# Calibre question................



## pinky (Jan 7, 2010)

I know some people use Calibre for organizing their books but can you get your books from Amazon downloaded on it?
I'm new to all this Kindle stuff but I sure love my Kindle.


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## Malweth (Oct 18, 2009)

Unless I'm doing it wrong, there are two methods, both somewhat painful:

#1) a) Download your Amazon books from Amazon's web page (make sure you download it for your Kindle, not Kindle PC. You'll also need to keep a different Calibre user for each Kindle on your account).
b) Drag this file into Calibre.

#2 -- (and the one I would like to see improved in Calibre) 
a) Connect your Kindle to Calibre
b) Go to your Kindle or the SD Card on your Kindle 1.
c) Right click on the book you want to copy to Calibre
d) Select "Save to Disk" and select the location for the file
e) Return to "Library" in Calibre
f) Drag the saved file into Calibre

I think option #2 is easier. I just wish there was a way to copy directly from Kindle into the Calibre Library. It doesn't make much sense that you can't... but I can't find a way to do it.


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## Malweth (Oct 18, 2009)

I just added a ticket to the Calibre bug tracker for this enhancement. I couldn't find it preexisting...
Hopefully this one won't be difficult to add.


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## Mike D. aka jmiked (Oct 28, 2008)

I could swear that early on I just told Calibre to import all the books from my Kindle to its database. I know I didn’t do them one at a  time, and they are all there.

I thought I just highlighted the Kindle in Calibre and clicked on "Add Books."

Mike


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## pinky (Jan 7, 2010)

> I just told Calibre to import all the books from my Kindle to its database.


So where on Calibre did you tell it to import the books from Kindle? I don't see where to go for it.


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## Mike D. aka jmiked (Oct 28, 2008)

There's a big button at the upper left that says "Add books."

Mike


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## pinky (Jan 7, 2010)

Yes, I have that button but it says nothing about importing from Amazon, or can I use the usb cord and import my books from my Kindle after I get them from Amazon?
I am not a computer person but I do follow directions very well.
thanks for helping.


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## RavenclawPrefect (May 4, 2009)

Use the USB cord and download them from your Kindle into Calibre.  You can't download them directly from Amazon to Calibre


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## Mike D. aka jmiked (Oct 28, 2008)

pinky said:


> or can I use the usb cord and import my books from my Kindle after I get them from Amazon?


Yes, that's the only way it can be done _en masse._

Mike


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## pinky (Jan 7, 2010)

Will do, Thanks for the information.


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## Whidbeyislandgirl (Apr 19, 2009)

I have questions..... I'm searching buy not finding what I want to know.

I have my books all archived on my kindle, I hate to keep a couple of hundred books on the home screen since there isn't a way to organize them. So to get them in Calibre I need to download them again to my Kindle, then plug the usb cable in, and drag from the Kindle to the libraray in Calibre, correct? 

If I archive the books again to get them off the home screen, they'll stay in Calibre? 

If I want to re-read one of them I guess I go to the archived books and download again, just like now, since Calibre doesn't actually store the Amazon purchased books, just hold the title so I can see what I have? 

Sounds like you can't add a number to the title to organize Amazon purchased books in series order, is that right? It worked with my pdf books in Calibre, but not the Amazon purchased ones....

Man, can't wait for Amazon to come out with some better way to organize these on the Kindle! I know, me and every body else!

Thanks for the help folks!


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## PhillipA82 (Dec 20, 2009)

Malweth said:


> Unless I'm doing it wrong, there are two methods, both somewhat painful:
> 
> #1) a) Download your Amazon books from Amazon's web page (make sure you download it for your Kindle, not Kindle PC. You'll also need to keep a different Calibre user for each Kindle on your account).
> b) Drag this file into Calibre.
> ...


#1 is what I use. Works great but its a pain...


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## HappyGuy (Nov 3, 2008)

The easiest way I know of is to download/send all of your books from Amazon to a folder on your desk top:
Open Calibre and click the Add books button
Navigate to the folder and select all then click the Open button.
Wait for the process to compete and you're done.

Of course then you'll want to go to each book that doesn't have the description and cover art, click the Edit meta information button then click the "Fetch metadata from server" and "Download cover" buttons.

The good thing about Calibre is that you don't have to download the books again because it stores a copy on your computer.


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## Whidbeyislandgirl (Apr 19, 2009)

My next question..... the books in pdf format that I have converted using Calibre seem to have the authors name or book title, and a page number throughout the book. They didn't do that when I paid Amazon to convert them. Am I doing something wrong? It's very annoying to keep seeing the name over and over....

I did get all of my books off my kindle into Calibre. Nice to see them all in one place. 

Vicki


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## tlrowley (Oct 29, 2008)

I don't think Calibre converts PDF as well as Amazon.  What you're seeing is the header/footer on the PDF pages.  You can configure Calibre to remove the headers & footers, but it''s not for the faint of heart


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## Jaasy (Feb 28, 2009)

To convert a pdf using Calibre, I first "select the pdf book" go to "convert ebook" and then select "structure detection" and then select "remove header" and "remove footer".


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## Labrynth (Dec 31, 2009)

I had a lot of formatting issues with converting PDF, but RTF did VERY well.

NM on that question, I see it's answered above.  And I agree, there needs to be an easier way to update stuff from your Kindle to Calibre!


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## mom2karen (Aug 15, 2009)

I finally installed Calibre on my computer and moved some books I got from Smashword and other sites onto it.  I converted the books and I think it worked.  I'll move them to my Kindle tomorrow.  

My question is, if I copy all my books from my Kindle to Calibre, fix the metadata and then move them back, will it replace the books on the Kindle or do I need to delete them first so I don't get 2 copies of each book.

Thanks!


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## Labrynth (Dec 31, 2009)

Does Calibre format Mobipocket reader files too?  I see a lot of folks offering this format.  If it does, is the conversion cleaner than PDF?  Cuase frankly PDF conversion is horrid...


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## marianneg (Nov 4, 2008)

Labrynth said:


> Does Calibre format Mobipocket reader files too? I see a lot of folks offering this format. If it does, is the conversion cleaner than PDF? Cuase frankly PDF conversion is horrid...


Mobipocket is Kindle format - no conversion required. Make sure you're getting DRM-free mobipocket before you buy, though.


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## Pushka (Oct 30, 2009)

The new catalogue feature is excellent.


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## Labrynth (Dec 31, 2009)

marianner said:


> Mobipocket is Kindle format - no conversion required. Make sure you're getting DRM-free mobipocket before you buy, though.


Awesome, thanks!


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## pinky (Jan 7, 2010)

Another question from the newbie.........

marianner mentioned the DRM-free mobipocker.  What is this and where do I find it?  I googled it and all I could find was what it does.

I tell you I feel so stupid asking all these questions but I am not computer savy at all.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

DRM-free just means that there is no copy protection on the book file.  .mobi is the file extension.  Books from Gutenberg, feedbooks, and manybooks -- generally free public domain titles -- are DRM-free.  Books from sites that sell books, like fictionwise and smashwords may or may not be DRM free.  You just have to check what it says in the write up for the book in question.  If it says 'secure mobipocket' it's going to have DRM and will NOT work on your Kindle.


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