AZW3 to EPUB -- not perfect

Prepper · 02-07-2022, 01:01 PM

Ok, so I know this is a stupid thing to care about, but it's just a little annoyance that I'm encountering that I don't know how to fix. I've searched threads for a similar issue and have discovered the KindleUnpack plugin but the results are the same as if I use Calibre to do a "convert to epub".

I have a Kobo e-reader and I've been buying a bunch of books off Amazon because I have a few authors that I like over there and have been getting great prices on their books. I download them using the Amazon for PC app and then add the books to Calibre and they come in as AZW3 format. I was just converting them to ePub via Calibre's converter but because of the issue I'm seeing with some of the books I did some searching as I said above and found KindleUnpack but same result.

What happens is that the book is removing centering for part of the chapter headings:

so what should be

1
____________

Today's the Day

comes out as

1
____________

Today's the Day

I tried looking at it in the epub editor but I have no idea what I'm looking at.

Anyone have suggestions on how I can fix this issue? Again, I realize it's minor and nit-picky but it rubs my OCD the wrong way as I'm reading all these books!

Thanks in advance for any help.

JSWolf · 02-07-2022, 01:54 PM

Try the following...

Use KindleUnpack to convert KF8 (AZW3) to ePub. Then load the ePub in the editor. Use the Calibre eBook checker and epubcheck to check for errors. Once the errors are fixed (there will be some) then you should be good to go.

Prepper · 02-07-2022, 02:04 PM

Thanks for the response. Forgive my ignorance, but are "eBook checker" and "epubcheck" other plugins I need to get?

Prepper · 02-07-2022, 02:18 PM

Ok, upgraded, installed the plugin, rebooted etc.

Ran ebook check and it had a bunch of errors. Ran find/replace to get rid of the stuff it found.

Ran epubcheck and it listed a bunch of stuff in pink but don't see how to fix any of those.

Saved the file and exited edit ebook.

Connected Forma, deleted existing book from device, pushed new version, ejected, connected, refreshed metadata, ejected and book looks exactly the same with the bad centering on chapter titles.

Prepper · 02-07-2022, 04:03 PM

There's got to be a better way to fix this. It looks fine in Kindle, and it looks fine in Calibre's epub viewer.

JSWolf · 02-07-2022, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prepper

There's got to be a better way to fix this. It looks fine in Kindle, and it looks fine in Calibre's epub viewer.

What book is it?

Prepper · 02-07-2022, 04:59 PM

This one is "The Grecian Manifesto" by Ernest Dempsey. Seems to happen in all his books so far.

davidfor · 02-07-2022, 07:19 PM

It sounds like a stupid question, but what do you have the justification set to on the device? And what does the calibre viewer or the preview when editing the books show?

The question about the justification is because when you use these options, it overrides some tags, but, not all. For an epub, it will change the justification for paragraphs, but, not headings. If the chapter start uses a paragraph for the number and a heading for the title, you would get what you are seeing with the justification option set to ragged-left.

And, I have seen exactly that layout in some books recently. They would have been converted from an Amazon format. But, I can't remember which books. I did look at the code and they looked like they were produced by the same software.

If I'm wrong, we need to see some code examples. The start of one the chapters should do plus the stylesheet. Or use the ScrambleEbook plugin to produce a version of the book that can be posted.

Prepper · 02-07-2022, 10:47 PM

Yup, that fixed it! I had justification set to full. Turned it off and stuff is centered properly.

I know I had to turn it on for some other book I was reading but never turned it off.

Thank you for figuring it out, it was driving me nuts.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

02-07-2022, 01:01 PM	#1
Prepper Connoisseur Posts: 73 Karma: 183156 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Castle Rock, CO Device: Kobo Forma	AZW3 to EPUB -- not perfect Ok, so I know this is a stupid thing to care about, but it's just a little annoyance that I'm encountering that I don't know how to fix. I've searched threads for a similar issue and have discovered the KindleUnpack plugin but the results are the same as if I use Calibre to do a "convert to epub". I have a Kobo e-reader and I've been buying a bunch of books off Amazon because I have a few authors that I like over there and have been getting great prices on their books. I download them using the Amazon for PC app and then add the books to Calibre and they come in as AZW3 format. I was just converting them to ePub via Calibre's converter but because of the issue I'm seeing with some of the books I did some searching as I said above and found KindleUnpack but same result. What happens is that the book is removing centering for part of the chapter headings: so what should be 1 ____________ Today's the Day comes out as 1 ____________ Today's the Day I tried looking at it in the epub editor but I have no idea what I'm looking at. Anyone have suggestions on how I can fix this issue? Again, I realize it's minor and nit-picky but it rubs my OCD the wrong way as I'm reading all these books! Thanks in advance for any help. Last edited by Prepper; 02-07-2022 at 01:06 PM.

02-07-2022, 02:18 PM	#4
Prepper Connoisseur Posts: 73 Karma: 183156 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Castle Rock, CO Device: Kobo Forma	Ok, upgraded, installed the plugin, rebooted etc. Ran ebook check and it had a bunch of errors. Ran find/replace to get rid of the stuff it found. Ran epubcheck and it listed a bunch of stuff in pink but don't see how to fix any of those. Saved the file and exited edit ebook. Connected Forma, deleted existing book from device, pushed new version, ejected, connected, refreshed metadata, ejected and book looks exactly the same with the bad centering on chapter titles. Last edited by Prepper; 02-07-2022 at 04:02 PM.

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02-07-2022, 01:54 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	Try the following... Use KindleUnpack to convert KF8 (AZW3) to ePub. Then load the ePub in the editor. Use the Calibre eBook checker and epubcheck to check for errors. Once the errors are fixed (there will be some) then you should be good to go.

02-07-2022, 02:04 PM	#3
Prepper Connoisseur Posts: 73 Karma: 183156 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Castle Rock, CO Device: Kobo Forma	Thanks for the response. Forgive my ignorance, but are "eBook checker" and "epubcheck" other plugins I need to get?

02-07-2022, 04:03 PM	#5
Prepper Connoisseur Posts: 73 Karma: 183156 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Castle Rock, CO Device: Kobo Forma	There's got to be a better way to fix this. It looks fine in Kindle, and it looks fine in Calibre's epub viewer.

02-07-2022, 04:59 PM	#7
Prepper Connoisseur Posts: 73 Karma: 183156 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Castle Rock, CO Device: Kobo Forma	This one is "The Grecian Manifesto" by Ernest Dempsey. Seems to happen in all his books so far.

02-07-2022, 07:19 PM	#8
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	It sounds like a stupid question, but what do you have the justification set to on the device? And what does the calibre viewer or the preview when editing the books show? The question about the justification is because when you use these options, it overrides some tags, but, not all. For an epub, it will change the justification for paragraphs, but, not headings. If the chapter start uses a paragraph for the number and a heading for the title, you would get what you are seeing with the justification option set to ragged-left. And, I have seen exactly that layout in some books recently. They would have been converted from an Amazon format. But, I can't remember which books. I did look at the code and they looked like they were produced by the same software. If I'm wrong, we need to see some code examples. The start of one the chapters should do plus the stylesheet. Or use the ScrambleEbook plugin to produce a version of the book that can be posted.

02-07-2022, 10:47 PM	#9
Prepper Connoisseur Posts: 73 Karma: 183156 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Castle Rock, CO Device: Kobo Forma	Yup, that fixed it! I had justification set to full. Turned it off and stuff is centered properly. I know I had to turn it on for some other book I was reading but never turned it off. Thank you for figuring it out, it was driving me nuts. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk