Need help with book conversion

Pinksugar · 10-28-2008, 06:28 AM

Good Morning Everyone,

Love this forum. I just got my Sony reader on the weekend and now am wanting to format some of my books for the reader.

This is where the confusion begins for me. I have searched and read the forum and still come away shaking my head. I am not new to a computer nor am I a novice user but for some reason I am confused on what to do or even how I should do it.

I understand the reader will read rtf and text as well as pdf and the sony format. Most of my books are in a prc format which I can easily convert to text. However I end up with a bit of a mess on some of my books and I would like to get them cleaned up some how. I have partial sentences that need to be joined together to make whole sentences. Not sure if that makes any sense or not.

I used to read my books on a palm handheld and then more recently my iPod touch. But I now want to use my reader. So much easier on the eyes.

For me it does not matter if I have them in the sony format. The most important thing is the formatting of the book.

Can someone please help me.

Ruby

HarryT · 10-28-2008, 06:36 AM

What format are you attempting to convert from?

Pinksugar · 10-28-2008, 06:39 AM

I have them converted right now to a text format. I also have a few pdf's as well converted over to text.

HarryT · 10-28-2008, 06:45 AM

PDF conversion is always problematic because a PDF files contains no information about paragraph, lines, or even words, come to that. I'm afraid that really all you can do is to load the resulting file into an editor and clean it up by hand.

Patricia · 10-28-2008, 07:38 AM

Harry is correct, alas.

Some PDFs need a lot of editing.

But you also mention mobi to text conversions: if it is merely the usual problem with hard carriage breaks at the end of every line (leading to line breaks in strange places) then inserting the text file into Word and running Stingo's macro can work really well.
You can find it here:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8793

Also people speak very highly of =X='s Book Creator tool:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=28313

And on a Mac, I am told that you can use textmate.

RCR · 10-28-2008, 08:40 AM

If you have your ebooks in txt format, half the battle is over.

Like HarryT says, you can load the file into an editor and clean it up by hand. That's the way I usually do it now. It can take an hour or two or more, but I end up with a file that looks just the way I want it.

Once I have the file in txt format I use a freebie program called "E-Book Tidy" to get rid of split lines, page numbers, blank lines, odd symbols and other annoyances. Then I use MS WORD and skim through the whole book to make any other corrections. When I've finished, I apply a font size of 16 to give a good reading size on the Sony, with larger sized fonts for title and chapter headings. Then I save it in RTF format.

While there are various programs to convert files automatically for the Sony, they don't always do a perfect job. I prefer to do it by hand. It's slow and labour intensive, but I watch TV or listen to music while I do it.

pdurrant · 10-28-2008, 08:40 AM

I believe that Calibre will convert from prc (Mobipocket) to lrf pretty well. Certainly a lot better than going through a text format first.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pinksugar

Most of my books are in a prc format

For me it does not matter if I have them in the sony format. The most important thing is the formatting of the book.

Can someone please help me.

Ruby

jaffab · 10-28-2008, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RCR

If you have your ebooks in txt format, half the battle is over.

Like HarryT says, you can load the file into an editor and clean it up by hand. That's the way I usually do it now. It can take an hour or two or more, but I end up with a file that looks just the way I want it.

Once I have the file in txt format I use a freebie program called "E-Book Tidy" to get rid of split lines, page numbers, blank lines, odd symbols and other annoyances. Then I use MS WORD and skim through the whole book to make any other corrections. When I've finished, I apply a font size of 16 to give a good reading size on the Sony, with larger sized fonts for title and chapter headings. Then I save it in RTF format.

While there are various programs to convert files automatically for the Sony, they don't always do a perfect job. I prefer to do it by hand. It's slow and labour intensive, but I watch TV or listen to music while I do it.

Hi,

There is a good discussion on converting PDFs (and the problems they have on word wrapping) to other format including a link to tools, and options here:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30263

You will see a post from me, including how I convert a PDF to a RFT with the correct word wrapping and easy to read styles. It takes me about 5 minutes a book, from start to finish, and the results are a lot better than PDFs, or having to edit by hand.

Hope this helps

Jaffa

Pinksugar · 10-28-2008, 06:00 PM

Thank you all for your kind replies ..It gives me now something to work with ..Hopefully I can do it

Patricia · 10-28-2008, 06:02 PM

Good luck Pinksugar. Tell us how you get on.

Pinksugar · 10-29-2008, 05:41 AM

I ended up using =X='s Book Creator Tool and then also installed calibre and have managed to fix a few books up quite nicely.

Thank you all so much for the assistance. I was so lost in wondering what to do. I had tried so many things and could not figure any of it out.

Have a wonderful day!!

JSWolf · 10-29-2008, 05:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pinksugar

I understand the reader will read rtf and text as well as pdf and the sony format. Most of my books are in a prc format which I can easily convert to text.

Since most of your eBooks are in PRC, download and install Calibre http://calibre.kovidgoyal.net/ and use the program mobi2lrf to convert your PRC to LRF without having to ruin your PRC by converting to text. Calibre does a good job converting and you should be pleased with the results.

kuliand · 10-31-2008, 01:29 PM

Ok instead of starting a new thread i might aswell use this one, with all the hassle of converting pdf's to the lrf format is best to just leave them as pdf's? i have yet got my ebook reader yet it is hopefully coming by tuesday but i would like to get some books ready to put on it. The books i want to put on it are computer books and so are quite large and i imagine it takes a long time to edit them so they make sense again after they have been converted.

