I'm keen to publish some of my stories for Kindle and following the instructions on the Amazon website, I dutifully downloaded Mobipocket to compile and produce a Kindle compliant file.
The issue however came when I discovered that instead of the four or five simple steps Amazon put in their instructions, which should't have taken more than a few minutes, I have spent the best part of the last day and a half trying to compile and build my story into Kindle format. Getting the story into the right format wasn't the problem ... well, not entirely anyway.
So what was the problem?
The Mobipocket program won't allow me to create a table of contents.
I therefore want to get some info on what other programs may be available out there that other members of the site might be able to recommend.
I'd be really grateful for any help or pointers you can give me and also how you have found the self-publication as regards sales and payment.
Thanks in advance,
Nick B
Comments
Calbre ePub Program
Calibre is a free epub program that works between formats and allows lots of options. You can do a google search for it, and also for "Calibre Kindle" for some discussions of your problems.
Hugs,
Erin
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
Thank you, Erin
Thanks for that.
Please don't think I'm going to refrain from posting here and I really do hope that my blog isn't what your 'stories' blog is about.
Perhaps my post is a little left of centre and if it's not welcome, I'll happily remove it.
I don't just look it, I'm totally hoping that I haven't upset Erin
Ha!
No, if you had seen the post I meant, you'd have no doubt. :)
Hugs,
Erin
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
I haven't published, but
I haven't published, but have you looked at this free Kindle book from Amazon:
Publish on Amazon Kindle with Kindle Direct Publishing
From that, it seems the preferred format is html rather than mobi, so maybe that will solve the problem, if you create a TOC with html links to the chapters.
Kris
{I leave a trail of Kudos as I browse the site. Be careful where you step!}
Kris
{I leave a trail of Kudos as I browse the site. Be careful where you step!}
Publishing on Kindle
Amazon suggests Mobipocket for conversion and it's supposed to be able to directly convert Word documents - Including any TOC created into Kindle format. HTML, is an intermediary stage from one to the other and this is where mine fell down, regardless of whether I used Word format or reproduced the document - including the TOC - in HTML.
After posting this blog, I received an E-mail from Amazon explaining that Mobipocket doesn't work on Windows 7 and suggested that I upgrade to XP!
I am now going to try Calibre ...
I don't just look it, I'm totally confused by their reply
This is why
This is why none of my book efforts have been spent on Kindle. I use Macs. Amazon provides a tool for use on Macs. It does not work at all, or didn't. When I talked to Amazon about this, their solution was that I should go buy a windows machine and stop bothering them -- since I had a Mac and they did not offer support for the Mac tool they fucking advertised having!
Hugs,
Erin
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
.mobi creators
The MobiPocket creator version that I have (v.4.2) has a TOC creation function, but it looks a bit clunky. Another possible solution is Calibre (http://calibre-ebook.com/).
It may be easier to create the entire book, including the TOC, in HTML. I think that the links transfer over.
My tuppence,
Janet
Mistress of the Guild of Evil [Strawberry] Blonde Proofreaders
To be or not to be... ask Schrodinger's cat.
Janet
Mistress of the Guild of Evil [Strawberry] Blonde Proofreaders
To be or not to be... ask Schrodinger's cat.
Using Calibre
I have yet to see what Calibre is all about, but to be on the safe side, I have installed Mobipocket on my other computer which runs XP. Hopefully between the two, I should be able to produce something Kindle can read.
I don't just look it, I'm totally ready for anything ...
Mobipocket
I haven't posted anything to Amazon site but I have converted a few long stories to PRC/MOBI format using Mobipocket. I don't have my pc up at the moment to check but seem to recall putting h2 html tags around the chapter headings and telling Mobipocket to look for them. I have can check in the morning and send you an example source file if you want.
J
I would thoroughly recommend Calibre
Thank you for the offer, but I have already tried various methods of recreating the book in HTML and used various tags - even custom defined tags to no avail. Yet Calibre did it all without batting an eyelid in milliseconds.
Calibre's definitely the one for me from now on :)
I don't just look it, I'm totally into this self-publication lark. Now all I need are some sales ...
Calibre works fairly well
Calibre works fairly well for conversion and as a general on-line library.
For mobipocket, unless they changed it in 4.x, has no pagebreak command. <H1> tags are for this.
The .Lit format, from microsoft, is being discontinued as from end of November. Though you should still be able to read the format. The LitReader software will no longer be available to download from 30 August. (I have copies.)
I, Personally, generate my ebooks manualy. I came across a little program around the end of 2001, call XML2Lit.
I have, of course, extended the command set significantly since that. Even creating an XSL transform and using a Program called Sigil (http://code.google.com/p/sigil/) to Generate ePub. And a little help from MS Office to create PDF's.
The PRC format from XML2Lit uses Mobipublisher 3.
Kindle books made easy.
I have been converting stuff to Kindle format with complete success for several months now. Like someone else suggested, the secret is Calibre. Calibre isn't just for epubs. It is a multiformat ebook converter.
All you have to do is format your book in Word or OpenOffice, save it as an HTML file, and import it into Calibre. Then convert to mobi format. If you are using Word, please save the file as "webpage (filtered)" for best results. I don't remember the exact type of HTML file you need to save it as if using OpenOffice.
Mark your chapters with "Header 1" styles and you will get nice chapter navigation. There are other tricks that I have learned that I won't go into right now, but can tell you about if you like.
The book-maker by MobiPocket is a waste of time and is, IMHO, a piece of garbage. It doesn't create books that support some of the nicer navigation features of the Kindle, and simply doesn't always work right.
Hugs,
Kaho
http://fox-tales.net/
Hugs,
Kaho
http://fox-tales.net/