e-Book Requests and Begging (Public Domain Books Only!)

[igorsk]

Well, I just thought maybe someone more experienced in making LRF books would know some tricks to handle the tables. My experience so far is limited to running lit2lrf

[nrapallo]

Originally Posted by igorsk

I would like to request a BBeB version of the CIA World Factbook. I tried doing a quick conversion myself using html2lrf but the tables are not fun to deal with...

I hear you, those tables can be a pain sometimes.

I was, however, able to get the CIA World Factbook 2005 onto my REB 1200 (see Fictionwise ebook) as well as today convert my source to mobipocket format here.

I know you requested the BBeB version, but the BBeB conversion using mobi2lrf I tried, ran out of memory. Now I'm using the html2lrf from libprs500 and that is taking forever (approx. 3 hrs now with no progress indicator!).

In the meantime, perhaps someone else can use the .prc version to produce a BBeB version.

[vivaldirules]

Originally Posted by HarryT

You could always do what I've done with some of my books: make a screen dump of the table in the web browser, and include it as a graphical image in the book.

Good idea, HarryT. I've struggled with tables and hadn't found a way to deal with them well. Thanks, I'll try that.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by vivaldirules

Good idea, HarryT. I've struggled with tables and hadn't found a way to deal with them well. Thanks, I'll try that.

It's a technique which has a number of uses. Some things I've used it for are:

- Including brief passages of Greek in an eBook, where the reader wouldn't normally have had a Greek font available.

- Diagrams and other such things done with ASCII characters which reply on monospaced fonts. I've just done this, for example, with a genealogical chart in a book I'm working on at the moment.

If it's just black and white text, it generally compresses extremely efficiently as a GIF file, so it has no significant impact on the size of the resulting book.

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by HarryT

It's a technique which has a number of uses. Some things I've used it for are:

- Including brief passages of Greek in an eBook, where the reader wouldn't normally have had a Greek font available.

- Diagrams and other such things done with ASCII characters which reply on monospaced fonts. I've just done this, for example, with a genealogical chart in a book I'm working on at the moment.

If it's just black and white text, it generally compresses extremely efficiently as a GIF file, so it has no significant impact on the size of the resulting book.

GIF or PNG are best while JPG can be annoying due to artifacts in the blank areas and at the edge of characters but it can be livable if it is the only choice. Another good use for this technique is equations. If the target format supports monospaced it is sometimes better to switch fonts and then use spaces for formatting if possible. When using images to represent formatted text the pixel width is important. Try to limit any surrounding white space. A given reader may shrink the image resulting in very difficult to read text.

Dale

[pshrynk]

Does anyone know if the Lensman Series by EE Smith is available for conversion? Triplanetary, the original novelette has been posted, but the full Lensman treatment has not and I can't find source for the rest of the series. I'd like to try my hand at e-booking, and thought this would be a great place to start if I could find the source.

[HarryT]

The novels are still in copyright, to the best of my knowledge. What's been posted are the original magazine versions, for which copyright was not renewed, as used to be required in the US.

Nothing of Dr. Smith's is in the public domain outside the USA.

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by pshrynk

Does anyone know if the Lensman Series by EE Smith is available for conversion? Triplanetary, the original novelette has been posted, but the full Lensman treatment has not and I can't find source for the rest of the series. I'd like to try my hand at e-booking, and thought this would be a great place to start if I could find the source.

AFAIK, no. I believe the novel versions still have the rights encumbered.

Mike Walsh of Olde Earth Books has a lovelt trade paperback set out, with the original chapter heading ilustrations, but I'm not aware of any legit electronic editions, or source for same.
______
Dennis

[pshrynk]

Originally Posted by HarryT

The novels are still in copyright, to the best of my knowledge. What's been posted are the original magazine versions, for which copyright was not renewed, as used to be required in the US.

Nothing of Dr. Smith's is in the public domain outside the USA.

Dang! Wish they'd get on board with e-versions, then!

[HarryT]

Just checked and he died in 1965, so his books will enter the public domain in "life + 50" countries in 2016.

[AprilHare]

Request: The Starr Report in LRF format with hyperlinks? Pretty please?

[HarryT]

What is a "Star report"?

[vivaldirules]

Harry, I believe he/she means the report on Clinton regarding Lewinsky et al by Kenneth Starr: http://thomas.loc.gov/icreport/

[Nate the great]

Originally Posted by AprilHare

Request: The Starr Report in LRF format with hyperlinks? Pretty please?

There is a Flash version floating around. It was a big improvement. I'll see if I can find it again.



(Give it a second. It'll come to you.)

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by vivaldirules

Harry, I believe he/she means the report on Clinton regarding Lewinsky et al by Kenneth Starr: http://thomas.loc.gov/icreport/

I see - thanks. Not my idea of a "fun read" .