Best eBook Compiling Software

December 8, 2007 10:04 PM

I'm looking for the very best software out there (prefer mac but anything at this point) for creating eBooks. I'm hoping there is some intelligent software out there that can take a large text file, full of chapters, numbered paragraphs, and automatically create ebook reader compatible files, with a main index to each chapter.

If not automatically, at least the best software for orginizing the text into linked chapters/files.

A little background: I just purchased an iPod Touch, and have a eBook reader for it called Book.app. It reads HTML and text files stored in your Media/EBooks folder, and is smart enough to enter subdirectories, if, for instance, you've broken a book down by chapters."

So i'm not looking to make 'get rich quick' ebooks - just convert some of my documents into a ebook reader-friendly format.

posted by passtehbrainz to Computers & Internet (4 answers total)

Response by poster: After thinking about my question, I basically need to know the best way to create html files, broken down by chapters for my ebook reader. Surely there is a better way than copy/pasting text into hundreds of html files/folders
posted by passtehbrainz at 10:09 PM on December 8, 2007

Do you have Book.app or Books.app? Have you read the Installing Ebooks section on the Google Code project page for getting eBooks on your iPod touch/iPhone describing the Gutenmark application?
posted by onalark at 10:10 PM on December 8, 2007 [1 favorite]

The University of Adelaide library converts text files from Project Gutenberg into HTML, by semi-automatic scripting I believe. Their HTML is nicely done, with TOC and chapter headings etc. You might inquire there, if you'd consider running perl (or even to find great books to read.)

Fwiw I put the HTML into Plucker to read on my PDA (Sony Clie with Palm OS, but Plucker runs on Windows Mobile too).
posted by anadem at 10:51 AM on December 9, 2007

I forgot to add that Project Gutenberg has automatic conversion scripts too -- you can now download any of their books ready-formatted iirc, so you might also inquire there about conversion methods.
posted by anadem at 10:55 AM on December 9, 2007