So, how do I start?

[fbrII]

I would like to edit some books and contribute but I don't have the faintest idea how to start.

Like

Where do you find content?
How do you determine whether a book is still protected by copyright?
What tools do you need?
What knowledge/background do you need (XHTML, CSS, Python)?

While, I could keep piling on the questions, what I really could use is just some advice as to how to get started.

and

[zelda_pinwheel]

hi fbrII, thanks so much for wanting to contribute ! that's really great.

to answer some of your questions, a good place to get content is project gutenberg. you can be sure that anything you find there is definitely in the public domain in the US. likewise, there is a PG Canada and Australia. check to see whether the title that interests you is already available here ; if it's not, convert away ! if it is, take a look at it and see whether you feel like making different formatting choices in a new edition (it's up to you).

as for tools, i recommend you try out the new epub editor, sigil, which has its own forum here. if you know xhtml / css that will definitely help you, but it's not an obligation ; sigil has a wysiwyg interface.

maybe the *best* place to get started is by taking a look at some of the books already available here ; we have some really beautiful editions by uploaders like jellby, patricia, mtravellerh, and lots of others. take a look at how they present the text (special styles for titles and chapter headings, page breaks for each new chapter, etc.) and try out the different styles on a test document for yourself. then dive right in with a book you'd like to read and make it look gorgeous. if you get stuck, just ask for help. mtravellerh, i believe, has some templates in fact, he might be able to give you some useful tips.

[fbrII]

Ok, I'm writin this down

1) Go to project Guten-b and pick out something nice
2) Check and see if we have it here in MobiRead
3) Check out Sigil
4) Check out jellby, patricia and matravellerh's work
5) Hope matravellerh wanders by and leaves a few tips

Ok, did one, ignored two, until I know what I'm doing and it matters, did three, ditto four, downloaded Robroy, five, still hoping

Sigil puzzles me - not knowing anything - looks like I can align text, insert chapter breaks and not a whole lot else. But, I do plead ignorance

Oh yeah, least I forget - Zelda, thanks for the tips!

[Jellby]

I'm not sure you want to use Sigil yet. Or at least, if you do, you need some basic HTML and CSS knowledge.

If you already know HTML and CSS, making an ePUB book is not hard, you can have a look at this tutorial for a first contact. A Mobipocket book is maybe easier, but less flexible, it's basically a stripped down HTML (see here), but you would need some tool to convert it to mobipocket (I use MobiPerl's html2mobi).

I'd be glad to provide source files of my mobis, and to give further advice if you have more specific questions.

[zelda_pinwheel]

you are welcome for the tips, and i'm sure you'll get plenty more. jellby has some excellent advice already. and it seems that nick (nrapallo) has heard your plea for help and made this thread which could interest you.

[nrapallo]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

and it seems that nick (nrapallo) has heard your plea for help and made this thread which could interest you.

Yes, fbrII, I did hear your pleas for help and you are not alone.

Establishing the proper workflow greatly helps with the creation of ebooks; whether for your own use or for uploading here as well.

If you would like to see how its done, using a more automated approach, try converting a Project Gutenberg ("PG") or PG Australia ebook using GuteBook. You'll also need calibre, eBook Publisher and GutenMark to best use the program.

Then, you can experiment with what formats appeal to you and what changes work best, all without even knowing the how's and why's...

All you need for PG is the Etext-no. and for PG Australia the link to the html as well.

[fbrII]

Wow - A lot of good information. I'm on a lunch break so I can't get into it now, but I did get an introductory xhtml, css etc., book, so I'm on it.

I will belabor everybody with questions as I stumble along. But, I feel like I'm off to a great start and want to thank everybody for their help!

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by fbrII

Wow - A lot of good information. I'm on a lunch break so I can't get into it now, but I did get an introductory xhtml, css etc., book, so I'm on it.

I will belabor everybody with questions as I stumble along. But, I feel like I'm off to a great start and want to thank everybody for their help!

i'm really happy to hear it ! please feel free to belabor away this forum exists exactly for that purpose so ask any questions you like. take a look in the epub forum for some great tips as well. and as you can see already we have some real experts here who can point you in the right direction to get started and then help you along the way as you're learning. don't worry ; it may seem a bit daunting before you start, but once you try it out you'll see that really it's not so hard !