Show Networks and Control Systems Now on Kindle!
As I wrote in detail here, I've been researching my way through the byzantine world of ebook self publishing. What I really want is a DRM free, individually watermarked edition (probably in PDF). While publishers offer exactly that, I have not been able to find a company that will handle individually watermarked files for self-publishers (if you know of one please let me know!). And so, I ported the print edition over to DRM-enabled Kindle; the purchase link is here.
At this point, more people are interested in a print version than an E-Version (see my survey here), so I did the initial layout for print, and this Kindle edition is a port of the print edition files (from Framemaker 10 to epub2 format to mobi format). The Kindle version does offer portability, search, cross references, index links back to the referenced page, etc. I didn't want to maintain two versions, and I didn't have time to reformat all 500 pages and hundreds of graphics, so the e-edition layout is not optimal. I tested the file on an android phone, android tablet, and Kindle fire, and there are some issues:
Many of the vector graphics in the print edition are in re-scalable EPS format, but that format is not supported by the epub standard, so the graphics transferred to a format that does not scale. However, I was able to click on graphics to view them larger.
URL links do not work.
Glossary entries do not link to the glossary.
Many tables only format properly on tablets or other devices that have a wide screen format. (One trick I found to make them display properly: make the font as small as possible).
Some graphics that were cropped in Framemaker are showing in their entirety in the Kindle version.
Unfortunately, with Kindle, I have a lot less flexibility in promoting the book (and I actually make a substantially lower royalty than with the print edition), but I think I will be able to use a Kindle Direct Publishing "Select" promotion to offer--for a limited time--a discounted copy to those who already own the book. If you own a print a edition and would like a discounted kindle version, please enter your contact information here before February 1st, 2013.