Ebook Quality Control Is Still Lacking

One thing that still annoys me about ebooks is the lack of quality control. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been reading an ebook, only to find that there is a page missing, a duplicate page, bad formatting, duplicate paragraphs, or other obvious errors.

This begs the question: Where is ebook quality control?

I think a big part of the problem is because the large publishers still aren’t investing in ebooks like they should. They push ebooks into publication with little thought to errors that even a fifth grader can find. Publishers are still very print-book oriented, despite the rapid rise of ebook popularity.

There’s another problem that I never thought of. Publishers are handing over ebook formatting to programmers, not editors and layout artists.

This article on techeye.net explains:

Ebook designer Chris Stephens, who created Alice iPad app, said that publishers are tossing years of layout and editing skills in the bin when it comes to making ebooks.

He told Toronto Review of Books that he was desperate for the book industry to produce some work that blows him away, but this is not happening.

He said that major publishers have completely abdicated responsibility for producing the digital versions of their catalogues and it is all handed over to amateurs

You’d think that since ebooks are the largest growing segment of publishing, publishers would take some pride in their products and put some energy into making a quality ebook.

Ironically, the ebooks I read from independent authors, who self-publish, are usually free from formatting errors and other mistakes. No wonder self-publishing is gaining popularity with both readers and writers.

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