MobileRead Forums - View Single Post

JohnMGoodman · 01-23-2023, 04:29 AM

I need help. I published my wife's first book as a paperback a couple of months ago. Since then I have tried to convert it to an epub file using Calibre working on a .docx file created in Libre Office. The result is mostly right, but not quite what I need.

After I describe my problems, below, I'll suggest how I think I might best be helped--and I'd be happy to pay someone who gives me that help for their time and expertise.

I have no dedicated ebook reader. My only ways to view the epub are a free program on my Windows laptop or desktop or a different program on my Android cell phone. As a result, I'm not sure if the issues I've identified can be "fixed" nor if they will always be a problem on some viewers but not on others.

Specifically, my five issues are:

1) I want the paragraphs in the body copy to have a small first-line indent and have some space between paragraphs.

2) I use fonts to convey who is speaking at various points in the book; I want to embed those fonts so they'll show up correctly on at least many e-book readers.

3) Various headers are showing up without looking like headers. I'd like to insure they are bolded, centered, and perhaps slightly larger size than the surrounding text.

4) On my cell phone but not on my desktop some of the figures overlap the first one or two lines of text that follow them. This makes it hard to read that text.

5) I don't know if it is possible, but I'd like to have a "header" appear at the top of each screen to let the reader know what chapter they are in. That works fine in the paperback, but in the epub it seems not to show up at all, or the relevant header gets inserted somewhat randomly in the text.

NOW FOR MY SUGGESTION/REQUEST:

If you believe you can help me and wish to do so, I'd like to have a zoom meeting with you where we can discuss these issues (and I can show you what I mean) and you can then tell me if you can fix them and how you'd do that, and what you'd charge me to do it for me. (I do want to learn the how, but I really need to get this job out the door very soon, hence I'd like to have someone not just teach me, but also do the work for me.)

You can reach me via a reply to this post, or even quicker by an email to <john@agoodman.com>. FYI, I live in Southern California (and thus am in the Pacific Time Zone), and I mostly work in the afternoons and evenings, but can work on this in a morning if that is the only time that works for whoever helps me.

Thank you.

01-23-2023, 04:29 AM	#1
JohnMGoodman Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2023 Location: Orange County, CA Device: Desktop or laptop computer, or Google Pixel Android cell phone	Help, please, for fixing five issues I need help. I published my wife's first book as a paperback a couple of months ago. Since then I have tried to convert it to an epub file using Calibre working on a .docx file created in Libre Office. The result is mostly right, but not quite what I need. After I describe my problems, below, I'll suggest how I think I might best be helped--and I'd be happy to pay someone who gives me that help for their time and expertise. I have no dedicated ebook reader. My only ways to view the epub are a free program on my Windows laptop or desktop or a different program on my Android cell phone. As a result, I'm not sure if the issues I've identified can be "fixed" nor if they will always be a problem on some viewers but not on others. Specifically, my five issues are: 1) I want the paragraphs in the body copy to have a small first-line indent and have some space between paragraphs. 2) I use fonts to convey who is speaking at various points in the book; I want to embed those fonts so they'll show up correctly on at least many e-book readers. 3) Various headers are showing up without looking like headers. I'd like to insure they are bolded, centered, and perhaps slightly larger size than the surrounding text. 4) On my cell phone but not on my desktop some of the figures overlap the first one or two lines of text that follow them. This makes it hard to read that text. 5) I don't know if it is possible, but I'd like to have a "header" appear at the top of each screen to let the reader know what chapter they are in. That works fine in the paperback, but in the epub it seems not to show up at all, or the relevant header gets inserted somewhat randomly in the text. NOW FOR MY SUGGESTION/REQUEST: If you believe you can help me and wish to do so, I'd like to have a zoom meeting with you where we can discuss these issues (and I can show you what I mean) and you can then tell me if you can fix them and how you'd do that, and what you'd charge me to do it for me. (I do want to learn the how, but I really need to get this job out the door very soon, hence I'd like to have someone not just teach me, but also do the work for me.) You can reach me via a reply to this post, or even quicker by an email to <john@agoodman.com>. FYI, I live in Southern California (and thus am in the Pacific Time Zone), and I mostly work in the afternoons and evenings, but can work on this in a morning if that is the only time that works for whoever helps me. Thank you.