Please Use More Modern Kindle Formats

[BookCat]

Originally Posted by ilovejedd

Same issue as DaleDe mentioned before. Creator may not be around anymore to update the post.

But the ones who are . . .

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by BookCat

In my experience, most of the mobi files are just old mobi, with none of the ability to, for example, use custom fonts. So I avoid them like the plague.

Maybe the creator could state what type of mobi it is?

We do allow azw, azw2, azw3 as file extensions.

Dale

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by DaleDe

We do allow azw, azw2, azw3 as file extensions.

Dale

This conversation is starting to go in circles.

BookCat, if you download a book from the MobileRead library that is not available in azw3 format, convert it to azw3 and attach that to a message in the book's kindle thread, no one will complain and the only ones to notice will be people that also want azw3 format. I think that would be a worthy service.

Personally, I would advise against doing this multiple books at a time as that would push recent uploads off the front page.

[lumpynose]

Originally Posted by j.p.s

This conversation is starting to go in circles.

But they're entertaining circles.

[BookCat]

It seems from this - entertaining - discussion that the majority of kindle peeps, at least those represented here, don't care what format the book is in. Maybe it's just me!

I like changing fonts for each book I read; using a handwriting fonts for diaries or letters, an informal font for comedy, and a heavy, dark font for gothic novels.

Perhaps this isn't important to others.

I'll continue converting epubs into azw3 for my own amusement. To load any onto mobileread I would have to strip the blurb and covers (nicked from other sources, probably copyright).

If newbies ever ask, "how do I use custom fonts?" or "why will only certain books use custom fonts?" here's me saying "I TOLD YOU SO!"

(Poor horse!)

[ilovejedd]

Originally Posted by BookCat

It seems from this - entertaining - discussion that the majority of kindle peeps, at least those represented here, don't care what format the book is in. Maybe it's just me!

If one is concerned about missing Kindle features, it's trivial enough to convert using Calibre.

Originally Posted by BookCat

If newbies ever ask, "how do I use custom fonts?" or "why will only certain books use custom fonts?" here's me saying "I TOLD YOU SO!"

(Poor horse!)

I expect newbies who aren't inclined to do their own research are gonna ask that question either way. MobileRead isn't the only source for MOBI files.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by DaleDe

Sometimes the extension does not tell the tale. It may have mobi but is really azw3. It can be hard to tell. As far as the creator is concerned, there are a couple of major contributors that have died so they can't fix any issues.

Dale

Don't allow dual format Kindle eBooks. If Kindlegen is used to convert ePub, it's very easy to use KindleUnpack to split the file into KF8 & Mobi eBooks. Both could be posted along with the ePub.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by DaleDe

Actually anyone can just download the ePub if the equivalent exists and run it through KindleGen which will produce an azw3 and a mobi inside the same file. It will have a mobi extension. I suspect this is what most people that submit files do today.

Dale

Then it's up to the moderators to check all .mobi uploads and make sure they are NOT dual-format and PM the person who did it to do it correctly. That would solve that problem and maybe prevent that person from doing it again.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by j.p.s

This conversation is starting to go in circles.

BookCat, if you download a book from the MobileRead library that is not available in azw3 format, convert it to azw3 and attach that to a message in the book's kindle thread, no one will complain and the only ones to notice will be people that also want azw3 format. I think that would be a worthy service.

Personally, I would advise against doing this multiple books at a time as that would push recent uploads off the front page.

That may or may not work properly. If there is an ePub, that should be the source for the KF8. If it is only mobi, then it would need to be converted and checked for any formatting that should be fixed due to limitations in the mobi format. And things like paragraph spaces would need to go.

So this may not be as simple as convert and post. There may be more work needed to make it a proper mobileread version. We don't do sloppy and a convert and go of a mobi > KF8 may be sloppy if not checked and maybe edited.

And finally there's the issue of getting this conversion added to the first post of the thread especially if the owner is no longer with us (both ways).

[GrannyGrump]

I have often made a "modernized" version of an ebook that was originally posted as OLD mobi or .lit or .prc or .lrf. Particularly books posted 5 years ago or more.

I interpret the guidelines about "value added" that it is perfectly fine to create a more modern format, and UPLOAD TO A NEW THREAD.

Personally, I don't agree with the idea of attaching other formats to the OP thread. Those additional files would have a hard time staying in the public eye. They will NOT be listed in the Ebook Index, and could only be found by Searching for the book title.

Moderators are welcome to scold me, and tell me I am wrong. (been wrong before, and I am still not too old to be wrong again )

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by GrannyGrump

I have often made a "modernized" version of an ebook that was originally posted as OLD mobi or .lit or .prc or .lrf. Particularly books posted 5 years ago or more.

I interpret the guidelines about "value added" that it is perfectly fine to create a more modern format, and UPLOAD TO A NEW THREAD.

Personally, I don't agree with the idea of attaching other formats to the OP thread. Those additional files would have a hard time staying in the public eye. They will NOT be listed in the Ebook Index, and could only be found by Searching for the book title.

Moderators are welcome to scold me, and tell me I am wrong. (been wrong before, and I am still not too old to be wrong again )

It sounds to me like you're doing things right.

[BookCat]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

That may or may not work properly. If there is an ePub, that should be the source for the KF8. If it is only mobi, then it would need to be converted and checked for any formatting that should be fixed due to limitations in the mobi format. And things like paragraph spaces would need to go.

So this may not be as simple as convert and post. There may be more work needed to make it a proper mobileread version. We don't do sloppy and a convert and go of a mobi > KF8 may be sloppy if not checked and maybe edited.

And finally there's the issue of getting this conversion added to the first post of the thread especially if the owner is no longer with us (both ways).

Now that I prefer azw3, I always download the epub for conversion. I learned this was preferable in a Calibre thread. Unfortunately, I've noticed there are many books not available in epub in mobileread's library. For example, I was recently looking for an English version of Hans Christian Anderson's Fairy Tales; while there are German versions in epub there was no English translation, so I had to download the prc format.

I've found this to be the case with quite a few books.

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by BookCat

Now that I prefer azw3, I always download the epub for conversion. I learned this was preferable in a Calibre thread. Unfortunately, I've noticed there are many books not available in epub in mobileread's library. For example, I was recently looking for an English version of Hans Christian Anderson's Fairy Tales; while there are German versions in epub there was no English translation, so I had to download the prc format.

I've found this to be the case with quite a few books.

Yes, as of today we have 8999 mobi books in the library. ePub shows 10215 books but more than 3250 of them are German. Of course mobi has been around a lot longer than ePub.

Dale

[lumpynose]

Originally Posted by BookCat

Now that I prefer azw3, I always download the epub for conversion. I learned this was preferable in a Calibre thread. Unfortunately, I've noticed there are many books not available in epub in mobileread's library. For example, I was recently looking for an English version of Hans Christian Anderson's Fairy Tales; while there are German versions in epub there was no English translation, so I had to download the prc format.

I've found this to be the case with quite a few books.

Project Gutenberg? This page is also useful:

https://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/Free_eBooks

For classics and ideas of what else to read these can be useful:

https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/
https://www.epubbooks.com/

For new and old:

https://manybooks.net/

[BookCat]

Lumpynose: of those, the manybooks site is well known to me, I often visit for ideas about what to read, then come here to see if anyone has done a mobileread conversion; the books are always better from here (and would be greatly improved if we weren't using OLD mobi.)