Switching to Kindle.. I have some questions

[stumped]

Originally Posted by challe232

They still show as docs most of the time and I don't know why. Some do, some don't, and I'm using the Kindle format via USB in calibre.

There must be a common factor that separates the do from the don't.

You originally mentioned buying from Kobo store, so do you have a mix of epub and kepub, with Kobo drm?

We can't discuss drm removal here but maybe there is a clue in how you de drm and convert to get those to kindle
We can discuss the calibre to kindle steps though , so detail exactly what you do,for an example that ends up as a doc, not as a book
You Will get docs if you use e-mail send to kindle but you say it is not that.
Are you converting to and sending mobi or azw, azw is better. And check all the conversion parameters for personal doc tag settings.

[challe232]

I'm using azw3. The one book I had to do as mobi ...and it worked fine. It's really hit or miss. I tried to check all the doc tag settings but maybe I'm missing one.

I don't know how much I can say? I did what I could to get my paid books back. And with Adobe. Then I convert to mobi usually and then azw3. I tried to change ISBN, I enabled the fb book cover thing, changed pdoc out of desperation..tried metadata as first page. Redid covers.

When I used Kobo I always converted epub (books bought elsewhere) to kepubs, or azw3 (the odd kindle purchase) to kepubs without issue. I always converted because kepubs were much better than epub. But converting onto kindle is more complicated it seems.

The books all read fine it's just the crazy part of me wants it all uniform.

[barryem]

I sideload a lot of my books even though I buy most of them from Amazon. I always leave the setting on All Items so I never notice if a book is a doc or an ebook. I also keep it in list mode so covers are no issue.

I'm having a hard time understanding why people care about these things. I accept that you do and that's fine but I don't get it. The point of books is to read them. The point of Kindles is to read books. What else matters?

Barry

[challe232]

Youre completely right Barry. I think it just was something fun to try to fix because it boggled my mind that some worked and some didn't, lol.

I really love my kindle though. Even the page layout is easier. It makes me dislike Kobo so much to be honest. The page layout makes it even easier to read

[stumped]

i would care if it was happening to me. Hell, it bugs me that it is happening to the OP.

must get that OCD fixed one day !

and there must be a logical solution. programs act on logic , not whimsy.

all I can reiterate is that it never happened to me & I am pretty sure that calibre blurb claims that it can reliably deliver books, not docs, to Kindle.

so hopefully other calibre experts will take an interest in solving the books v docs conundrum , rather than posting reasons for not bothering...

[rashkae]

Originally Posted by challe232

I did what I could to get my paid books back. And with Adobe. Then I convert to mobi usually and then azw3. I tried to change ISBN, I enabled the fb book cover thing, changed pdoc out of desperation..tried metadata as first page. Redid covers.

Mobi is a much more limited format than either epub or AZW3. If you convert an epub to Mobi, then convert the Mobi to AZW3, there will be loss of formatting that you can never recover. (embedded fonts, margins, and drop caps, being the most common I'm aware of.)

(Note: It's perfectly ok to convert an epub to both Mobi and AZW3. This is probably the default if you don't delete the original epub before converting to AZW3)

[spindlegirl]

Originally Posted by barryem

I sideload a lot of my books even though I buy most of them from Amazon. I always leave the setting on All Items so I never notice if a book is a doc or an ebook. I also keep it in list mode so covers are no issue.

I'm having a hard time understanding why people care about these things. I accept that you do and that's fine but I don't get it. The point of books is to read them. The point of Kindles is to read books. What else matters?

Barry

This doesn't happen often enough that it's something I have to deal with very much. But I do care about the products I purchase. I want my e-book to look like a book. The visual side of me wants the cover included. It does not take away the point of the book, which is to read them, yes.

I suppose it's because imy introduction to e-books was via mass downloading of the public domain literature from places like Project Gutenberg and then I put them straightaway into calibre. And then oooooh the features! I felt like a kid in a candy store. All my favorite literature I grew up with and I can put any cover I want on it? I put a lot of pride and joy into it! It was FUN!

Downloaded a copy of Pride and Prejudice? Well, I'm gonna select the prettiest cover available and convert it right on in there! The fact that this feature is a part of a popular computer app (Calibre) goes to show that caring what the covers look like does matter to enough people that it is there for the using. I then get a satisfying feeling of "There, fixed it for you" after I've made the book look pretty on the "shelf".

Another part of it is a small part of me is rebellious in what percentage of ownership is actually mine. A part of e-books that I actually do enjoy is the fiddling around with the cover, and "inside jacket", and tagging and such. I rather enjoy it, much like when my brothers and I were young, I quickly would take a cookie and lick it "there, has my germs on it! It's mine!".

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by barryem

What else matters?

For me the covers are part of the experience when browsing through my library. :shrugs:

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by barryem

I also keep it in list mode so covers are no issue.

Without a cover, how do you judge your books

[shalym]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

For me the covers are part of the experience when browsing through my library. :shrugs:

It is for me, too, but my library is in Calibre. My e-reader contains books from my library, but I never look at the covers on the reader itself. In my opinion, looking at the tiny covers in black and white takes *away* from the experience. I'd rather see them large and in color on my computer monitor.

Shari

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by shalym

It is for me, too, but my library is in Calibre. My e-reader contains books from my library, but I never look at the covers on the reader itself. In my opinion, looking at the tiny covers in black and white takes *away* from the experience. I'd rather see them large and in color on my computer monitor.

I can see that. I agree that small grayscale covers aren't the greatest, but I don't generally fire up a computer to browse through my library all the time when I can just browse on my reader. I usually only load up Calibre when I add a batch of books to it and then transfer them to my reader.

[shalym]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

I can see that. I agree that small grayscale covers aren't the greatest, but I don't generally fire up a computer to browse through my library all the time when I can just browse on my reader. I usually only load up Calibre when I add a batch of books to it and then transfer them to my reader.

Ahh...maybe that's the difference. My computer is always on, and Calibre is always open.

Shari

[spindlegirl]

Originally Posted by shalym

Ahh...maybe that's the difference. My computer is always on, and Calibre is always open.

Shari

Same with me. I also frequently gaze at the cover browser.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by spindlegirl

Same with me. I also frequently gaze at the cover browser.

I'm kind of in the middle. I take great pains to choose the prettiest covers I can find, with the highest resolution etc... and then I almost never look at them again, either in Calibre or on a Kindle. My Kindle screens are both in the list view, permanently.

Go figure.

[challe232]

Yea I'll keep fiddling and see what I can do. I know many went epub to azw3 and still happens. It does bug me. It shouldn't, but it does