How to force auto-convert to EPUB on emailing to use MOBI as input?

lisainchicago · 07-20-2022, 03:27 PM

So I've read many threads here, on Reddit, and this thoroughly:
https://manual.calibre-ebook.com/faq...-of-mobi-files

My solution to all this is pretty simple...
Continue to let Calibre auto-add my AZW3 book and auto-convert to MOBI.

In the past, I would just email the book to my Kindle email address, which has been easy peasy because I only have MOBI set as my format for my kindle email address so it just "works".

Obviously I'm now getting the "MOBI is going away" email. So what I'd like to do is just change my format for my kindle email address to EPUB and let Calibre auto-convert to EPUB when I go to email it to my Kindle.

The problem is that it seems Calibre uses the AZW3 as the INPUT when it auto-converts to EPUB on emailing.

***IF*** I could get Calibre to use the (already created) MOBI format as the INPUT when it autoconverts to EPUB on emailing, that would be awesome!

Any ideas on how to do that?

Obviously I can use the "convert individually" feature and convert the MOBI to EPUB before I email. But I'm trying to find a way here to automate it a little more so I don't have to remember to do that step before emailing. Because inevitably, I'll forget, likely get an error email and have to do it all again.

JSWolf · 07-20-2022, 05:17 PM

Forget about Mobi. Convert to ePub and send that. Delete the Mobi if the source is KF8 and convert again but this time, convert to ePub.

lisainchicago · 07-20-2022, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Forget about Mobi. Convert to ePub and send that. Delete the Mobi if the source is KF8 and convert again but this time, convert to ePub.

I probably assumed it was implied because of the URL I included, but I can't do that. Sending an EPUB to Kindle is hit or miss. The best way to ensure the EPUB isn't rejected by Kindle/Amazon is to convert the AZW3 file to MOBI then convert the MOBI to EPUB. Converting straight to EPUB from AZW3, then emailing that EPUB to my Kindle, fails like 99% of the time.

JSWolf · 07-20-2022, 06:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lisainchicago

I probably assumed it was implied because of the URL I included, but I can't do that. Sending an EPUB to Kindle is hit or miss. The best way to ensure the EPUB isn't rejected by Kindle/Amazon is to convert the AZW3 file to MOBI then convert the MOBI to EPUB. Converting straight to EPUB from AZW3, then emailing that EPUB to my Kindle, fails like 99% of the time.

Convert to ePub from the KF8 source. Then using the Modify ePub plugin, use that to make sure that the ePub is in UTF-8. Then you can email the ePub and it should work.

lisainchicago · 07-20-2022, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Convert to ePub from the KF8 source. Then using the Modify ePub plugin, use that to make sure that the ePub is in UTF-8. Then you can email the ePub and it should work.

Yeah, I've tried that. It's hit or miss as well, unfortunately. Even if it worked 100% of the time, that's still a manual step to run the Modify ePub plugin.

The bulk of my process is fairly automated with the exception of the very last step of having to manually convert the MOBI to EPUB... that's why I'm looking for a solution that would use the MOBI as the input when converting to EPUB on emailing the book.

JSWolf · 07-20-2022, 06:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lisainchicago

Yeah, I've tried that. It's hit or miss as well, unfortunately. Even if it worked 100% of the time, that's still a manual step to run the Modify ePub plugin.

The bulk of my process is fairly automated with the exception of the very last step of having to manually convert the MOBI to EPUB... that's why I'm looking for a solution that would use the MOBI as the input when converting to EPUB on emailing the book.

Forget Mobi. It's no longer supported.

The directions I gave are what should work.

lisainchicago · 07-20-2022, 06:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Forget Mobi. It's no longer supported.

The directions I gave are what should work.

I had already tried that but I went ahead and tried it again. It did not work for me.
Auto converting the AZW3 file to MOBI on auto-add, then manually converting the MOBI to EPUB, then emailing that EPUB to my Kindle works consistently.

So I'm still looking for a solution to get Calibre to use the MOBI file when it auto converts to EPUB on emailing.

kovidgoyal · 07-20-2022, 10:59 PM

Preferences->Behavior->Preferred Input format order

davidfor · 07-20-2022, 11:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lisainchicago

I had already tried that but I went ahead and tried it again. It did not work for me.
Auto converting the AZW3 file to MOBI on auto-add, then manually converting the MOBI to EPUB, then emailing that EPUB to my Kindle works consistently.

So I'm still looking for a solution to get Calibre to use the MOBI file when it auto converts to EPUB on emailing.

I don't use the emailing options, but, I think the following would work:

Ignore Jon when he raves on about MOBI.
Autoconvert to MOBI on add.
In preferences on the "Behaviour" page, put MOBI above AZW3 in the "Preferred input format order".
In the "Sharing books by email" preferences, only have "EPUB" for the format you are sending to the Kindle account.

That should trigger a conversion from MOBI to EPUB when sending the book.

lisainchicago · 07-20-2022, 11:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

Preferences->Behavior->Preferred Input format order

Yeah, I have that set as:
MOBI
EPUB
AZW3
etc....

Still doesn't always use the MOBI file when converting to EPUB on emailing.

lisainchicago · 07-20-2022, 11:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidfor

I don't use the emailing options, but, I think the following would work:

Ignore Jon when he raves on about MOBI.
Autoconvert to MOBI on add.
In preferences on the "Behaviour" page, put MOBI above AZW3 in the "Preferred input format order".
In the "Sharing books by email" preferences, only have "EPUB" for the format you are sending to the Kindle account.

