ePub to Kindle, metadata, Collections

[Gone]

Hi folks,

I have a Kobo but I'm thinking of switching to a Kindle. I had one before, years ago. But I know that lots have change since then. And one of the new shiny thing, for me, is the ability to send ePub to Kindle on the fly.

Since I have accumulated lots of ePub, it's an essential feature for me.

Before, when I had a Kindle, I used to convert ePub to KFX with a plugin in Calibre and the Amazon app the was needed. It was a bit of a tedious process. Is it still the best option to get all the Kindle's features?

I tried to send an ePub to Kindle and check the result on the Kindle app on my iPad. It worked! But... Things are missing. I can't look up the book, there's no option like the "real" Kindle have. I know it has something to do with the "number" of the book on Amazon (I forgot the correct word.) Can it be saved if I use "Send to Kindle"? Right now, the converted ePub show like personal document and luckily they still have their covers, but nothing else, no metadata. And it looks like I still have to add each ebook to a collection manually.

Also, the converted ePub looks ok. But some other features seems to be missing too, like scrolling pages while staying on the same page.

With Kobo, I just have to use a Calibre plugin and my ePub are converted as kePub with no hassle and all the goodies. I'd like to have the same experience with the Kindle. Is it possible? Am I asking too much?

Thanks.

[tomsem]

If you use Send To Kindle do not use email option (e.g. from calibre). That may be why you don't see metadata. The other methods (Web, Kindle mobile app, PC/Mac app) let you explicitly declare it.

You always need to add things to collection 'manually'.

Right now, only Kindle Scribe gets enhanced typography features for personal documents converted from ePub (including scrolling). I hope they roll this out to all Kindles and apps that support it, but so far they have not. The only way now is to generate KFX with calibre and side load.

[Gone]

Originally Posted by tomsem

If you use Send To Kindle do not use email option (e.g. from calibre). That may be why you don't see metadata. The other methods (Web, Kindle mobile app, PC/Mac app) let you explicitly declare it.

You always need to add things to collection 'manually'.

Right now, only Kindle Scribe gets enhanced typography features for personal documents converted from ePub (including scrolling). I hope they roll this out to all Kindles and apps that support it, but so far they have not. The only way now is to generate KFX with calibre and side load.

Thanks!

I also hope that enhanced typography features will be coming soon to all Kindle.

edit : I just tried with the Send to my Kindle app on my Mac, in the ids in Calibre, I set the correct NSI for the book in my country. Same result, no extra metadata, just the book title, author and his cover.

[Sirtel]

Just from curiosity, why do you want to switch to a Kindle? Do you like a specific Kindle device or is there another reason?

[Gone]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Just from curiosity, why do you want to switch to a Kindle? Do you like a specific Kindle device or is there another reason?

You sound just like my wife. 😅

I think the Kindle software is better, minus the collections. It refreshes better. I like the rubbery feel of the Paperwhite. I like that I can synch ebooks across all my devices. Stuff like that. The Kobo with Calibre was always simpler for me though. So, I’m looking if I can get the same experience with the Kindle, more or less, with ePub.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by Claude_C

You sound just like my wife. 😅

I think the Kindle software is better, minus the collections. It refreshes better. I like the rubbery feel of the Paperwhite. I like that I can synch ebooks across all my devices. Stuff like that. The Kobo with Calibre was always simpler for me though. So, I’m looking if I can get the same experience with the Kindle, more or less, with ePub.

Kindles are generally less buggy, yes. But if you used Calibre to manage metadata and collections automatically on your Kobo, you'll not be able to do that on a Kindle, unless you jailbreak.

[Gone]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Kindles are generally less buggy, yes. But if you used Calibre to manage metadata and collections automatically on your Kobo, you'll not be able to do that on a Kindle, unless you jailbreak.

Not sure if we still can jailbreak the newer Kindles?

Not necessarily something I’m looking for. With the Kobo, I used to add some patches, but not anymore. Software is ok for me.

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by Claude_C

Not sure if we still can jailbreak the newer Kindles?

Not at this time.

[tomsem]

Originally Posted by Claude_C

Thanks!

I also hope that enhanced typography features will be coming soon to all Kindle.

edit : I just tried with the Send to my Kindle app on my Mac, in the ids in Calibre, I set the correct NSI for the book in my country. Same result, no extra metadata, just the book title, author and his cover.

Yes, those are the only pieces of metadata you will see.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Claude_C

Thanks!

I also hope that enhanced typography features will be coming soon to all Kindle.

edit : I just tried with the Send to my Kindle app on my Mac, in the ids in Calibre, I set the correct NSI for the book in my country. Same result, no extra metadata, just the book title, author and his cover.

When you send to Kindle, you get KF8 back. So no enhanced typesetting features. No hyphens, no ligatures, no kerning. Plus you get no series and no details (reading time and/or pages, and no description).

Managing eBooks on a Kindle is very simplistic with hardly any of the features you get with Kobo. Think of it like taking a Porsche and swapping the engine for one from a golf cart.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

When you send to Kindle, you get KF8 back. So no enhanced typesetting features. No hyphens, no ligatures, no kerning. Plus you get no series and no details (reading time and/or pages, and no description).

Managing eBooks on a Kindle is very simplistic with hardly any of the features you get with Kobo. Think of it like taking a Porsche and swapping the engine for one from a golf cart.

And all the rest for a Lada.

[Gone]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

When you send to Kindle, you get KF8 back. So no enhanced typesetting features. No hyphens, no ligatures, no kerning. Plus you get no series and no details (reading time and/or pages, and no description).

I received my Kindle Paperwhite late this afternoon.

After trying both KFX (ePub converted in Calibre) and ePub with "Send to Kindle", from my Mac, I must say that the reading experience, so far, is the same in both format. I can't tell the difference. Beside the special scrolling in the book.

The good thing with "Send to Kindle" is that Personal Document are synched across all devices. The converted KFX side loaded from Calibre is not showing on other device. A bit of bummer. But I mainly read on my ereader anyway.

I'm gonna read some more books.

[Gone]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Managing eBooks on a Kindle is very simplistic with hardly any of the features you get with Kobo. Think of it like taking a Porsche and swapping the engine for one from a golf cart.

The way I managed my ebooks is pretty simple too. I only use Collections as a way to classified my books by genre (fantasy, thriller, literature...) Now, of course you have the series, which I don't read that much, but I still do. I will have to add a number in the title, I guess. ;-)

[Protoplast26]

Originally Posted by Claude_C

The way I managed my ebooks is pretty simple too. I only use Collections as a way to classified my books by genre (fantasy, thriller, literature...) Now, of course you have the series, which I don't read that much, but I still do. I will have to add a number in the title, I guess. ;-)

if you want to add series information using the send to kindle function, the best way is with metadata plugboard on calibre

[JSWolf]

I find KFX to be pretty poor. Amazon is forcing the line height on KFX to be stuck at too large. KF8 allows the fonts metadata to reduce the line height.