How to convert mobi newspaper to mobi book?

[pskosinski]

One thing I hate about mobi newspapers is that one can't use landscape mode. You can use it in any standard book though. All newspaper-related Kindle's features are useless to me. That's why I want to convert mobi newspaper to mobi book, to be able to use landscape mode. How can I do that? I was trying to play with Calibre but that's a really weird piece of software and I couldn't achieve what I wanted.

[pdurrant]

calibre is your best bet.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by pskosinski

One thing I hate about mobi newspapers is that one can't use landscape mode. You can use it in any standard book though. All newspaper-related Kindle's features are useless to me. That's why I want to convert mobi newspaper to mobi book, to be able to use landscape mode. How can I do that? I was trying to play with Calibre but that's a really weird piece of software and I couldn't achieve what I wanted.

You can't do that, simply because MOBI newspapers and magazines are NOT reflowable. They are a form of fixed-format--and thus, not adjustable to landscape. That's why. To change that, you'll have to download the files, deal with DRM, unpack them, analyze them, and then completely recode them into reflowable, not fixed-layout, eBooks/magazines.

Honestly--I wouldn't take that gig for a pile of money. I've dealt with a crapload of "make this FXL file into reflowable," and as the two are practically unrelated, DNA-wise, in the sense that a daffodil and a platypus are unrelated....that's a boatload of work. A BOATLOAD. You'll have to really, really love those magazines!!!

But good luck to you.

Hitch

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by pskosinski

One thing I hate aI was trying to play with Calibre but that's a really weird piece of software and I couldn't achieve what I wanted.

If the newspaper/magazine is available as a website you might be able to get it with calibre's Fetch News feature, it currently has recipes for 1600+ publications. And it's not too hard to write your own recipe.

BR

[pskosinski]

That's pity. Thank you people for answers.

@BetterRed – No, it's not available on a website, otherwise probably almost nobody would pay for that.

I found the solution though! The newspaper is available in epub format too. When I was trying to play with Calibre to convert mobi-to-mobi I was getting magazine-layout all the time. But when I downloaded epub version and converted to mobi now it's in nice simple book format.

I guess I should mention in the beginning that I can have epub file too but I didn't think that may be useful, sorry.

Anyway, that's one more thing I don't like in Kindle, functionality is so limited that often it doesn't really suit me. :/ I guess next time I will go for a PocketBook.

PS. I guess I'm a bit lucky that in Poland all e-book shops (usually) give you books/magazines in both (DRM-free but watermarked) epub and mobi.

[Notjohn]

I use epub format exclusively. It converts just fine on the KDP (and I assume also through Kindle Previewer, though I've never tried that). Sigil is my editor of choice.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by pskosinski

@BetterRed – No, it's not available on a website, otherwise probably almost nobody would pay for that.

FTR (for the record) - calibre can fetch news from paywalled sites, you have to configure your account name and password when you set the schedule.

BR