homesteader
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Post by homesteader on Feb 24, 2016 5:33:13 GMT -8
I published an ebook last February and had no problem getting it into the Premium catalogue. After a November 2015 update, however, I got an Apple ticket telling me some of the images were corrupted, please correct. I wasn't sure what to do because they were okay before, what had changed? I've tried changing size and resolution of the images, even adding different ones but I continue to get the same error message. Any ideas?
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Ria Stone
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Post by Ria Stone on Feb 24, 2016 9:26:50 GMT -8
I published an ebook last February and had no problem getting it into the Premium catalogue. After a November 2015 update, however, I got an Apple ticket telling me some of the images were corrupted, please correct. I wasn't sure what to do because they were okay before, what had changed? I've tried changing size and resolution of the images, even adding different ones but I continue to get the same error message. Any ideas? Hmm, did you insert the images or copy them into the original Word document? What format are they in? I think Smashwords prefers .jpg files. |
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Post by Ted on Feb 24, 2016 9:40:07 GMT -8
Apple and all the other retailers sell ePub versions of your work, so image problems are generally ePub related. Review the error(s) reported when you used the ePub Validator prior to uploading to Smashwords. The information is probably in that report. The Smashwords Style Guide suggests such step prior to upload. If you didn't use the ePub validator you may now at this link... validator.idpf.org/ (Smashwords assumes you read and followed the Style Guide and ran the ePub Validator prior to upload, so Smashwords just converts and doesn't recheck for ePub errors.) Smashwords has a checklist titled "HOW TO FIX EPUBCHECK ERRORS". You may have missed the information on "corrupted image" in the "Common Reasons for EPUBCHECK Failure" section. That information is on Smashwords at www.smashwords.com/epubcheck |
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homesteader
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Post by homesteader on Feb 25, 2016 4:53:09 GMT -8
Hmm, did you insert the images or copy them into the original Word document? What format are they in? I think Smashwords prefers .jpg files. I inserted jpgs from my own files. Puzzling, isn't it? |
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homesteader
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Post by homesteader on Feb 25, 2016 5:03:51 GMT -8
Apple and all the other retailers sell ePub versions of your work, so image problems are generally ePub related. Review the error(s) reported when you used the ePub Validator prior to uploading to Smashwords. The information is probably in that report. The Smashwords Style Guide suggests such step prior to upload. If you didn't use the ePub validator you may now at this link... validator.idpf.org/ (Smashwords assumes you read and followed the Style Guide and ran the ePub Validator prior to upload, so Smashwords just converts and doesn't recheck for ePub errors.) Smashwords has a checklist titled "HOW TO FIX EPUBCHECK ERRORS". You may have missed the information on "corrupted image" in the "Common Reasons for EPUBCHECK Failure" section. That information is on Smashwords at www.smashwords.com/epubcheckI did the epub check when I first published the book a year ago. No problem. The only updates I've done to the eBook itself have been to add links to more eBooks in the series. The error message I'm now getting is I've replaced those images and resubmitted but I get the same result. They do mention that epub validation passed. The "how to solve" link just takes me to the "About Apple Tickets" overview page, which makes no mention of image problems. See why I'm stumped? I was hoping someone else had encountered the same problem and knew what to do. |
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Post by Ted on Feb 25, 2016 7:38:22 GMT -8
The epubcheck link I provided shouldn't take you to the Apple pages, at least it doesn't in my browser. Here is some information from the epubcheck link which may help you:
IF YOU HAVE MULTIPLE IMAGES here's a longer step-by-step on how to identify the corrupted image and replace it: 1. Take a look at the error message you're receiving from IDPF Validator above, and note the last few characters of the image file name in your EpubCheck error message. In my example above, they're 45.gif. By noting those characters, you can easily identify the offending image that needs to be replaced. 2. Download your .epub file from your Smashwords book page to your desktop (or better yet, to a new folder on your computer's desktop). Once the file is on your desktop, you'll note its file name ends in .epub. Manually change the file name so instead of it ending with .epub, make it end with .zip (to do this, you'll usually just click once on the file name, then highlight the characters of .epub and change to .zip). 3. Next, use an unzip program such as WinZip to open what was once your .epub file (.epub files are actually composed of a zipped collection of multiple files, including every single image you imported into Microsoft Word). 4. Scan the image files for a file name that ends with the last few characters that match the EpubCheck error message you received. In the example case above, you'd look for "45.gif." 5. Next, click on the image within your unZip program and open it (you may need to right-click and then choose a program to open it with, such as Paint or Paint.net or some other graphic program. Some browsers will open .jpeg or .png files, but not .gif files). Once you open the image file, that will help you visually identify the corrupted file in your Microsoft Word document. 6. Open the Microsoft Word .doc file you uploaded to Smashwords (your source document), find the image, then delete it. 7. In Word, click Insert: Picture: As File to re-select your original image and import it again into Word. This will fix the corruption. 8. Once you've replaced the corrupted files this way, click to your Smashwords Dashboard then click 'Upload New Version.' This will regenerate your epub. 9. After conversion completes, click to the book page and at the top if it's not warning you of an EpubCheck error that means you fixed it!
