Need Help With Conversion To E-Book Format

[chiangmaibruce]

Dear techno-savvy members of Thaivisa, I hope to draw on your combined wisdom to help sort out a computer-ish problem

I have already had a thread in the Chiang Mai forum, but it ran out of steam:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/470335-is-there-anyone-in-chiang-mai-who-knows-about-ebook-conversion/

My situation is as follows:

I want to produce a well-formatted e-book optimized for viewing on an Amazon Kindle E-reader

Issues:

* I have never attempted this process this before, but would like to do the job myself if possible

* It is a non-fiction book of around 270 pages featuring 43 small tables and charts, plus dozens of endnotes, and a comprehensive index

The possible input files that I can work with are:

1. The original draft I gave to the publisher in Microsoft Word (but various changes to text/tables/charts occurred later)

2. A pdf file of the 2nd last draft of the manuscript before it went to typesetting (so there were a small number of subsequent minor changes to text/tables/charts)

3. A Word (doc) file of the final version which was produced by converting back from the typeset version (so a few tables and all charts were lost, plus there are some formatting issues to be rectified – mainly just spacing before and after headings & removing footers)

The tools I have available, and which I have already been playing around with, are:

1. Book creator (a Microsoft Word template which apparently enables subsequent conversion into html - using ‘save as’ filtered html option - with less formatting problems)

2. Coffee Cup HTML Editor (which I already had)

3. Calibre (which can input .pdf, .txt, and .html files, but which cannot be used for editing – only conversion)

4. Mobi Pocket Creator (which can input doc or html files)

I have already been through the conversion process via a number of routes, each of which has it’s own issues. I’d now like to confirm the fastest and most effective way to get the job done

Notes & Questions

Do I edit to correct formatting problems while it is still a Word document, or at the next step (ie. as html file using an html editor). If I need to use an html editor then which one is best for the job? I note that the html coding produced when you convert a word file (in Word) appears to be excessive and so more difficult/confusing for a relative novice to work with/around (when editing)

If I use Calibre then do I also need also need to use Mobi Pocket (or is it a matter of choosing one OR the other?)

I have read that I will need to insert tables as images created using captured screen shots – Is this correct?

I am probably going to have to extract all of the charts from the original word documents I provided to the publisher and then insert each into either the .doc or the .html file stage (from memory they were mainly .bmp files)

I also understand that I need to remove page numbers from the Table of Contents and insert hypertext links instead. At what stage do I do this (and using which program)? Do I have to do the same for the index … or is the index redundant given use of the search function in an e-book?

How do I deal with the end-notes? (in the hardcopy these appear at the end of each chapter, and note that one chapter has 71 end-notes)

Thank you in anticipation of any advice that might be forthcoming :jap:

[melsnet]

Have only experience of using Calibre for converting PDF/ WORD files to EPUB/MOBI format. It does a good job of conversion, but not perfect and will almost certainly need some editing.

How to edit epub files

Calibre can export a non-DRMed MOBI file to an HTML file, which will allow you to edit the file. You can then convert it back to MOBI.

[harrry]

It is important that an ebook is not the same a a printed page. It is viewed on various size and format screens and people do use the oportunity to use larger fonts and let the words flow. THinking in terms of formating an ebook like a book where things remain on a fixed position on the page will not work.

[bangkockney]

.

Edited May 31, 2011 by bangkockney

[chiangmaibruce]

Have only experience of using Calibre for converting PDF/ WORD files to EPUB/MOBI format. It does a good job of conversion, but not perfect and will almost certainly need some editing.

How to edit epub files

Calibre can export a non-DRMed MOBI file to an HTML file, which will allow you to edit the file. You can then convert it back to MOBI.

Thanks for the linked article - interesting but sounds like it doesn't work for everyone ... have you tried this method?

Thanks also for the tip about Calibre, which may be useful for doing an necessary final edits ... I assume this latter process is more straightforward than the method in the linked article?

[beano2274]

Not sure this will help

http://www.ehow.com/how_2094744_convert-document-ebook.html

[chiangmaibruce]

<bump> any more thoughts or suggestions, folks?

[gabruce]

<bump> any more thoughts or suggestions, folks?

I've tried using "Sigil" ( http://code.google.com/p/sigil/ ) to edit an epub I converted with Calibre (from pdf). It works. I've only used it enough to see that it works and to get a feel for using it on an ebook project.

Jimmy

[DefaultName]

I hope I'm not breaking any rules by advising you to go elsewhere, but I think that this forum; http://www.mobileread.com/ is what you need. There's a Calibre section where the developers read and answer questions, if they can't help you then you're stuck with dead trees.

Edited June 5, 2011 by DefaultName

[angiud]

When I find a poorly formatted E-book (PDF, Word, text, etc) I use to recode before with Calibre in Epub format, then open with Sigil and better format due to my needs. I find Sigil enough useful, although sometime crash with my Windows 7

[fred110]

Look at Adobe Digital Editions, I got it free from my library for reading ebooks, maybe it will edit also?

[chiangmaibruce]

Thanks guys, I think I have enough leads now to hunker down in my cave and try to put something together