# Instructions for Changing Titles and Author Data



## hazeldazel (Oct 30, 2008)

I found a cool link with step-by-step instructions on how to change the title or author listings on the Home page - for books you've gotten from Amazon or elsewhere on the interweb:

http://www.decodingthekindle.com/how-to-change-book-info/


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## Angela (Nov 2, 2008)

Thanks, hazeldazel!


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## cush (Oct 27, 2008)

*Macintosh users*
Mobi2Mobi doesn't run on our computers.


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## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

cush said:


> *Macintosh users*
> Mobi2Mobi doesn't run on our computers.


Which means it must be a substandard application. 

Somebody will come up with a Mac solution sooner than later.


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## cush (Oct 27, 2008)

pidgeon92 said:


> Which means it must be a substandard application.
> 
> Somebody will come up with a Mac solution sooner than later.


I believe that it will run under Parallels but of course that means loading Windows on my Mac. I'm just reluctant to do that, not for political or anti Microsoft reasons but because I'm not certain how open to Internet malware that leaves the Mac.


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## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

cush said:


> I believe that it will run under Parallels but of course that means loading Windows on my Mac. I'm just reluctant to do that, not for political or anti Microsoft reasons but because I'm not certain how open to Internet malware that leaves the Mac.


I have heard it runs fine under Parallels. It just seems like too much work to modify some metadata. If I really cared, I'd install it on my PC. I don't keep books on my Kindle once I have read them, so I won't bother worrying about if they sort properly.


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## stevene9 (Nov 9, 2008)

I have changed the title of a book on my home page by connecting the Kindle to my computer (USB) and simply renaming the book title. Seems to work fine. I don't know how to change the author.

Steve


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

stevene9 said:


> I have changed the title of a book on my home page by connecting the Kindle to my computer (USB) and simply renaming the book title. Seems to work fine. I don't know how to change the author.
> 
> Steve


I just tried it and it didn't work for me. Hmmm....

L


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## stevene9 (Nov 9, 2008)

Let me give more detail. I downloaded a non Amazon book that had a screwed up title. I loaded it onto my SD card and renamed it. Moved it to my Kindle and the title was fine. If it doesn't work for you I wonder if it is because your's was downloaded from Amazon and it keeps track of such things. For the book I downloaded from Baen, renaming it worked perfectly.

Steve


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## stevene9 (Nov 9, 2008)

OK, now I am really confused. As I said I had changed the name of a non Amazon book and it worked. So I decided to experiment. I went in and changed the name of my Address Book, which is a text file, and it didn't take. However I wanted My Clippings to show up on page 2, so I renamed it "ZZ- My Clippings", and it worked, it changed it on the Home page and realphabetized it. So now I don't know why some work and some don't.

Steve


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## stevene9 (Nov 9, 2008)

I was able to open the renamed My Clippings once, after that it shows an error. The bottom line seems to be that anything that goes through Amazon can't be changed in this fashion.


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## Sailor (Nov 1, 2008)

Thank you much Hazeldazel...this will come in handy. learning so much here!


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## Shizu (Oct 27, 2008)

You can manipulate metadata of .azw files using updated Mobi2Mobi now. This would be useful if the books is in the series and you want to have number in the title. I read some web stories which is already in .mobi format but sometime there's no author name. So I use this to manipulate the metadata of the stories. Here is the thread from Amazon Discussion.

http://www.amazon.com/Mobi2Mobi-GUI-updated-016/forum/FxBVKST06PWP9B/Tx3PSVDF9134HIO/1/ref=cm_cd_ef_tft_tp?%5Fencoding=UTF8&asin=B000FI73MA


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

pidgeon92 said:


> I have heard it runs fine under Parallels. It just seems like too much work to modify some metadata. If I really cared, I'd install it on my PC. I don't keep books on my Kindle once I have read them, so I won't bother worrying about if they sort properly.


Mobi2mobi runs fine under Parallels. I use it with Windows 2000 on my MacBook.

Note that there is nothing to prevent you from installing the Perl libraries on your Mac and running the Perl scripts directly on your Mac, no need to mess with Parallels or any other virtual machine. You just have to figure out how to do that (which I haven't).


