APPLE MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO DOWNLOAD iBOOKS

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By

David Lamb

In previous blogs we’ve praised Apple for the slick way it has organized the production process for generating and posting iBooks to the iBookstore. But creating the iBook is the easy part.

Generating awareness, getting media reviews and leveraging social media, constitutes the real work. With an estimated 700,000 books in the iBookstore, it is imperative that you beat the PR drum as hard as you can.

Apple, to its credit, knows this and provides publishers with a limited number of ‘promo codes’, in effect free downloads for reviewers and other people in the media. But this is where the trouble starts.

We are getting far too many emails, from media, as well as prospective customers, asking for help downloading AUTOMANIA. And we know why.

Apple has too many ways to search for a book and ironically too little info explaining how to redeem coupons, be they promo codes or gift cards.

We need reviews and Apple makes it difficult for the media to redeem their ‘promo codes’.

 There are three primary ways to download an iBook:

1.    Using your computer to log into iTunes

  • Click on Books
  • Search for AUTOMANIA
  • ‘Redeem’ a promo code button is at the bottom of the page under ‘Manage’
  • click on Redeem and the process is automated

Ironically searching the iTunes Store from your iPad is the least productive method and very frustrating. Least stressful is to tap on the iBook icon.

2.   Using iPad with iOS 5 (earlier versions)

  • Tap on the iBook icon

  • Click the ‘Store’ button in the top left corner

  • Type AUTOMANIA into search box in the upper right of the screen
  • To redeem a coupon click on Author Page (who knew?) which takes you to page 2

3.    Using iPad iOS 6 

  • Tap on the iBooks icon
  • Click the ‘Store’ button in the top left corner
  • Type AUTOMANIA into search box in the upper right of the screen
  • To redeem a coupon, click on the arrow (chevron) to go to the 2nd page where you can redeem the promo code
  • This is as obvious as the ‘Masonic handshake’

This is not intuitive. It is not what you expect from Apple. It’s frustrating and it’s reducing sales. Who would spend five minutes, or more, trying to solve this riddle.

Most of us use a fraction of the tools available to us via our computers, smartphones and iPads. We master emails and browsing the Net. Some of us get comfortable sharing images and using iMessage. But in truth, most of us skim the surface. And so it is with iPads.

There may be over 100 millions iPads in circulation but few owners know all the hidden secrets. It’s why we inserted three videos at the beginning of AUTOMANIA to help readers get the most from their iPad.

At the end of the day Apple has to make it easy. This is far too confusing.

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