OpenOffice and Smashwords - Just doesn't work

lissie · 07-13-2011, 07:24 AM

OK I am pissed but I have spent about 6 hours trying to get this to work.

I've been using Word processors since before Microsoft and I know a fair bit of html I should be able to do this

I cannot get openoffice 3.2.1 to correctly format epub and mobi via smashwords. I am saving as word97 dot doc format

I have gone nuclear - stripped all the formatting via a text editor (more than once)

There are no tabs or <cr> in the document.

Meatgrinder doesnt think there is a problem - but there is:

The issues are:

one bullets

- these work all except for the mobi (kindle3) - mobi on the kindle for the PC is OK basically the bullet is one line above the associated text
I got kdp to format correctly by manually stripping the addition <p> formatting that OO was putting inside the <li> tag - but I can't of course do this for SM because they want a doc file

Linked table of contents

This isn't working at all in mobi - its there but not live
in epub - viewing in adobe digital editions - only 2 out for chapters show on the left side - it appears that I can't use a " : " - or possibly I have to start with the word "chapter" - but its not consistent - either way only the chapters that appear on the left menu are clickable

I created the TOC using the recommended manual approach of creating bookmarks and then hyper linking to them from default formatted text

I am at the point of paying someone to do this for - I cannot believe that it can be this hard !

James_Wilde · 07-19-2011, 06:28 AM

I had similar problems, also using OOo or maybe I had already migrated to LibO. No way to get a new chapter to start on a new page, centred, in larger typeface and about 2 cm down. Gave up. I can format mobi and epub in calibre and sigill, and upload them to all the major sites with less hassle than trying to get Smashwords to do it right. I'm only missing iTunes and niche things like Palm.

If only Smashwords would let you replace the meatgrinder product with a well-formatted equivalent... Mark, are you listening?

dadioflex · 07-19-2011, 08:57 AM

For the life of me I could never get the LibO spell-checker to work. Switched back to OO and it was fine. Hmm.

This was already discussed here.

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=124846

roger64 · 07-19-2011, 10:09 AM

Hi

I just published yesterday the V2 of a guide called L'EPUB en pantoufles whose subject is how to make an EPUB using LibreOffice (or OpenOffice) and W2X.

In French though...

But I could answer some questions except about Smashwords and MeatGrinder, of which I know nothing about.

It's my signature.

JeremyR · 07-20-2011, 05:48 AM

Well, the problem isn't making an epub. It's making a source document for Smashwords, that they then turn into an epub.

If Smashwords would only accept epubs, then it would be a lot easier

James_Wilde · 07-20-2011, 10:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dadioflex

For the life of me I could never get the LibO spell-checker to work. Switched back to OO and it was fine. Hmm.

This was already discussed here.

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=124846

Hm, try it again, Dadioflex. There was an issue with the spill chucker at an early phase, but as far as I can tell it's fixed now. And I'm afraid with all the to-ing and fro-ing, OOo is not going to go anywhere fast, whereas LibO is developing well.

I suppose I should have asked which language you were checking, too, but as I say I haven't seen any problems with that recently in the users list.

hanque99 · 07-27-2011, 05:07 PM

I have a number of ebooks on Smashwords. I write them in Mac's pages word processor. When I have it formatted the way I want it (and the way the guide says to do it) I save it as a doc file. Then comes the bizarre (and necessary step) I open the doc file in Openoffice and resave it as the same doc file. When I upload to Smashwords, it sails thru. On the other hand, this is only useful application I've found for OO. It's just too damn clumsy and slow.

07-13-2011, 07:24 AM	#1
lissie Enthusiast Posts: 30 Karma: 502132 Join Date: May 2011 Device: Kindle3	OpenOffice and Smashwords - Just doesn't work OK I am pissed but I have spent about 6 hours trying to get this to work. I've been using Word processors since before Microsoft and I know a fair bit of html I should be able to do this I cannot get openoffice 3.2.1 to correctly format epub and mobi via smashwords. I am saving as word97 dot doc format I have gone nuclear - stripped all the formatting via a text editor (more than once) There are no tabs or <cr> in the document. Meatgrinder doesnt think there is a problem - but there is: The issues are: one bullets - these work all except for the mobi (kindle3) - mobi on the kindle for the PC is OK basically the bullet is one line above the associated text I got kdp to format correctly by manually stripping the addition <p> formatting that OO was putting inside the <li> tag - but I can't of course do this for SM because they want a doc file Linked table of contents This isn't working at all in mobi - its there but not live in epub - viewing in adobe digital editions - only 2 out for chapters show on the left side - it appears that I can't use a " : " - or possibly I have to start with the word "chapter" - but its not consistent - either way only the chapters that appear on the left menu are clickable I created the TOC using the recommended manual approach of creating bookmarks and then hyper linking to them from default formatted text I am at the point of paying someone to do this for - I cannot believe that it can be this hard ! Last edited by lissie; 07-13-2011 at 07:30 AM.

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07-19-2011, 06:28 AM	#2
James_Wilde Guru Posts: 802 Karma: 4727110 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Sweden Device: Iriver Story	I had similar problems, also using OOo or maybe I had already migrated to LibO. No way to get a new chapter to start on a new page, centred, in larger typeface and about 2 cm down. Gave up. I can format mobi and epub in calibre and sigill, and upload them to all the major sites with less hassle than trying to get Smashwords to do it right. I'm only missing iTunes and niche things like Palm. If only Smashwords would let you replace the meatgrinder product with a well-formatted equivalent... Mark, are you listening?

07-19-2011, 08:57 AM	#3
dadioflex Dyslexic Count Posts: 526 Karma: 5041991 Join Date: Aug 2008 Device: Palm TX, Advent Vega, iPad, iPod Touch, Kindle	For the life of me I could never get the LibO spell-checker to work. Switched back to OO and it was fine. Hmm. This was already discussed here. https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=124846

07-19-2011, 10:09 AM	#4
roger64 Wizard Posts: 2,608 Karma: 3000161 Join Date: Jan 2009 Device: Kindle PW3 (wifi)	Hi I just published yesterday the V2 of a guide called L'EPUB en pantoufles whose subject is how to make an EPUB using LibreOffice (or OpenOffice) and W2X. In French though... But I could answer some questions except about Smashwords and MeatGrinder, of which I know nothing about. It's my signature.

07-20-2011, 05:48 AM	#5
JeremyR Guru Posts: 973 Karma: 2458402 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: St. Louis Device: Kindle Keyboard, Nook HD+	Well, the problem isn't making an epub. It's making a source document for Smashwords, that they then turn into an epub. If Smashwords would only accept epubs, then it would be a lot easier

07-27-2011, 05:07 PM	#7
hanque99 SF&F Scribbler Posts: 6 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: New Jersey Device: Ipad	I have a number of ebooks on Smashwords. I write them in Mac's pages word processor. When I have it formatted the way I want it (and the way the guide says to do it) I save it as a doc file. Then comes the bizarre (and necessary step) I open the doc file in Openoffice and resave it as the same doc file. When I upload to Smashwords, it sails thru. On the other hand, this is only useful application I've found for OO. It's just too damn clumsy and slow.

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