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

jmiked said:


> Note that there is nothing to prevent you from installing the Perl libraries on your Mac and running the Perl scripts directly on your Mac, no need to mess with Parallels or any other virtual machine. You just have to figure out how to do that (which I haven't).


Update: I have installed the libraries and such on my MacBook and can report that the mobi2mobi scripts run just fine on the several tests I have done. I'm not talking about the mobi2mobi.exe that runs only on Windows, but the native Perl scripts. The instructions are at:

 Perl Installation Instructions 

but they _aren't_ for the faint of heart. I'm currently trying to find out if the scripts can be compiled into a stand-alone executable so they can be run without going through the hassle.

Mike


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## potatowire (Nov 30, 2008)

Mike,

Thank you very much for the link.  I was looking for a Mac option and finding your post made my day.

-potatowire


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## Marci (Nov 13, 2008)

jmiked said:


> Update: I have installed the libraries and such on my MacBook and can report that the mobi2mobi scripts run just fine on the several tests I have done. I'm not talking about the mobi2mobi.exe that runs only on Windows, but the native Perl scripts. The instructions are at:
> 
> Perl Installation Instructions
> 
> ...


I second Potatowire! Greatly appreciate the work you put into this & do let us know what you find out about a stand-alone app.

And Welcome, Potatowire! Great to have you here  How long have you had a Kindle? Be sure to check out the other subjects on KB as there's something for everyone!

Marci


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

Marci said:


> I second Potatowire! Greatly appreciate the work you put into this & do let us know what you find out about a stand-alone app.


Bear in mind that Macs with OS X have Perl already installed, so you don't have to go to the bother of that part of the instructions.


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## JetJock (Dec 31, 2008)

hazeldazel said:


> I found a cool link with step-by-step instructions on how to change the title or author listings on the Home page - for books you've gotten from Amazon or elsewhere on the interweb:
> 
> http://www.decodingthekindle.com/how-to-change-book-info/


Hi all - my first post to this recently-discovered forum. Unfortunately the link referenced above is dead. Has anyone come up with a semi-automated way of changing title and author data that doesn't involve the Perl programming complexities? My dad has written a book that I uploaded to my Kindle as a pdf file, but the title is in hieroglyphics on the home page for some reason and the author's name doesn't appear at all.

Thanks. Great forum - considering how much I love my Kindle I'm really glad I found it.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

If you convert the PDF yourself using mobi creator: http://www.mobipocket.com/en/downloadSoft/ProductDetailsCreator.asp you can edit the Metadata yourself and put the correct title and author on it. Be sure to get the professional version.

Don't know of anyway to edit such data on books already converted. . .someone else 'round here may.

Ann


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## JetJock (Dec 31, 2008)

Thanks Ann.  Gonna give that a try rather than giving in to my wife's demands that the house be cleaned up for our guests this evening!  One must have one's priorities!


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

cush said:


> *Macintosh users*
> Mobi2Mobi doesn't run on our computers.


Well, in fact it does. The basic mobi2mobi converter/editor is a set of Perl scripts. All Macs with OS X have always shipped with Perl already installed. You just have to install the Palm libraries and it will then work just as the Windows version does.

Trust me. I've done it. It's what I use to change authors and titles.

Now, the mobi2mobi.exe doesn't work on a Mac, but mobi2mobi works just fine.

Mike


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

Ann Von Hagel said:


> Don't know of anyway to edit such data on books already converted. . .someone else 'round here may.
> 
> Ann


Mobi2mobi, which is also a quick and easy way to convert from .lit and .html to .prc/.mobi.

Mike


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## JetJock (Dec 31, 2008)

Ann Von Hagel said:


> If you convert the PDF yourself using mobi creator: http://www.mobipocket.com/en/downloadSoft/ProductDetailsCreator.asp you can edit the Metadata yourself and put the correct title and author on it. Be sure to get the professional version.
> 
> Don't know of anyway to edit such data on books already converted. . .someone else 'round here may.
> 
> Ann


Went and tried that and it worked like a charm. Thanks again, Ann.


