How To Read ACSM Format Books | Jo Linsdell

How To Read ACSM Format Books

 

How To Read ACSM Format Books


How To Read ACSM Format Books


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Have you ever been searching titles on Net Galley and excitedly click to get a copy and then realise it's an acsm format copy? 

I did this recently and almost went into panic mode 😬

I usually read using the kindle app on my ipad so an acsm format book is a problem. They can't be read that way. 

The good news is there is an easy way to read them. 


How To Read ACSM Files


Adobe offers a free digital editions app that can read acsm format. They even offer a free selection of books you can download from their sample library. YAY free books! 


How To Read ACSM Format Books


So why do publishers use ACSM files?


Electric Book Works in their article Adobe DRM: a guide for publishers give a nice summary about ACSM format books and why they are used. It basically comes down to Digital Rights Management (DRM) and whether or not the publisher wants the book to be shared with others or not. 


Digital Rights Management (DRM) is any technological constraint on what a user can do with a document. Usually, DRM involves some kind of encryption that locks a document to a user’s identity, so that they can’t share it with anyone else.


As LifeWire put it in their article What Is an ACSM File? ACSM files are not regular ebook files.


ACSM files are not eBook files in the regular sense; they can't be opened and read like other eBook formats, like an EPUB or PDF. In fact, the ACSM file itself is nothing but information that communicates with Adobe's servers. There isn't an eBook "locked inside" the ACSM file nor is there a way to extract the book from the ACSM file.

Instead, ACSM files contain data from the Adobe Content Server that's used to authorize that the book has been legally purchased so that the real eBook file can be downloaded to your computer through the Adobe Digital Editions program, and then read back through the same software on any of your devices.


So, now you know and never have to go into panic mode again when you get an ACSM format book to review. 


How To Read ACSM Format Books




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8 comments

  1. I have had this problem before but couldn't get the software to work and gave up.

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    1. I have it installed on my computer and on my iPad. I prefer when I can read books on my Kindle app but it's good to have a back up plan for when hey send ACSM files.

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  2. I usually check the file to see how it is sent and avoid these in novels. Kids books is fine as I read them on my computer. Thanks for the advice.

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    1. I'm usually the same but sometimes I click on Net Galley without checking first and then need a back up plan.

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  3. I had never heard of this format for book reading. It's helpful to know that there is an option in case I ever receive one on NetGalley or from an author. Thanks for sharing this information!

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    1. Always good to have a plan just in case. I usually check on Net Galley before clicking to review but sometimes there's one that slips through.

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  4. Such a helpful post. I only recently learned about this after months of struggling!

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    1. I think most people read using the Kindle app or other reader and so never think about ACSM files. For reviewers it can come up though so it's always a good idea to have a system in place.

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