Scrivener help needed desperately - Page 2

teh603 · 05-28-2013, 06:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crich70

Odd that you are having problems signing up for the forum over at literatureandlatte.com. It worked for me when I signed up some months back. It might be a temporary glitch in their system. I'd try again and see if it would allow you in this time. I use firefox as my browser and didn't have trouble.

Could've just been a string of impossible capchas? I heard of one once that included a German ß and an umlaut, and another that was all Chinese characters.

BeccaPrice · 05-28-2013, 08:45 AM

No, they weren't impossible - some were quite easy. I think there's something going on with my firewall that won't allow some things like that to go through.

On another note, I got my cover! it's beyond my expectations... but is giving me grief now with Scrivener. Without the cover, it compiles just fine. With the cover, I get kindlegen errors - but it doesn't tell me what the error is. Can someone walk me through attaching the cover? (it may be that the cover is too large; the final version was sent to me in the print format of 400 dpi - I've asked the artist to send me a new copy with 72dpi, which is what I think Amazon needs for the kindle.)

Lazer · 05-31-2013, 02:25 PM

As far as importing a manuscript you started in Word; Pick the New Project type that fits your book best, probably just "novel." Copy/paste each chapter into a different Text page.

As far as the compile feature, you need to have KindleGen installed on your 'puter (for .mobi files) and it needs to be linked in Scrivener. Keep in mind, I'm a Mac version user. There are numerous webpages out there that discuss this. Google it. I think there are some videos on Youtube.

Once you've got your book in Scrivner, play around with Compile and see what the settings give you. You're not going to modify your manuscript.

BeccaPrice · 05-31-2013, 04:23 PM

Turns out I don't need mobi files anyway. Amazon doesn't accept mobi files, but will take epub files and then they convert them. strange, but ok, I guess.

It also turns out that there are some things you just can't do in Scrivener for Windows, so part of my workflow involves compiling to epub and then using sigil to edit the epub.

Lazer · 05-31-2013, 04:38 PM

When you run that epub through Amazon's KindlePreviewer it turns it into a .mobi file. Unless something's changed recently they do accept .mobi files since that's the way I did my first two.

And relax on this. I've found formatting to be a bigger challenge than writing. These days I've got it figured out but on my first book I had more than one migraine while trying to turn it into a eBook!

TL

BeccaPrice · 05-31-2013, 05:11 PM

hm. On this page it lists formats that Amazon accepts and doesn't list mobi, which I admit seems strange.

Lazer · 05-31-2013, 06:39 PM

I assume, but don't know, that they have just left out the obvious.

I think Scrivener is a great writing tool. Once you spend a little time with it I think you will too. I find it handy to have a file in the binder for each character.

TL

BeccaPrice · 05-31-2013, 06:49 PM

well, when I upload tomorrow (ghu willing and the final edits come in), I'll submit the mobi and see whether they take it.

VydorScope · 05-31-2013, 10:26 PM

I just last week up loaded an updated mobi to them. I have only uploaded mobi's for the past couple years. So IMO they must accept them.

Their DOC->MOBI creation stinks, IMO, so I am glad they accept mobi. I build the EPUB and MOBI in Scrivener. Scrivener uses Amazon's tool to create the mobi and it produces a much nicer file then their online tool.

Andy Farman · 06-16-2013, 08:52 AM

Scrivener is for MAC not PC but they do not clearly advertise the fact. Nothing malicious or underhand, its just one guy in his garden shed creating it all.
Do not bother downloading the PC version because it lacks too many features to actually work.

BeccaPrice · 06-16-2013, 09:01 AM

I've been able to force an end result that I like, using Scrivener to create an epub, and then editing that with Sigil. after I get an epub that validates, I can use kindlegen to convert to mobi if I need to. It's extra work, but Scrivener for PC does create such easy epubs that it's worth it to me. I do find, however, that I do my writing in Word, and then import that to Scrivener.

Dr. Drib · 06-16-2013, 09:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy Farman

Scrivener is for MAC not PC but they do not clearly advertise the fact. Nothing malicious or underhand, its just one guy in his garden shed creating it all.
Do not bother downloading the PC version because it lacks too many features to actually work.

I completely disagree with your assessment.

I feel, even though the PC version lags somewhat behind the Mac version, that the PC version is a fine product and does everything I need it to do in order for me to be productive. The Mac version is, at this point, a more mature product but that's because the Mac version was introduced a few years before the PC version.

As well, if anyone cares to go to their website

http://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener.php

you will find that there is a clear distinction made between the two versions, PC and Mac. I feel that this distinction is clearly advertised on their homepage.

These are my opinions, and anyone is certainly free to disagree with those opinions.

Don

gmw · 06-16-2013, 12:49 PM

Adding my complete agreement with Dr. Drib. While I do not actively use Scrivener myself (mainly because my project was a long way in before I found it), I have trialed it under Windows 7 and was very impressed. It is certainly up to real work. The Windows version is under very active development and is improving all the time (I've been keeping an eye on it with a view to my next project).

