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Standard Ebooks

standardebooks.org

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Re: Standard Ebooks

#41

Post by growingkittens »

acabal wrote: post #9

Editor-in-Chief here, happy to answer any questions! Of interest might be my blog post on how SE runs on a small VPS using classic web tech: https://alexcabal.com/posts/standard-ebooks-and-classic-web-... (This post is slightly out of date as there is a database now; but it's used for managing Patrons - and soon a cover art listing and approval system - not for serving the actual ebooks, which are still served as des…

I see that you use public domain images for books - do artists also contribute work from scratch (with an appropriate release)?

Re: Standard Ebooks

#42

Post by darkflame91 »

acabal wrote: post #9

Editor-in-Chief here, happy to answer any questions! Of interest might be my blog post on how SE runs on a small VPS using classic web tech: https://alexcabal.com/posts/standard-ebooks-and-classic-web-... (This post is slightly out of date as there is a database now; but it's used for managing Patrons - and soon a cover art listing and approval system - not for serving the actual ebooks, which are still served as des…

I have a suggestion: You could optimize the website to be easily readable and navigable on the Kindle's web browser, and recommend it as an option. I've often found it to be the easiest way to get non-store books on my Kindle. I've also noticed that cover images are handled correctly when the ebook is downloaded straight onto the device, with no need for a separate image file.

A hurdle for this though, is that building a good website for the Kindle browser is a pain, as the browser's support for various html/css/js features and standards is all over the place, with no debugging tools available.

Re: Standard Ebooks

#43

Post by acabal »

growingkittens wrote: post #41
acabal wrote: post #9

Editor-in-Chief here, happy to answer any questions! Of interest might be my blog post on how SE runs on a small VPS using classic web tech: https://alexcabal.com/posts/standard-ebooks-and-classic-web-... (This post is slightly out of date as there is a database now; but it's used for managing Patrons - and soon a cover art listing and approval system - not for serving the actual ebooks, which are still served as des…

I see that you use public domain images for books - do artists also contribute work from scratch (with an appropriate release)?

Nobody has offered as of yet, and if someone did I think the quality would have to be extremely high for me to consider it.

Re: Standard Ebooks

#44

Post by acabal »

darkflame91 wrote: post #42
acabal wrote: post #9

Editor-in-Chief here, happy to answer any questions! Of interest might be my blog post on how SE runs on a small VPS using classic web tech: https://alexcabal.com/posts/standard-ebooks-and-classic-web-... (This post is slightly out of date as there is a database now; but it's used for managing Patrons - and soon a cover art listing and approval system - not for serving the actual ebooks, which are still served as des…

I have a suggestion: You could optimize the website to be easily readable and navigable on the Kindle's web browser, and recommend it as an option. I've often found it to be the easiest way to get non-store books on my Kindle. I've also noticed that cover images are handled correctly when the ebook is downloaded straight onto the device, with no need for a separate image file. A hurdle for this though, is that buildi…

I believe our website does have some basic Kindle browser support. The problem, as you noted, is that Kindle's browser is terrible.

I say the same thing in every ebook thread: On a purely technical level Kindle is a terrible ereader designed by people who seem to hate books. Buy almost anything else.

Re: Standard Ebooks

#45

Post by robin_reala »

pseingatl wrote: post #34
acabal wrote: post #9

Editor-in-Chief here, happy to answer any questions! Of interest might be my blog post on how SE runs on a small VPS using classic web tech: https://alexcabal.com/posts/standard-ebooks-and-classic-web-... (This post is slightly out of date as there is a database now; but it's used for managing Patrons - and soon a cover art listing and approval system - not for serving the actual ebooks, which are still served as des…

What are the dimensions produced by se build-images?

The expected size for the JPG for the cover is 1400x2100.

