Once my book is uploaded, how long before it appears in iTunes?

I am so angry I can't even see straight.

I just got a response to address a ticket of what Apple said was a problem with my e-book. I just received it AFTER 42 DAYS of waiting on an update to my ticket indicating:

"Please Note: The original change request was not fulfilled. Your changes were not saved. Original Issues have not been resolved."

Upon receiving the original ticket months ago, I attempted to fix what they said was the problem using the template I had originally used. However, there are either bugs with that template or it simply was not well suited to the large quantity of multimedia that I had in the e-book. As such, I decided to use a new template and essentially start from scratch with the e-book itself. I completed it and tested the new version and found no indication whatsoever of the original problem they found and all of the diagnostic software indicated that the book was fine. I then transmitted it up to the site where indicated that it was successfully delivered.

After that, I sent e-mails to the iBook store support to find out if the file had transferred and if the new version was awaiting review. I particularly wanted to know if I had to wait another likely. For it to be reviewed, or if it was an open case that would be reviewed as soon as possible with the new materials delivered.

The response I received from Apple was that they had received the update, but none of my other questions were answered and I was told that Apple greatly appreciated my patients as my title makes its way through the process and that if no errors were found the title would be made available in the iBook store.

I don't know what Apple thinks customer service is supposed to be, but this obviously is about as useless and arrogant as customer–no service. I'm sure a letter to Apple will make a huge difference and they will get right on my case.

I have absolutely no recourse whatsoever. If I write back and tell them that they are incorrect and that the file was uploaded in the previous e-mail I received indicated that it has, I'm sure I'll just get back the boilerplate response simple repeating what they most recently told me with no help to resolve this. That's one of the benefits of being completely sequestered from accountability-- if you don't actually have to help anyone, you won't.

At this point I'm so outraged, frustrated, and have lost so much time to this ridiculous process that I may just go ahead and pull the entire project. I'm sure there are plenty more cattle to fill my place so that Apple is not particularly interested in making sure customer satisfaction is an issue for them.

I would consider turning my e-book into an apt, but I have absolutely no idea how. Although I was a programmer at one time, when I look into creating an application for the iPad, it was far beyond what I had programmed previously. The e-book that I am trying to create is a fundraiser for nonprofit organization, so I'm not interested nor do I have the resources to pay anyone to create an app for me.

After I cool down, I intend to write an open letter to Tim Cook about my complete contempt for the iBookstore review process. What a completely wasted opportunity Apple had to revolutionize the free spread of information using a magnificent tool. It was certainly advertised as the ability for anyone to make a book, but the reality is that it is totally impractical, subject to reviews and rejection without appeal or explanation, unnecessarily technically complicated, and absolutely no transparency or accountability for interacting with those responsible for providing service. This is not what I expect from Apple, which is loosing my confidence.

Hi,

I share your anger. Many of my books are waiting for 1-2 months now and I don't see any signs of release. Right now I am in App Store and see my books-turned-apps released in regular schedule (approximately 1 week approval process).

Here's my advice to your question:

I would consider turning my e-book into an apt, but I have absolutely no idea how. Although I was a programmer at one time, when I look into creating an application for the iPad, it was far beyond what I had programmed previously. The e-book that I am trying to create is a fundraiser for nonprofit organization, so I'm not interested nor do I have the resources to pay anyone to create an app for me.

Not all books are suitable to turn into apps. If the book is a "book" in nature and should be read from start to end, then app is not a good idea. App is only useful for short form (says 10-20 pages) multimedia in nature book. And it should be able to redo in an app like, not book like nature.

Right now, if you got books can be transformed into a tree like structure, more exploration (click on something, something open and do something, click to close), you can turned into apps with very little programming. The new storyboard feature in iOS 5 SDK encourages such apps to be written. If you like to have books like structure, I expect the iOS 6 SDK should be more features in storyboard to support this.

Thanks, I will look into that. I didn't know about the new starboard abilities. I got an older version of the SDK and coming from a high-level programming background of OO-Pascal/Delphi, programming in C was a nightmare for just creating a photo book app.

Yes, my book is a multimedia boo. It is especially a photograph album book (Like the Fotopedia's "App" books). It is primarily photography and a little video with just a few pages of text, so it sounds like it would work fine. I will look into that.

I have clients that wanted me to look into publishing books for them on iBookstore. No way I'm recommending it. Im sending them to Kindle.

