.mobi in the Kindle library?

niceboy · 10-12-2010, 01:25 AM

I have download many book text files from Project Guttenberg and various web magazines publishing free short fiction on-line. I have also bought and downloaded books from smashwords. I have been reading these on my iPod Touch and converting them to audiofiles with TTS but I want to switch to a Kindle 3 for reading and listening. Can anyone with experience using a Kindle 3 answer these questions for which I have not been able to find answers searching Google etc.:

Will the Read-to-Me function on Kindle 3 read text files and non-DRM .mobi?

Is it true that non-DRM .mobi will apear in the library by file name only like .txt and .pdf files as opposed to by proper Author and Title metadata as with Amazon purchased .azw books?

How about Project Guttenberg .mobi files or text converted to .mobi or .azw by Calibre or Stanza?

Is there a way to add Author and Title info once the .mobi is on the Kindle?

Thank you very much.

JeremyR · 10-12-2010, 02:06 AM

I haven't tried pure text files, but yes, TTS works on non-DRMed Mobi files. Edit: Just tried it with a text file and it works.

And as long as the file has the correct metadata, it shows the title and author, not the filename. I can't vouch for PG files converted to Mobi, but the ones from here, Manybooks and Feedbooks all show up correctly.

Not sure about PDF, though. It reads some metadata from it though, the author at least.

niceboy · 10-12-2010, 03:30 AM

Wow! Non-DRM .mobi might list properly based on the metadata... that would be nice. I should be able to enter the Author/Title metadata in Calibre before making the conversion to .mobi so maybe that will work for the Kindle.

The TTS will work on txt... excellent! I feel much better about getting the device now. I really wanted the Read-to-Me feature to work on the books I have already from Smashwords and Fictionwise so that makes me very very happy. I also do stuff like save long newspaper articles and New Yorker stories etc as text from the print-formatted versions of the pages. There are some web fiction sites with downloadable text such as StrangeHorizons. I had placed an order for the 6" WiFi device but then got scared it might only read-aloud from Amazon purchased books.

---

One last thing, I have Googled "using Calibre to make collections for Kindle 3" but what I found was about fancy stuff I did not understand about issues such as ordering series... can someone point me to a simple explanation of using Calibre to make basic collections for Kindle? I would like to make collections based on the site/store from which I got the text. If not I can just make the collections book by book on Kindle so its no big deal.

10-12-2010, 01:25 AM	#1
niceboy Enthusiast Posts: 48 Karma: 14 Join Date: Oct 2010 Device: Kindle	.mobi in the Kindle library? I have download many book text files from Project Guttenberg and various web magazines publishing free short fiction on-line. I have also bought and downloaded books from smashwords. I have been reading these on my iPod Touch and converting them to audiofiles with TTS but I want to switch to a Kindle 3 for reading and listening. Can anyone with experience using a Kindle 3 answer these questions for which I have not been able to find answers searching Google etc.: Will the Read-to-Me function on Kindle 3 read text files and non-DRM .mobi? Is it true that non-DRM .mobi will apear in the library by file name only like .txt and .pdf files as opposed to by proper Author and Title metadata as with Amazon purchased .azw books? How about Project Guttenberg .mobi files or text converted to .mobi or .azw by Calibre or Stanza? Is there a way to add Author and Title info once the .mobi is on the Kindle? Thank you very much.

10-12-2010, 02:06 AM	#2
JeremyR Guru Posts: 973 Karma: 2458402 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: St. Louis Device: Kindle Keyboard, Nook HD+	I haven't tried pure text files, but yes, TTS works on non-DRMed Mobi files. Edit: Just tried it with a text file and it works. And as long as the file has the correct metadata, it shows the title and author, not the filename. I can't vouch for PG files converted to Mobi, but the ones from here, Manybooks and Feedbooks all show up correctly. Not sure about PDF, though. It reads some metadata from it though, the author at least. Last edited by JeremyR; 10-12-2010 at 02:34 AM.

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10-12-2010, 03:30 AM	#3
niceboy Enthusiast Posts: 48 Karma: 14 Join Date: Oct 2010 Device: Kindle	Wow! Non-DRM .mobi might list properly based on the metadata... that would be nice. I should be able to enter the Author/Title metadata in Calibre before making the conversion to .mobi so maybe that will work for the Kindle. The TTS will work on txt... excellent! I feel much better about getting the device now. I really wanted the Read-to-Me feature to work on the books I have already from Smashwords and Fictionwise so that makes me very very happy. I also do stuff like save long newspaper articles and New Yorker stories etc as text from the print-formatted versions of the pages. There are some web fiction sites with downloadable text such as StrangeHorizons. I had placed an order for the 6" WiFi device but then got scared it might only read-aloud from Amazon purchased books. --- One last thing, I have Googled "using Calibre to make collections for Kindle 3" but what I found was about fancy stuff I did not understand about issues such as ordering series... can someone point me to a simple explanation of using Calibre to make basic collections for Kindle? I would like to make collections based on the site/store from which I got the text. If not I can just make the collections book by book on Kindle so its no big deal.

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