Re: Standard Ebooks

#46

Post by cxr »

acabal wrote: post #9

Editor-in-Chief here, happy to answer any questions! Of interest might be my blog post on how SE runs on a small VPS using classic web tech: https://alexcabal.com/posts/standard-ebooks-and-classic-web-... (This post is slightly out of date as there is a database now; but it's used for managing Patrons - and soon a cover art listing and approval system - not for serving the actual ebooks, which are still served as des…

The page for collections could stand to lose the "Browse free ebooks in the" preamble. It makes it harder to distinguish when looking at a list of open tabs. Consider:

- "Browse free ebooks in the Encyclopædia Britannica’s Gateway to the Great Books set[…]"[1]

- "Browse free ebooks in the Modern Library’s 100 Best Novels set[…]"[2]

- "Browse free ebooks in the Modern Library’s 100 Best Nonfiction set[…]"[3]

(Indeed, the titles are even much longer than that. It feels SEO-ish; not sure why that would be a priority for a free culture project like Standard Ebooks, especially give the momentum and cachet it already has.)

Collections should also have placeholders for unavailable titles. For example, currently the "Utopian Trilogy" collection[4] contains exactly one item, in spite of the true size of the set it actually belongs to. When an item is not available because of copyright, that (along with the year in which SE will first be allowed to make its own edition available) should be made clear. Where it's unavailable because no one has yet proofed the text for an SE edition, a clear call to action can be made.

And it's seemingly minor, but on the subject of editions, I wish SE followed closer to the print tradition instead of the modern Web millieu and clearly identified its microeditions as exactly that: distinct editions of the same text. (Yes, that means there are possibly dozens (or hundreds?) of different editions, given that errors can be found after the fact and the SE house style may even change, necessitating updates. No, that's not a problem.)

1. https://standardebooks.org/collections/encyclopaedia-britann...>

2. https://standardebooks.org/collections/modern-librarys-100-b...>

3. https://standardebooks.org/collections/modern-librarys-100-b...>

4. https://standardebooks.org/collections/utopian-trilogy>

Re: Standard Ebooks

#47

Post by donw »

acabal wrote: post #44
darkflame91 wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have a suggestion: You could optimize the website to be easily readable and navigable on the Kindle's web browser, and recommend it as an option. I've often found it to be the easiest way to get non-store books on my Kindle. I've also noticed that cover images are handled correctly when the ebook is downloaded straight onto the device, with no need for a separate image file. A hurdle for this though, is that buildi…

I believe our website does have some basic Kindle browser support. The problem, as you noted, is that Kindle's browser is terrible. I say the same thing in every ebook thread: On a purely technical level Kindle is a terrible ereader designed by people who seem to hate books. Buy almost anything else.

Recommendations?

Re: Standard Ebooks

#48

Post by growingkittens »

acabal wrote: post #43
growingkittens wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I see that you use public domain images for books - do artists also contribute work from scratch (with an appropriate release)?

Nobody has offered as of yet, and if someone did I think the quality would have to be extremely high for me to consider it.

Do you happen to have a wishlist of artwork or a particular project that would benefit from custom artwork? I would like to contribute art to the project, whether it ends up used or not. I used to work as a digital artist professionally.

Re: Standard Ebooks

#49

Post by acabal »

zopa wrote: post #26
acabal wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've considered running a campaign to finance a print run of some of our (SE's) books. But the fact is that it's just so easy to find super cheap paper copies of these books almost anywhere. As long as you buy a copy that was printed before, say, 2005 - or from a reputable publisher like Oxford or Penguin - then the edition will already be pro quality. (After that, it's much more likely that you're buying a print-on-…

I think you might be underestimating the value-add---at least based on the existence of this thread! Yes quality copies are out there, but easy to find for the Editor-in-Chief of Standard Ebooks doesn't mean easy for everyone. I suspect plenty of people would find a trusted, no hassle source for a quality print copy worthwhile, just for the simplicity and convenience. Though I totally respect not wanting to waste ink…

Folio Society basically already does this, at a premium price. Used copies of well-set PD classics from respected publishers like Franklin Library or Modern Library go for pennies and can be shipped to your door fron places like Abebooks, or you can easily find them at your nearby library sale/used bookstore/charity shop/etc.

I've been toying with the idea for a while but I think the market is just too saturated, even for premium editions. Maybe the focus should be on reviving more obscure works... not sure.

Re: Standard Ebooks

#50

Post by AB1908 »

donw wrote: post #47
acabal wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I believe our website does have some basic Kindle browser support. The problem, as you noted, is that Kindle's browser is terrible. I say the same thing in every ebook thread: On a purely technical level Kindle is a terrible ereader designed by people who seem to hate books. Buy almost anything else.

Recommendations?

I imagine the Kobo is high on that list.
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