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Ria Stone
SWF Writers
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Post by Ria Stone on Feb 25, 2016 14:08:37 GMT -8
Apple and all the other retailers sell ePub versions of your work, so image problems are generally ePub related. Review the error(s) reported when you used the ePub Validator prior to uploading to Smashwords. The information is probably in that report. The Smashwords Style Guide suggests such step prior to upload. If you didn't use the ePub validator you may now at this link... validator.idpf.org/ (Smashwords assumes you read and followed the Style Guide and ran the ePub Validator prior to upload, so Smashwords just converts and doesn't recheck for ePub errors.) Smashwords has a checklist titled "HOW TO FIX EPUBCHECK ERRORS". You may have missed the information on "corrupted image" in the "Common Reasons for EPUBCHECK Failure" section. That information is on Smashwords at www.smashwords.com/epubcheckTed, you are a goldmine of information. I know that there is so much to read (especially if you publish on more than one site and in more than oe format) that I get lost and often can't remember where I might look for specifics on various issues. Thanks for these tips. |
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Ria Stone
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Post by Ria Stone on Feb 25, 2016 14:11:48 GMT -8
Hmm, did you insert the images or copy them into the original Word document? What format are they in? I think Smashwords prefers .jpg files. I inserted jpgs from my own files. Puzzling, isn't it? Ted posted more specific remedies, I hope they work. These are important issues, so I am glad you brought it up. |
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homesteader
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Post by homesteader on Feb 26, 2016 5:59:11 GMT -8
Ted, that's wonderful information - THANK YOU! I've made a copy of your message for my ebook files. I will also double check "HOW TO FIX EPUBCHECK ERRORS", because yes, it's possible I missed something, especially if I was on information overload.
canarypress, thank you for your encouragements. It helps to have folks responding and brainstorming to resolve problems.
Now, here's my update. The other day I uploaded revised copies of all the books in this series, including the one I'm having Apple problems with. This morning it comes back approved for premium status with no tickets and no errors. Go figure.
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Post by Ted on Feb 27, 2016 2:14:53 GMT -8
Homesteader, Apple does its own ebook reviewing on top of Smashwords checking an upload. Smashwords approval for premium status doesn't mean Apple will approve an ebook. Apple has its staff manually review works as well as using its own algorithms and coding to check epub files. As far as I know, Apple is the only online ebook store which does such extensive verification of an ebook prior to acceptance. See this Smashwords page for more information on Apple Tickets... www.smashwords.com/tickets |
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homesteader
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Post by homesteader on Feb 27, 2016 8:36:41 GMT -8
Then I'll keep an eye out for it. With the other updates they never cleared the ticket, so I knew it was still a problem. This is the first time the ticket has been removed, but who knows. I've considered simply removing the photos if it continues to be a problem. I just like images and they are helpful for explanations, but they aren't always necessary.
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Post by jaydax on Mar 1, 2016 5:56:17 GMT -8
MS Word isn't too brilliant with images. It limits resolution to 199dpi. If you need higher resolution then create the Word file as normal and add it to Calibre. Use Calibre to produce an epub file. Then use the Calibre editor to find and replace the images with higher resolution ones.
It might also help to make sure your images have the extension jpeg rather than jpg.
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homesteader
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Post by homesteader on Mar 4, 2016 3:46:53 GMT -8
MS Word isn't too brilliant with images. It limits resolution to 199dpi. If you need higher resolution then create the Word file as normal and add it to Calibre. Use Calibre to produce an epub file. Then use the Calibre editor to find and replace the images with higher resolution ones. I'm not a Windows user so I don't know anything about MS Word. I use LibreOffice on my Linux system, which converts to .doc format and is acceptable to both Smashwords and KDP. I didn't have trouble with images until this one particular ebook, and then it was only Apple. I have the Linux version of Calibre, but I didn't want to limit it to only epub, so I opted for the doc format. What I can report is, with the latest upload, that ticket is closed and the book is indeed available at itunes. I'm still stumped because I made no attempt to update the images! Thank you everybody for your help. |
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Post by Ted on Mar 4, 2016 4:59:23 GMT -8
Computers. Sheesh!
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