Help with downloading covers, please.

Dullahir · 11-07-2010, 09:32 PM

Hey everyone, I have a huge problem with the Metadata function when it comes to downloading covers from Amazon.

When I fetch the Metadata via the ISBN, the summary works fine. Just not the covers. I even get an error:

openlibrary.org covers: ISBN: 1148555242 not found

librarything.com covers: ISBN: 1148555242 not found

The book was "A Complete Greek and English Lexicon for the Poems of Homer and the Homeridae: Illustrating the Domestic, Religious, Political, and Military Condition ... and Explaining the Most Difficult Passages by Thomas Kerchever Arnold".

And really, it's growing quite annoying.

Oh, and it seems to be crashing everytime I turn around. I have not had this problem previously, and it is the newest version.

Any advice? Thanks..

Starson17 · 11-07-2010, 09:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dullahir

Any advice? Thanks..

Complain to openlibrary.org and librarything.com that they don't have the cover you want?

Dullahir · 11-08-2010, 05:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Starson17

Complain to openlibrary.org and librarything.com that they don't have the cover you want?

Why? Amazon does. So why can't I use the cover from there?

bigpallooka · 11-08-2010, 08:26 PM

If it's only from a single book then google image the cover and drag it into the cover part of the metadata window.

I did read somewhere a comment about amazon.com changing a policy on the volume of look-ups of their site so maybe this has something to do with it.

kovidgoyal · 11-08-2010, 08:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dullahir

Why? Amazon does. So why can't I use the cover from there?

Because, in case you haven't noticed, amazon puts their own logo at the top of all cover images.

speakingtohe · 11-10-2010, 01:54 PM

Quote:

Why? Amazon does. So why can't I use the cover from there?

If you use the Amazon ISBN or the Amazon lookup number in the URL bar you usually will get the Amazon cover with nothing embedded.
Helen

(double click on number following /dp/ in address bar)

kovidgoyal · 11-10-2010, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by speakingtohe

If you use the Amazon ISBN or the Amazon lookup number in the URL bar you usually will get the Amazon cover with nothing embedded.
Helen

(double click on number following /dp/ in address bar)

Can you post a link to one such cover, I remember spending a long time looking for how to get unedited covers from Amazon and failling

speakingtohe · 11-10-2010, 02:29 PM

I don't have an example wher I couldn't get the cover the normal way at present but it has happened

http://www.amazon.com/Bryant-May-off...9417268&sr=1-1
I double click on the number following /dp/ and paste it into the ISBN box in Calibre edit metadata and click download cover. In this case 055380720X
Helen

kovidgoyal · 11-10-2010, 02:38 PM

Oh you meant getting the cover via calibre, I thought you meant getting a cover from Amazon.

Starson17 · 11-10-2010, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by speakingtohe

I don't have an example wher I couldn't get the cover the normal way at present but it has happened

http://www.amazon.com/Bryant-May-off...9417268&sr=1-1
I double click on the number following /dp/ and paste it into the ISBN box in Calibre edit metadata and click download cover. In this case 055380720X
Helen

You do realize that the link you posted (after extracting the interfering red) points to an image that has the Amazon logo on top, and by taking the ISBN from the Amazon link and sticking it "into the ISBN box in Calibre edit metadata and click download cover" Calibre is not fetching from Amazon. You seem to be confirming why Kovid does not use Amazon for covers.

speakingtohe · 11-10-2010, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Oh you meant getting the cover via calibre, I thought you meant getting a cover from Amazon.

Yes. The OP couldn't get a cover using calibre by the normal methods.

Sometimes I can't get a cover or tags using calibre and a 'normal' ISBN even trying every entry in the list generated by calibre and I can get them this way.

But I just tried the OP's example and it doesn't work for that one

Oh well.

digital_steve · 11-10-2010, 04:47 PM

Just do a google image search, edit the metadata and do a epub to epub convert in calibre... works a treat. Also tick the box that adds the cover to the front page of the book as well, i think that adds a nice touch.

The only issue i've ever had with this method is a couple of covers that end up super small and the rest is black background; user error i'd say.

Go for it and have lovely covers

11-07-2010, 09:32 PM	#1
Dullahir Zealot Posts: 146 Karma: 13316 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Deva, Romania Device: Android	Help with downloading covers, please. Hey everyone, I have a huge problem with the Metadata function when it comes to downloading covers from Amazon. When I fetch the Metadata via the ISBN, the summary works fine. Just not the covers. I even get an error: openlibrary.org covers: ISBN: 1148555242 not found librarything.com covers: ISBN: 1148555242 not found The book was "A Complete Greek and English Lexicon for the Poems of Homer and the Homeridae: Illustrating the Domestic, Religious, Political, and Military Condition ... and Explaining the Most Difficult Passages by Thomas Kerchever Arnold". And really, it's growing quite annoying. Oh, and it seems to be crashing everytime I turn around. I have not had this problem previously, and it is the newest version. Any advice? Thanks..

11-10-2010, 02:29 PM	#8
speakingtohe Wizard Posts: 4,812 Karma: 26912940 Join Date: Apr 2010 Device: sony PRS-T1 and T3, Kobo Mini and Aura HD, Tablet	I don't have an example wher I couldn't get the cover the normal way at present but it has happened http://www.amazon.com/Bryant-May-off...9417268&sr=1-1 I double click on the number following /dp/ and paste it into the ISBN box in Calibre edit metadata and click download cover. In this case 055380720X Helen Last edited by speakingtohe; 11-10-2010 at 02:35 PM. Reason: messed up url

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11-08-2010, 08:26 PM	#4
bigpallooka Connoisseur Posts: 86 Karma: 24 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: Kobo/Tablet PC/Desktop/Laptop	If it's only from a single book then google image the cover and drag it into the cover part of the metadata window. I did read somewhere a comment about amazon.com changing a policy on the volume of look-ups of their site so maybe this has something to do with it.

11-10-2010, 02:38 PM	#9
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,213 Karma: 27110894 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Oh you meant getting the cover via calibre, I thought you meant getting a cover from Amazon.

11-10-2010, 04:47 PM	#12
digital_steve Muppet Posts: 240 Karma: 442 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Tasmania Device: Kobo Aura HD, Sony PRS-650	Just do a google image search, edit the metadata and do a epub to epub convert in calibre... works a treat. Also tick the box that adds the cover to the front page of the book as well, i think that adds a nice touch. The only issue i've ever had with this method is a couple of covers that end up super small and the rest is black background; user error i'd say. Go for it and have lovely covers

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