eBook Q&A
What is an eBook?
eBook is short for electronic book, in other words a digital version. Generally they are word for word copies of the books you would normally buy in a bookstore. However that's where the similarieties end. Buying eBooks requires several things, in general: a reader of some kind, an account with a eBook reseller (that would be us), often a computer in your home to sync the device with.
Why Is an Independent Bookstore Selling eBooks?
As we often tell people, we're booksellers through and through. And as booksellers we listen to our customers and provide them with the goods and services they want and need. A certain percentage of our clients have asked for eBooks, and we want to make sure we can provide for their needs now and in the future. By allowing our customers to purchase eBooks directly through us, we can still provide great service and the knowledge base people have come to expect, but also remain competitive with big box stores and online resellers.
What Devices do you Support?
There are a number of devices that will work with our services. Any device which supports Google eBooks, including the iPhone™, iPad™, iPod™, Android™ based devices, and many dedicated readers are compatible with our site. We also offer several other file types including Adobe Digital Editions™ and Palm™ formats.
Why Can't I purchase Books for My Device?
The vast majority of devices are compatible with our site. The major exception is the device made by Amazon called Kindle™. This device uses proprietary file types and content is only sold through the Amazon Kindle store.
What If I'm Not Happy With My Purchase?
Unlike paper books, eBooks are nonreturnable at this time. Please review your order before final purchasing to be sure you are getting the file type and edition you require for your device. If however there was a technical glitch resulting in problems with your purchase please bring them to our attention and we will work with you to correct the problem in a timely fashion.
Why Isn't the eBook I Want Available?
A simple question with a rather complicated answer. When a publisher creates an eBook they must choose what file types they want to use, what devices they want to be able to use it on, and who are they going to allow to do the digital distribution. Publishers all have a slightly different idea of how to combine these things, and many resellers have come out with devices to lock out various file types and competition.
So the real short answer is some books may simply not be available on your device. In fact they may not be available at all.
Do You Offer Technical Support?
We offer support limited to our eBook and ecommerce site and its use. We do not have the means to help customers with their specific devices, or problems that may arise from their use. We may be able to give you some advice from personal experience, but we must warn you that we're booksellers, not computer technicians.
Recently we have also begun to offer free eBook workshops to our customers. Please check our event listings for upcoming workshop dates.
Do You Currently Sell Any eReaders in Your Stores?
Currently we do not. We want to focus on the books, not the hardware. However many of us have readers of our own and would be happy to point you in the right direction.
Aren't eBooks More Ecologically Friendly?
Depending on who you speak to, yes and no. While it's true that traditional books are usually (but not always) made from tree pulp, it's also true that once distributed they require much less energy than electronic devices. They may last for many years, be handed down through generations, and are not dependant on electronics which are constantly changing. An e-reader on the other hand must be charged, it requires batteries which are often made using minerals such as lithium and nickel. These minerals must be mined, transported, processed many times, and are ultimately not renewable once used up.
My Reader Died, What Can I Do?
Again, we're booksellers, not technicians. Books can last a long, long time, ereaders may not. We suggest backing up your digital library.
