Kindle Strategy Going Forward

johnelle · 02-15-2023, 07:10 AM

I have been buying as many as 10 Amazon books a week via the "Bookbub" cheap book alert service, but now am faced with the fact that those are no longer manageable in my main tool for ebooks.

Going forward I have switched my Bookbub account to only look at Apple books which will dramatically reduce Amazon purchases to a handful a year. I am also going to move author tracking to Apple so all my pre-buys are non-Amazon.

Meanwhile I bought a used Kindle on ebay since I gave my Gen 1 Kindle to a friend and have been a tablet user for 10 years or more. Hope this will allow me to pick-up the 2 dozen books that are caught in the lock-out.

Not sure if I should find an alternative to Kindle reader since depending on Amazon to do the right thing is clearly a dangerous strategy(?)

Did I miss anything?

Sirtel · 02-15-2023, 07:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnelle

I have been buying as many as 10 Amazon books a week via the "Bookbub" cheap book alert service, but now am faced with the fact that those are no longer manageable in my main tool for ebooks.

Going forward I have switched my Bookbub account to only look at Apple books which will dramatically reduce Amazon purchases to a handful a year. I am also going to move author tracking to Apple so all my pre-buys are non-Amazon.

Meanwhile I bought a used Kindle on ebay since I gave my Gen 1 Kindle to a friend and have been a tablet user for 10 years or more. Hope this will allow me to pick-up the 2 dozen books that are caught in the lock-out.

Not sure if I should find an alternative to Kindle reader since depending on Amazon to do the right thing is clearly a dangerous strategy(?)

Did I miss anything?

You can't deDRM Apple books, so that's an even worse choice than Amazon. Unless removing the DRM doesn't matter to you.

johnelle · 02-15-2023, 07:54 AM

For those of us who want to manage our purchased ebooks outside of a closed proprietary ecosystem what is recommended?

I have been living inside the Amazon system for so long I have no idea what's available. I see a lot of epub books floating around so I just assumed that they originated from Apple.

Sirtel · 02-15-2023, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnelle

For those of us who want to manage our purchased ebooks outside of a closed proprietary ecosystem what is recommended?

I have been living inside the Amazon system for so long I have no idea what's available. I see a lot of epub books floating around so I just assumed that they originated from Apple.

Kobo, Google Play, Ebooks.com. Their books can be deDRMed. Baen for SF/Fantasy. Angry Robot is a UK publisher selling DRM-free SF/Fantasy on their own website, like Baen, but I have no idea whether they sell to US customers.

Smashwords for indie stuff.

rantanplan · 02-15-2023, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnelle

For those of us who want to manage our purchased ebooks outside of a closed proprietary ecosystem what is recommended?

I have been living inside the Amazon system for so long I have no idea what's available. I see a lot of epub books floating around so I just assumed that they originated from Apple.

Probably the easiest thing you can do is go to the author's website first. They often sell it without DRM. After that, check with the publisher's website where they recommend you can buy it. Sometimes they also have the option to buy your ebooks without DRM.

enuddleyarbl · 02-15-2023, 10:58 AM

I got fed up with Amazon's locking me into their eco-system by using non-standards about a year and a half ago. I'd suggest buying a Kobo (Sage for bigger screen, Libra 2 otherwise) and converting everything over to EPUBs. You can then buy your books from anyplace that sells standard epubs (Kobo Store (will price match), Google Play Store, etc.. Check out the Kobo forums:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/fo...play.php?f=223

And, if you decide to convert, here's a thread talking about some things to do:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...97#post4124197

rantanplan · 02-15-2023, 11:01 AM

Why would you need to convert an ebook from Kobo if they provide an epub download option on their website?

Quoth · 02-15-2023, 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rantanplan

Why would you need to convert an ebook from Kobo if they provide an epub download option on their website?

Also a kepub is an epub with a few extra spans. Seems easy to import to Calibre (I put kobo seink serial number into plugin) from ereader and clean (I did I WiFi sync after purchase).

Download isn't so good on Linux as I have no ADE:

Quote:

Download this file?

You don't need to download if you'd like to read it on a Kobo eReader or app. Just sync your Library for the book to become available.

Use Adobe Digital Editions to add the file to eReaders or apps from other manufacturers than Kobo.

ownedbycats · 02-15-2023, 12:41 PM

@Quoth there's the DeACSM/ACSM Input plugin so you can just import the ACSM into Calibre. I think it was specifically designed so Linux users get around lack of ADE.

enuddleyarbl · 02-15-2023, 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rantanplan

Why would you need to convert an ebook from Kobo if they provide an epub download option on their website?

Assuming that was aimed at my comment immediately above yours, I meant convert all the old Amazon AZW/MOBI files to EPUB.

drdancm · 03-22-2023, 01:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnelle

I have been buying as many as 10 Amazon books a week via the "Bookbub" cheap book alert service, but now am faced with the fact that those are no longer manageable in

Did I miss anything?

I also get books via Earlybird

However I can no longer load more and more "newer books" from Kindle for PC into Calibre which is the only way I know to get rid of DRM.

