I realize that a very small amount of middle ground exists when it comes to opinions about Amazon. People either hate them for being the harbinger of ultimate centralized control over everything we purchase, or love them for making online shopping better in any number of ways than buying local.
But I have to tell you that when it comes to dealing with authors whose books are listed for sale in their store, Amazon’s customer service is superb.
I posted a complaint/question about the information they provide authors with regard to requirements/recommendations for eBook cover images and received a reply about 24 hours later. It confirmed that uploading higher quality covers is encouraged.
Last night I re-sized the covers for my eBooks on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords even though I honestly believe that not one viewer in thousands can tell the difference or cares even if they do.
The decision came down to a simple question of whether I want my covers to appear at their best possible quality available on the display being used.
With the original 72 ppi versions, that was true only when being viewed on the web. Once downloaded with the book and viewed on a computer or color screen eReader, image quality very likely becomes the limiting factor.
My new 300 ppi versions, however, put the ball in the other guy’s court . . . at least until the next higher-resolution screen sails back across the net with more trials and tribulations of indie publishing.
