Josh Lanyon ~ Lone Star
From: Carina Press

Review of: Josh Lanyon ~ Death Of A Pirate King

Erastes ~ Muffled Drum
From: Carina Press

I did not realize Carina Press would only allow you to have their eBooks from secondary retailers in ePub Format. Some reason I expected them to allow places like All Romance eBooks to provide all the formats they typically do.

I like PDF and if not PDF I like Microsoft LIT which always worked better for me. ePub is just not supported by all OS in an equal fashion.

To understand these things you need to be technically savvy and understand some history and computer driven platforms and make decisions that should make some sense and sorta enable customer’s to buy different file formats based on past purchased products they might still be using while supporting as many customer’s tech wise who may decide to go in different but valid directions in the future.

PDF was an OS level supported format by UNIX and LINUX and WINDOWS and OSX and even DOS and SOS supported it after they evolved from TXT. Basic HTML platforms and readers and even OS based solutions all support some form of PDF right after HTML and JPG. I work in the web as a web server admin and I understand that there are plans to change things but I also know what has not and probably will never change any time soon and that is usually what is in place already.

Basic Law of Reality: ePublishers should provide “all formats” not just ones they think work best for them because there are many eBook Readers out there and no ePublisher knows which one will win.

PDF is a universal format and the fact is ePub is so not there yet in any way, shape, or form. Hell, does ePub work on Google Chrome yet and I know Apple iOS does not support ePub without software but does support non-DRM PDF reading at the base web browser install level as most “web enabled” OS systems will do with no problems. Silly Carina Press lives in a blind alley behind the Apple store not understanding how technology is changing faster than they expected based around basic PDF/HTML/JPEG web access by new hardware running on all sorts of OS types by various hardware makers.

Boo hoo! Format wars ate your lunch money. Sound familiar? It should.

Carina Press has chosen ePub long before the battle for a universal OS and hardware platform was over and unfortunately that choice comes with consequences like my buying eBooks. It’s like deciding Windows would rule the mobile platform last year. Yeah, how are any business decisions you made based around that working for you today?

I have better things to do honestly than even argue about playing stupid games like this with a backwards thinking ePublisher just starting out that should know better. Of course then I am not an expensive toy started by another publishing company starting with the letter H experimentally speaking and all that. Remember, we have been here before and you saw how that worked or did you? OOPS!

If that’s how it’s gonna be I guess I’m the one you were leaving out. You go find what you think you want to be child. I’m OK really, one less bothersome customer who did not want a Kindle or be dictated to by some know nothing mainstream publisher trying to sell their products to me with the least amount of effort on their part to think about. Bye!

Jamie Craig ~ Outcast Mine
From: Carina Press

In the night you hide from the madman
You’re longing to be
But it all comes out on the inside
Eventually

Knock twice
Rap with your cane
Feels nice
You’re out of the rain
We got your skinny girl
Here at the western world
Steely Dan ~ Here At The Western World

Jacqueline Barbary ~ Savage Sanctuary
From: Carina Press

Angela James has just told me that she has accepted the Executive Editor position with Harlequin for their new “Digital Only” branch Carina Press.

Looks like this Harlequin team are doing some good things right off the bat since there will be no DRM and they will be Gay Romance friendly.

But… no traditional print releases like say a Loose Id or Samhain which to be honest is still what sells over on Amazon. Just check the rankings there. Let’s hope they are using that Harlequin marketing machine and talking with Apple to get in on some 2010 first of the year “Smart Tablet” hype goodness or something that will get some notice. Like a Harlequin/Carina iPhone/Android eBook Reader App that only sells Harlequin goodness? I keep telling people distribute but also own your delivery channel and brand brand brand.