Mass converting LIT -> Mobipocket?

spirits · 02-28-2008, 11:24 PM

Which program should I use? (definitely not LitConverter)

Need step by step. Thanks.

JSWolf · 02-28-2008, 11:29 PM

You can use ConvertLIT to expand the LIT into it's componant parts and use Mobigen with the OPF file to make it into a Mobi file.

You can use a batch type script to do all of this. But you'll have to write that yourself.

HarryT · 02-29-2008, 03:17 AM

I'm not sure I see the need to "mass convert" eBooks. Books aren't like music, where you might want to listen to a hundred different tracks in a day. With eBooks, even the most rapid of readers is probably only going to get through a book a day. Just convert them as you want to read them!

spirits · 03-01-2008, 12:16 AM

JSWolf

Thanks, i'll give it a try when time allows

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

I'm not sure I see the need to "mass convert" eBooks. Books aren't like music, where you might want to listen to a hundred different tracks in a day. With eBooks, even the most rapid of readers is probably only going to get through a book a day. Just convert them as you want to read them!

Make sense. I agree that books should be enjoyed. I was just enthusiastic cause the Kindle came to my door just 3 days ago.

Speaking as a tech-y type of guy, it's always nice to know how to do it. A problem arised so it has to be solved or I'll lose sleep over it.

JeffElkins · 03-01-2008, 02:36 AM

Check out mobiperl http://www.ida.liu.se/~tompe/mobiperl/ . I recently batch converted a large amount of .lit books using these tools.

HarryT · 03-01-2008, 03:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spirits

JSWolf

Thanks, i'll give it a try when time allows

Make sense. I agree that books should be enjoyed. I was just enthusiastic cause the Kindle came to my door just 3 days ago.

Speaking as a tech-y type of guy, it's always nice to know how to do it. A problem arised so it has to be solved or I'll lose sleep over it.

Download the "ConvertLIT" tool from the web (Google for it). Also, go to the MobiPocket web site and download "MobiPocket Creator".

To convert a book, run "ConvertLIT" to "explode" your LIT book into its "Open eBook" source. One of the files will be a file with a ".opf" extension. Load this into Mobi Creator and click the "Build" button to make the MobiPocket book which you can then load onto your Kindle.

tompe · 03-01-2008, 06:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JeffElkins

Check out mobiperl http://www.ida.liu.se/~tompe/mobiperl/ . I recently batch converted a large amount of .lit books using these tools.

And one obvious reason to batch convert things is that when the tools are enhanced you can just convert all the books again. And one reason to convert a lot of books is that you have a web page distributing books.

Personally I think a tools is in most cases useless if you cannot apply it to 1000 book easily or if you could not repeat a conversion without manually doing things like clicking in a user interface.

HarryT · 03-02-2008, 03:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tompe

Personally I think a tools is in most cases useless if you cannot apply it to 1000 book easily or if you could not repeat a conversion without manually doing things like clicking in a user interface.

For Mobi books one has a choice of both command-line and GUI tools, so it's the best of both worlds.

The reason I prefer to use the GUI tool is that it gives you a quick and easy way to check--and if necessary change--the book's metadata before building it. For example, many books list the author as "firstname lastname" whereas I prefer "lastname, firstname". Similarly, for books which form part of a series, I generally change the title so it includes the series name and the book's number in the series. I know that the metadata can be changed with your "mobi2mobi" tool, but it's easier to check that it's right at the time you build the book, rather than build it, load it onto the Gen3, notice that it's wrong, delete it, rebuild it, reload it, etc etc.

I don't know of any tool that will simply display a book's metadata, so that one can see if it's right (your tools won't do that, will they?). What would be really useful would be a tool which one could simply use to get a "directory listing" of a folder full of books, showing for each one the author, title, category, etc.

tompe · 03-02-2008, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

I don't know of any tool that will simply display a book's metadata, so that one can see if it's right (your tools won't do that, will they?). What would be really useful would be a tool which one could simply use to get a "directory listing" of a folder full of books, showing for each one the author, title, category, etc.

