FAQ about Ebooks

Answered by Sylvia Engdahl

Do I need an ebook reader to read ebooks?

No. Many people read them on phones, tablets and computer screens, and they can even be read online. If you want a large portable library stored on one compact device an ebook reader is preferable; also, since reader devices are designed solely for sustained reading, the display will probably be easier on your eyes. Brands and models vary. Personally I find the old discontinued Kindles better for my vision problems than the more recent "Paperwhite" ones that most people prefer.

How do I put an ebook on my device?

Most major ebook retailers now provide software that automatically transfers the ebooks they sell to today's most common reading devices via wifi (or with some devices, via a cellular mobile connection). This is convenient for readers, and for sellers it's advantageous because it encourages people to buy all their ebooks from the same store. But what if you don't have access to wifi, or have an older device that the automated systems don't support? Or if you want a book that's not offered by your favorite retailer?

In that case, you can download the ebook manually and transfer it to your device using a USB cable. This process is known as sideloading. It used to be the standard means of getting ebooks before wifi became common, and it can still be used even for books obtained from retailers that offer automation, though they don't always publicize it. If they provided no download capability for sideloading, people temporarily or permanenty without wifi access couldn't get even the books they had already bought.

How do I transfer an ebook to my device manually?

1. Download the file from a retailer (or other legal source such as an email attachment from an author).

2. Find the file in a folder on your computer. Depending on the source, it may be your regular download folder or a special one.

3. Attach a USB cable to your computer and the device. Your device probably came with one, but most phone charging cables will work if your phone has a standard connector for charging with USB.

4. Turn on your device if plugging it into the computer doesn't do so automatically.

5. Open Windows File Explorer (or equivalent file management software). Look for the device, which will show either as an extra disk drive or by its name. Click on it. It will have folders in it; if their names aren't obvious, click on them one by one until you find the one containing your other books. (The Kindle Fire requires manually-loaded books to be put in the Documents fodder rather than in the folder with automatically transferred books. Other devices may also have special rules, which should be stated in their documentation.)

6. Copy the book file from the folder on your computer to tbe one on your device.

I have seen it said on the Web that sideloading is unsafe.

This caution refers to getting files, particularly apps, illegally or from unknown sources that may contain malware. There is nothing wrong with sideloading ebooks as loog as you have obtained them from legitimate sources. (Obviously, it is wrong to sideload files that have been illegally acquired.)

Doesn't the availability of files to sideload make it easy for people copy them illegally?

Well, yes--that has been the major controversy concerning ebooks ever since the idea of creating digital editions first arose (see "What Is DRM?" below). That may be why retailers don't publicize the fact that their files can be sideloaded; but it's questionable whether keeping quiet about it has any benefical effect. Dishonest computer users know how to copy files illegally however they were originaly acquired,and they know how to remove so-called copy protection, too. Copyrights are protected not by attempts to prevent piracy through technology, but by the fact that most people who enjoy reading are honest. If they weren't, selling ebooks would not be a viable business, which it was long before wifi delivery systems existed. As an author, I care more about having my books reach as many honest readers as possible than about keeping them out of the hands of dishonest ones who would not buy them anyway.

What ebook format should I get if there's a choice?

Unfortunately, the formats in which ebooks are produced is not standardized, although several that used to be common have virtually disappeared and conversion from one format to another is generally possible. The major ones are described in the box below.

What is DRM?

DRM stands for Digital Rights Management. DRM-protected ebooks, which include most if not all issued by major traditional publishers and some others, are encrypted so that they cannot be copied or read on any device except the one for which they were purchased--although most retailers now allow them to be read on a limited number of other devices. This is believed to prevent, or at least reduce, piracy. Whether it actually does or not is another matter; it is easy enough for a person with computer skills to break the encryption and there are plenty of pirate sites on the Web. Many people, of whom I am one, believe that all DRM does is lomit the options of honest users while having little if any effect on dishonest ones. (Note that it is illegal to copy or convert copyrighted ebooks even if they are not encrypted, except for your personal use on different devices or for backup if you lack a consistent Internet connection.)

Now that most ebook reailers offer free apps for reading legal copies on multiple devices, DRM is less of a problem than it used to be. Nevertheless, many readers oppose it as a matter of principle--as do many writers--and refuse to buy DRMed books. Most indie ebooks (books self-published by their authors) are DRM-free. Initially Amazon did not allow this, and it will not let authors change the status of books published before the option became available; so the Kindle editions of my five earliest indie ebook editions have DRM. However, all these books are available DRM-free in the Children of the Star omnibus and/or at Smashwords.com, or in EPUB format from other retaers .

What is Calibre?

Calibre is a free software application that converts ebook files to different formats, and also allows ebook collections containing variously-formatted files to be organized and read from a single library. It is often used to produce ebooks by authors, or on behalf of authors, and can also be used by readers to convert ebooks they have legitimately acquired from one format to another. It is legal to make converted files for your own personal use, but not, of course, to give copies to other people.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of ebooks?

The advantages are that they require no storage space (you can keep an entire library on one small device); you can take them with you wherever you go; they cannot be lost or damaged (once you have bought them you can download them as often as you wish); they are usually less expensive than print editions; and you can set the font size to whatever is easiest on your eyes. This last is very important for people with vision problems; I myelf haven't been able to read paper books for the past eight years.

The disadvantages are that many ebook readers have controls so small that they are hard for some people to use, especially people like me who hate touch screens; small readers don't show illustrations well; and you cannot give ebooks away after reading them, as you can print books. Retailers do not allow them to be passed from one person's account to another's, even by inheritance, although in some cases they can be briefly loaned -- officially they ae not sold, but only licensed as if they were software. Personally I think this is an unwise policy that threatens their status as "real" books, and I hope that someday protests will bring about a change.

Why are some ebooks available only at Amazon?

Sometimes, for one reason or another authors choose to make their ebooks available only at specific sites. That's not usually the case when Amazon is the only place a book can be obtained, however. Amazon's policy is that if a book is enrolled in a program called KDP Select, which offers special promotion capabilities plus inclusion in the subscription service Kindle Unlimited, it cannot be for sale, or given away free, anywhere except at Amazon, not even the author's own website. (This applies only to digital editions; paper editions can still be sold elsewhere.) So for awhile I withdrew the ebooks of my Flame series -- but not my other books -- from all the other retailers and I couldn't sell or give away copies myself. It turned out that not enough people were borrowing them through Kindle Unlmited to justify the restriction, so now they're back at all retailers.

I'm not happy about this policy. I don't like the idea of any retailer having the sole right to sell a book. In the past all in-print books could be ordered wherever books were sold, whether or not stocked; and I think that turning books into mere products with sales restrictions will weaken the growing acceptance of ebooks as "real" books, that is, as works of literature. Moreover, having books in only one retailer's catalog greatly reduces an author's chance of becoming known--even if people browsing other stores are willing to buy certain books of that author at Amazon, they have no way to know that they exist. If they see some books listed, they naturally assume the author has written no others. Thus I always said that I would never agree to give Amazon exclusive rights, despite the promotion benefits that were offered; and I regret having relented even temporarily.