books account
> feel free to add them to your library, write a review and +1 to share to
> advertise them out.
>
> If anyone knows who runs The LibreOffic Google+ site please put up some
> posts their as well. http://google.com/+libreoffice so we can get the info
> spreading around to existing Google users.
>
> I tested them all on my 11.6" wide screen notebook and the viewing quality
> looks good. It does look like it will take about a week for all features to
> show up and finalize, it also reports that even minor changes will take
> hours to process and populate so please do not expect immediate updates.
>
> This will conveniently make the documents available to current and future
> Google Business and Education customers here in The USA.
>
> I am currently uploading/publishing the openSUSE 13.1 ActiveDoc
> documentation I will take a look into draw after I finish these off to get
> the processing started.
>
> Tim

All,

All of the manuals with the exception of the plug-in installation manual are 
now live on Google Play Books. The issues with Draw are not resolved, it was 
corrupted during upload. I also tried out the Draw Manual on my Moto G Through 
The Google Play Books Android app and it displays well although it requires 
zooming and scrolling.

These will display nicely though on 7" 8" 10" Android tablets though and they 
do work well through the Chrome web browser directly from Google Play as well.

Hopefully this will provide some additional advertising for LibreOffice and 
possibly help to further adoption. There have been 8 sales transactions so far 
but only two that were not mine. I have collected a few +1's though.

If anyone is currently a Safari Books user please check to see if they are 
available there and if not request that they start carrying them.  This would 
be a nice addition with their IT Books service!

Tim

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