Don't feel too badly. I'm the same way. I think I just go about things a little differently and feel my processes are probably a little more matured than yours (of course I'd feel that way, they're
my processes, right?
) I've definitely come a long way in six months of editing/creating/converting. I've learned a lot, forgotten a lot, picked up a lot of bad habits, dropped them and learned more. My processes have changed considerably in that time and my results show for it. Never let yourself get so confined by a process that you can't or won't use a better method, or at least try something new when it comes along.
Trust me though, I'm every bit as anal retentive when it comes to my ebook formatting, and there's nothing wrong with that.
Just find a method that works for you but, at the same time, is as easy on you as it can be.
Also, if you haven't downloaded it yet, another useful tool is the Amazon Kindle Previewer. It's basically a Kindle emulator and will show you what your mobi file will look like on your Kindle. While Calibre will let you view a mobi file, it won't give you any idea what it will really look like on a real-live Kindle.
- Byron