E-Book publishing software, any recommendations?

M T McGuire · 07-01-2010, 10:37 AM

Hello there,

I apologise if this is the wrong place to ask this question... but... I'm hoping to pick yer brains! I've been publishing short stories on Smashwords and am on the brink of publishing a novel.

So far, I've stuck things into the Smashwords meatgrinder with no real way of seeing what comes out the other side BUT, while that's fine for free e-shorts I feel guilty charging people to download something I haven't even (can't even) check before publication. I think it might be better if I could find a programme which would convert say, a fully formatted word file, on my own computer... Failing that, even a reader which would allow me to look at what Smashwords gives me in say... six most used formats (I was thinking LRF, Ebup, Mobi, Pdf, RTF and possibly the Palm thing although I might be able to do that with my iPAQ no?).

There is a useful wiki page about these things but I'm a bit of a techno-spanner and so most of the helpful details to assist my choice are passing several miles over my head.

What I really need is something that will open my rtf or word file, save it in the format of my choice and then let me preview it and make any changes if required. I won't be applying any drm because drm is pants and I believe this might make things a bit more straightforward. Ideally it would be free software... or VERY cheap.

Um... anyone have any ideas?

Cheers

M T M

Moejoe · 07-01-2010, 10:43 AM

Atlantis Ocean Mind Word Processor will output ePub with TOC. It costs $35. Windows only (but will work under Wine on Linux).

Linky: http://www.atlantiswordprocessor.com/en/

The download is fully functioning, so you can test it out before buying. Enjoy

GeoffC · 07-01-2010, 10:49 AM

If you already use WORD, I found this earlier today ... Not tried it, but it is supposed to take a word document and make an epub .... (needs registration) http://www.aspose.com/community/blog...om-aspose.aspx and it's free .....

Moejoe · 07-01-2010, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GeoffC

If you already use WORD, I found this earlier today ... Not tried it, but it is supposed to take a word document and make an epub .... (needs registration) http://www.aspose.com/community/blog...om-aspose.aspx and it's free .....

Isn't there a script somewhere here on MR that integrates with Microsoft Word and outputs several formats? I'll have a look.

EDIT: Here it is https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=28313 Book Creator Tool v3.0 by MR member =X=

M T McGuire · 07-01-2010, 10:58 AM

Wow! Thanks guys, those all look good I'll go check them out...

GeoffC · 07-01-2010, 10:58 AM

WOw - You've a good memory - I'd forgotten that ... run down the post to the version 3 ....

AnemicOak · 07-01-2010, 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by M T McGuire

I think it might be better if I could find a programme which would convert say, a fully formatted word file, on my own computer...

Won't do a ton of good as far as what the final results will be as you'll still be sending the Word file to Smashwords for conversion. Just be sure to follow their style guide. From what I've been reading a lot of the formatting problems seen from the 'meat grinder' are from authors not following it.

Quote:

Failing that, even a reader which would allow me to look at what Smashwords gives me in say... six most used formats (I was thinking LRF, Ebup, Mobi, Pdf, RTF and possibly the Palm thing although I might be able to do that with my iPAQ no?)

You don't say what OS you're using.

If it's Windows (click software names for links)...
ePub (Sony Reader Software, Adobe Digital Editions)
Mobi (Kindle for PC, Mobipocket Reader)
PDF (Adobe Digital Editions, Adobe Acrobat Reader, any other PDF reader)
RTF (MS Word which you indicate you have, Open Office)
PDB (B&N Reader, eReader)

For Mac the software is basically the same except there is no Mobipocket Reader for Mac. For Linux I'm not sure. There's FBReader, but I don't know if all the formats it does work that well yet.

Robin O'Neill · 07-01-2010, 02:09 PM

What about Sigil?
I have it but haven't looked at it. It converts documents. Google it. It's at Google.

Robin

Moejoe · 07-01-2010, 02:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robin O'Neill

What about Sigil?
I have it but haven't looked at it. It converts documents. Google it. It's at Google.

Robin

It also has its own forum here at MR.

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=203

GeoffC · 07-01-2010, 04:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robin O'Neill

What about Sigil?
I have it but haven't looked at it. It converts documents. Google it. It's at Google.

Robin

No need, as moe says ... It's HERE ......

M T McGuire · 07-02-2010, 05:14 AM

Sorry to miss that out I'm using Windows. My Word files are actually all converted to Smashwords specifications from Wordperfect - I hate Word and use WordPerfect because it actually has a British English UK spelling dictionary as opposed to Word's we-call-it-uk-english-but-it's-actually-american one. I wanted to provide the formats on my author website though and having seen how mucky Word files are converted to html I thought I should try to get something cleaner than the Smashwords output.

I've downloaded Sigil, EBook publisher, MobiPocket's own editing system and something called Calibre also mentioned in the recommended here. Ebook publisher looks the most straightforward once I've built the source file. I found a template on here, somewhere, too... I'm beginning to wonder if I should build the book in Dreamweaver and then convert it from html afterwards!

