iBooks discussion

Hello everyone.

I'm an Australian and I'm trying to set up a link to the Australian iBookstore. I thought this would be the best place to ask this question as I'm sure you guys must have already done this for your own countries.

As the subject title says, I'm trying to create a book link to the Apple store using a URL with an ISBN 13 in it (i.e., http://itunes.apple.com/lookup?isbn=#...#), which is what a Google search recommends for searching the iBookstore using an ISBN.

According to the Goodreads instructions, this should work, but I keep getting a message saying that the process failed and is being looked into; this has been happening for almost a week now. I'm also a bit surprised there isn't already a working link available to me, when there are links for other ebook vendors (e.g., the Canadian company, Kobo).

Can anyone help me?

Cheers.

Phill Berrie.

Hi - you've been waiting a very long time for a response - unfortunately, I don't have the answer for you, because I'm in the same situation ... iBooks being Apple/Mac they are exclusive to their own and refuse to play nice with others ... my book is also listed with iBooks and I'm having a heck of a time trying to find a way to locate my book and grab a link to share with my fans and readers. Frustrating really, and not so good for Goodreads to leave this kind of question hanging for over a year for you.

Best suggestion I can come up with is to ask someone you know who uses a Mac/Apple computer to see if they can find you a link, or someone with the iPad or iPhone using the iBooks App to email the found link to you.

Huh, I always figured there'd be a 'link/button/thread/magic doorway' available on the author's logon pages to allow you guys to do that. I have def seen other authors have a list of site links that their books are available from, and as I am painted into my apple flavour corner, I always choose iBooks, so I agree there's a way. What I can't, off the top of my head, confirm is if GR's (aka Amazon) allow that on this forum itself, or if I've followed threads and links thru to authors webpages and the like first...?

I'd suggest scoping a couple of your fav author pages, having a look and PMing them if it looks like they've been able to do it. It can't hurt any right?

I'll try and keep this question in mind when I'm wandering around, and come back with any names if I see someone doing it.

For Windows users Apple access is a bouncer guarded entry ... like trying to sneak into ladies night when you're a man LOL

All I want to do is find the correct link for my book to add it to my website and social media for my iBook readers to find it. Why Apple makes themselves so reserved from the world is beyond me.

If you are an iBook user, would you mind finding my book for me and dropping the link here ???

Crazy really - I got help from my distributor (BookBaby) through Twitter - they're going to go find it and send me the link :)

If you guys put your titles, and some details in here so I know I've got the right ones, I'll go on a hunt and see how I can find them for you.

I do remember hearing something years ago that authors could only upload their books if they were on a Mac. I think I was bitching at the time that I could only find some books on kindle, not iBooks. I don't actually like kindle format anyway, but given that most of my books are in iBooks, and if I swap devices I'll lose all those books, I just decided it was easier to keep everything in the one program... and I think THAT is why Apple is so segregated. They can corner their own market, and know that their users had already invested a lot of money in apps, books, music and the rest before we realised that we would never be able to transfer or convert. So we either stay and keep, or go and lose.

Even now, I have very few books and things outside apple and it's really annoying to realise the thing I've been searching for is one of them.

And just another bad karma for Apple is the admission that they purposely slow down older devises with the new iOS updates 'for our own good'. Someone's got to take them for racketeering or collusion or something! It's def a scam, but we are all sunk at this point.

Goodreads says in the reply email that the iBooks link is there and does show in their screenshot - so I went back to my book page and had a look but not there, so I sent them my screenshot to them ... also, I've contacted my BookBaby agent and they're going to look into it for me, I should hear from them in a day or two ... tyvm for the chat, friend connection and offer to assist

My book title is "Cocooning the Butterfly" ... if you go to my book page you can see the cover ... https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

I can see where you've got Amazon links, but not iBook links. Another problem could be that I'm in oz, so while I think I should be able to see if you have iBook links, they wouldn't work for me unless you clicked the right buttons when loading to allow the book to be loaded on Australian iBooks. I can't see any iBook links either way, and I can't find you or the book in iBooks oz.

I did notice you don't have any traffic on your book yet. Have you tried some of the share/review groups? I'm sure there was another one I used to belong to, but the one I just found is called 'Haaave you met'. You can do all sorts there, but you can also get reviews.

The other group I used to belong to would have authors donate a few copies of their books (usually 10-20 from memory) to willing readers (first come first serve type thing). The email would go out with the blurb and those interested would email the mod for their copy and have 2wks or so to read and give an honest review on whatever sites they could. There are a few rules to protect both sides etc.

It usually works pretty well. Gives the reviews a free book, and the authors some traffic and reviews.

Tbh tho, over the time I did it, I did give a bad review or two, because the books were quite honestly crap... But I also withheld a couple of reviews and had a chat with the authors to explain that while I didn't like their book, I could def see how others would, it just wasn't for me. So it can be a risk.

Thank you - I'll look into more groups - yeah, it can be a bit frustrating at first, but I imagine I'll get more interest as time goes by - and I did place a post about this in the Clean Romance group that I would send free copies to anyone interested in offering input and/or advice or mentorship, basically just tell me in my writing sucks or not ... ha ha ha ... but, as long as I don't know that my writing is good or bad, I'll keep at it with the idea that its so incredibly good that it's a best seller and I totally rock! LOL

Hi. I don't know if any of you've figured it out, but there is a link maker for iBook: https://linkmaker.itunes.apple.com/en-us
How ever, it is only possible to make a link to one book, not to all your published books. Does anyone know how to do that?