Hi all,
Let me first just say I'm just a newbie to Sigil, but I'm a bona fide geek from way back, former GEnie-ite, and I've had the same email addy for like 15 years. So I am by no means new to boards and such. Basically I'm a writer who has had to figure tech stuff out along the way just to get stuff done. I say this so you'll know I have some clue as to getting around in this, our digital world, but it's kind of a haphazard education, IYKWIM.
So I was on a board looking for some missing fanfic that I was converting to .mobi in order to get rid of a box of hard copies I had found after moving, and someone recommended Sigil and Calibre. Now, Calibre, in my quick estimation, looks a lot like an iTunes for ebooks, which is fine, but not so much with the conversion, as far as I can tell (and by this I mean .doc or .txt or .htm to .mobi, not from one ebook format to another).
I am looking for something to fill two basic needs:
1. to convert files I already have (.doc, .txt, .htm) in fanfic and regular fic, written by others for my enjoyment, or by others for me to read and make suggestions, or even edit. Now that I have a Kindle (the keyboard one), I find it much easier and less annoying than printing stuff out on actual paper (not to mention space-saving!), which is what I have done in the past.
2. to import and convert my *own* writing, to send to others for their perusal/suggestions/editing, as well as to eventually self-publish. (Or even to convert my own writing so *I* can read it and remember where I was, make notes, etc.)
I'm on a Windows PC, btw, brand-new, so that shouldn't be a problem.
Up until now I've been using an online conversion site, which does pretty well, but it's nothing I would trust to edit my own professional work for release, as it has some weird glitches (fine when reading fanfic, but you don't want stuff sold that drops the second L in a word with two L's in a row, for no apparent reason; it's simply not adequate for professional purposes, obviously).
However, I don't really see a way in Sigil to import any files from .doc or .txt formats.
Does this application do such things? I have to admit, though I could probably, *eventually* figure out if and how such a thing is intended to be done with Sigil, I just want to know if it's doable, and maybe find some step-by-steps as to how to import what I've got and then continue on from there. Or even just to convert it to .mobi, make my edits/continue writing in Word or whatever, then just reconvert another version when I'm ready . . . whichever. (Yeah, I used to write .html by hand, so I'm not incapable, but after a lot of Real Life Crap I admit I no longer have the patience for such things; isn't that what these sorts of apps are for?
I just don't want to sit and do all that manually until and unless it's absolutely necessary, IYKWIM.)
So I guess long story short, I first want to know if this is the program I'm looking for, and if not, what is?
Sorry to go on so much, but now you've got the basic story.
Anyone? Help?
Thanks!
SUeMichele