Thanks for the help and advice. I feel a lot better knowing I may have an alternative.

Glad to help. Although this might not be an appropriate forum for this discussion, but here it goes:

If your book has a lot of photograph and video, not many pages (actually, can be a lot of pages, but your storyboard will have to be pretty big!) and you can revamp to book into a multimedia app style (click on an icon, show a page, click on another, show another page, etc), then you can look into this.

This is how my just uploaded Wetland Wings (a multimedia app about birds) look like on iPhone (iPad version is similar but better):

If you click on the Pelicans, for example, this is how it looks:

Clicking on each bird will give you the pictures or video, and more information about the bird.

If your book can works something like this - it is very simple to do using storyboard. Probably 90% drag and drop with some simple programming.

My book "Lion" is finally back. I basically just RESUBMIT the same book that was approved, then rejected after I updated with Retina graphics, then got approved without any changes.

Now we have to fight back to the top again. At least the URL of the book remains the same so people can still find it.

thye chean wrote:

My book "Lion" is finally back. I basically just RESUBMIT the same book that was approved, then rejected after I updated with Retina graphics, then got approved without any changes.

Looks like the consistency of this process leaves a lot to be desired. I suspect that two different people looked at your book, one of whom decided that it wasn't good enough, and other disagreed…

Michi.

Yes, that's probably precisely what's happened.

To whoever doing review for children books - this is not a novel! - many books are around 10-20 pages long, get over it. My book is shorter because I put most of the pictures into a photo gallery widget (which looks gorgeous in full screen Retina display), not spread out in another 10 pages.

I submitted on March 13 and had one e-mail from Apple which was discussed on the second of the two links below.

Two days ago I got this:

******************

Edgar,

We saw your posting

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3772195?tstart=0

and hoped you could send your iBooks Author file for us to look at.

Thanks,

iBooks Author Team.

********************

I responded that I am not Edgar and offered to send them my file, but did not actually send it, hoping to avoid further confusion. I did post about my problem on this thread https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3772195?answerId=18094462022#18094462022. But note that this is not the thread linked in their email, in which I did not post.

I fail to understand why Apple would ask me to send my file when they have had my file for 6 weeks and counting?

My original problem seemed to be that I had not included a subtitle, which I had not realized was a requirement. I added one and republished. The subtitle ends with a question mark. Surely that could not be the problem. Right?

Yours in confusion,

Jim.

Sounds like someone pretending to be Apple is trying to poach your book..ouch. Never respond to unsolicited requests like this.

KT,

I had the same thought, which was one reason I did not send my file. I did reply to the e-mail with a query but so far have not gotten a second response. Is this possibility of poaching something that Apple and forum members should be aware of generally? Has anyone else had something like this happen?

Jim.

Any time the store is involved, schemes abound. They range from ripping off content and putting it in the store as their own to account theft outright.

Like the Nigerian bank scams, it costs nothing to try, and it's certainly easier than putting a book together on your own, so they have little to lose.

I think..maybe...that Apple appreciates to hear about these from time to time, so they can track, but I have no current experience w/ibooks to point to, sorry.

Be careful out there.

On the eve of week four waiting in QA I bit the bullet, pulled the two instances of the word "iBooks" from the content, resubmitted the entire package, and my book was on the store 12 hours later.

It's called "Hey! How'd You Do That?" if anyone wants to take a peek.

I have mixed feelings about all this now, I'm elated that the wait is over, but baffled by the mystery and have real trepidation about going through all this again with my next book which is about 40% complete.

Learning the process, how it works, how long it takes, etc. is like anything new. You'll relax behind it at your own pace and become more adept with it over time.

As they say, everything comes to he who waits...as long as they work while they wait 😉

Good luck w/your book(s) in the store.

Christ@Twistframe,

Can you tell me how you pulled your titles and started again? I want to try this but I can't find anywhere on iTunesConnect or iTunes Producer that gives me teh option to remove it.

How do you do it?

Thanks.

@kb8whf: I did not actually pull the book, only edited (pulled the "iWord" instances out) it and then re-uploaded the package. I was fearful that I'd be in another 4-week queue, but the re-submit AND/OR the edit (who the heck would know) seems to have kicked the book into a vastly shorter QA cycle.

Total mystery, but happy to have it for sale finally.