For the do-it-yourselfer, here is my list of FREE eBook conversion software.
Each of these starts with text (.txt, .doc, .html) as input and produces an eBook for the
specified platform. All links were verified as of 3/18/2006.
- MS/Reader [.lit]: The Gold Standard is
ReaderWorks
by Overdrive. A free "Standard" version is available that limits your
choice of cover art and imbeds advertising watermarks; a paid version provides
full functionality.
An absolutely FREE converter is
Reader
Studio by Michisoft. This product is tempramental, lacks detailed
documentation and requires a bit of futzing around, but it does work.
If you're running MicroSoft's WORD, you can download the FREE
Read-in-Reader plugin from MicroSoft. This lets you save a WORD document
as a .LIT file (it's the tool I use). It's available for Word 2000, 2002 & 2003
- Adobe PDF [.pdf]: There are quite a number of options for creating
PDF, and the geography seems to change daily. I recommend (and use)
Ghost Script. This is
shareware that lets you convert a PostScript file from any source
into a PDF document. The product offers a GUI extension, GS/View
available from the same site. Ghost Script and GS/View are available for
a number of platforms.
This is not a novice's software package, but if you're comfortable
with the technology it's a good product because you can convert
anything you can print into a PDF file.
The steps you need to take are:
- Install GhostScript and GS/View
- Install a "generic" PostScript printer driver. Go to your Printer
Setup menu, and add printer.
Name it something like "generic PS printer".
Select any output device (LPT, COM1, it doesn't
matter) and pick one of the PS drivers (I use the HP Color LaserJet 5/5M PS
driver packaged with Windows -- you might need your Windows install CD).
Make sure you configure it to output to a disk file.
To create a PDF file:
- Create the document
- Print it, picking the PostScript printer you just set up
- Save the printer output to a file with a .PS extension
- Open the .PS file using GS/View
- Pick the menu option convert, pick PDF Write
- Enter the name of your PDF file
Like I said, you can use this for anything. I have created PDF copies
of sheet music using it in conjunction with a musical notation editor. Anything
that prints can output to a PS printer, and can be converted. This is a very
handy general-purpose utility.
- Palm/eReader Reader [.pdb]: The venerable [and oddly-named]
Drop Book
for Windows is Free from eReader.com (formerly Palm Digital Media). This requires
you to format your text into PML (Palm Markup Language) and then run the PML through
DropBook to create a .PDB file.
PML is a markup language similar to HTML that permits you to tag chapters, set fonts,
insert images, etc
(Documentation is available).
This is the tool I use. It's rudimentary but it works.
Some clever global replaces can convert a text/WORD doc into PML (mostly) in
quick and easy operations. Creating a macro to do the job is possible, I presume.
Paid converters are also available from eReader.com. You can also download FREE
readers for desktops from the same site.
- MobiPocket Reader [.prc]: There's really only one choice, and that's
MobiPocket
Creator from MobiPocket.com. There is no free converter, but the Home Edition ($29.95)
is available with a 30-day, fully functional, FREE trial period. This is a clunky piece of work
that operates in conjunction with Internet Explorer (expect it to be big, slow, and
tempramental), but it gets the job done.
A "pro" publisher's version is also available that (I believe) includes DRM, but I
find the home version suits my purposes.
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