Epub and Mobi conflict using Meat Grinder

[mickthompson]

I formatted a Word document following the Smashwords Style Guide and was moderately happy with the results.

However, while the epub version comes out quite nicely the mobi version using a Kindle reader has this problem where clicking on the Table of Contents chapters brings up the first page of the chapter, but without the chapter name and number.  To see the chapter name and number one must press the back arrow which brings up the page perfectly.

I've fixed this by placing the book mark on the last word of the previous chapter rather than the chapter name of the new chapter, but this has not exactly ruined the epub version, but makes it look a little rough.

So my epub version is fine, but can I re-format the mobi version separately and load it separately, and have it distributed via the usual way via Smashwords?

Other than this I'm pretty happy with Meat Grinder. Amazed, actually.

[Ted]

Mick, you won't have many, if any, mobi sales on Smashwords. Smashwords doesn't distribute to Amazon unless your work has sold 1,000 copies or more on the Smashwords site itself(excluding sales elsewhere).

Best option is to upload your MSWord doc to Amazon KDP following their formatting guide. Make sure you remove any mention of Smashwords on the Amazon doc and any links to other retailers.

Don't enroll in the KDP Select program or you'll have to remove your work(s) from all other retailers; Apple, B&N, Kobo, etc.

[mickthompson]

I wanted to put in a good word for Smashwords on the Copyright page because I used Mark Coker's excellent free Style Guide to format the Word document.

My little book is free so will a mention of Smashwords exclude it from Amazon Kindle?

Also, Smashwords offers my book on epub, mobi, pdf and other formats. Since most people use the Kindle reader they will be tempted to download a mobi file. Since the Smashwords formatting comes out differently on epub and mobi, and if I fix mobi then epub looks a little bad and vice versa then what options do I have? to make both epub and mobi well formatted using Meat Grinder?

Whatever, these eBooks are a fascinating ride.

Mick Thompson  

[Ted]

Mick, Amazon and just about any other retailer will remove a work which mentions a competitor - whether or not a work is free. Just delete the section mentioning Mark and/or Smashwords and upload the corrected file to Amazon.

"...what options do I have? to make both epub and mobi well formatted using Meat Grinder?" Kindle owners usually download their ebooks direct from Amazon because that is the way the Kindle is designed. It is a multi-step operation to load a mobi file onto Kindle devices when that mobi file is not directly on Amazon.

I only make the mobi file available on Smashwords as a gesture to Kindle owners who have the knowledge and experience in uploading files from non-Amazon locations. I've put some of my ebooks on Amazon, but not all.

" Since most people use the Kindle reader they will be tempted to download a mobi file." About 50$ of US ebooks are Amazon devices. That number drops significantly in other parts of the world. Almost all Kindle owners get their ebooks direct from Amazon itself, not from Smashwords or other retailers.

[mickthompson]

Okay, I understand that, but still want the mobi download offered by Smashwords to be good quality.

Yet I don't want to compromise on the epub file since that is the one that Smashwords ships and since Smashwords just issued a free ISBN number and the manuscript has passed Auto Vetter then a sacrifice will be made on the mobi file and priority given to the epub file. Loyalty goes to Smashwords.

Sorry, I'm thinking aloud.

[chelsfield]

I am a Kindle user and can attest to Ted's point about most of my reading material on that device coming from the Amazon Kindle store. However, as I am getting ready to publish the next title in a series, I am more aware of formatting differences. I downloaded the first book in the series on to the Kindle via the Smashwords site, and yes, there are some aspects I am not entirely happy with. I did go back to my original Word version and there are a few things that could be changed to make the formatting cleaner. Once this next title is published, I will upload to Amazon KDP and then see what that version looks like before I start fiddling around with changes to both titles.