Well, mobi2mobi will display it for one book. A directory listing might not be to hard to fix. It is now on my todo list.

HarryT · 03-03-2008, 02:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tompe

Well, mobi2mobi will display it for one book. A directory listing might not be to hard to fix. It is now on my todo list.

Great - many thanks!

franYo · 03-04-2008, 05:53 AM

Hi all,

I have a quick question related to the topic.

I've converted some of my LIT eBooks into Mobipocket compatible files as suggested in this topic. The procedure is simple enough and Mobipocket Creator does a very good job, so overall I'm quite happy with the results I'm getting.

However, there's one small thing that bothers me. For some of the books, when I open them in Mobipocket Reader, I can't seem to be able to turn "Full Justification" off, it just stays on even if I un-check the option. I'm thinking there must be some setting in Mobipocket Creator which causes this behavior, but I just can't seem to be able to find it. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Franjo

HarryT · 03-04-2008, 06:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by franYo

Hi all,

However, there's one small thing that bothers me. For some of the books, when I open them in Mobipocket Reader, I can't seem to be able to turn "Full Justification" off, it just stays on even if I un-check the option. I'm thinking there must be some setting in Mobipocket Creator which causes this behavior, but I just can't seem to be able to find it. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Franjo

It's not Mobi creator, but the HTML file. If it explicitly specifies full justification, then that's what you'll get.

When you've "exploded" the file to OEB, open the HTML file in a text editor; you'll probably find that each paragraph says something like "<DIV align=justify>....</DIV>". Delete the "align=justify" and re-save the file before you build the Mobi book.

franYo · 03-04-2008, 08:32 AM

Harry -- thanks for the quick reply. It solved the problem.

Franjo

HarryT · 03-04-2008, 08:52 AM

A pleasure.

02-28-2008, 11:24 PM	#1
spirits Connoisseur Posts: 61 Karma: 321 Join Date: Feb 2008 Device: Kindle	Mass converting LIT -> Mobipocket? Which program should I use? (definitely not LitConverter) Need step by step. Thanks.

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02-28-2008, 11:29 PM	#2
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 73,835 Karma: 128597114 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	You can use ConvertLIT to expand the LIT into it's componant parts and use Mobigen with the OPF file to make it into a Mobi file. You can use a batch type script to do all of this. But you'll have to write that yourself.

02-29-2008, 03:17 AM	#3
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	I'm not sure I see the need to "mass convert" eBooks. Books aren't like music, where you might want to listen to a hundred different tracks in a day. With eBooks, even the most rapid of readers is probably only going to get through a book a day. Just convert them as you want to read them!

03-01-2008, 02:36 AM	#5
JeffElkins Guru Posts: 780 Karma: 1416 Join Date: Jan 2008 Device: Kobo Clara 2E/HD, Kindle PW	Check out mobiperl http://www.ida.liu.se/~tompe/mobiperl/ . I recently batch converted a large amount of .lit books using these tools.

03-04-2008, 05:53 AM	#11
franYo Member Posts: 13 Karma: 1580408 Join Date: Mar 2008 Device: Kindle 3, Cybook Gen3	Hi all, I have a quick question related to the topic. I've converted some of my LIT eBooks into Mobipocket compatible files as suggested in this topic. The procedure is simple enough and Mobipocket Creator does a very good job, so overall I'm quite happy with the results I'm getting. However, there's one small thing that bothers me. For some of the books, when I open them in Mobipocket Reader, I can't seem to be able to turn "Full Justification" off, it just stays on even if I un-check the option. I'm thinking there must be some setting in Mobipocket Creator which causes this behavior, but I just can't seem to be able to find it. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks, Franjo

03-04-2008, 08:32 AM	#13
franYo Member Posts: 13 Karma: 1580408 Join Date: Mar 2008 Device: Kindle 3, Cybook Gen3	Harry -- thanks for the quick reply. It solved the problem. Franjo

03-04-2008, 08:52 AM	#14
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	A pleasure.