Make the changes, reconvert to Kindle format, and you’re good to go! All you’re really doing in either case is opening up the KF8/KFX ePub-variation component of the mobi file in an ePub editor. Both Sigil and Calibre allow you to convert the Franken-file into an ePub file in Calibre, the function is built in, while in Sigil, you need a plugin. However, if you find something in the file you want to change, and you don’t want to go through the whole process of reconverting from the original file(s), there are some options. Still, it’s worth a shot.Īs I have said, you can’t directly edit a Kindle file. It’s still an iffy proposition, since Amazon doesn’t seem to want custom fonts. So if you’ve got some pretty typography - and you’re sure it’s properly embedded and you have the right to use it - consider converting your ePub3 file to mobi format using the Previewer app, and then uploading that file to KDP. There’s a somewhat higher incidence of success. ![]() One time when I use the Kindle Previewer is when I’m embedding fonts. I usually recommend to my clients that they create a valid ePub file and upload that - you’ll generally get the results you expect. It will always be running the latest version of KindleGen, so no updating. It’s something you’re probably already doing - unless you’re forgoing 10% of your largest single retail outlet for the ease of using an aggregator like PublishDrive or Smashwords. Nonetheless, there are a few distinctions that are worth considering.įirst of all, just using the KDP interface is the simplest. In general, you should use whichever tool best fits into your workflow. In reality, of course, they all amount to the same thing, since the conversion apps and KDP all use KindleGen. Use the KindleGen Java applet in your computer’s command line (if you’re geeky like that).Upload your base document (ie, Word doc or ePub file) to KDP.Export from a writing/publishing app like InDesign, Sigil, Scrivener, Jutoh, etc.Convert using a computer app such as Calibre, Kindle Previewer, or the Kindle Creator app.There are essentially four ways to create a Kindle file: (That’s a longer, more technical post I’ll cover that next time.) Creating and Editing Kindle Files If you have inset images that text wraps around, drop-caps, tables, indented verse, or other fancy grace notes, you’ll need to add some queries that allow you to optimize your ebook’s CSS for both old and new Kindles. So if you spot any content or formatting problems, or have updates you’d like to integrate, you’ll either have to work from the original file (whatever format that may have been in) and go through the conversion process from scratch, or convert from mobi to an editable format like ePub.įrom a publishing point of view, there’s probably not a huge amount you need to be worried about with regards to the differences between the two embedded formats - if your book is simple, with few or no images and relatively straightforward formatting. The not-so-good thing is that there’s no way (currently) to edit those files directly. The good thing about those Franken-files is they should load on most new and old Kindles and Kindle apps. ![]() However, there are still millions of those older Kindles around, and so Amazon happily embraces and supports them. The older mobi format has much less finesse than the newer kf8/kfx in terms of typography, images, metadata, and all around formatting. So those “mobi” files are actually a Frankenstein monster, grafting an older (fairly limited) ebook format into Amazon’s variation of the current standard. kf8/kfx - A newer file format based on ePub3 that works on all new Kindles and Kindle Apps.mobi - An old-style Palm Pilot Mobipocket file for old Kindles (aka MOBI7) and some older versions of Kindle apps.Inside, it contains the two file formats that serve as the basis for that alphabet soup of variations: When you create a Kindle ebook using Kindle Previewer or download one from KDP, you’ll get a file that ends. In fact, those are all simply Kindle files optimized for different versions of Amazon’s ereaders - pre-2010 Kindles, old iPhones and iPads, Kindle apps for computers, newer Kindles, etc. If you’ve ever looked at the files on your Kindle or downloaded a file from KDP for preview purposes, you may have noticed a bewildering variety of file formats: mobi, azw, azw3, kfx, azk, and more. And understanding those variations at least a little is important for an ebook publisher. That means, most likely, reading them on a Kindle.īut what “reading them on a Kindle” means varies a lot more than you may realize. The majority of people who read ebooks (in the English speaking world, at least) buy them on Amazon.
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