Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Welcome to the Digital Bindery web series: Ebooks, How do they work.
This video will discuss ebook file formats in a very simple way and how to get inside
those files to begin the process of formatting your ebooks on your own terms.
Slide 2:
The two formats we will discuss today are EPUB and MOBI. These are the two most popular
file formats for ebooks. Epub files can be read on the vast majority of ereading devices
including the Nook, Kobo Reader, Ipad, Android tablet, the Sony Reader, smartphones, PCs
and Macs. The Kindle is one very huge exception. The Kindle uses the MOBI format. The extension
AZW is also used for Kindle books, but don't worry about that yet. I only mention it because
if you get all of your information from Wikipedia, you might get confused or think I'm off my
rocker.
There are other file formats out there. These are just the two most widely used. For now.
Slide 2b:
EPUB and MOBI files are similar in many respects. Kind of like how a paperback and hardcover
edition of a book are similar. They are both books and they both contain the same content,
but the production process and the materials are different.
You can also think of these two like a BETA versus VHS tape, if you're old enough. Or
a Blue Ray versus an HD DVD if you're not. The outsides are very similar, but if you
put it into the wrong machine, it won't work.
Slide 3:
Both EPUBs and MOBIs are compressed files. You're probably familiar with compressed or
archived files with extensions like .zip or .tar The icons might look like a zippered
file folder, a filing cabinet in a vice grip, or a cardboard box.
Compression is a way of making your big bulky book into a small portable file. Think of
it like the spacebags as seen on TV. You take a huge pile of bulky sweaters, which is your
book, and suck out all the extra space so it will fit nicely into your suitcase.
Compressing a file is slightly more complicated than sucking air out of a fancy ziplock bag
with a vacuum hose, but the end result is simple. We end up with a smaller file that
contains the book, and depending on how and what we compress, we have either an epub or
a mobi file at the end.
Slide 4:
In order to work on an epub, to take it from the sloppy, painful state that results from
automatic conversions, we need to unpack the file and really get at the root of the problem.
Going back to our spacebag analogy, imagine you're going on a vacation. You plan on swimming,
going to a cocktail party, rock climbing, and reading a lot. You tell your automatic-packing
robot what you will be doing and she dutifully packs your clothes and puts them into a spacebag.
You can see everything that's in the bag, but if you're going to trade out that awful
golf shirt that hasn't fit you since 1997 for something more appropriate, you're going
to need to unpack.
Most computers recognize that the epub or mobi files are just a compressed archive.
You can right-click for PC users, or Control-Click for Mac users and select Unzip, Extract, or
Decompress from the menu, the computer will most likely decompress the archive for you.
If all else fails, simple rename the file to .zip and do what you would normally do
to open that kind of file. The computer may protest that you have changed the file extension
and warn you that it may cause all kinds of problems, but it won't. No fear!
Slide 5:
When you open the file you will find three special prizes. There will be two directories,
or folders, and one file. The folders will be named META-INF, and OEBPS. The file will
be called mimetype. Feel free to explore. If you're brave, you could even see what happens
when you change things.
Stay tuned for the next episode of Digital Bindery's web series: Ebooks, How do they
work. Inwhich we will examine such mysteries as mimetypes, metadata, and recompiling.
If you have questions, or would like to suggest a future episode in this series, you can contact
me, at amanda@digitalbindery.com