Why do you only sell downloads?
All of our books are unabridged and read exactly word for word just as in the original written book. This means that they are long (some are over 20hrs!) It isn’t practical to fit that sort of length recording onto CDs or tapes, which is why most audio-books are heavily abridged. We can offer you the full book of something like Madame Bovary in your download not two thirds of it as most audio books on tape or CD do! By using our download service you can get these exclusive books at great value, with no delivery time & cost – your books are available to download immediately after purchase, direct to your computer. You can then easily load them onto your iPod or MP3 player.
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Which download version should I choose ?
All of our books are available in iPod audiobook format, and MP3 format. The advantage of iPod audiobook format is that the iPod remembers the position of your book when you press stop and play something else… handy when you’re some way into a long novel.
Some players do not support this format, so we also offer MP3 files to make sure you can enjoy Silksoundbooks regardless of which player you have. You can also burn audio or MP3 CDs from these files.
Click Here to find out more about different audiobook formats.
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Can I buy these exclusive audiobooks on CD or Cassette?
Sorry, but the answer is no. With the ever-increasing costs of postage and packaging, we believe that downloads are the best way to make our unabridged audio books available to the widest audience . We’re happy for you to make your own CD version of your download for personal use, but please bear in mind that some books will take many CDs!
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How do I make a CD from my download?
If
you want to make a CD copy of your download, make sure that you
download the mp3 version of the files. You can then use a CD burning
program to convert the files to CD format and burn them onto a
recordable CD. Many of our customers recommend iTunes which is
available to download free from the Apple website. You don't have to
have an iPod to use it and all the instructions you need are easily
available. Just make sure you have plenty of blank CDs – Silksoundbooks
are unabridged, so they can be very long. The authors didn't write the
chapters of their books to conveniently fit to the length of blank CDs
either!
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How long do they take to download?
Download time will vary according to your internet connection speed and the book that you have chosen – all of our the books vary in length. Our tests have shown that the average book download on a home broadband connection will take approx. 30 – 40 minutes. Our Silksoundbooks Downloader makes the process really simple - just one click and your audio book will be downloading to your "My Documents" folder.
We do not recommend using a slow dial-up connection to download audiobooks.
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When can I download it?
You can download the book immediately after you have purchased it, or you have up to 21 days in which to download - after this time the download will expire. You will, of course, still have your downloaded book on your computer / MP3 player!
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What if I don’t download it within 21 days?
If you’ve purchased a book and haven’t downloaded it within 21 days, please contact our support team who will be happy to help you. Email: support@silksoundbooks.com
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I downloaded a book, but I can’t find it on my computer!
If you have used the Silksoundbooks Downloader, your audio books will be in a folder called "Silksoundbooks" in your "My Documents" folder. If you have used your browser to download, your files will be in the folder selected as default by your internet browser.
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When I play the MP3 version audiobook on my iPod, the ends of each chapter are cut off…
This often happens when crossfade is set in iTunes, which is fine for music, but not for audiobooks. To change the settings:
Start up iTunes
From the "Edit" menu select "Preferences"
Select the "Playback" tab
Deselect (untick) "Crossfade Playback"
Next time you connect your iPod it will pick-up these settings and you should then be able to enjoy every word of your book. All of our audiobooks are available in M4B or audiobook format which doesn't use crossfade playback.
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How do I play a Zip file?
A zip file is like a "container" that holds all the chapters of the book in one place. On most computers clicking on the file will open it and allow you to copy the chapters to where you want them. If your computer does not have the software to "unzip" the files, there are many free programs you can download. We recommend IZArc as we have thoroughly tested this with our books, and it has proven to be reliable.
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The Zip file won’t open on my computer...
If this is the case, it is likely that it has become corrupted during the download, or the download is incomplete. Simply clear the browser’s temporary internet files (see below) and download it again. Check the file size of your downloaded zip and make sure it is the same as it is on the website.
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Will the the audio book download play on my car stereo?
Most modern car stereo systems will play MP3 CDs. Simply burn a CD-Rom of the MP3 files and it should happily play in your car. For cars that don’t support this format, you will have to make audio CDs (most of our books will take several discs if you choose to use this method.)
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I downloaded a book and my computer died, can I get the book again?
When you purchase a book, you have 21 days in which to re-download it. If disaster strikes and your computer dies after this period, please contact our support department and they’ll be happy to assist you.
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How to clear Temporary Internet Files
To clear your temporary Internet files (this can help to fix download problems):
Mozilla FireFox:
On the menu bar, go to "Tools", select "Internet Options" and click the box "Delete Files" in the middle
section labelled "Temporary Internet Files" This brings up a new dialogue box - tick the box "Delete all
offline content" and click Ok.
Internet Explorer:
On the menu bar, go to "Tools", select "Clear Private Data". Make sure the box "Cache" is ticked and click
Ok.
Safari:
Select "Safari" on the top menu, click "Empty Cache" and then click "Empty" when asked to confirm.
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My download gets stuck – I tried it again, but it gets stuck at the same point each time.
It sounds as though the download did not complete properly for some reason.
The first thing to try is to clear the corrupted file in the cache and try to download again...
See the previous answer! Another cause for the download stopping prematurely is power-saving on your computer. Adjust these settings so your computer doesn't shutdown the screen or hard drive off when it is inactive. You can switch these settings back once you have completed your download.
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What payment methods do you accept.
 Silksoundbooks accept all major credits and debit cards - VISA, Mastercard , American Express, Maestro & Delta. All payments are securely processed via an encrypted server. You may be taken to your card issuer's website for credit card validation.You will be returned to Silksoundbooks.com once the process is complete.
I cannot hear the samples.
You need flash installed on your machine to preview the books. You can check that flash is installed by using this tool.
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We hope this FAQ has
covered the most common questions about audiobook downloads, but please
contact our support team if you have any queries.
In your email, please let us know the type of computer and operating
system you have and the browser that you are using, as it really helps
us to quickly find an answer to your problem.
Silksoundbooks.com
support@silksoundbooks.com
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