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## Linda Cannon-Mott (Oct 28, 2008)

JetJock said:


> Hi all - my first post to this recently-discovered forum. Unfortunately the link referenced above is dead. Has anyone come up with a semi-automated way of changing title and author data that doesn't involve the Perl programming complexities? My dad has written a book that I uploaded to my Kindle as a pdf file, but the title is in hieroglyphics on the home page for some reason and the author's name doesn't appear at all.
> 
> Thanks. Great forum - considering how much I love my Kindle I'm really glad I found it.


Welcome JetJock, glad you are here. If you haven't been to *The Intro/Welcome Board * please go over and introduce yourself.

Linda


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## nebulinda (Dec 19, 2008)

I'm wondering if someone with a Mac could help me. I tried installing Mobi2Mobi from that MobileRead wiki, and I got stuck on step 4, install libjpeg (so soon!). When I type "cp /usr/share/libtool/config.sub ." Terminal tells me there's no such file or directory.

Pertinent information: (1) I have Tiger, not Leopard. (2) Years ago when I bought this computer I set files to download to the desktop rather than the Downloads folder, and now I don't think my Downloads folder even exists anymore (I couldn't find it, anyway). I wouldn't think that would make a difference, but you never know, I guess.

And this makes me feel kind of stupid, because I am no stranger to the Terminal. If it was a super long and complicated error message I could probably figure it out, but simple ones make me shrug and give up.


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## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

nebulinda said:


> I'm wondering if someone with a Mac could help me. I tried installing Mobi2Mobi from that MobileRead wiki, and I got stuck on step 4, install libjpeg (so soon!). When I type "cp /usr/share/libtool/config.sub ." Terminal tells me there's no such file or directory.


I have yet to attempt to install this, but the disclaimer at the top of the page says it was not tested in Tiger and may not work.


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## nebulinda (Dec 19, 2008)

pidgeon92, I considered that, and then decided it wouldn't hurt to ask. 

I've got pages and pages of books where the author is my email address, and it's getting kind of annoying.


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## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

I feel your pain, I have several books with screwy titles/authors. Amazon really needs to get a desktop or online client together where you can change this kind of information without having to mess with the metadata.

I tried using Igor's scripts to convert MobiPocket DRMd books that were free from the publisher's websites to my Kindle's PID, and after messing around for three hours I gave up on that.


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## nebulinda (Dec 19, 2008)

I've also tried downloading MobiPocket Creator onto my parents' PC, since I'm visiting for the holidays. Turns out that you can only use that to edit metadata when you're converting at the same time, and I have everything already converted and on my Kindle.


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## chobitz (Nov 25, 2008)

OK I experimented with an out of print .lit file. I converted it into a mobi file which I emailed and got the dreaded blank title and author.

I tried to mobi2mobi and it was easy. I just put in the title and author in the right areas. Sent this newly edited file to phoebe and PRESTO! She now sees the title and author. Easy Peasy!

Now I have some out of print books i legally bought and they are DRM lit files. Is there a LEGAL way to put it on my kindle?


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

chobitz said:


> Now I have some out of print books i legally bought and they are DRM lit files. Is there a LEGAL way to put it on my kindle?


I don't know, _but_. . . I would think the only way would be to break the DRM which, as you are aware, is not something Kindleboards condones.

If the files are for readers that are defunct -- meaning now you can't read them at all -- I'm sure there's info out there to enable you to still read your legally bought books.

There was also some discussion about using the kindle PID to be able to read something, but, as I recall, no one got that to work as advertised, and I'm not sure it was this format anyway.

In short, I am but little help.  Sorry!

Ann


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

chobitz said:


> OK I experimented with an out of print .lit file.


An out of print ebook?


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## chobitz (Nov 25, 2008)

jmiked said:


> An out of print ebook?


Oops I meant an out of print DTB that I found in .lit form.
BTW what program can convert .txt files to kindle files?


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

chobitz said:


> Oops I meant an out of print DTB that I found in .lit form.
> BTW what program can convert .txt files to kindle files?


I knew what you meant. 

MobiCreator can do it, or just e-mail to Amazon. But be aware that even if out of print (in the physical world) it might still be under copyright and, if so, Amazon won't convert it.

Ann


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