Epub conversion help?

[calithena]

I think this is probably hopeless for the mag, but there's no reason that Roll the Bones and future special issues/contest volumes couldn't be sold as epubs usable for the kindle, etc. Does anyone here know how to do this? I could really use the help. Post here with quick suggestions or email me if you have substantial advice or services to offer - @ gmail dot com. Thanks!

Back to work...

[noburo]

Adobe InDesign converts layouts to .epub files with hardly any hassle... I just tried it with ID CS4 and a page of text and images, and it appeared to work ok. (By 'appeared' I mean no error messages showed up – I don't have an actual e-reader to test the file with!)

Also, pdfs can be converted to epubs (for a free converter see, for example, calibre-ebook.com/), but I honestly don't know which way is better.

I'm a layout monkey by trade, so I probably should start looking into this... thanks for the nudge!

[coffee]

I could have sworn I replied to this yesterday!

I have two e-readers, so if you need somebody to field-test your conversions, pm me. I'll be happy to help.

[calithena]

Thanks guys! I will try some of this out when the time gets closer.

[thegreyelf]

I don't think the Kindle actually reads e-pub, but there is, I believe, a converter that will work for the kindle format as well. Give me a day or two to research this--I used to have a list of freeware epub converters from my IT class last semester.

[calithena]

Thanks, Greyelf! The Kindle is used by more people than any other e-reader right now, so that information would be very helpful. Kind of surprised Amazon isn't trying to make it as easy as possible for people to convert stuff to their format, actually. Or maybe they are and I just don't know the program...

[nezach]

Hey folks. I've used Mobipocket Creator Publisher Edition to make Kindle readable versions of HTML, Word, text and PDF files. It might be worth a look to see if it's something usable for what you have in mind.

The new versions of the Kindle can read PDFs naively, but except for special cases I usually run them through Mobipocket Creator anyway to convert them over to a more Kindle reader friendly format. It's not always pretty, but it's free!

www.mobipocket.com/en/downloadsoft/productdetailscreator.asp

[coffee]

I don't have a Kindle. I have a Nook and a Libre.

So any data you need on them, I'm your guy.

[nezach]

I nearly forgot, there's also a free Kindle reader for Windows PCs.


www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=kcp_pc_mkt_lnd?docId=1000426311

I have a hand held Kindle, if you hadn't guessed already.

[calithena]

Well, I could really use some help here from people to make kindle and epub versions of Roll the Bones. I ran the PDF through Calibri and it is readable but not something I would sell. I could strip page numbers out of the PDF - it seems like maybe I should - but it does strange things with some of the pictures too. I'm in over my head! Anyway, I can send people free copies of the PDF for help with this, and if it's a lot of work I could probably even come up with some other swag or $ too. Please advise!

[verhaden]

I have a Kindle and I have experience creating *.ePub documents through InDesign and then converting them into *.mobi format. If you need help, let me know.

I should note, however, that you're better off using the source text to convert from as opposed to trying to force a compiled PDF to convert.

verhaden AT [gmail] DOT [com]

But yes... it's a d**n shame the Kindle doesn't support ePub documents.

[calithena]

email sent!

[calithena]

I dropped nezach a line...in the meantime, anyone else out there have a kindle?