How does Sigil and Calibre compare?

automa · 05-17-2013, 08:10 PM

What are the pros and cons of each?

I saw this but it's from 2 years ago: http://www.teleread.com/epub/sigil-v...redith-greene/

Has anything changed since then?

theducks · 05-17-2013, 08:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by automa

What are the pros and cons of each?

I saw this but it's from 2 years ago: http://www.teleread.com/epub/sigil-v...redith-greene/

Has anything changed since then?

Like Cabbages and Grapefruit

Calibre is a Library Manager (with conversion and very limited S&R)

Sigil is an EPUB editor that lets you

Edit an EPUB down to the last period

automa · 06-06-2013, 11:58 PM

Library Manager? What does that mean?

PeterT · 06-07-2013, 12:23 AM

calibre manages your library of eBooks, providing tools for converting between different formats. organizing books by tags and other forms of metadata, and also tools to aid you synchronize your library with your eReader.

Notjohn · 06-07-2013, 08:06 AM

Some author-publishers do use Calibre to make KIndle books (I am more familiar with Kindle than with Nook and other epub readers) and a few even swear by it. Every once in a while, however, Amazon seems to reject Calibre conversions to *.mobi format.

So yes, it is an excellent tool for an individual to manage an extensive library of e-books so that he can read them all in the e-reader of his choice. But as a tool for creating e-books for the market, it seems to be a bit accident-prone.

exaltedwombat · 06-07-2013, 09:34 AM

It seems perverse to choose anything other than Kindle Previewer to convert an epub.

DiapDealer · 06-07-2013, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by exaltedwombat

It seems perverse to choose anything other than Kindle Previewer to convert an epub.

Unless it's strictly for personal use and you find you get results closer to your expectations (not giving a hoot for the code under the hood because no one other than you is ever going to see it) with almost zero learning curve. Not to mention having no use for a giant output file that contains the ebook in two different formats along with a repeat of the source material (that you already have) included.

So while I agree that if you have any intention of distributing your ebook through official channels, it would be silly to use anything other than the official tools to convert the epub. But if someone wants to do a quick format shift just to read something on a new/different device, I can see Kindlegen/Previewer as being unnecessary overhead actually. In cases like that, the convenience of using the integrated converter feature of a program that they're already using to manage their ebook library (and to put the content on their device) is pretty hard to write off as "perverse."

Turtle91 · 06-07-2013, 10:46 AM

It would certainly be nice if Kindlepreviewer gave the option to convert to azw3 instead of just mobi all the time.

exaltedwombat · 06-07-2013, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Unless it's strictly for personal use and you find you get results closer to your expectations (not giving a hoot for the code under the hood because no one other than you is ever going to see it) with almost zero learning curve.

Yup. I keep forgetting about those guys.

DaleDe · 06-07-2013, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turtle91

It would certainly be nice if Kindlepreviewer gave the option to convert to azw3 instead of just mobi all the time.

Are you sure it doesn't? KindleGen creates both in the same file irrespective of the extension. Kindlepreviewer uses the same engine I believe. Actually the file contains both KF7 and KF8 as well as the original source so it is more than 3 times as big as it needs to be.

Dale

Turtle91 · 06-07-2013, 10:52 AM

Is it possible to get JUST the azw3 portion of that...I don't need all the other versions with a file 2-3 times larger?

DiapDealer · 06-07-2013, 10:56 AM

Dale's right, Turtle. Unless you're using a really old version of KindlePreviwer, you're getting the combination file (mobi, KF8, source) that he described. Always. The underlying format is independent of the file extension.

You can split the azw3 from the rest with KindleUnpack if it's just for personal use. There's no need to split it out if you're uploading to KDP. They automatically send only the correct format to the device/app depending on its capabilities

exaltedwombat · 06-07-2013, 12:30 PM

And doesn't Calibre (doing what it IS good at) send only the appropriate format to any given reader device?

05-17-2013, 08:10 PM	#1
automa Zealot Posts: 110 Karma: 972092 Join Date: Jan 2012 Device: iPhone	How does Sigil and Calibre compare? What are the pros and cons of each? I saw this but it's from 2 years ago: http://www.teleread.com/epub/sigil-v...redith-greene/ Has anything changed since then?

06-07-2013, 10:56 AM	#12
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 28,869 Karma: 207000000 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD	Dale's right, Turtle. Unless you're using a really old version of KindlePreviwer, you're getting the combination file (mobi, KF8, source) that he described. Always. The underlying format is independent of the file extension. You can split the azw3 from the rest with KindleUnpack if it's just for personal use. There's no need to split it out if you're uploading to KDP. They automatically send only the correct format to the device/app depending on its capabilities Last edited by DiapDealer; 06-07-2013 at 10:59 AM.

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06-06-2013, 11:58 PM	#3
automa Zealot Posts: 110 Karma: 972092 Join Date: Jan 2012 Device: iPhone	Library Manager? What does that mean?

06-07-2013, 12:23 AM	#4
PeterT Grand Sorcerer Posts: 13,688 Karma: 79983758 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Toronto Device: Libra H2O, Libra Colour	calibre manages your library of eBooks, providing tools for converting between different formats. organizing books by tags and other forms of metadata, and also tools to aid you synchronize your library with your eReader.

06-07-2013, 08:06 AM	#5
Notjohn mostly an observer Posts: 1,519 Karma: 996810 Join Date: Dec 2012 Device: Kindle	Some author-publishers do use Calibre to make KIndle books (I am more familiar with Kindle than with Nook and other epub readers) and a few even swear by it. Every once in a while, however, Amazon seems to reject Calibre conversions to *.mobi format. So yes, it is an excellent tool for an individual to manage an extensive library of e-books so that he can read them all in the e-reader of his choice. But as a tool for creating e-books for the market, it seems to be a bit accident-prone.

06-07-2013, 09:34 AM	#6
exaltedwombat Guru Posts: 878 Karma: 2457540 Join Date: Nov 2011 Device: none	It seems perverse to choose anything other than Kindle Previewer to convert an epub.

06-07-2013, 10:46 AM	#8
Turtle91 A Hairy Wizard Posts: 3,394 Karma: 20212733 Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Charleston, SC today Device: iPhone 15/11/X/6/iPad 1,2,Air & Air Pro/Surface Pro/Kindle PW & Fire	It would certainly be nice if Kindlepreviewer gave the option to convert to azw3 instead of just mobi all the time.

06-07-2013, 10:52 AM	#11
Turtle91 A Hairy Wizard Posts: 3,394 Karma: 20212733 Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Charleston, SC today Device: iPhone 15/11/X/6/iPad 1,2,Air & Air Pro/Surface Pro/Kindle PW & Fire	Is it possible to get JUST the azw3 portion of that...I don't need all the other versions with a file 2-3 times larger?

06-07-2013, 12:30 PM	#13
exaltedwombat Guru Posts: 878 Karma: 2457540 Join Date: Nov 2011 Device: none	And doesn't Calibre (doing what it IS good at) send only the appropriate format to any given reader device?