Cheers

M T M

GeoffC · 07-02-2010, 05:19 AM

You can produce the book whichever way you find easiest. I started with Sigil, but found some quirks, then went to use sciTE (text producer) and create the html files and the other files needed by the ePub wrapper.

Overall I found the "hard" way of doing it the more satisfying ... (although often frustrating).

B.K. Wright · 07-02-2010, 08:19 AM

Calibre is a great way to convert. Put your word doc. into either htm by using 'save as' or lit by using read, and then download it into Calibre which is free. It looks great, and the conversions offered are many.

DArenson · 07-02-2010, 02:05 PM

I second Calibre. It's what I use.

07-01-2010, 10:37 AM	#1
M T McGuire Addict Posts: 231 Karma: 1006970 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England Device: kindle	E-Book publishing software, any recommendations? Hello there, I apologise if this is the wrong place to ask this question... but... I'm hoping to pick yer brains! I've been publishing short stories on Smashwords and am on the brink of publishing a novel. So far, I've stuck things into the Smashwords meatgrinder with no real way of seeing what comes out the other side BUT, while that's fine for free e-shorts I feel guilty charging people to download something I haven't even (can't even) check before publication. I think it might be better if I could find a programme which would convert say, a fully formatted word file, on my own computer... Failing that, even a reader which would allow me to look at what Smashwords gives me in say... six most used formats (I was thinking LRF, Ebup, Mobi, Pdf, RTF and possibly the Palm thing although I might be able to do that with my iPAQ no?). There is a useful wiki page about these things but I'm a bit of a techno-spanner and so most of the helpful details to assist my choice are passing several miles over my head. What I really need is something that will open my rtf or word file, save it in the format of my choice and then let me preview it and make any changes if required. I won't be applying any drm because drm is pants and I believe this might make things a bit more straightforward. Ideally it would be free software... or VERY cheap. Um... anyone have any ideas? Cheers M T M Last edited by M T McGuire; 07-01-2010 at 10:39 AM. Reason: To remove multiple typos and spellos...

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07-01-2010, 10:43 AM	#2
Moejoe Banned Posts: 5,100 Karma: 72193 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: South of the Border Device: Coffin	Atlantis Ocean Mind Word Processor will output ePub with TOC. It costs $35. Windows only (but will work under Wine on Linux). Linky: http://www.atlantiswordprocessor.com/en/ The download is fully functioning, so you can test it out before buying. Enjoy

07-01-2010, 10:49 AM	#3
GeoffC Chocolate Grasshopper ... Posts: 27,600 Karma: 20821184 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Scotland Device: Muse HD , Cybook Gen3 , Pocketbook 302 (Black) , Nexus 10: wife has PW	If you already use WORD, I found this earlier today ... Not tried it, but it is supposed to take a word document and make an epub .... (needs registration) http://www.aspose.com/community/blog...om-aspose.aspx and it's free .....

07-01-2010, 10:58 AM	#5
M T McGuire Addict Posts: 231 Karma: 1006970 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England Device: kindle	Wow! Thanks guys, those all look good I'll go check them out...

07-01-2010, 02:09 PM	#8
Robin O'Neill Connoisseur Posts: 53 Karma: 60900 Join Date: May 2010 Device: PC	What about Sigil? I have it but haven't looked at it. It converts documents. Google it. It's at Google. Robin

07-02-2010, 05:14 AM	#11
M T McGuire Addict Posts: 231 Karma: 1006970 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England Device: kindle	Sorry to miss that out I'm using Windows. My Word files are actually all converted to Smashwords specifications from Wordperfect - I hate Word and use WordPerfect because it actually has a British English UK spelling dictionary as opposed to Word's we-call-it-uk-english-but-it's-actually-american one. I wanted to provide the formats on my author website though and having seen how mucky Word files are converted to html I thought I should try to get something cleaner than the Smashwords output. I've downloaded Sigil, EBook publisher, MobiPocket's own editing system and something called Calibre also mentioned in the recommended here. Ebook publisher looks the most straightforward once I've built the source file. I found a template on here, somewhere, too... I'm beginning to wonder if I should build the book in Dreamweaver and then convert it from html afterwards! Cheers M T M

07-02-2010, 05:19 AM	#12
GeoffC Chocolate Grasshopper ... Posts: 27,600 Karma: 20821184 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Scotland Device: Muse HD , Cybook Gen3 , Pocketbook 302 (Black) , Nexus 10: wife has PW	You can produce the book whichever way you find easiest. I started with Sigil, but found some quirks, then went to use sciTE (text producer) and create the html files and the other files needed by the ePub wrapper. Overall I found the "hard" way of doing it the more satisfying ... (although often frustrating).

07-02-2010, 08:19 AM	#13
B.K. Wright Zealot Posts: 26 Karma: 1010232 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Wichita, KS Device: none	Calibre is a great way to convert. Put your word doc. into either htm by using 'save as' or lit by using read, and then download it into Calibre which is free. It looks great, and the conversions offered are many.

07-02-2010, 02:05 PM	#14
DArenson ebookworm Posts: 268 Karma: 100026 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Canada Device: Kobo, Kindle	I second Calibre. It's what I use.

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