Author Topic: Best way to publish then unpublish a Look Inside test file at Amazon?  (Read 2111 times)

Tom Wood

I'm seeing discussion around the intertubes that some files don't display well in the Look Inside feature at Amazon. I'd like to not have that surprise on launch day.

I'm using Windows Scrivener 1.9.8.0 to create a .MOBI file that works in the Amazon previewer, and on all my devices. The one thing I can't test ahead of time is the Look Inside feature.

I want to publish a test file to see how it works, but then unpublish it once I'm satisfied.

Is there a downside to publishing a test file and then unpublishing it within my regular account?
 

guest819

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Re: Best way to publish then unpublish a Look Inside test file at Amazon?
« Reply #1 on: October 29, 2018, 12:04:21 AM »
I don't know the answer to this either, but I rarely see well formatted pages within the look inside feature. The point being is that you might never know whether it's your formatting or Amazons at fault. I'd be interested to know if there's a way to ensure it looks good in all cases.
 

Tom Wood

Re: Best way to publish then unpublish a Look Inside test file at Amazon?
« Reply #2 on: October 29, 2018, 12:18:37 AM »
Apparently it's some of both (formatting responsibility) at the moment. I saw one discussion that said the desktop site used one protocol for Look Inside, but their mobile site used a different one. I'd be happy with just the desktop working correctly for now.
 

TimothyEllis

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Re: Best way to publish then unpublish a Look Inside test file at Amazon?
« Reply #3 on: October 29, 2018, 02:19:23 AM »
Dont publish it. Upload book, and cover, then download the mobi file to you computer and email it to your kindle's email address. (You need the sending email listed on Manage Your Kindle on Amazon.)

You can then see exactly how it looks.

Keep tweaking until it looks right, then publish.
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Tom Wood

Re: Best way to publish then unpublish a Look Inside test file at Amazon?
« Reply #4 on: October 29, 2018, 02:35:25 AM »
Tim -

I've done all that, the files look fine. It's the Look Inside after it's published that I'm concerned about. There's no way to preview that without publishing, that I know. Even then, it may take a day or two to show up.

BTW, there's also Send to Kindle:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/sendtokindle

Using the PC version - Once installed, if you right-click a file in Explorer, Send to Kindle appears in the menu. You can upload it to Amazon, and they will format it and send it to your Kindle devices and apps. A nice way to preview!
 

guest819

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Re: Best way to publish then unpublish a Look Inside test file at Amazon?
« Reply #5 on: October 29, 2018, 02:45:08 AM »

BTW, there's also Send to Kindle:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/sendtokindle

Using the PC version - Once installed, if you right-click a file in Explorer, Send to Kindle appears in the menu. You can upload it to Amazon, and they will format it and send it to your Kindle devices and apps. A nice way to preview!

I use this extensively. Especially when I'm not finished but want to beta read the near finished product. You don't get the cover though which I hate. But, then I discovered that once I'd finished the book. Download the Kindle mobi file and sideload it using kindle previewer, and voila! a full version of my book complete with cover.

Sorry, that's a little off topic - here's a llama  :banana-riding-llama-smiley-em
 

Tom Wood

Re: Best way to publish then unpublish a Look Inside test file at Amazon?
« Reply #6 on: October 29, 2018, 03:00:03 AM »
... You don't get the cover though which I hate. ...

I use Scrivener to create a MOBI file that includes the cover. What they send back does include the cover too. I have to remember to NOT include the cover in the MOBI that I send them for publishing since they want it separate. I also have a version sitting in my KDP account that I use for testing. It feels really dangerous to have the active 'Publish Now' button just sitting there.

"Do NOT press the button!"
 

guest215

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Re: Best way to publish then unpublish a Look Inside test file at Amazon?
« Reply #7 on: October 29, 2018, 03:25:05 AM »
Amazon does weird-ass sh*t.

You can't sweat details like the Look Inside. It's going to be what it will be. Amazon could dink around with stuff that will change what it looks like tomorrow. People with different devices will see different things.

Focus your energy on creating a product of the quality you aspire to. The rest will follow.
 
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