Repeated Conversion
 

I just don't know how to start a new topic, so I'm putting this here.

I write stories for Smashwords, and convert them using Calibre, so that I can read them slowly and thoroughly, before uploading them. Or even after uploading them. My problem is that I end up with something like twelve versions of a single story, each of which was converted from Word into e-book form.

My question is this: can I save all my conversion parameters once and for all, and just apply them as a single omnibus macro? It is tedious to click on every single option I want to apply--and there are certainly a lot of them. Since I want to have it done the exact same way each time, I dearly wish I can save all my conversion parameters in a file, or something, which I can load as a parameter file!

I did have another question, but I've got so worked-up about this one that I have forgotten.

Oh. I seem to have registered myself as Kay Hemlock Brow, and forgotten the final 'n'. How do I go about changing my data, short of leaving the forum and rejoining it, and battling all the "we already have someone using your mail, so buzz off" sorts of notices?

Kay

Moved it for you.

OK New conversions use Preferences: <conversion section>

These are the DEFAULTS for first time (per book) conversion.
(:bulb: you can click the button near the bottom of the conversion dialog, to cause it to forget previous settings)

EPUB Merge (PI) would be a possibility to merge books (your sections) into a whole

Re the user name - contact one of the admins (green user names) or post a request in Feedback

If you add the DOCX to calibre, you can open it in Word from Calibre (make sure DOCX in the Preferences->Behaviour->Use internal viewer for: list is unchecked.)

When you save and close the DOCX in Word, you can do the conversion using the settings you've set in Preferences as explained by theducks.

BR

Are you using styles for your eBooks? If you don't, then you probably will have rather sloppy code when it's converted to other eBook formats.

I don't know how to use styles; I use styles in Word, but I didn't know it was possible to use styles in e-books.

It isn't the styles I have trouble with; it's mechanics: real problems. But I like to read it in an e-book, in bed, at night, etc, so reading it in Word is highly inconvenient! So far the e-books look fine (except for the sort of mistakes I'm trying to fix). Once I get it done, I upload the Word file to Smashwords, and let them do their thing. (Not sure whether I explained my problem well enough, and whether I understood your question well enough!) Thanks for responding.

Did not get it. Not sure how to give you access to my private email using the forum, but I'm sure you have your ways!

You should have seen a notice in the forum about a PM.
Greenies have a bit more access to your sign up details, than the res of us, so they may be able to use you email instead of PrivateMessage

Kay Hemlock Brown has now seen the PM, so

Name change made.

@Kay Hemlock Brown - see post #3, it addresses your substantive issue.

BR

Epub Merge and (PI)
 

Sounds lovely!

What is EPUB Merge?

What is PI?

Inquiring minds want to know. (I bet everyone but me knows :P)

Kay

(PI) stands for "Plug In" and the EPUB Merge is one such plugin. Details of it can be found at https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=169744

Sometimes theDucks forgets that not everyone is as well versed as they are in "terms"...

Thanks.

What I have is numerous versions of the same book, each successive one having fewer mistakes than the previous. I wish I could convert each new version, and retain the Author, Title, Cover Illustration, etc of the earlier versions... I don't think this merge utility will help. If I use it, I'll get a huge document, with each of my earlier versions all compiled into a single volume.

I fully realize that Calibre was not intended to solve my problem! But using the Preferences to set (sticky) parameters will certainly solve part of my problem, namely to convert efficiently.

Merge is intended to combine book. As in make an Omnibus out of 2 books.
FWIW there is also an EPUB Split that does the opposite

Conversion will pull from Calibre GUI (assumes you used the GUI).
If you open the Metadata Editor (MDE), you can right click: Copy the cover.
Then open the target MDE and right click: Paste cover into the cover area.
Also fix any metadata. If it has been used, it will be available in the help pulldown that appears when you start typing a value