Hi there - just finished compiling my first ebook with the 'trial' version.
First question: I sent the ebook to my Hotmail address to test everything out before buying - only to find that hotmail refused to allow me to open it, warning me that the attachment was 'unsafe'. No options in hotmail allow me to override this and download.
I then tried to attach the ebook using hotmail and it didn't allow this either - telling me that a file with that extension ( .exe) was unsafe!!
Using Yahoo is fine. Attaching, sending and receiving.
So what gives with Hotmail? Any thoughts on this?
Second question: The text on the pages of my compiled and run ebook are spread from margin to margin. Is there anything I can do to make these pages more ... er, 'book' like? Is this option disabled in the trial version? I've tried changing them in Word before saving as html but it maked no difference.
Just to clarify - I know I can go in to each page in Word and alter the margin tabs to get the desired result but was wondering if there was a 'one click' answer to this.
I sell my ebooks through eBay, and have to say that I dread seeing the *.hotmail address! Zipping your file is one answer - many systems won't allow exe files through, because of the damage they might do. That said, even zipped files sometimes don't 'get through' if the buyer hasn't altered the default hotmail email filters. It seems as though hotmail's not on its own, though - I have similar trouble with an increasing number of web-based mail providers.
Morning, Andy... Firstly, let me that I haven't tried the following, but by all accounts if your buyer is told, and adds, your email address to their address book (if only temporarily), most of the webmail set-ups will/should allow zip files through. Downsides of this (as far as I can see) are that you have to advise your customer of this fact before sending the book, and secondly, do you really want your email address to be (perhaps) permanently on somebody's address list for as long as they choose? For my part, I use eBay's digital download system (in conjunction with Hyprlock for the security aspect) and find that "ordinary" email systems work well....but the web-based ones are 100% pain!
Thanks gain Riffraff - I'll take a look at ebays digital download.
I'm cautious about using zipped downloads as this is one step further somebody has to go to access the ebook - and for many of my customers having to 'unzip' attachments may be off-putting.
I've no real problem with customers having my sellers email address in their address book, so maybe there is a way through this.
I'd have thought Hotmail might have done something about this by now though.
Many computer programs and services specifically say they require a POP3 e-mail address and will not work with web mail.
I'm sure most people have a regular POP e-mail service but they use a web mail service for convenience. Would it be practical for you to state that your downloads require a POP3 e-mail address and that they do not work with web mail?
Ah! Back from your hols, huh? Suitably rested and firing on all cylinders?! Yes, what you suggest is a possibility, or taking the other route of 'warning' buyers first, along the lines of 'To ensure that emails from [seller name] are delivered to your inbox and are not treated as spam, please add [seller's email address] to your address book or list of approved senders'. As we've discussed before, both suggestions involve the buyer in some way : Will they know if they have a POP3 account? Will they be bother to find out? Would they know how to add the seller's email to their address book? The danger is that a growing list of "do's and don'ts" might just put them off buying right at the start.... To be honest, I don't think there is a perfect, all-encompassing solution - and as well you know, Ron, half of 'em won't read the info anyway! ‹(•¿-)›
Ya you're probably right. Validation code could be added to prevent anyone from entering web mail addresses like hotmail, gmail or yahoo - or - a notice could be added that an email service must allow large downloads....
But this would just open the door to more headaches.
I guess the best way is to establish a routine that you can follow when a customer's email service doesn't allow downloads.
I don't think this problem would apply to download links added to an email, or have you found webmail also causes problems with download links?
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