That should trigger a conversion from MOBI to EPUB when sending the book.

That's exactly what I do and have as my settings, but Calibre still doesn't always use the MOBI file for the input to convert to EPUB upon emailing.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯

davidfor · 07-20-2022, 11:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lisainchicago

That's exactly what I do and have as my settings, but Calibre still doesn't always use the MOBI file for the input to convert to EPUB upon emailing.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The only thing I can think of is if the EPUB already exists. Then it will be sent without conversion.

Are there any ORIGINAL_MOBI? The conversion will use that as the input if it exists. And does the MOBI actually exist on disk? If it has been lost somehow, calibre will show MOBI as a format, but, I don't know what would happen in the conversion if it didn't actually exist,

lisainchicago · 07-21-2022, 12:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidfor

The only thing I can think of is if the EPUB already exists. Then it will be sent without conversion.

Are there any ORIGINAL_MOBI? The conversion will use that as the input if it exists. And does the MOBI actually exist on disk? If it has been lost somehow, calibre will show MOBI as a format, but, I don't know what would happen in the conversion if it didn't actually exist,

Nope, the EPUB does not already exist. There is no ORIGINAL_MOBI. And yes, the MOBI does actually exist. I've tried it many times, always making sure I'm starting clean, not only in Calibre, but also in my Mac's file system. Even shutting down Calibre as well when starting over.

I'm testing on a new add of a purchased Kindle book. I put the AZW3 in the auto-add folder, open Calibre, Calibre does it's thing (auto adds AZW3, creates MOBI). Then I right click, Connect/Share, choose email recipient (who has ONLY EPUB as the format). Calibre asks to "auto convert to EPUB", I say yes. Calibre emails it.
But Kindle/Amazon doesn't accept it. But if I create the EPUB manually by using convert individually choosing MOBI as the input and EPUB as the output, *that* EPUB will be accepted by Kindle/Amazon, which leads me to believe that the auto convert on emailing is NOT using the MOBI as input and instead using the AZW3.

Feels like there's some bug in that process. Like Calibre should be checking for the preferred input, but isn't when autoconverting on emailing.

kovidgoyal · 07-21-2022, 01:20 AM

I dont see how that's possible and I cannot reproduce. Assuming the MOBI and AZW3 files exist and the book has not been converted to EPUB already a new conversion will use the preferred input format ordering.

davidfor · 07-21-2022, 04:32 AM

@lisainchicago: Something you could do is to save the epubs generated by the manual conversion and the email conversion and compare them. You might At the least you will find what the differences are and maybe work out some defaults you can use for the conversion. Plus you may be able to see what the source of the conversion is.

If it is happening consistently, you can run calibre in debug mode and post the debug log for us to look at. Hopefully it will show what is happening.

07-20-2022, 03:27 PM	#1
lisainchicago Member Posts: 15 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2022 Device: Kindle Oasis	How to force auto-convert to EPUB on emailing to use MOBI as input? So I've read many threads here, on Reddit, and this thoroughly: https://manual.calibre-ebook.com/faq...-of-mobi-files My solution to all this is pretty simple... Continue to let Calibre auto-add my AZW3 book and auto-convert to MOBI. In the past, I would just email the book to my Kindle email address, which has been easy peasy because I only have MOBI set as my format for my kindle email address so it just "works". Obviously I'm now getting the "MOBI is going away" email. So what I'd like to do is just change my format for my kindle email address to EPUB and let Calibre auto-convert to EPUB when I go to email it to my Kindle. The problem is that it seems Calibre uses the AZW3 as the INPUT when it auto-converts to EPUB on emailing. *IF* I could get Calibre to use the (already created) MOBI format as the INPUT when it autoconverts to EPUB on emailing, that would be awesome! Any ideas on how to do that? Obviously I can use the "convert individually" feature and convert the MOBI to EPUB before I email. But I'm trying to find a way here to automate it a little more so I don't have to remember to do that step before emailing. Because inevitably, I'll forget, likely get an error email and have to do it all again.

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07-20-2022, 05:17 PM	#2
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 79,745 Karma: 145864619 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	Forget about Mobi. Convert to ePub and send that. Delete the Mobi if the source is KF8 and convert again but this time, convert to ePub.

07-20-2022, 10:59 PM	#8
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,345 Karma: 27182818 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Preferences->Behavior->Preferred Input format order

07-21-2022, 01:20 AM	#14
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,345 Karma: 27182818 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	I dont see how that's possible and I cannot reproduce. Assuming the MOBI and AZW3 files exist and the book has not been converted to EPUB already a new conversion will use the preferred input format ordering.

07-21-2022, 04:32 AM	#15
davidfor Grand Sorcerer Posts: 24,905 Karma: 47303824 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Sydney, Australia Device: Kobo:Touch,Glo, AuraH2O, GloHD,AuraONE, ClaraHD, Libra H2O; tolinoepos	@lisainchicago: Something you could do is to save the epubs generated by the manual conversion and the email conversion and compare them. You might At the least you will find what the differences are and maybe work out some defaults you can use for the conversion. Plus you may be able to see what the source of the conversion is. If it is happening consistently, you can run calibre in debug mode and post the debug log for us to look at. Hopefully it will show what is happening.

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