Quote:
Originally Posted by impasto
Thanks guys.
Ok, this guy sideloaded the mobi file I gave him- I don't think he used any tricks/hacks.
My workflow was like this:
I created the epub text files from scratch, in part copy/paste from a new project created in KCC (KCC downloaded a few months ago, ver 1.160, so it must be the latest version). I zipped the files into epub, validated the epub, and exported mobi with KP3. The only major difference to make it fixed layout is in content.opf:
<meta content="comic" name="book-type"/>
<meta content="true" name="zero-gutter"/>
<meta content="true" name="zero-margin"/>
<meta content="true" name="fixed-layout"/>
<meta content="portrait" name="orientation-lock"/>
<meta content="horizontal-lr" name="primary-writing-mode"/>
<meta content="732x1196" name="original-resolution"/>
This is in part described in the Amazon Kindle publishing guide.
Not all of these lines are even necessary.
KCC uses fixed layout, and it is an official app from Amazon, so I don't see a problem with using fixed layout in general. I acknowledge that Amazon may restrict download of my ebook to a selection of devices, e.g. may disable download to Kindle paperwhite. This is a separate (and major) issue.
If this happens, would Amazon allow me to provide two versions of my ebook: one in fixed format to Android, iPhone, windows Kindle apps, and a reflow format for all others?
I don't think this can be done with media queries, as they need to be placed in css not in opf file.
Edited:
Is there something wrong with using KCC? It is recommended in the guide on Amazon www for creating comic books.
Edited:This is the solution to use for comic books when not using guided view. What am I missing?
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You don't get to tell Amazon which apps your particular book is "meant" to be used with; they tell you. So if you create fixed-layout, then it can be sold to Fire users and K4....users. That's it. It won't be downloaded to eInks.
You can try to create a "reflowable" comic, but the moment Amazon gets complaints, they'll reach out to you and they'll tell you to "fix" it, which means, make a fixed-layout MOBI.
The version of KCC you're using is just the same old version they've had for a while. They're unlikely to update it, given they have Kindle Create, in which you can make Guided View.
The thing you have to realize is that making a fixed-layout comic is shoehorning something that's basically a PDF into a reflowable environment. You'd probably be best off with Comixology--where comic-book readers know what to expect and all that--but if you want to sell on Amazon, directly (rather than Comixology, which they own), then yes, using KCC or KC is probably your path forward.
Not sure why you went through all the brain-damage of making the ePUB, etc., though. Why not just use KCC with a PDF, or KC with a PDF? You won't get appreciably better results (for a comic) with the hand-coding--believe me, I know.
Hitch