How to change titles and appearance on Kindle - Page 2

daffy4u · 02-13-2009, 11:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by krazy4katz

Hi Leep,

I tried Calibre. Maybe I just don't have enough patience. I did manage to change the title to Herland and the author to Charlotte Gilman. So it sorted properly and looked great when I had the Kindle set up to sort by title, but when I sorted by author, it sorted to "Charlotte" no matter what I did. Also, I seemed to lose the links between the table of contents and the chapters. I will keep trying, but it seems not to be that straightforward.

Thanks for all your suggestions,

k4k

Okay, I downloaded Herland and tried to make your changes. I'm using Vista, so I hope the steps are similar.

1. I imported the book into Calibre and made my meta data changes (herland2). As you can see, I made sure that both "Author" and "Author Sort" were entered as "lastname, firstname". I clicked okay.

2. Once back in the main window, I right clicked on the book title and chose "Convert E-books". Once I was in the convert window, I clicked the "page set-up" icon and for the "Destination Profile", I chose "Kindle" (herland6). I clicked okay and was sent back to the main window.

3. I watch the hour glass do it's dance for a few moments. I then went to my Calibre ebook directory and transferred the resulting .mobi file to my Kindle "documents" folder (herland7 - before and after). The title was changed and I was able to sort by author and have the book show up with the "G" authors.

pilotbob · 02-13-2009, 11:59 PM

Daffy,

Do you need to "convert" it? I thought that the newest version of Calibre just edited the existing metadata of the existing file? OR perhaps I misunderstood the new feature. (Haven't tried it yet.)

BOb

daffy4u · 02-14-2009, 12:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Daffy,

Do you need to "convert" it? I thought that the newest version of Calibre just edited the existing metadata of the existing file? OR perhaps I misunderstood the new feature. (Haven't tried it yet.)

BOb

First let me admit that I haven't looked at the help files and have just been winging it (duck joke) to test how easy it is to use.

I made an attempt without using convert and it didn't work. I may have missed a step somewhere. I'll try it again without the convert but not tonight.

pilotbob · 02-14-2009, 12:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daffy4u

First let me admit that I haven't looked at the help files and have just been winging it (duck joke) to test how easy it is to use.

I made an attempt without using convert and it didn't work. I may have missed a step somewhere. I'll try it again without the convert but not tonight.

Are you using Send To Device? I read the change log and it isn't clear to me if it actually edits the mobi data inplace in the current file, or only when you do a send to device and/or convert to Mobi.

I'm sure Kovid (or someone) will see this thread and chime in.

BOb

daffy4u · 02-14-2009, 12:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Are you using Send To Device? I read the change log and it isn't clear to me if it actually edits the mobi data inplace in the current file, or only when you do a send to device and/or convert to Mobi.

I'm sure Kovid (or someone) will see this thread and chime in.

BOb

First I tried "send to" with my Kindle connected but it just made a subdirectory and there was no change in the metadata.

The next time, I used convert then drag and dropped the file from the Calibre directory. I actually ended up with a .prc, .mobi and .opf file in a subdirectory. I used the .mobi file and that one worked.

susan_cassidy · 02-16-2009, 02:42 PM

Display of the metadata is dependent on what is in the file, not on the Kindle itself. The metadata is embedded in the .mobi/.prc file itself, and is defined by the format specifications, not by the Kindle. The Amazon .azw is just a slight variant of the Mobipocket format.

pilotbob · 02-16-2009, 03:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by susan_cassidy

Display of the metadata is dependent on what is in the file, not on the Kindle itself. The metadata is embedded in the .mobi/.prc file itself, and is defined by the format specifications, not by the Kindle. The Amazon .azw is just a slight variant of the Mobipocket format.

Yes, that's why this thread talks about using a tool to modify the metadata that is in the book file. I guess... I missed your point?

BOb

susan_cassidy · 02-16-2009, 04:56 PM

Author names should be entered as last name, first name, at least for Kindle. Then they will show up correctly.

Kindle 2 is the same at displaying author names, as far as is known.

Leep · 02-17-2009, 12:02 AM

I had some of the same issue when I first started editing the metadata in Calibre. Here's the procedure that works for me:
Change the author to last, first (Deb's right -not just the author sort) Also you need to do this after you look up the metadata and get the cover because when it looks up the metadata, 50% of the time it changes it back to first last.

I then convert the book to mobi (yes, I know it's already mobi, but changing the metadata and transfering the .prc file works only some of the time) This seems to be the only sure fire solution.

cheers

bwaldron · 02-17-2009, 11:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by susan_cassidy

Author names should be entered as last name, first name, at least for Kindle. Then they will show up correctly.

Actually, they can be in either "last, first" or "first last" format and show up properly on the Kindle

desertgrandma · 02-17-2009, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bwaldron

Actually, they can be in either "last, first" or "first last" format and show up properly on the Kindle

true. I have just a few showing first, last that still show up under last.

KinN00b · 03-11-2009, 01:00 PM

Alright, as you can see, I'm a n00b. I started with a Kindle 2, and judging by the thread thus far, all yalls are workin with a Kindle 1, right? I have Calibre, I have all my books (all 300 of them) in Calibre, ready to be uploaded to my K2... But I tried to upload, and nothing really happened. I also tried to convert, and absolutely NOTHING happened. I'm not sure if I have to start with a .prc file (all I have are .doc and .pdf files) and if I have to convert it to some other file. I've tried other websites, and you all seem to know what you are talking about. Maybe you can walk me through it from the VERY beginning? I've tried to pick up on what earlier posts have said, but I'm so very lost. I'm working with Windows XP, help?! :-)

slayda · 03-11-2009, 01:15 PM

First, do your books have DRM (Digital Rights Management), i.e. are encrypted. If they are then Calibre will not handle them. If not, Calibre should handle the PDF files and you can use MS Word (or Open office - free download) to convert the DOC to RTF filesand Calibre will handle them.

