Scanning my first books and what a nightmare this is being...

[NuMor]

Ok, after a lot of changes, some of them resulting from info above, a lot of them resulting from trial and error, I have managed to convert two stories into passable e-books - this means they are not as I would like them to be, but look acceptable just the same.

I have two queries still:

My two stories appear on the kindle for pc application I have in my pc represented by standard book icons. How can I make them appear represented by their own covers, like the other e-books downloaded into this application?

My other question concerns tables of contents. I cannot insert them in these books, although I have tried using Calibre's TOC commands, but maybe this matter has been approached elsewhere, if so, please direct me.

Thanks.

[Doitsu]

Originally Posted by NuMor

How can I make them appear represented by their own covers, like the other e-books downloaded into this application?

Simply add a cover in Calibre.

Originally Posted by NuMor

My other question concerns tables of contents. I cannot insert them in these books, although I have tried using Calibre's TOC commands, but maybe this matter has been approached elsewhere, if so, please direct me.

AFAIK, Calibre can only generate a TOC automatically if the chapter titles have been marked as headers (h1, h2, h3 ...) and/or if your book contains an .ncx file. If you used paragraph tags for your chapter headings, you'll need to let Calibre know how to identify them by using the TOC wizard: Convert > Table of Contents > Level 1 [magic wand button].

Since you also mentioned that you're still not 100% happy with results, you could also have Calibre convert the book to an ePUb edit it with Sigil and then convert the ePUb with Calibre to a .mobi file.

The steps would be:
1. Find the headings. switch to Code View and change the opening and closing tags to <h3></h3>
2. Add a cover image to the ePub, right-click it in the Book Browser, and select Add Semantics > Cover Image
3. Right click the .html file that contains the very first story and select Add Semantics > Text.
4. Click the Generate TOC from Headings button, save the file and convert it with Calibre to a .mobi file.

[NuMor]

Originally Posted by Doitsu

Simply add a cover in Calibre.

Thanks Doitsu. I'll have a go at your other suggestion for generating TOC.

With regard to the above. I have tried that, but it still does not work. In fact, when I add a cover in Calibre - instead of attaching it to the text before converting the book which is I am doing now - the book not only does not appear with that same cover in Kindle's library, it also opens on the first text page instead of the cover. Any idea why this happens?

[Doitsu]

Originally Posted by NuMor

With regard to the above. I have tried that, but it still does not work.

After adding the cover page, you'll need to click Save to disk and save it as a new .mobi file.

Originally Posted by NuMor

it also opens on the first text page instead of the cover. Any idea why this happens?

This is the expected behavior. If you open a commercial book for the first time, it'll usually open at the first page of the first chapter.

[NuMor]

Thanks again Doitsu.

I think I am getting to that point in which I'll have to realise I'm going to drown in information soon enough; not only on the information I already have, but on the information I still need to get so this all makes sense...

I cannot write in code or understand code, I would not even know how or where to insert code, even if I was handed said code on a plater. And code seems to be essential to converting Word text into e-books.

Which means I'll have to stop here.

Thank you for your help.