O-books uses a database and e-mail for all communications and manuscript changes. They have a very long and complex manual to answer general questions. I’m sure it’s a great time and money saver—and probably helps account for their positive economic situation but it’s cumbersome to work with from the author’s point of view. The hopeful assumption a copy of the manual would be helpful was shattered the first time I needed an answer. The manual has page after page of lists. If a section appears to be the place to find the information, it pops up by selecting the ‘help’ icon.
Okay, what then appears on the screen gives some information, but not what you need. So you select one blue sub-section. There are usually a number of subsections highlighted. Another set of information appears. Better but still not exactly what you want. But again there are a bunch of blued subsections. Again you select one of these. Eventually, you learn to print each answer because it’s like being Hansel or Gretel with reams of paper stacked on every surface instead of missing bread crumbs. There are days when I long for a phone number.