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Permlink Replies: 9 - Pages: 1 - Last Post: Aug 28, 2013 1:24 PM Last Post By: Notjohn
Dave Hitt

Posts: 22
Registered: 10/29/12
Book Not Showing Up On My Kindle
Posted: Jun 14, 2013 12:18 PM
 
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I'd like to preview my next book on my kindle before I upload it, but it's not working.

I used Jutoh to clean it up, then export it to a .mobi format. I then copied that to my Kindle Touch via a USB connection, in the documents folder where all the other books reside. But it's not showing up in my list of books.

I've done this before, with another book, and it worked perfectly and automatically.

Any ideas?
jtbigtoad

Posts: 9,270
Registered: 08/01/10
Re: Book Not Showing Up On My Kindle
Posted: Jun 14, 2013 1:09 PM   in response to: Dave Hitt in response to: Dave Hitt
Correct
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Are you sure you put it in the documents folder?

Since it is a Kindle touch, and you do on a Kindle, you might try sending it to the Kindle conversion service address directly to your Kindle touch.

You can find the e-mail address in your settings menu on the touches home page or in the "manage my Kindle" portion of the Amazon website. This will put the Kindle version of the book directly into your Kindle touch (you have to be connected to the Internet) and it will be free if it is done over the Internet if it has to go through the 3G network, there is a small service fee.

JT

;)

Also, if you have the Kindle for computer program you can open the MOBI file with a double-click and view it there.
Dave Hitt

Posts: 22
Registered: 10/29/12
Re: Book Not Showing Up On My Kindle
Posted: Jun 14, 2013 10:59 PM   in response to: jtbigtoad in response to: jtbigtoad
 
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Yep, it's in the documents folder. Before starting this thread I tried deleting it, then adding it back.

I didn't know the e-mail trick. I tried it, and it didn't work.

So I tried deleting the .mobi file from the kindle (an actual delete, while it was connected to the PC) sending it again via e-mail. I waited a few minutes, did a sync, and it showed up very briefly on the main screen, then vanished. It's in the documents folder as {title}{randome_numbers&letters}.azw3, and the file is about half the size of the original .mobi file.

I'm wondering if there's something corrupt in the file, but when I look at it on the PC kindle reader it displays perfectly.
Dave Hitt

Posts: 22
Registered: 10/29/12
Re: Book Not Showing Up On My Kindle
Posted: Jun 14, 2013 11:21 PM   in response to: Dave Hitt in response to: Dave Hitt
 
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Hmmm....

I just copied another .mobi file to the kindle, and it didn't show up either, so I started poking around some more.

I switched from books to docs, and there it was - not only the new book I'd copied there, but two copies of my book as well.

Strange, why would they be there, instead of in books? They're in the documents folder with all the other books.
booknookbiz

Posts: 3,094
Registered: 03/04/10
Re: Book Not Showing Up On My Kindle
Posted: Jun 15, 2013 1:59 AM   in response to: Dave Hitt in response to: Dave Hitt
 
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Dave:

Because you sideloaded them. Books that are sent directly from Amazon go to the Books folder. Books you sideload stay in the Documents folder.

Hitch
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Notjohn

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Registered: 02/27/13
Re: Book Not Showing Up On My Kindle
Posted: Jun 15, 2013 3:00 AM   in response to: Dave Hitt in response to: Dave Hitt
 
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Dave, I too am a belts & suspender guy, so I appreciate your devotion. But really, if you download the converted *..mobi file (Step 6 in the publishing process) and preview it on your downloaded copy of KIndle Previewer, you have the best possible look at the final result. After all, only a minority of customers will be reading your book on the Touch. (You can also convert on your own computer using KIndlegen or Kindle Previewer, but I like to have the *.mobi delivered by Amazon with my cover firmly in place.)

As I understand the mail-in process, which I used for a year or two, it works only with the old version of Kindle format, not KF8, which may be why it doesn't work with the Touch.

As you know, there are a few oddities with the book as side-loaded. I managed to get a couple books up and running on my Fire HD, but it wasn't easy. As I recall, the title came out with the name of my original book file, and there was no cover image.

How do you like Jutoh for e-book preparation? At what stage do you import your Word(?) doc? Do you make epubs with it also?

