# sending documents to kindle -what am I doing wrong



## mcostas (Nov 22, 2010)

I have sent documents both through the free address, and the regular one, as attachements and they have not shown up yet. they were microsoft works documents, should I change them to text first? If so, what is the advantage to sending vs transfering from computer?


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## mcostas (Nov 22, 2010)

Ok, I'm kind of figuring it out. I had one "converted" to pdf adw format just to see what would happen. I sent it to a kindle. I can read it on my kindle but not my computer. 

I cannot see a differance between the one I converted to the one I did not, except that I cannot read it on my computer. I sent it from my dx to have it converted, then I sent it to my k3 converted.

At least I think that's what I did. I am doing a few things at once and am having trouble discerning between what I am doing.  



So I guess the main thing I need to know is what is the advantage between a converted file and a non-converted file? It seems that it just adds another middleman and limit the devices I can veiw the file on.

Can I send everything through free.kindle.com?  If so why use the other address. I just need to know so I know if I need to include both addresses in my email contact list.  I have a dX that is only 3g, and a K3 that is both. I am putting my document on both.


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## ff2 (Oct 20, 2010)

I'm not sure I can answer some of the questions.  But I have a feeling that when you convert, Amazon is possibly encrypting the file and it is encrypted for your actual Kindle.  Amazon's encryption is device specific at least when "purchasing" (including free books) so that if you download to your kindle it is specific.  If you were to want it on your pc, you need to use the archive function from within k-4-pc to get the book.  You canNOT just copy it from the kindle.  Possibly, while it is YOUR document, only the kindle it is sent to can use it and I don't believe they archive that stuff.  So it might be ever be available on your pc (unless you strip the drm).

Or I could be totally wrong and others will fix it.


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## Martel47 (Jun 14, 2010)

Some types of files will not work on the kindle and must be converted to be usable.  Others, like PDF files, can be converted but do not need to be.  In the case of PDF, you have to put the word 'convert' in the subject line of the e-mail you are sending with the document if you want it to be converted.

The advantage to the conversion (from PDF) is that, unless the PDF is only an image file or has complex formatting, the converted result should have flowable and searchable text on the Kindle.  Text-to-speech as well.

The advantage to the non-free address is that your documents can be delivered (for a fee) over 3G directly to your Kindle without having to plug it into your computer or rely on WiFi.  

I almost always use the free address.  For my DX, I have to plug it into the computer and side load the result, but for my wife, she gets it over WiFi on her K3.


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## mcostas (Nov 22, 2010)

Welp, tried a few more things. I deleted a file, all forms, from my DX. I tried to drag and drop the rich text file but it was not viewable on my dX, which is strange because that's how I did it before. 

So now I am going to email the rich text file to amazon via the free address. I want it to go directlly to my DX, which one of the files did, instead of getting a link to the amazon file.


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## mcostas (Nov 22, 2010)

I think I understand now, if I use the free address for my 3g only dx, it keeps the document at amazon and emails me a link to download on my computer and transfer.

If I use the free address for my k3, it will eventually go through right to my kindle. 

I must have used the non free address for my dx, cause something I did made it go to my dx. 




I am trying to use it as a way to proof read the novel I am working on. Things really jump out at me when I switch from one device to the other.


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## Morf (Nov 18, 2010)

The other way to do the conversion is to use Calibre to convert to mobi. You can then transfer the mobi to your Kindle, either via the cable or by email.

The only real advantage to doing it this way is that Calibre gives you a lot of control over what happens during the conversion, whereas the Amazon conversion gives you no control at all.

Personally, I use Calibre to convert to mobi, but I then have Calibre set up to send the book to the free.kindle.com email address (which does another conversion to a .azw file).

I don't know if the second conversion changes the file in any way (as I understand it the azw format is based on mobi) but the results always seem good whatever the source format and it's very convenient (no need to dig out the cable) so I don't worry about it!


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## mcostas (Nov 22, 2010)

that might be a better way to put my novel parts on my kindle. Maybe I can use it to sort the scenes or something.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

In the OP you mention MS WORKS documents. . .I don't think that's the same as MS WORD (.doc) and is not a supported format for conversion.  Save as .txt or .doc and it should work.

Oh, and make sure you have the address for the Kindle correct. . . and make sure the address you're sending from is whitelisted.


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## mcostas (Nov 22, 2010)

Morf said:


> The other way to do the conversion is to use Calibre to convert to mobi. You can then transfer the mobi to your Kindle, either via the cable or by email.
> 
> The only real advantage to doing it this way is that Calibre gives you a lot of control over what happens during the conversion, whereas the Amazon conversion gives you no control at all.
> 
> ...


I just downloaded calibre and cannot figure out how to do anything with it.  I can view the books on my kindle and read them, but I thought I would be able to back up my stuff on my computer more easily, and tag the books.

At least I have the other part figured out, I save in rich text, then email to one of my kindles. I have to use usb for my dx, which isn't really a big deal I guess.

At least I can see what my novel will look like, so that's pretty cool.


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## Morf (Nov 18, 2010)

From what you are saying here and on the other thread, I think you've got the idea of Calibre the wrong way round.

Calibre isn't really for managing the books that are already on your Kindle, especially if you've bought those books from Amazon. It's primarily to manage the books that you've got from other sources such as Gutenberg, Baen free books etc - especially if those books are not in mobi/azw (Kindle) format eg if they are epub. Once you've downloaded these books to your PC, add them into Calibre, then you can use Calibre to convert these books into mobi format, then either copy the resulting books to your Kindle using the USB cable or set Calibre up to email to your kindle account and send them that way.

For your own book that you are writing, you'd add this book into Calibre then convert to mobi and send to your Kindle. 

If the conversion that Amazon provides when you email the rtf is good enough for you, and you don't have a large collection of non-Amazon books, then Calibre probably is of limited use to you.


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## Morf (Nov 18, 2010)

Oh, also I should have added...

Calibre can't convert directly from Word (.doc/.docx) format. You have to save as rich text same as you do for the Amazon email conversion. So, as I said, Calibre is only going to be of use in this process if the Amazon conversion is not working well enough for you.


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## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

mcostas said:


> I just downloaded calibre and cannot figure out how to do anything with it.  I can view the books on my kindle and read them, but I thought I would be able to back up my stuff on my computer more easily, and tag the books.


Watch the demo video on the Calibre website.


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## mcostas (Nov 22, 2010)

OK, I think I get it now. I added the books from my kindle to the library, it backed a bunch of stuff up. Is that good for anything? I like to have computer backup cause sometimes my wifi and 3g are iffy. 

It will be easier converting my own documents so that's nice. Esp if I have a differant one for each chapter. 


Is that how people "publish" on the kindle?


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

mcostas said:


> Is that how people "publish" on the kindle?


Questions about how to publish on Kindle are probably best asked in the Writer's Cafe. . .lots of folks hang out there who, obviously, have done it,  and they're mostly very happy to help others out.


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