Newbie Questions on Calibre

[biblionaut]

I've got a nearly complete hardcopy manuscript (now editing the 10th proof copy) that I would also like to market as an ebook. I have accounts with CreateSpace and Lightning Source.

I'd like to learn more about how to create ebooks for LS and CreateSpace or both. So my first questions are:

1) My manuscript is in MS Word 2002. It's 292 pages, 6x9, and contains probably a hundred TIF graphics, and lots of paragraph headers and other formatting. If I convert it to RTF, and then use Calibre to convert to EPUB, generally how much "touch up" work should I anticipate? Pretty clean, some, lots, huge amounts?

2) After I use Calibre to convert it to EPUB, can it be read by Adobe Reader? I may have missed that in the list of output devices for Calibre.

3) When I use Calibre to convert it to EPUB, will it have DRM? I read something about that in the Calibre website, however, I did not understand it well.

Any guidance on this would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[Starson17]

Originally Posted by biblionaut

1) My manuscript is in MS Word 2002. It's 292 pages, 6x9, and contains probably a hundred TIF graphics, and lots of paragraph headers and other formatting. If I convert it to RTF, and then use Calibre to convert to EPUB, generally how much "touch up" work should I anticipate? Pretty clean, some, lots, huge amounts?

It depends on your source - it will be easiest to just try it.

2) After I use Calibre to convert it to EPUB, can it be read by Adobe Reader? I may have missed that in the list of output devices for Calibre.

Calibre produces a well behaved epub. Anything that can read an epub should work, although there are different devices with different limitations. Adobe Reader isn't really a device.

3) When I use Calibre to convert it to EPUB, will it have DRM?

No.

[kovidgoyal]

Also see

http://calibre-ebook.com/user_manual...word-documents

[biblionaut]

Thanks for the input. When and by who in the distribution chain is DRM typically added to the ebook file?

[Worldwalker]

Originally Posted by biblionaut

Thanks for the input. When and by who in the distribution chain is DRM typically added to the ebook file?

In a perfect world, never and by no one.

In the real world, it varies depending on your distribution. It could be added by the publisher, or by you when you enter it into their system (I think that's how it works with Amazon).

Given the number of people (yours truly being one of the more vocal examples) who refuse to buy (or even accept for free) DRM-locked ebooks, are you really sure you want to go that route?