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05-28-2013, 08:45 AM	#17
BeccaPrice Wizard Posts: 2,145 Karma: 11174187 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Sony 350, K3-3G, K4SO, KPW	No, they weren't impossible - some were quite easy. I think there's something going on with my firewall that won't allow some things like that to go through. On another note, I got my cover! it's beyond my expectations... but is giving me grief now with Scrivener. Without the cover, it compiles just fine. With the cover, I get kindlegen errors - but it doesn't tell me what the error is. Can someone walk me through attaching the cover? (it may be that the cover is too large; the final version was sent to me in the print format of 400 dpi - I've asked the artist to send me a new copy with 72dpi, which is what I think Amazon needs for the kindle.)

05-31-2013, 02:25 PM	#18
Lazer Groupie Posts: 174 Karma: 1498858 Join Date: Aug 2010 Device: Kindle 3	As far as importing a manuscript you started in Word; Pick the New Project type that fits your book best, probably just "novel." Copy/paste each chapter into a different Text page. As far as the compile feature, you need to have KindleGen installed on your 'puter (for .mobi files) and it needs to be linked in Scrivener. Keep in mind, I'm a Mac version user. There are numerous webpages out there that discuss this. Google it. I think there are some videos on Youtube. Once you've got your book in Scrivner, play around with Compile and see what the settings give you. You're not going to modify your manuscript.

05-31-2013, 04:23 PM	#19
BeccaPrice Wizard Posts: 2,145 Karma: 11174187 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Sony 350, K3-3G, K4SO, KPW	Turns out I don't need mobi files anyway. Amazon doesn't accept mobi files, but will take epub files and then they convert them. strange, but ok, I guess. It also turns out that there are some things you just can't do in Scrivener for Windows, so part of my workflow involves compiling to epub and then using sigil to edit the epub.

05-31-2013, 04:38 PM	#20
Lazer Groupie Posts: 174 Karma: 1498858 Join Date: Aug 2010 Device: Kindle 3	When you run that epub through Amazon's KindlePreviewer it turns it into a .mobi file. Unless something's changed recently they do accept .mobi files since that's the way I did my first two. And relax on this. I've found formatting to be a bigger challenge than writing. These days I've got it figured out but on my first book I had more than one migraine while trying to turn it into a eBook! TL

05-31-2013, 05:11 PM	#21
BeccaPrice Wizard Posts: 2,145 Karma: 11174187 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Sony 350, K3-3G, K4SO, KPW	hm. On this page it lists formats that Amazon accepts and doesn't list mobi, which I admit seems strange.

05-31-2013, 06:39 PM	#22
Lazer Groupie Posts: 174 Karma: 1498858 Join Date: Aug 2010 Device: Kindle 3	I assume, but don't know, that they have just left out the obvious. I think Scrivener is a great writing tool. Once you spend a little time with it I think you will too. I find it handy to have a file in the binder for each character. TL

05-31-2013, 06:49 PM	#23
BeccaPrice Wizard Posts: 2,145 Karma: 11174187 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Sony 350, K3-3G, K4SO, KPW	well, when I upload tomorrow (ghu willing and the final edits come in), I'll submit the mobi and see whether they take it.

05-31-2013, 10:26 PM	#24
VydorScope Wizard Posts: 3,418 Karma: 35207650 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: iPad	I just last week up loaded an updated mobi to them. I have only uploaded mobi's for the past couple years. So IMO they must accept them. Their DOC->MOBI creation stinks, IMO, so I am glad they accept mobi. I build the EPUB and MOBI in Scrivener. Scrivener uses Amazon's tool to create the mobi and it produces a much nicer file then their online tool.

06-16-2013, 08:52 AM	#25
Andy Farman Connoisseur Posts: 44 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2013 Device: Kindle	Scrivener is for MAC not PC but they do not clearly advertise the fact. Nothing malicious or underhand, its just one guy in his garden shed creating it all. Do not bother downloading the PC version because it lacks too many features to actually work.

06-16-2013, 09:01 AM	#26
BeccaPrice Wizard Posts: 2,145 Karma: 11174187 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Sony 350, K3-3G, K4SO, KPW	I've been able to force an end result that I like, using Scrivener to create an epub, and then editing that with Sigil. after I get an epub that validates, I can use kindlegen to convert to mobi if I need to. It's extra work, but Scrivener for PC does create such easy epubs that it's worth it to me. I do find, however, that I do my writing in Word, and then import that to Scrivener.

06-16-2013, 12:49 PM	#28
gmw cacoethes scribendi Posts: 5,809 Karma: 137770742 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Australia Device: Kobo Aura One & H2Ov2, Sony PRS-650	Adding my complete agreement with Dr. Drib. While I do not actively use Scrivener myself (mainly because my project was a long way in before I found it), I have trialed it under Windows 7 and was very impressed. It is certainly up to real work. The Windows version is under very active development and is improving all the time (I've been keeping an eye on it with a view to my next project).