The book: Notjohn's Guide to Kindle Publishing: Ten Steps to Selling Your E-book on Amazon (Or Anywhere Else)

The blog: Notjohn's KDP Guide
Dave Hitt

Posts: 22
Registered: 10/29/12
Re: Book Not Showing Up On My Kindle
Posted: Jun 15, 2013 11:43 AM   in response to: Notjohn in response to: Notjohn
 
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Booknook, there is no "books" folder on my touch, just a "documents" folder, and it contains all the other books I've purchased and downloaded from Amazon, as well as books I've sidelodaed in the past which come up on the main menu.

Anyhow, now that I know where to find it, (under Docs in the main menu) it's no longer a problem.

How do you like Jutoh for e-book preparation? At what stage do you import your Word(?) doc? <<

I like it a lot. It has it's quirks, like any other program, but does the job very well. It's much easier than trying to format a word document perfectly, uploading it, waiting for Amazon to get around to converting it, finding the inevitable mistakes, and repeating the process over and over until it's finally perfect.

You could, I suppose, write the whole book in it, but it's not well suited for that unless you have perfect spelling and grammar. I write the book in Scrivner first, then export it to Word for editing and proofreading (and also to give to my volunteer editors). I make any corrections back in Scrivner, then create another Word file. I repeat the process a couple of times until the Scrivner file is as clean as I can make it. Then I export to Word, check the headings and TOC entries, import to Jutoh, and dick with it until it's just right.
Dave Hitt

Posts: 22
Registered: 10/29/12
Re: Book Not Showing Up On My Kindle
Posted: Jun 16, 2013 6:29 PM   in response to: Notjohn in response to: Notjohn
 
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My rather longish reply to you was eaten by Amazon.

Yes, you could write entirely in Jutoh, but with no spelling or grammer checker it would be difficult.

I write my books in Scrivner, then export to word for editing. When other people edit it, I make the corrections in Scrivner. After the "final" edit I export to Word, clean up any formatting issues, and import it to Jutoh, where after a bit more dicking around it's ready to be exported in a variety of formats.
Notjohn

Posts: 17,077
Registered: 02/27/13
Re: Book Not Showing Up On My Kindle
Posted: Jun 17, 2013 3:21 AM   in response to: Dave Hitt in response to: Dave Hitt
 
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Thanks. I trust your "longish" reply will turn up in a day or two. -- NJ
Notjohn

Posts: 17,077
Registered: 02/27/13
Re: Book Not Showing Up On My Kindle
Posted: Aug 28, 2013 12:47 PM   in response to: Dave Hitt in response to: Dave Hitt
 
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You could, I suppose, write the whole book in it, but it's not well suited for that unless you have perfect spelling and grammar. I write the book in Scrivner first, then export it to Word for editing and proofreading (and also to give to my volunteer editors). I make any corrections back in Scrivner, then create another Word file. I repeat the process a couple of times until the Scrivner file is as clean as I can make it. Then I export to Word, check the headings and TOC entries, import to Jutoh, and dick with it until it's just right.

As always when I see people's workflow, I am first aghast, then I think "what the heck? if it works, it works." I suppose my own workflow is just as complex. I write in DOS Wordstar, then open the WS document in Word to add the pretty touches (curly quotes, proper dashes) and do the final touchup. (I have a Wordstar command set, so Word is almost as easily navigated and edited as WS itself.)

Then I branch off in two directions:

1) I open the Word doc in Open Office, which is the better word processor when it comes to pagination and exporting to PDF. I format the book 6x9 inches for uploading to Createspace.

2) Meanwhile I run the Word doc through word2cleanhtm.com online, add my template and style sheet, and open in Sigil for final tweaking. I upload the Sigil epub to the KDP and a slightly different one (with cover image; Amz links removed) to the other e-book retailers.

Any system you are accustomed to using will seem easy to the person who devised it!

Thanks for the report on Jutoh.

Good luck! -- NJ

The book: Notjohn's Guide to Kindle Publishing: Ten Steps to Selling Your E-book on Amazon (Or Anywhere Else) (Third Edition)

The blog: Notjohn's KDP Guide
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