Is there no way for Calibre to figure out how to import these newer file formats into Calibre?

I copied the entire Kindle (v 1.17) folder to another partition E:\ and the new KindleforPC v 1.4 in the usual C:\Programs\Programs Files (x86)\Kindle location, so I can launch either one. But that does not solve the problem, not that I am surprised, but it let's me read the new file version books on the computer, but still cannot load into my Kindle reader.

Thanks

Sirtel · 03-22-2023, 01:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drdancm

I also get books via Earlybird

However I can no longer load more and more "newer books" from Kindle for PC into Calibre which is the only way I know to get rid of DRM.

Is there no way for Calibre to figure out how to import these newer file formats into Calibre?

Not as things stand now.

Do you have an eink Kindle registered to your Amazon account? If so, use the Download and Transfer option on the Amazon Content and Devices page to download the books to your computer and deDRM them. Note that this doesn't mean downloading them to your Kindle; it means downloading them from a web browser to your computer. But you need to have a registered Kindle for this option to be available.

jhowell · 03-22-2023, 08:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drdancm

Is there no way for Calibre to figure out how to import these newer file formats into Calibre?

You can use BlueStacks on your PC to obtain books that are no longer available using Kindle for PC. The method for doing that is described in this thread:

DRM workaround: Kindle for Android

drdancm · 04-05-2023, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Not as things stand now.

Do you have an eink Kindle registered to your Amazon account? If so, use the Download and Transfer option on the Amazon Content and Devices page to download the books to your computer and deDRM them. Note that this doesn't mean downloading them to your Kindle; it means downloading them from a web browser to your computer. But you need to have a registered Kindle for this option to be available.

Yes I have several registered eInk Kindles.
The books that have the new format cannot be downloaded and transferred.

I have downloaded these files with the newest version of Kind.e for PC, but I cannot do anything with them other than to read them on my Desktop PC. I want them portable so I can read them wherever I take my eInk Kindle.

Is it not possible to have Calibre be able to import these new Kindle File formats?

Sirtel · 04-05-2023, 01:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drdancm

Is it not possible to have Calibre be able to import these new Kindle File formats?

Only by using the Download & Transfer option on your Amazon Content and Devices page. I can see that option for all my books purchased in 2023. Note the option isn't there for borrowed books (like Kindle Unlimited), only for purchases.

Using Download & Transfer doesn't mean downloading them with the Kindle for PC app. It means downloading them from the Content & Devices webpage to your computer.

02-15-2023, 07:10 AM	#1
johnelle Zealot Posts: 103 Karma: 2137668 Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Groton, MA Device: Kindle app on Samsung Tab	Kindle Strategy Going Forward I have been buying as many as 10 Amazon books a week via the "Bookbub" cheap book alert service, but now am faced with the fact that those are no longer manageable in my main tool for ebooks. Going forward I have switched my Bookbub account to only look at Apple books which will dramatically reduce Amazon purchases to a handful a year. I am also going to move author tracking to Apple so all my pre-buys are non-Amazon. Meanwhile I bought a used Kindle on ebay since I gave my Gen 1 Kindle to a friend and have been a tablet user for 10 years or more. Hope this will allow me to pick-up the 2 dozen books that are caught in the lock-out. Not sure if I should find an alternative to Kindle reader since depending on Amazon to do the right thing is clearly a dangerous strategy(?) Did I miss anything?

02-15-2023, 07:54 AM	#3
johnelle Zealot Posts: 103 Karma: 2137668 Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Groton, MA Device: Kindle app on Samsung Tab	And you would recommend? For those of us who want to manage our purchased ebooks outside of a closed proprietary ecosystem what is recommended? I have been living inside the Amazon system for so long I have no idea what's available. I see a lot of epub books floating around so I just assumed that they originated from Apple.

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02-15-2023, 10:58 AM	#6
enuddleyarbl Guru Posts: 734 Karma: 1077122 Join Date: Sep 2013 Device: Kobo Forma	I got fed up with Amazon's locking me into their eco-system by using non-standards about a year and a half ago. I'd suggest buying a Kobo (Sage for bigger screen, Libra 2 otherwise) and converting everything over to EPUBs. You can then buy your books from anyplace that sells standard epubs (Kobo Store (will price match), Google Play Store, etc.. Check out the Kobo forums: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/fo...play.php?f=223 And, if you decide to convert, here's a thread talking about some things to do: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...97#post4124197

02-15-2023, 11:01 AM	#7
rantanplan Guru Posts: 623 Karma: 8592298 Join Date: Nov 2019 Location: Wuppertal, Germany Device: Paperwhite (2021), Boox Note Air 2+, Kobo Clara 2E, Tolino Vision 6	Why would you need to convert an ebook from Kobo if they provide an epub download option on their website?

02-15-2023, 12:41 PM	#9
ownedbycats Custom User Title Posts: 8,639 Karma: 61234567 Join Date: Oct 2018 Location: Canada Device: Kobo Libra H2O, formerly Aura HD	@Quoth there's the DeACSM/ACSM Input plugin so you can just import the ACSM into Calibre. I think it was specifically designed so Linux users get around lack of ADE.

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