If they do have DRM (and I don't think the DOC files could but am not sure) then you'll have to deal with the DRM first.

Once Calibre will handle the files, you'll need to convert them to PRC for the Kindle to read them. However, my results with Calibre converting to PRC and trying to read on the Kindle were unsatisfactory - the font was too small and would not change sizes on the Kindle. I haven't tried with the latest version of Calibre yet. I prefer Mobipocket Creator but I don't think it will do batch jobs, i.e. you'd have to do them one at a time.

HarryT · 03-11-2009, 01:17 PM

You can use Tommy's "mobi2mobi" tool to edit the metadata on DRM-protected Kindle books.

KinN00b · 03-11-2009, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slayda

First, do your books have DRM (Digital Rights Management), i.e. are encrypted. If they are then Calibre will not handle them. If not, Calibre should handle the PDF files and you can use MS Word (or Open office - free download) to convert the DOC to RTF filesand Calibre will handle them.

If they do have DRM (and I don't think the DOC files could but am not sure) then you'll have to deal with the DRM first.

Once Calibre will handle the files, you'll need to convert them to PRC for the Kindle to read them. However, my results with Calibre converting to PRC and trying to read on the Kindle were unsatisfactory - the font was too small and would not change sizes on the Kindle. I haven't tried with the latest version of Calibre yet. I prefer Mobipocket Creator but I don't think it will do batch jobs, i.e. you'd have to do them one at a time.

OK, they are not encrypted, but I need to convert them to PRC, no prob. Per you, don't use Calibre to convert to PRC, so I'll see if I can download a .doc/.pdf to PRC converter, gotta be one out there.

1.) Convert .doc/.pdf to PRC
2.) Put books back into Calibre
3.) Make titles/authors spiffy
..... Now what?

03-11-2009, 01:15 PM	#28
slayda Retired & reading more! Posts: 2,764 Karma: 1884247 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: North Alabama, USA Device: Kindle 1, iPad Air 2, iPhone 6S+, Kobo Aura One	First, do your books have DRM (Digital Rights Management), i.e. are encrypted. If they are then Calibre will not handle them. If not, Calibre should handle the PDF files and you can use MS Word (or Open office - free download) to convert the DOC to RTF filesand Calibre will handle them. If they do have DRM (and I don't think the DOC files could but am not sure) then you'll have to deal with the DRM first. Once Calibre will handle the files, you'll need to convert them to PRC for the Kindle to read them. However, my results with Calibre converting to PRC and trying to read on the Kindle were unsatisfactory - the font was too small and would not change sizes on the Kindle. I haven't tried with the latest version of Calibre yet. I prefer Mobipocket Creator but I don't think it will do batch jobs, i.e. you'd have to do them one at a time. Last edited by slayda; 03-11-2009 at 01:19 PM.

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02-13-2009, 11:59 PM	#17
pilotbob Grand Sorcerer Posts: 19,832 Karma: 11844413 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Tampa, FL USA Device: Kindle Touch	Daffy, Do you need to "convert" it? I thought that the newest version of Calibre just edited the existing metadata of the existing file? OR perhaps I misunderstood the new feature. (Haven't tried it yet.) BOb

02-16-2009, 02:42 PM	#21
susan_cassidy Wizard Posts: 2,251 Karma: 3720310 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: USA Device: Kindle, iPad (not used much for reading)	Display of the metadata is dependent on what is in the file, not on the Kindle itself. The metadata is embedded in the .mobi/.prc file itself, and is defined by the format specifications, not by the Kindle. The Amazon .azw is just a slight variant of the Mobipocket format.

02-16-2009, 04:56 PM	#23
susan_cassidy Wizard Posts: 2,251 Karma: 3720310 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: USA Device: Kindle, iPad (not used much for reading)	Author names should be entered as last name, first name, at least for Kindle. Then they will show up correctly. Kindle 2 is the same at displaying author names, as far as is known.

02-17-2009, 12:02 AM	#24
Leep Guru Posts: 739 Karma: 1018859 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Near Seattle Device: kindle1, K3, K3G (thanks MR), iTouch, Kindle Touch	I had some of the same issue when I first started editing the metadata in Calibre. Here's the procedure that works for me: Change the author to last, first (Deb's right -not just the author sort) Also you need to do this after you look up the metadata and get the cover because when it looks up the metadata, 50% of the time it changes it back to first last. I then convert the book to mobi (yes, I know it's already mobi, but changing the metadata and transfering the .prc file works only some of the time) This seems to be the only sure fire solution. cheers

03-11-2009, 01:00 PM	#27
KinN00b Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: Kindle 2	Alright, as you can see, I'm a n00b. I started with a Kindle 2, and judging by the thread thus far, all yalls are workin with a Kindle 1, right? I have Calibre, I have all my books (all 300 of them) in Calibre, ready to be uploaded to my K2... But I tried to upload, and nothing really happened. I also tried to convert, and absolutely NOTHING happened. I'm not sure if I have to start with a .prc file (all I have are .doc and .pdf files) and if I have to convert it to some other file. I've tried other websites, and you all seem to know what you are talking about. Maybe you can walk me through it from the VERY beginning? I've tried to pick up on what earlier posts have said, but I'm so very lost. I'm working with Windows XP, help?! :-)

03-11-2009, 01:17 PM	#29
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	You can use Tommy's "mobi2mobi" tool to edit the metadata on DRM-protected Kindle books.

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