Also does the prs505 resize pdf pages so that on page fits the screen?

DaleDe · 11-03-2008, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kuliand

Ok instead of starting a new thread i might aswell use this one, with all the hassle of converting pdf's to the lrf format is best to just leave them as pdf's? i have yet got my ebook reader yet it is hopefully coming by tuesday but i would like to get some books ready to put on it. The books i want to put on it are computer books and so are quite large and i imagine it takes a long time to edit them so they make sense again after they have been converted.

Also does the prs505 resize pdf pages so that on page fits the screen?

the latest firmware for the PRS505 reflows the text on the page for PDF files so that the font size remains the same but the page will extend to several pages on the device. See PDF in the wiki to understand reflow.

dale

10-28-2008, 06:28 AM	#1
Pinksugar Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Ontario Canada Device: iPod Touch and Sony Reader	Need help with book conversion Good Morning Everyone, Love this forum. I just got my Sony reader on the weekend and now am wanting to format some of my books for the reader. This is where the confusion begins for me. I have searched and read the forum and still come away shaking my head. I am not new to a computer nor am I a novice user but for some reason I am confused on what to do or even how I should do it. I understand the reader will read rtf and text as well as pdf and the sony format. Most of my books are in a prc format which I can easily convert to text. However I end up with a bit of a mess on some of my books and I would like to get them cleaned up some how. I have partial sentences that need to be joined together to make whole sentences. Not sure if that makes any sense or not. I used to read my books on a palm handheld and then more recently my iPod touch. But I now want to use my reader. So much easier on the eyes. For me it does not matter if I have them in the sony format. The most important thing is the formatting of the book. Can someone please help me. Ruby

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10-28-2008, 06:36 AM	#2
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	What format are you attempting to convert from?

10-28-2008, 06:39 AM	#3
Pinksugar Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Ontario Canada Device: iPod Touch and Sony Reader	I have them converted right now to a text format. I also have a few pdf's as well converted over to text.

10-28-2008, 06:45 AM	#4
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	PDF conversion is always problematic because a PDF files contains no information about paragraph, lines, or even words, come to that. I'm afraid that really all you can do is to load the resulting file into an editor and clean it up by hand.

10-28-2008, 07:38 AM	#5
Patricia Reader Posts: 11,504 Karma: 8720163 Join Date: May 2007 Location: South Wales, UK Device: Sony PRS-500, PRS-505, Asus EEEpc 4G	Harry is correct, alas. Some PDFs need a lot of editing. But you also mention mobi to text conversions: if it is merely the usual problem with hard carriage breaks at the end of every line (leading to line breaks in strange places) then inserting the text file into Word and running Stingo's macro can work really well. You can find it here: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8793 Also people speak very highly of =X='s Book Creator tool: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=28313 And on a Mac, I am told that you can use textmate.

10-28-2008, 08:40 AM	#6
RCR Addict Posts: 334 Karma: 992487 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Melbourne, Australia Device: 2 x Sony 505, iPad, Samsung 7 Tablet, ASUS Transformer, Nexus 7	If you have your ebooks in txt format, half the battle is over. Like HarryT says, you can load the file into an editor and clean it up by hand. That's the way I usually do it now. It can take an hour or two or more, but I end up with a file that looks just the way I want it. Once I have the file in txt format I use a freebie program called "E-Book Tidy" to get rid of split lines, page numbers, blank lines, odd symbols and other annoyances. Then I use MS WORD and skim through the whole book to make any other corrections. When I've finished, I apply a font size of 16 to give a good reading size on the Sony, with larger sized fonts for title and chapter headings. Then I save it in RTF format. While there are various programs to convert files automatically for the Sony, they don't always do a perfect job. I prefer to do it by hand. It's slow and labour intensive, but I watch TV or listen to music while I do it.

10-28-2008, 06:00 PM	#9
Pinksugar Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Ontario Canada Device: iPod Touch and Sony Reader	Thank you all for your kind replies ..It gives me now something to work with ..Hopefully I can do it

10-28-2008, 06:02 PM	#10
Patricia Reader Posts: 11,504 Karma: 8720163 Join Date: May 2007 Location: South Wales, UK Device: Sony PRS-500, PRS-505, Asus EEEpc 4G	Good luck Pinksugar. Tell us how you get on.

10-29-2008, 05:41 AM	#11
Pinksugar Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Ontario Canada Device: iPod Touch and Sony Reader	I ended up using =X='s Book Creator Tool and then also installed calibre and have managed to fix a few books up quite nicely. Thank you all so much for the assistance. I was so lost in wondering what to do. I had tried so many things and could not figure any of it out. Have a wonderful day!!

10-31-2008, 01:29 PM	#13
kuliand Connoisseur Posts: 53 Karma: 138 Join Date: Oct 2008 Device: sony prs505	Ok instead of starting a new thread i might aswell use this one, with all the hassle of converting pdf's to the lrf format is best to just leave them as pdf's? i have yet got my ebook reader yet it is hopefully coming by tuesday but i would like to get some books ready to put on it. The books i want to put on it are computer books and so are quite large and i imagine it takes a long time to edit them so they make sense again after they have been converted. Also does the prs505 resize pdf pages so that on page fits the screen?

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